Children's Troupes: Dramatic Illusion and Acting Style

Authors

Michael Shapiro, University of Illinois

Abstract

In lieu of an abstract, the first paragraph of the essay follows:

Unless we are professionally involved in the theater, we usually watch performances by little-known actors without much awareness of the actor behind the character, although we "always know"-preconsciously- that the actor is there. But when we watch a famous actor with a strong personality, we usually find ourselves consciously aware of that actor's identity during much if not all of the play, even while we pay close attention to the character he is portraying. In short, when we watch Olivier, Gielgud, or Burton we have what S. L. Bethell has termed a "dual consciousness of the player as player and as character,"² a state of mind which differs radically from the preconscious awareness of the actors as actors described by Dr. Johnson.

Recommended Citation

Shapiro, Michael (1969) "Children's Troupes: Dramatic Illusion and Acting Style," Comparative Drama: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 3.
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/compdr/vol3/iss1/3