"Speaking is part of a whole: an expression of inner life." Cicely Berry has based her work on the conviction that while all is present in nature our natural instincts have been crippled from birth by many processes--by the conditioning, in fact, of a warped society. So an actor needs precise exercise and clear understanding to liberate his hidden possibilities and to learn the hard task of being true to the 'instinct of the moment'. As her book points out with remarkable persuasiveness 'technique' as such is a myth, for there is no such thing as a correct voice. There is no right way--there...

The world of a play is created by its language; the imagary, rhythm and speech structures all contribute to its representation of reality. With techniques that can be applied to a wide range of work, the author sets out language work to uncover different layers of meaning within the text.

'The Actor & the Text' brings together the elements of articulation and verbal clarity in a practical way. Building on specific exercises, it relates the practicality of voice production to the challenge of a difficult text.

(Applause Acting Series). These words of Cicely Berry, the voice director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, speak to anyone who needs to speak his or her piece in any arena, at sales meetings or religious revivals. Berry's book will insure that the speaker and the text gets heard accurately and with true emotional range. Never again will one be accused of simply "reading a prepared statement." Berry's exercises to develop relaxation, breathing and muscular control will literally help everyone breathe easier when confronting the printed page.