pixeltracker

A Crisis In American Acting: American and British Styles

LATEST NEWS

A Crisis In American Acting: American and British Styles

Patti LuPone FANatic Profile Photo
Patti LuPone FANatic
#1A Crisis In American Acting: American and British Styles
Posted: 3/5/15 at 6:17am

I read this very interesting article on the different approaches between American and British acting training. Thoughts?
American Acting


"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)

Gothampc
#2A Crisis In American Acting: American and British Styles
Posted: 3/5/15 at 10:04am

For many years I've had the sense that British actors were much better than American ones.

The first time I was able to prove it was when I saw two productions of Company, the Roundabout production and the London production with Adrian Lester. The London production was miles ahead of any American musical I had seen. These were living people who happened to break into song every so often. Their performances were nuanced and their inner lives were well established. Unfortunately, Americans never perfected acting in musicals. They carried over the vaudeville sensibility of showing a character rather than being.

I believe that American directors and producers cast more according to what they think the character looks like rather than an actor who can fully embody the character.


If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

NotTheComfyChair Profile Photo
NotTheComfyChair
#2A Crisis In American Acting: American and British Styles
Posted: 3/5/15 at 10:36am

The article the OP refers and links to - is a response to an EW article which is worth reading. The link to that is below.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/01/28/selma-british-actors

In my opinion, unlike the Maggie Flanagan Studio piece (the linked article in the original post) the EW article is not sensationalist, is quite balanced and made me think about the state of training in the US and the UK. James Lipton, Avy Kaufman and Richard Hicks all make good points and aren't panicking. After reading it, I felt the sky wasn't falling. The Maggie Flanagan Studio piece takes a quote from Stephen Frears which was in the EW article and runs with it and makes it seem that the EW piece was all about a 'crisis' which I don't think it was.

For me, I think that the best schools in the US - Juilliard, UNC School of the Arts, NYU Tisch MFA, Yale, ACT - are just as good as the best British schools and are producing well-trained actors for theatre who are able to move into film and TV with some ease.

Gothampc
#3A Crisis In American Acting: American and British Styles
Posted: 3/5/15 at 10:40am

"James Lipton, Avy Kaufman and Richard Hicks all make good points and aren't panicking."

James Lipton is an ass kisser of actors. His opinion is worth zero.


If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

NotTheComfyChair Profile Photo
NotTheComfyChair
#4A Crisis In American Acting: American and British Styles
Posted: 3/5/15 at 10:55am

Based on the televised "Inside The Actor's Studio", some would agree though it's origin as a class for students to listen to, learn from and ask questions of leading theatre professionals is, I think, laudable.
He studied with Stella Adler, Harold Clurman and Robert Lewis and has been seriously involved with Actor's Studio Drama School, I think as Dean (though I could be wrong).
So I think he knows about actor training and I will take his opinions on that seriously.

Kad Profile Photo
Kad
#5A Crisis In American Acting: American and British Styles
Posted: 3/5/15 at 12:47pm

I've always found that "serious" British actors appear take themselves less seriously and are more willing to choose works that are clearly not prestige pieces- silly television spots, fluffy movies, lighter comedic stage work, that sort of thing. They seem to act because they *enjoy* acting and not because they want awards. The awards come, of course.

There also seems to be a lack of interest in American acting students in studying things that aren't acting- history, science, literature, ANYTHING. I say this as someone who went to an acting program at a liberal arts school. So many of my peers turned their noses up at the fact they were required to take classes that weren't directly theatre-related. As such, their acting choices often lacked context and nuance that comes from knowing about the world, and the world the playwright was writing in and about.


"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
Updated On: 3/5/15 at 12:47 PM

Wilmingtom
#8A Crisis In American Acting: American and British Styles
Posted: 3/5/15 at 1:44pm

Of course there are brilliant and lousy actors both here and in England. The Brits have the advantage of the theater, film and television industries all being centrally located in London, making it easier for them to move between the mediums.

songanddanceman2 Profile Photo
songanddanceman2
#9A Crisis In American Acting: American and British Styles
Posted: 3/5/15 at 1:57pm

Not really, plenty of TV is shot all around the UK, hell the BBC is now in Manchester.


Namo i love u but we get it already....you don't like Madonna

lotiloti Profile Photo
lotiloti
#10A Crisis In American Acting: American and British Styles
Posted: 3/5/15 at 2:06pm

'Of course there are brilliant and lousy actors both here and in England. The Brits have the advantage of the theater, film and television industries all being centrally located in London, making it easier for them to move between the mediums.'

Sorry, but that is a lame excuse. Film & television production in the UK is spread throughout the whole country. As is theatre. The major studios, Pinewood, Elstree, Leavesden & Shepperton , are indeed based around London. But these are generally filled with major US productions. The British actors mentioned, are plying their trade on Broadway & Hollywood. Not only in the UK.