A classic book for actors and directors, translated into 15 languages, The Actor and the Target (first published in Russian in 2000) presents a fresh and radical approach to acting by Declan Donnellan, one of the greatest acting directors of our time and a recipient of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for his work on the art of acting. It has just been released, translated into Greek from the revised and expanded English edition of 2018, featuring new exercises, additional terms, and an extra chapter on iambic pentameter, translated by Nadia Foskolou. An absorbing read, unpretentious and direct, it wisely delves into both the psychology of deception and the art of acting, effortlessly guiding young actors towards an awareness of the living processes behind their work through the joy and humor of Donnellan's writing.

Actors often use exactly the same words when they feel blocked…
"I don't know what I'm doing."
"I don't know what I want."
"I don't know who I am."
"I don't know where I am."
"I don't know how I should move."
"I don't know what I should feel."
"I don't know what I'm saying."
"I don't know what I'm playing."
The main cause of an actor's problems is much simpler than the many consequences, just as a bomb is simpler than the destruction it sows. While an actor's difficulties may seem complex, their source is much more straightforward. The chaos can be traced back to one and only root…

"Through the joy and humor of his writing, Declan Donnellan effortlessly guides young actors towards an awareness of the living processes hidden behind their work, based on the rich thoughts and intuitive knowledge that his personal experience has equipped him with." ―Peter Brook

"The book explains Donnellan's particularly practical system and sheds unique light on one of the greatest acting directors of our time." ―Le Monde

"Particularly practical, it never gets lost in theory. On the contrary, it draws its governing principles from life itself." ―El Pais

"An engrossing read, exceptionally astute regarding both the psychology of deception and the art of acting." ―Guardian

"Donnellan's directing style is immediately recognizable in his book, infused with the spirit of artistic and personal freedom that characterizes him. Unpretentious, direct, it wisely penetrates to the essence of the subject." ―Kommersant

"It comes from the heart of his own experience. The fears, generalizations, and blockages of other actors are deconstructed and neutralized with contagious pleasure." ―Alan Rickman

"Reading and—what is even more important—practically applying this book is a soulful uplift." ―Joseph Fiennes