The Theatre Experience Ch 4
The first theatre practitioner to put together a system of acting that could be taught to others in order to reproduce truth on stage was ____________ ____________
Konstantin Stanislavski
Which of the following modern acting teachers stressed emotional recall as the most important part of their teachings?
Lee Strasberg
Actors can use technology to
- Rehearse for a role - Prepare for auditions - Find auditions
Which of the following statements about acting on stage are true?
- The actor plays characters that are not real but representations of people. - The actor must have an audience present.
Which of the following match the beliefs and teachings of Stanislavski's later work?
- emphasized action over emotion - emphasized psychophysical action
When an actor achieves the state of relaxation on stage he or she is much better able to
- enjoy freedom from tension - move fluidly and effortlessly - have lifelike movements
Which of the following need to be combined in order to achieve integration of all aspects of acting?
- inner truth - believability - vocal and physical skill
Which of the following are situations for which an actor must receive extensive physical and/or vocal training?
- modern on stage violence - Shakespearian plays - sword fights - musical theatre
The following are examples of specific theatrical performances that require specialized actor training beyond realistic training:
- pantomime - avant garde theatre - experimental theatre - musical theatre
Which of the following require an actor to pay particular attention to vocal training?
- projecting the voice without amplification - breath control - Classic plays
What is another name for a through line of a role?
superobjective
Stanislavski recognized that the ___________ _____________ could activate an actor's imagination and transport him or her to new places, times and situations based on his or her belief.
magic if
When an actor is able to let go of unwanted tension both vocally and physically this is called
relaxation
In our everyday lives when we play different parts or take on varied characteristics to fit in, or fulfill expectations this is called: __________.
role playing
During which era were women allowed to perform as actors on stage?
Today's theatre
True or false: Stage actors must always have an audience present.
True
Which three questions did Stanislavski believe an actor needed to answer about on stage action?
How? What? Why?
Identify the three main challenges of acting: 1. believable, truthful acting, 2. advanced vocal and physical skills and 3. ________ or synthesis.
Integration
Match the twentieth century acting teacher and their methods:
Meyerhold --> Biomechanics Copeau --> Commedia del arte Lecoq --> Clowing Bogart --> Viewpoints Suzuki --> Stomping
________ action is Stanislavski's term for purposeful action:
Psychophysical
In order to help an actor with his or her through line of a role Stanislavski suggested that the actors split the play into smaller parts called:
beats
When an actor is focused on a particular area of the stage, an object, or another person this is called:
circle of attention
Physical actor training closely resembles __________ training in that it requires the same discipline, long hours and physical control.
dance
The ______________ is responsible for rehearsing the actors and coordinating their work with other theatre artists such as the designers.
director
With the assistance of the stage manager, this person rehearses the performers and coordinates their work with other theatre artists to make certain that the production is performed appropriately intelligently, and excitingly.
director
Early in his career Stanislavski believed that focusing on an ___________ was the best way to produce believable action. But later in his career he believed that focusing on purposeful ______________ would eventually produce true feelings on stage
emotion; action
When actors are working as a unit aware of and in conjunction with their fellow actors this is called ________ ________
ensemble playing
Acting before the twentieth century was more __________________ than the acting we are accustomed to today.
formal and stylized
When we take on the characteristics of another person for amusement or to tell a story it is called: __________.
imitation
The three most important aspects of actor training are: inner feelings, vocal and movement skills and the ability to synthesize or ____________ them into a whole.
integrate
When actors are participating in ensemble playing they are:
listening carefully to each other
During the twentieth century while some acting teachers were focused on the inner workings of the actor, other acting teachers were focused on the __________ side of performance.
physical
Stanislavski believed that all action performed on stage must have a(n) __________.
purpose
Stanislavski developed a __________ by which he could teach future generations the secrets of realistic, believable acting.
system
A popular actor training method that comes from Asian martial arts training is called __________ __________
tai chi
If an actor's projection is not good or if they move awkwardly on stage we can surmise that they have not mastered the __________ of physical and vocal acting.
techniques
In order to critically watch and judge theatre performances we need to be able to explore and understand __________ techniques and practices.
acting
The term ______________ refers to the skill in Stanislavski's System of acting whereby an actor focuses his or her entire attention on an object, person or task to the exclusion of all else.
concentration
Technology has helped actors do all of the following except:
connect to the audience during live performance
In Stanislavski's System of Acting the term __________ refers to an acting exercise whereby the actor imagines him or herself in the same situation as the character.
magic if
Believable acting requires that the audience believe in the
character portrayed
An actor has _________ when he or she is able to convince the audience of the truth of their characters.
credibility
Identify the three main challenges of acting:
- Integration of skills - Believability - Vocal and Physical skills
The factors that led to the development of Stanislavski's System of acting included:
- His work with Anton Chekhov - His desire to pass along ways to achieve believable acting - His observations of believable actors
To illustrate their low place on the social scale at various points throughout history, actors have been:
- Legally prevented from receiving a Christian burial - Regarded as equal to courtesans or prostitutes
What physical skills would an actor playing Hamlet be expected to master in order to portray the role effectively?
- Moving with precision - Sword fighting - Moving with confidence
Which of the following are characteristics of Asian Theatre actor training?__________
- Physical actor training that has had global influence; - Absolute control and concentration over the body and nervous system; - Symbolism and stylization
Identify the factors that resulted in the development of more realistic acting at the end of the nineteenth century:
- Playwrights like Henrik Ibsen began writing more Realistic plays. - Practitioners of theatre wanted to portray everyday life. - Audience's wanted to see themselves on stage.