{"product_id":"beyond-method-stella-adler-and-the-male-actor-paperback","title":"Beyond Method: Stella Adler and the Male Actor - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eScott Balcerzak\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eExplores the methodologies and influence of acting teacher Stella Adler on her male students.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStella Adler (1901-92) trained many well-known American actors, yet throughout much of her career her influence was overshadowed by Lee Strasberg, director of the Actors Studio. In \u003ci\u003eBeyond Method: Stella Adler and the Male Actor\u003c\/i\u003e, Scott Balcerzak focuses on Adler's teachings and how she challenged Strasberg's psychological focus on the actor's \"self\" by promoting an empathetic and socially engaged approach to performance. Employing archived studio transcripts and recordings, Balcerzak examines Adler's lessons in technique, characterization, and script analysis as they reflect the background of the teacher--illustrating her time studying with Constantin Stanislavski, her Yiddish Theatre upbringing, and her encyclopedic knowledge of drama. Through this lens, \u003ci\u003eBeyond Method\u003c\/i\u003e resituates the performances of some of her famous male students through an expansive understanding of the discourses of acting.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe book begins by providing an overview of the gender and racial classifications associated with the male \"Method\" actor and discussing white maleness in the mid-twentieth century. The first chapter explores the popular press's promotion of \"Method\" stars during the 1950s as an extension of Strasberg's rise in celebrity. At the same time, Adler's methodology was defining actor performance as a form of social engagement--rather than just personal expression--welcoming an analysis of onscreen masculinity as culturally fluid. The chapters that follow serve as case studies of some of Adler's most famous students in notable roles--Marlon Brando in \u003ci\u003eA Streetcar Named Desire\u003c\/i\u003e (1951) and \u003ci\u003eThe Missouri Breaks\u003c\/i\u003e (1976), Robert De Niro in \u003ci\u003eTaxi Driver\u003c\/i\u003e (1976), Henry Winkler in \u003ci\u003eHappy Days\u003c\/i\u003e (1974-84), and Mark Ruffalo in \u003ci\u003eThe Avengers: Age of Ultron\u003c\/i\u003e (2015). Balcerzak concludes that the presence of Adler altered the trajectory of onscreen maleness through a promotion of a relatively complex view of gender identity not found in other classrooms. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003ci\u003eBeyond Method \u003c\/i\u003econsiders Stella Adler as not only an effective teacher of acting but also an engaging and original thinker, providing us a new way to consider performances of maleness on the screen. Film and theater scholars, as well as those interested in gender studies, are sure to benefit from this thorough study.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eScott Balcerzak is associate professor of film and media in the department of English at Northern Illinois University. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eBuffoon Men: Classic Hollywood Comedians and Queered Masculinity \u003c\/i\u003e(Wayne State University Press, 2013). He is also the co-editor of \u003ci\u003eCinephilia in the Age of Digital Reproduction: Film, Pleasure, and Digital Culture, \u003c\/i\u003evols. 1 and 2.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 288\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.59 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 25, 2018\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51775989416224,"sku":"9780814342916","price":50.38,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/afab1bdd0e1342589378b9d345f25fef.webp?v=1780470521","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/beyond-method-stella-adler-and-the-male-actor-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}