Teaching Actors draws on history, literature, and original research conducted across leading drama schools in England and Australia, to offer those involved in actor training a critical framework within which to think about their work. Prior, who brings to this volume more than twenty years of experience as both a teacher and performer in the field, devotes particular attention to the different ways in which teachers and students acquire and share knowledge through practical craft-based experience. The first book-length treatment of how actor trainers work-and understand their work-Teaching Actors will be an invaluable educational resource in an increasingly important area of theatre training and research.

Professor Emeritus Ross W. Prior is best known for his work in applied arts and health as founding principal editor of the Journal of Applied Arts & Health (JAAH), established in 2010. In 2015, he was appointed the inaugural professor of learning and teaching in the arts in higher education at the University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. He is a fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health, fellow of the Australian College of Educators and principal fellow of the Higher Education Academy. At the time of publication, he is a member of the Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Peer Review College for UK Research and Innovation. His books include Teaching Actors (Intellect, 2012) and Using Art as Research in Learning and Teaching (Intellect, 2018).

Chapter 1: Historical Background 

Chapter 2: Theory and Practice of Actor Training 

Chapter 3: Encountering the Great Divides 

Chapter 4: Current Organisational Practice 

Chapter 5: Vocational Expertise and Knowledge 

Chapter 6: The Actor Trainers: A Case Study 

Chapter 7: Drama Schools and the Industry 

Chapter 8: The Training Process 

Chapter 9: Communicating Knowledge
Chapter 10: Towards Better Practice: A Conclusion