The Actors Bookshelf

We're back at it dropping a proper banger of an episode, the conclusion of  what we're calling Season 1 with the long awaited deep read of….Act 3!!!We got gossip, we got death and downfall, and we go lots to say about all of it.After this one we'll take a bit of a break, read some more books, book more jobs, watch more shows, and maybe try out some teaching and then come back with more episodes!Thanks as always for listening and reading along. ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~We're on Instagram! @TheActorsBookshelfFollow The Actors Bookshelf on Twitter @actorsbookshelf and Bluesky @theactorsbookshelfFollow Patrick on Instagram @dfwpadraigFollow Dan on Instagram @the.other.dan.stevensQuestions? Comments? Email us at [email protected]

bad it's bad.You know it (or do you?), you love it (but should you?), it's Konstantin Stanislavski's major text An Actor Prepares (not the original title in Russian). Dan and Patrick had a grand old time snuffling through this pile of dirt for a couple of juicy informational truffles, and we're here to let you know whether or not this book belongs on your Actors Bookshelf.Some highlights from our conversation:The importance of the Objective and Super Objective in Stanislavski's System, and how those terms have done a major disservice to generations of modern actors,The ways systemic patriarchy, misogyny, and racism permeate the book in ways that instantly set it at a distance from the reader,Stanislavski was not good at writing about his own ideasRave reviews from your hosts"Yeah dude, it's a fascinating read." ~ Daniel A Stevens"It's an important book, even if it's not a good book." ~ Patrick Harvey~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~We're on Instagram! @TheActorsBookshelfFollow The Actors Bookshelf on Twitter @actorsbookshelf and Bluesky @theactorsbookshelfFollow Patrick on Instagram @dfwpadraigFollow Dan on Instagram @the.other.dan.stevensQuestions? Comments? Email us at [email protected]

After two weeks....Two hosts...Cover two chapters...To finish Act Two of The Method...Over two hours...This is the jumping-off point of the beginning of the Actors Studio and then a cheeky whole chapter on Marlon Brando (let's go Brando!). Let's go!~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~We're on Instagram! @TheActorsBookshelfFollow The Actors Bookshelf on Twitter @actorsbookshelf and Bluesky @theactorsbookshelfFollow Patrick on Instagram @dfwpadraigFollow Dan on Instagram @the.other.dan.stevensQuestions? Comments? Email us at [email protected]

A day late, but no dollars to be short! In this episode, the Group Goes West. Turns out the life of a...... .person of the evening....... ain't too bad!~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~We're on Instagram! @TheActorsBookshelfFollow The Actors Bookshelf on Twitter @actorsbookshelf and Bluesky @theactorsbookshelfFollow Patrick on Instagram @dfwpadraigFollow Dan on Instagram @the.other.dan.stevensQuestions? Comments? Email us at [email protected]

Stella meets Stan. (Not Kowalski. Not Laurel). More confusion and discord in the Group. Clifford Odets has his first success, despite Lee's best efforts. Plus we caught up our chapters with our episode numbers! Go on, give us a listen.~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~We're on Instagram! @TheActorsBookshelfFollow The Actors Bookshelf on Twitter @actorsbookshelf and Bluesky @theactorsbookshelfFollow Patrick on Instagram @dfwpadraigFollow Dan on Instagram @the.other.dan.stevensQuestions? Comments? Email us at [email protected]

Hey lookit we both have theatre jobs we're doing the thing guysssssss! This is a special bonus episode that we recorded on our AEA days off (while we probably should have been on vocal rest) to talk about the magic of making theatre in the waning days of our fading republic, the foibles and vicissitudes of putting the thing together, and the reality of being dumb fleshy sacks of meat and electrical impulses tripping the light fantastic with a crowd of strangers sitting in darkened communion together.~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~We're on Instagram! @TheActorsBookshelfFollow The Actors Bookshelf on Twitter @actorsbookshelf and Bluesky @theactorsbookshelfFollow Patrick on Instagram @dfwpadraigFollow Dan on Instagram @the.other.dan.stevensQuestions? Comments? Email us at [email protected]

The Group Theatre hits it big, egos clash, and worlds collide on the other side of the world. ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~We're on Instagram! @TheActorsBookshelfFollow The Actors Bookshelf on Twitter @actorsbookshelf and Bluesky @theactorsbookshelfFollow Patrick on Instagram @dfwpadraigFollow Dan on Instagram @the.other.dan.stevensQuestions? Comments? Email us at [email protected]

It turns out being booked and blessed also involves being busy. But here we are, bestowing another beloved binstallment of The Bactors Bookshelf benevolently! We get the early days of the Group Theatre, the early members, their successes and foibles, and some of their first productions.~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~We're on Instagram! @TheActorsBookshelfFollow The Actors Bookshelf on Twitter @actorsbookshelf and Bluesky @theactorsbookshelfFollow Patrick on Instagram @dfwpadraigFollow Dan on Instagram @the.other.dan.stevensQuestions? Comments? Email us at [email protected]

Where Michael Stipe sings "I Thought That I Heard You Acting."The Boleslavsky Talks! The American Theatre Lab! We meet Adler! We meet Strasberg! It's happening here folks! Featuring a special appearance from Amara the funnier ginger.~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~We're on Instagram! @TheActorsBookshelfFollow The Actors Bookshelf on Twitter @actorsbookshelf and Bluesky @theactorsbookshelfFollow Patrick on Instagram @dfwpadraigFollow Dan on Instagram @the.other.dan.stevensQuestions? Comments? Email us at [email protected]

We're back with Isaac Butler and the incredible history of the evolution of acting technique!This one has been in the works for a Minute, y'all and we're very excited to be dropping it into your feed now.In this one we experiment with bringing some outside voices into the pod. Thanks a million and a half to our loving contributors. Please, listeners, let us know if this is the kind of thing you'd like to hear more in future episodes. Let us know if you think there are other pods out there we could be reaching out to for crossover episodes! Let us know, we beg you, that you're out there and that we exist.We're both in production mode for in-person performance work, so keep an eye on the feed because it might be a little inconsistent for the next couple months.~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~We're on Instagram! @TheActorsBookshelfFollow The Actors Bookshelf on Twitter @actorsbookshelf and Bluesky @theactorsbookshelfFollow Patrick on Instagram @dfwpadraigFollow Dan on Instagram @the.other.dan.stevensQuestions? Comments? Email us at [email protected]