Michel Saint-Denis 
Theatre: The Rediscovery of Style and Other Writings [PDF ebook] 

"Saint-Denis had a clairvoyant divination into the soul of acting" — Lord Olivier "His influence on all of us has been tremendous" — Sir Alec Guinness "A great director, a great artist, a great man" — Sir Michael Redgrave Michel Saint-Denis was one of Twentieth Century Theatre’s most influential directors and theorists. This book combines his seminal Theatre: The Rediscovery of Style with material from Training for the Theatre, newly edited to create a work that moves seamlessly from theory to practice. Theatre: The Rediscovery of Style collects five of Saint Denis’ key lectures, given during his time in America, and perfectly encompasses his synergy of classical theatre and modern realism. Training for the Theatre is a key practical resource for actors, directors and teachers alike. It covers crucial areas such as understanding a play’s context, training schedules, improvisation and dealing with stage space, as well as a section on Saint-Denis’ use of masks in actor training. Theatre: The Rediscovery of Style and Other Writings benefits from Jane Baldwin’s new biographical introduction and annotations, that put Saint-Denis into context for a contemporary audience. It brings a wealth of inspirational material to both the rehearsal space and the classroom. Michel Saint-Denis was one of the pre-eminent theatrical theorists of the 20th Century. Aside from his contributions to acting, directing, teaching and writing, he also founded theatre schools in London, Montreal, Strasbourg and New York. Jane Baldwin is a leading expert on Saint-Denis. She is a theatre historian at the Boston Conservatory, and author of Michel Saint-Denis and the Shaping of the Modern Actor.