Not Magic But Work: An Ethnographic Account of a Rehearsal Process (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780719099311)

Newly available in paperback, this is a detailed description of the intensive work process involved in the making of Toy Symphony, a play by Michael Gow, directed by Neil Armfield and brought to the stage for the first time in December 2007 by Company B at the Belvoir Street Theatre in Sydney. Drawing on years of research McAuley rejects simplistic notions of playwright or director as 'auteur'. Her account makes possible a more nuanced understanding of the real artistry involved in what it is that the director does and what the playwright contributes to the process.

The book is in two parts. The first describes the work process and the complex relations between participants noted by McAuley during her intensive observation of the rehearsal period throughout the run of the production. The second part consists of a number of essays reflecting on aspects of the work observed, and providing a theoretical framework for deeper understanding of the rehearsal practices described. McAuley concludes that contemporary theatre constitutes a highly effective model of group creativity that could be applied in many different institutional contexts.

Author: Gay McAuley
ISBN-10: 0719099315
ISBN-13: 9780719099311
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Language: English
Published: 07/01/2015
Pages: 256
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.66lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.54d