Physical Expression on Stage and Screen : Using the Alexander Technique to Create Unforgettable Performances

A tight throat; held breath; stiff muscles; stage fright: impediments to performance come in many guises, but they all spring from the same source-tension.

In Physical Expression on Stage and Screen Bill Connington, a renowned teacher of the Alexander Technique, shows you how to recognize and release the tension that keeps you from performing at your best. If you're ever not certain of what to do with your hands or how to make a meaningful gesture, or if your movement feels fine in daily life but then you suddenly become self-conscious when onstage or in front of a camera, this book is here to help.

More than one hundred clear, accessible exercises-including many filmed tutorials available online-will enable you to

• Move more naturally and easily
• Breathe more freely
• Speak more clearly
• Free your creative impulses
• Play a character with an unfamiliar physicality

“Physical Expression on Stage and Screen is a clear, detailed, and practical account of how the Alexander Technique can help liberate performers from habitual psychophysical tensions, allowing them to access the deepest and most creative impulses in their work. Bill is a generous, openhearted, and centered presence in the classroom. Any performing artist who is serious about finding a greater sense of freedom and flow would do well to take advantage of the expertise Bill offers in this book.” —Walton Wilson, Chair, Department of Acting, and Head of Voice and Speech, Yale School of Drama

“In Physical Expression on Stage and Screen, Bill Connington brings his  expertise and passion as an actor and a highly experienced teacher of  the Alexander Technique to the page. The book offers a practical way of  working on oneself through movement, breath, voice, imagination, and  choice. In small, doable steps, Bill guides the actor toward a healthy,  creative life as a performer—always with a supportive, encouraging tone  and attention to process as opposed to results.” —Kim Jessor, faculty, Tisch School of the Arts at the New York University Graduate Acting Program

“Bill Connington writes with insight, clarity, and flair about a subject he loves and shares his valuable perspective on the training of actors by exploring the all-important connection between body, mind, and spirit. In a voice both friendly and knowledgeable, Physical Expression on Stage and Screen guides the actor from class to rehearsal to performance.” —Jessica Wolf, Assistant Professor, Yale School of Drama; director of 'Jessica Wolf's Art of Breathing'