Table of Contents
List of plates viii
Acknowledgments x
Introduction 1
Cultural contexts 3
Athene Seyler 7
Stephen Haggard 16
How the book evolved 20
1 Distorted truth 23
Stephen to Athene, June 8, 1939 23
Reply, June 10 24
Summary 27
Concepts: revue comedy, non-comic acting, comic foundation, comic spirit, distorted truth, comic state of mind 27
Exercises: Comic perspective, Adding delight 28
2 Tight-rope walking 31
Stephen to Athene, June 17, 1939 31
Reply, June 30 34
Summary 39
Concepts: comedy through situation, comedy through character, comedy of being out of character, lack of balance, distortion, tight-rope walking, over-statement, over-emphasis, understatement, shared secret, spiritual comprehension, personality, technique 39
Exercises: Personal tendencies, All out of proportion, Both sides now 40
3 Just do it 43
Stephen to Athene, July 20, 1939 43
Reply, July 21 46
Summary 53
Concepts: comedy essentials, national humor, farce, high comedy, comedy vein 53
Exercises: Delicate to broad, Sitting in fear, Bubbling with pleasure 54
4 Trust and confidence 57
Stephen to Athene, November 19, 1939 57
Reply, December 9 61
Summary 65
Concepts: confidence, taking the audience in, topping 66
Exercises: Assurance and creativity, Tricks of the trade 66
5 Rhythm 69
Stephen to Athene, January 15, 1940 69
Reply, January 22 74
Summary 84
Concepts: double take, breaking, rhythm, emphasis, business, breaking up the scene 84
Exercises: Scarfing, Opposition, Max and Anatol 85
6 Comedy of manners 87
Stephen to Athene, February 10, 1940 87
Reply, March 29 90
Summary 94
Concepts: leading up to a laugh, trodding on a laugh, antimodal comedy, three kinds of dramatic expression (poetic drama, straight drama or comedy, artificial or high comedy), leveling of emotion 94
Exercises: Period physical lives, Walk the walks 95
7 Delicate decadence 97
Stephen to Athene, April 18, 1940 97
Reply, April 20 98
Summary 110
Concepts: interest, manners without morals, line delivery, types 110
Exercises: Character distinctions, Relish and detail 111
8 The acting profession 113
Stephen to Athene, May 6, 1940 113
Reply, May 16 115
Stephen to Athene, May 31, 1940 117
Summary 119
Concepts: professional prerequisites, pursuing stardom, career pitfalls, career compensations 120
Exercise: Self-analysis 120
Appendices
A Seyler's second thoughts 121
Summary 123
Concepts: spiritual antiseptic, two kinds of comedy, power of an audience, final enunciation, feed line 123
Exercises: Line or character?, Endings, Post mortem 124
B Fans, trains and stays 127
Applications: training, rehearsal, homework 133
C Plays referenced and scenes for practice 135
D Video clips 137
Athene Seyler 137
Stephen Haggard 138
E Tribute by Prunella Scales 139
F Additional sources - comedy books 143
