Acting Power: The 21st Century Edition from Focal Press addresses questions in the context of today's field. The first edition of Acting Power was a groundbreaking work of acting theory which applied sociological and psychological principles to actor training. The book went on to influence a generation of theatre and performance studies students and academics, and was translated into five languages. The carefully revised 21st Century Edition carefully reconsiders a lot of points, such as should actors act from the inside or the outside? Should the actor live the role or present the role? This revision features contemporary research into communication theory, cybernetics, and cognitive science. It includes witty exercises for solo study and classroom use, and a through-line of useful references to classic plays. It also presents observations about the actor's art by more than 75 distinguished professional actors and directors.

Author Robert Cohen's elegant and rigorous updates emphasize the continuing relevance of his uniquely integrated and life-affirming approach to this field. Cohen received his Doctor of Fine Arts from Yale School of Drama in 1965, and almost immediately became the founding Chair of the UCI Drama Department. As well as teaching acting at UCI, Cohen has conducted workshops in over a dozen countries spanning four continents. In 1999 he was presented with the Career Achievement Award from the Association of Theatre in Higher Education. He is also a director, translator, critic, and playwright, and has directed more than a dozen professional productions at the Utah and Colorado Shakespeare Festivals. After writing the ground-breaking book Acting Power in 1978, Cohen also authored the leading US acting textbooks Acting One/Acting Two and one of the leading world theatre history textbooks, Theatre. Such is Cohen's influence on the field, UCI presented him with their highest honor, the UCI Medal, and the campus has a theatre named after him.