The Actor and the Alexander Technique

.M. Alexander developed the Alexander Technique of movement in the early 20th century. Combining vocal clarity and body movement, Alexander developed a performance coaching method that is used by dancers, actors, singers, and other performers. In The Actor and the Alexander Technique, Kelly McEvenue writes the first basic book about how this unique technique can help actors feel more natural on the stage. She provides warm-up exercises, balance and center exercises, and spatial awareness exercises. She talks about imitation, theuse of masks, nudity on the stage, and dealing with injury and aging. She also provides examples of specific productions, including The Lion Kingx that have successfully used the Alexander Technique. With a foreword by Patsy Rodenburg, the author of the phenomenal The Actor Speaks, this is a book that belongs on the shelf of every working and studying actor.

Kelly McEvenue is a certified teacher of the Alexander technique. She is one of the main acting coaches for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario.

Patsy Rodenburg is Director of Voice at London's Royal National Theater and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.