Intro to Theatre 1310: Ch.6

"Given Circumstances"-Stanislavski system

Questions that the actor must answer about the chacter's situation such as what just happened earlier, what kind of environment are they in, what are the phsysical and emotinonal sensations of the character at this time?

realism

Realistic acting; an attempt to present people and events that closely resembles what people could identify with and verify from their own experience. The picture above is very much the opposite of realism but if you've ever stood next to a person in a panda costume before, then you know how it feels.

Konstantin Stanislavski

Russian actor, cofounder of Moscow Art Theater and director. He observed believable actors and identified what these actors did naturally and intuitively. From his ovbservations he created a series of principles and techniques. His approach to realistic acting is also called "Method Acting" or the Stanislavski system.

"Relaxation" in the Stanislavski system

Unwanted tension has to be eliminated and the performer must at all times attain a state of physical and vocal relaxation. Many actors do this to let the behavior of the characters they are playing to come through effortlessly.

"Reeducation" in the Stanislavski system

"The actor must first of all believe in everything that takes place onstage, and most of all, he must believe what he himself is doing. And one can only believe in the truth."

emotional recall

(Lee Strasberg emphasized this technique as an adaptation of Stanislavki's acting theory. It is still a part of the Stanislavki system.) Emotional recall is an exercise that helps performers present realistic emotions. Actors recall memories, experiences, sensations, emotions that relate to the actions and experiences of their character. (If you feel it as an actor, the audience will too.)

Three Challenges of Acting

1. To acquire the many skills-both physical and vocal-that stage performers demand; in other words, to master the craft of acting. 2. To make characters believable. 3. To integrate these two, that is, to combine skills with credibility.

magic if

A part of method acting, Stanislavski believed that if the actor says for example, "What if I were wealthy?" "What if I were in the Caribbean?," to themselves and imgaines what it would be like, the actor can make imaginary circumstances more believable because the actor believes them.

"Importance of specifics"-Stanislavski system

A technique on expressing specific details of a character's emotions. (It's the little details that count.) ex. Lady Macbeth tries to get rid of blood on her hands which is also a way of expressing that she feels guilty and wants to get rid of the guilt in her life.

Ensemble playing

Acting that stresses the total artistic unity of a group performance rather than individual performances.

"Circle of attention"-Stanislavski system

An actor's range of concentration that can extend to the entire stage but stops at the audience. It has been compared to a small circle of light on a dark stage that as it grows stronger with the actor's focus, it can fill the stage.

"Concentration and observation" - Stanislavski system

Performers must maintan their focus.