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THE ACTOR SPEAKS: VOICE AND THE PERFORMER. By Patsy Rodenburg. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002; pp. xv +400. $16.95 paper.
Patsy Rodenburg s third book, The Actor Speaks, succeeds on multiple levels as an overview of the lifelong process of training and maintaining the actor's voice. This book covers a wide range of topics from finding one's center and breath support, to dealing with wigs and costumes that might interfere with an actor's vocal production. Rodenburg does not propose a training methodology as Kristin Linklater and Arthur Lessac do; she provides us with a comprehensive and rich variety of exercises, reflections, and practical tips gleaned from many years of experience working with student and professional actors. While Rodenburg's two previous books, The Right to Speak and The Need for Words, were written for a wide audience, The Actor Speaks specifically addresses working actors and acting students training for professional careers. However, it is written in straightforward language with little discipline-specific jargon, making it highly accessible for educators who teach acting as well as voice.
The Actor Speaks is divided into seven sections or "stages." Stages 1-3 (the bulk of the book) speak to the initial training of the actor's voice...