Foreign Dialects: A Manual for Actors, Directors, and Writers

Lewis Herman, Marguerite Shalett Herman

Theatre Arts Books, 1958 - Foreign Language Study - 415 pages

Most actors and directors have struggled with the problem of needing to imitate foreign dialects. Marguerite and Lewis Herman have created an essential tool for actors, directors and writers aiming toward the most authentic performances possible.Foreign Dialects contains an extensive repertoire of dialects that will assist the actor in the preparation for the most difficult foreign roles. Now in paperback, this classic text offers the director or producer a quick, convenient aid for correcting actors and evaluating applicants for authenticity and dialect ability. In addition, it guides those writing fiction as well as radio, movie, and television scripts. Thirty foreign dialects are provided, with character studies, speech peculiarities, and examples of the dialects in easy-to-read phonetic monologues--including Cockney, British, Irish, Scottish, French, German, Spanish, Swedish, Polish, Greek and Yiddish.

Contents

• How To USE THE MANUAL: 1
• DIALECT CHARACTERIZATION: 14
• THE BRITISH DIALECT: 51
• THE IRISH DIALECT: 77
• THE SCOTTISH DIALECT: 103
• THE GERMAN DIALECT: 120
• THE FRENCH DIALECT: 142
• THE ITALIAN DIALECT: 169
• THE SPANISH DIALECT: 194
• PIDGIN ENGLISH: 260
• THE HAWAIIAN DIALECT: 270
• BECHE LE MAR: 280
• THE SWEDISH DIALECT: 295
• THE RUSSIAN DIALECT: 319
• THE MIDDLE EUROPEAN DIALECTS: 342
• THE POLISH DIALECT: 351
• THE GREEK DIALECT: 371

Bibliographic information

• Title: Foreign Dialects: A Manual for Actors, Directors, and Writers
• Authors: Lewis Herman, Marguerite Shalett Herman
• Edition: 2, reprint
• Publisher: Theatre Arts Books, 1958
• ISBN: 0878300481, 9780878300488
• Length: 415 pages
• Subjects: Foreign Language Study / English as a Second Language; Language Arts & Disciplines / Linguistics / General; Language Arts & Disciplines / Linguistics / Phonetics & Phonology; Performing Arts / Acting & Auditioning