Reviews

A Director Prepares: Seven Essays on Art and Theatre, by Anne Bogart

bigmac_beth20's review against another edition

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inspiring medium-paced

2.75

gneumatic's review against another edition

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5.0

While it does contain practical advice for directors, I would recommend this book to any performer or artist. One of the recurring themes is embracing doubt, uncertainty, and resistance and learning to work with and through those forces. Anne Bogart is a genius and I expect this is a book I'll be returning to again and again (along with Mamet's True and False) when I need a reminder that being an artist is *fucking hard* and making work with integrity often requires, above all else, courage.

deeder25's review against another edition

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4.0

this book is brilliant...most directing books are self-congratulating, masturbatory bullshit, and this one is insightful, intelligent, and actually useful! inspirational for other artists, as well, though definitely theatre focused.

afterttherain's review against another edition

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5.0

my goodness I read the entirety of this book and I still don't know what I'm doing for my HL solo ain't this fun.

Putting that aside! Theatre is so beautiful in Bogart's words. You'd fall in love over and over again.

alittlebitval's review against another edition

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3.0

I read this book for my directing class.

kelleenmoriarty's review against another edition

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5.0

The best book on craft for any theatre director!

nilatti's review against another edition

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5.0

In my world, there are two kinds of good books on directing: Those that challenge me, and those that affirm me. This one does both. So many things, I found myself nodding along and saying, "Oh, I do that! How amazing that Anne Bogart does that, too!" and other things, I thought, "Hm...should definitely try that," or "I hadn't looked at it that way before."

I'll definitely be rereading this one every few years. Lots of good reminders.

irati97's review against another edition

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5.0

4.5*

yakultmp3's review

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inspiring medium-paced

4.0

anne out here validating the mortifying ordeal of being known in the embarrassment chapter

carolinafreitas's review

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4.0

Com este livro aprendi:
A importância da memória e do auto-conhecimento na criação artística. É fundamental estar conectado com as suas próprias raízes e história pessoal para ter a segurança necessária no processo creativo e produzir arte com alguma relevância e intensidade.
A violência, o rigor e a determinação têm um papel fundamental no processo criativo.

"To decide is an act of violence, yet decisiveness and cruelty are a part of the collaborative process that the theatre offers. Decisions give birth to limitations which in turn ask for a creative use of the imagination. (...) To be cruel is ultimately an act of generosity in the collaborative process. 'Ideas are cheap' we always say in the heat of a rehearsal. Ideas come and go but what is important is the commitment to a choice and to its clarity and comunativeness. It is not about the right idea or even the right decision, rather it is about the quality of decisiveness."

Um espectáculo deve, logo de início, apanhar o público de surpresa com algo intrigante, que tanto poderá prendê-lo (arte estática) ou induzi-lo à acção (arte quinéctica).
- A importância da tensão entre forças que, ao mesmo tempo, se opõem e se atraem na construção das cenas.
- Não revelar tudo ao público para mantê-lo interessado e suster a relação, tensão e atenção entre o público e o espectáculo.

"Art, like life, is understood through experience, not explanations. As theatre artists, we cannot create an experience for an audience; rather, our job is to set up the circumstances in which an experience might occur. [...]we all, audience and artists alike, have to allow for a little personal desorientation to pave the way for experience."

O trabalho de um artista não deve ser julgado pelo que traz de novo mas sim pela forma como lida com a tradição que herdou. A originalidade está na forma como interagimos com a tradição.
A insegurança e a vulnerabilidade são terreno fértil para criar arte impactante e cativante. Em momentos em que nos sintamos perdidos é bom concentrarmo-nos em detalhes ou em coisas próximas do que procuramos para abrir espaço na nossa mente para a criatividade fluir.
"It is possible to turn the irritating mass of daily frustrations into fuel for beautiful expression."