The Opera Singer's Acting Toolkit - An Essential Guide to Creating A Role

The complete dramatic toolbox for the opera singer, sub-titled An Essential Guide to Creating A Role, provides a step-by-step guide detailing how to create character, from auditions through to rehearsal and performance and formulate a successful career

Drawing upon the innovative approach to the training of young opera singers developed by Martin Constantine, Co-Director of ENO Opera Works, The Opera Singer's Acting Toolkit leads the singer through the process of bringing the libretto and score to life in order to create character

It draws on the work of practitioners such as Stanislavski, Lecoq, Laban and Cicely Berry to introduce the singer to the tools needed to create an interior and physical life for character

The book draws on operatic repertoire from Handel through Mozart to Britten to present practical techniques and exercises to help the singer develop their own individual dramatic toolbox

The Opera Singer's Acting Toolkit features interviews with leading conductors, directors, singers and casting agents to offer invaluable insights into the professional operatic world, and advice on how to remain focused on the importance of the work itself

Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction

PART ONE: THE TOOLS
1 The Foundations
The Body: Releasing Tension
The Mind: Awareness + Focus
The Imagination
Play and Spontaneity

2 A Note About Emotion

3 Creating Character

4 Text and Music
Organising Information: Given Circumstances
Organising Information: Other Approaches
Organising Information: Music
Objectives
Actions
Obstacles
Points of Concentration
Events
Further Text Tools
Text and Music: Conclusion

5 The Body and Movement
Laban
Lecoq
Character Types and Commedia dell'Arte
The Clown
Devising

6 Words and Music in Action

PART TWO: IN PRACTICE
1 Preparing for Rehearsals

2 Rehearsals

3 Rehearsals in Depth

4 Performance

5 Auditions

PART THREE: INTERVIEWS
1 Repertoire
Interviews with Conductors

2 Approaches to Rehearsal
Interviews with Directors

3 Singers' Case Studies

List of exercises
Further reading