The Method

How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act

By: Isaac Butler

Narrated by: Isaac Butler

Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Bloomsbury presents The Method by Isaac Butler, read by Isaac Butler.

From the co-author of The World Only Spins Forward comes the first cultural history of Method acting - an ebullient account of creative discovery and the birth of classic Hollywood.

On stage and screen, we know a great performance when we see it. But how do actors draw from their bodies and minds to turn their selves into art? What is the craft of being an authentic fake? More than a century ago, amid tsarist Russia’s crushing repression, one of the most talented actors ever, Konstantin Stanislavski, asked these very questions, reached deep into himself and emerged with an answer. How his 'system' remade itself into the Method and forever transformed American theatre and film is an unlikely saga that has never before been fully told.

Now, critic and theatre director Isaac Butler chronicles the history of the Method in a narrative that transports listeners from Moscow to New York to Los Angeles, from The Seagull to A Streetcar Named Desire to Raging Bull. He traces how a cohort of American mavericks - including Stella Adler, Lee Strasberg and the storied Group Theatre - refashioned Stanislavski’s ideas for a Depression-plagued nation that had yet to find its place as an artistic powerhouse. The Group’s feuds and rivalries would, in turn, shape generations of actors who enabled Hollywood to become the global dream-factory it is today. Some of these performers the Method would uplift; others, it would destroy. Long after its mid-century heyday, the Method lives on as one of the most influential - and misunderstood - ideas in American culture.

Studded with marquee names - from Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe and Elia Kazan, to James Baldwin, Ellen Burstyn and Dustin Hoffman - The Method is a spirited history of ideas and a must-hear for any fan of Broadway or American film.

©2022 Isaac Butler (P)2022 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

"Elegantly written, filled with remarkable detail and incisive commentary, Isaac Butler’s sweeping historical epic is the literary equivalent of an irresistible binge-watch, propelled by emotional twists and turns, surprising cliffhangers, and a cast of the greatest actors, directors, writers, and teachers of the last two centuries. The fact that he has done all that while also writing what I think is the best and most important book about acting I’ve ever read is a major achievement. This is an essential book for anyone in the acting profession as well as for anyone who’s ever wondered ‘How did they learn all those lines?'" (Nathan Lane)

Tremendous

This book is an entertaining and comprehensive history of “The System” and subsequent “Method.” I am a professional stage director and student of the theatre. This is the most enjoyable theater book I’ve listened to on audible—a true delight!

Highly illuminating

Terrific to have an inside view of the mechanics of acting from when it became a bona fide thing. Isaac Butler post back the curtain on what motivates actors over the ages, not in a gossipy way, but in more of a factual and academic style. It really puts a lot into perspective.
Worth the read if you’re interested in the mechanics of this craft.

Fascinating and Immensely Entertaining

For years I have wondered what was different about the great actors of the 30’s and 40’s such as Hepburn, Tracy or Davis and the great actors we began to see in the 50’s and 60’s such Brando, Kim Stanley and Newman. This book explains, what to me was this mystery. Going back to the Moscow Art Theatre and Stanislavsky and the creation of “the system” and its migration to America, the author traces this rich history, the revolution in acting and the creation of the Method in America. Beautifully read by the author, if you live theatre and movies you MUST read this book!

METHOD TO MY MADNESS

I'm usually not a fan of authors reading their own material but this one did well. The narrator stuck to the text and did not riff or improvise as so many author narrators often do.

The narrator was also evenly paced. So many of the author narrators I have heard in the past rush the passages of important text to read one of their more august sentences in their most sonorous pretentious voice. This isn't fair to the listener. I paid good money to listen to complete texts not to indulge the author narrator's fanciful whims of what a real narrator should sound like.

I am also pleased the author narrator did not introduce material from past works as so many author narrators will do if you are not listening carefully. After listening to so many audiobooks I am adept at picking out intentionally misplaced text, i.e. advertising unpublished works.

My biggest pet peeve with the narrator was with the pronunciation of certain key names in the book like Lee Strasbergs last name. It's Strasbourg--BOURG...like THE UMBRELLAS OF CHER--BOURG. Wasn't there an editor or director in the recording studio with him? Shouldn't they have told him the correct pronunciation?

Another small problem I had with the author narrator were some of the long pauses he took to drink water. These long pauses occurred toward the end of the book as his voice became more and more strained and occasionally cracked. Isn't there a way to stop the recording process long enough to allow the narrator to have some water without me having to hear him reach for it, pour it, and swallow it during certain crucial parts of the book? I'm just glad these long breaks did not happen at the beginning of the book or I would have stopped listening. I'm also glad the narrator sounded did like a nonsmoker.

Comprehensive History, Great Storytelling

So grateful for this book! Isaac Butler’s engaging research and storytelling fleshes out history I’d studied as an undergrad majoring in theatre, but was too young and inexperienced to fully grasp or put into context. Highly recommend for anyone interested in acting in and theatre history.

Highly recommended.

A riveting biography of the Method, this is also a deeply observed, comprehensive study of American realism, starting from its roots in Stanislavsky, through its divergent proponents in Strasberg, Adler, and Meisner (among others), to its aftermath and legacy in the present moment. I first picked up the ebook then transitioned to the audiobook, which I highly recommended for the author’s clear and impassioned narration. I will be returning to this book again and again.

Brilliant

Compelling and well written. A history of acting but also of memorable personalities and our culture. A “real page turner.”

thorough and inspiring

I very much enjoyed this long comprehensive history of the method, beginning 19th century Russia and proceeding to the early 20th century. it was particularly helpful understanding the differences between the American method acting teachers, Adler, Meisner, and Strasburg.

Surprisingly Good

I’ve never had much interest in the art of acting and don’t remember why i even bought this book, but it turned out to be well-written, highly engaging and well-narrated with only a couple of clunky mispronunciations (ie. Franchot Tone’s name). It provides a broad and interesting history of The Method. I recommend it.

A Fantastic Review of Western Acting Techniques

Holy I did not expect what this book was. Completely changed my perception of what the method is, while also providing an amazingly thorough look at acting in the western world since it was revolutionized by Stanislavski. I couldn’t rate it higher