Practical Aesthetics

"Think before you act so you can act before you think"

WIlliam H. MacY

  • Born 1950, raised in Atlanta and then moved to Maryland
  • Attended Bethany College, then transferred to Goddard College
  • It was there that he met David Mamet
  • Mamet took Macy and Steven Schachtar to Chicago and founded St. Nicholas Theatre

David Mamet

  • American playwright, won Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for two different plays
  • Oscar nominee for his work on The Verdict
  • TV producer and developer
  • College professor, where he met David H. Macy
  • Founding member of the Atlantic Theatre Company

Practical Aesthetics

  • Script analysis
    • The Literal
    • The Wants
    • The Essential Action
    • The "As-if"
  • Acting is reacting
  • Being truthful
  • Relationship with the Other

Differences from The Method

  • Based on the other actor
  • In the moment
    • No two performances are the same
  • Personalized to yourself

The Playwright Directs


Sources

Bruder, Melissa (1986). A Practical Handbook for the Actor.
Vintage. ISBN 0-394-74412-8
Lehmann-Haupt, Christopher (October 23, 1997). "A Dramatist's
How-to Guide for the Stage-Struck". The New York Times. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
Westbrook, Mark. "Practical Aesthetics Guide Part 3." Acting Coach
Scotland. Performance Pedagogy Ltd, 20 Feb 2009. Web. 6 Aug. 2013.

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