True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor
Encyclopedia
True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor by David Mamet
is an instructional book on acting
, and the life and habits of the successful actor. In it, Mamet outlines his thoughts on acting, and gives advice for those practicing the craft and for aspiring practitioners.
In the book, Mamet derides the practice of teaching drama students the system
of Constantin Stanislavski or method acting
of Lee Strasberg
. In Mamet's opinion, time spent searching for emotion memory or considering character's biographies is time wasted, and he suspects that it is an academic bluff working to keep actors uncertain. He also argues that the accomplishments of the Method "greats" (Brando
, de Niro et al.) were due to natural talent and fierce determination rather than a specific academic methodology.
He recommends a simple, 'honest' style of acting, where the actor's job is to learn the lines, find their mark, and speak up simply. Work on character, he asserts, is the playwright's job. Mamet advocates an acting process that posits that acting is a craft born out of the repeated application of a few straightforward, basic principles. Mamet uses the book to speak out against such practices as emotional preparation and the creation of an imaginary world in which to live while acting.
Since its publication, 'True and False' has proved to be a controversial volume. Admirers point to its practical, straightforward advice, while detractors have charged that its approach is too reductionist. The concept of a book on acting written by a playwright has also been a source of skepticism. Nonetheless, others might argue that who could teach actors more about playing the scene as it's written than a playwright. Mamet of course is much more than a playwright, having worked in the theatre and film industry all of his life.
Actor Anthony Hopkins
praised True And False as "[demolishing] the myths and the psychobabble
-gobbledygook that pass for theory with regard to acting" and described it as "a revealing book of the highest order"http://www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk/sf/Pages/theatre-bks-list/acting.html.
David Mamet
David Alan Mamet is an American playwright, essayist, screenwriter and film director.Best known as a playwright, Mamet won a Pulitzer Prize and received a Tony nomination for Glengarry Glen Ross . He also received a Tony nomination for Speed-the-Plow . As a screenwriter, he received Oscar...
is an instructional book on acting
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
, and the life and habits of the successful actor. In it, Mamet outlines his thoughts on acting, and gives advice for those practicing the craft and for aspiring practitioners.
In the book, Mamet derides the practice of teaching drama students the system
Stanislavski System
Stanislavski's system is a progression of techniques used to train actors to draw believable emotions to their performances. The method that was originally created and used by Constantin Stanislavski from 1911-1916 was based on the concept of emotional memory for which an actor focuses internally...
of Constantin Stanislavski or method acting
Method acting
Method acting is a phrase that loosely refers to a family of techniques used by actors to create in themselves the thoughts and emotions of their characters, so as to develop lifelike performances...
of Lee Strasberg
Lee Strasberg
Lee Strasberg was an American actor, director and acting teacher. He cofounded, with directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931, which was hailed as "America's first true theatrical collective"...
. In Mamet's opinion, time spent searching for emotion memory or considering character's biographies is time wasted, and he suspects that it is an academic bluff working to keep actors uncertain. He also argues that the accomplishments of the Method "greats" (Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
, de Niro et al.) were due to natural talent and fierce determination rather than a specific academic methodology.
He recommends a simple, 'honest' style of acting, where the actor's job is to learn the lines, find their mark, and speak up simply. Work on character, he asserts, is the playwright's job. Mamet advocates an acting process that posits that acting is a craft born out of the repeated application of a few straightforward, basic principles. Mamet uses the book to speak out against such practices as emotional preparation and the creation of an imaginary world in which to live while acting.
Since its publication, 'True and False' has proved to be a controversial volume. Admirers point to its practical, straightforward advice, while detractors have charged that its approach is too reductionist. The concept of a book on acting written by a playwright has also been a source of skepticism. Nonetheless, others might argue that who could teach actors more about playing the scene as it's written than a playwright. Mamet of course is much more than a playwright, having worked in the theatre and film industry all of his life.
Actor Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
praised True And False as "[demolishing] the myths and the psychobabble
Psychobabble
Psychobabble is a form of prose using jargon, buzzwords and highly esoteric language to give an impression of plausibility through mystification, misdirection, and obfuscation. The term implies that the speaker of psychobabble lacks the experience and understanding necessary for proper use of a...
-gobbledygook that pass for theory with regard to acting" and described it as "a revealing book of the highest order"http://www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk/sf/Pages/theatre-bks-list/acting.html.