McGraw-Hill, 2008
Acting One was initially published by Cohen in 1984 to provide a step-by-step approach to mastering the basic fundamentals of acting – those originally explored in his 1978 Acting Power. In 1994, two independent dissertation surveys found that this text was, by that time, the most frequently assigned acting book in the United States – a ranking it continues to hold to this day. The book introduced Cohen’s well-known “GOTE” (Goal-Other-Tactics-Expectation) model, which focuses on purpose-driven acting that creates authentic, meaningful and compelling stage relationships and performances. Now in its enlarged fifth edition, Acting One has also been translated and published in Korean and Hungarian.
Review Excerpt
“Cohen makes use of previous acting schools and ideas, particularly Stanislavsky’s, but his method is much more operational than the Russian master’s. And, as the basis of Cohen’s pedagogy is centered on the actor (not the director, or the visual experience), Cohen’s student is not dwarfed by the instructor, but is rather an individual striving for self assertiveness and artistic success.” —Echo
