Working: Why Isaac Butler's History of Method Acting Is Such a Page-Turner

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Slate Podcasts

Arts, Tv & Film, Music

4.4 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 20 February 2022

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, host Karen Han talks to Isaac Butler about the writing of his new book The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act. They discuss how Isaac’s background as a child professional actor informed his understanding of his subject, how he researched a wide-ranging topic that spanned geography and generations, and how he conceived of the book’s structure and managed its narrative tension. After the interview, Karen and co-host June Thomas talk about learning from the questions that arise during a book’s research phase, coming to terms with having to make cuts to a manuscript, and how to find trusted outside readers. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Karen asks Isaac to recommend some great Method performances. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to [email protected] or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	One of the fascinating things that got me so excited about telling this story was you
0:14.8	have this term, the method or method acting, and people who teach it and practice it will
0:20.6	tell you it is one thing.
0:22.7	And then the public will tell you it is this other thing that is almost diametrically opposed to it.
0:28.4	Welcome back to Working, I'm your host, June Thomas.
0:33.9	And I am your other host, Karen Han.
0:36.5	Karen, I recognize the voice in the cold open.
0:39.3	That was our working co-host, Isaac Butler.
0:41.9	How come he gets to be the guest this week?
0:43.6	It's because he paid me off.
0:45.0	I'm just kidding.
0:46.0	It's because he wrote a new book called The Method How the 20th Century Learned to Act.
0:52.2	Well, anyone who's been listening to the show for a while will probably have heard some stories
0:57.2	from Isaac's writing process of that book in earlier episodes.
1:01.4	But in case people don't know, what is the book about?
1:04.5	It is all about the history of method acting, and I won't go further than that,
1:09.0	because I actually do ask Isaac to explain further like what it is.
1:13.3	And he's the expert, so just listen on.
1:15.8	He sure is the expert.
1:17.4	Okay, well, I'm really excited to hear this interview.
1:20.6	But first, I believe that you have an extra segment for sleep post-members.
1:24.7	What will they hear?
	...

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