Transcript 7 Stanislavski - gdt104.plus.com

Konstantin Stanislavski
1863--1938
• Russian Theatre disorganised with melodramatic
acting
• Influences Mikhail Schepkin(Maly Theatre) Sax
Meiningen Company(Ensemble)
• Playwrights Gogol and Chekhov
• Partnership with Nemirovich-Danchenko to form
Moscow Arts Theatre-Permanent company
Moscow arts Theatre 1904
Function of Theatre
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Moral instrument
To civilise
Increase sensitivity
Heighten perception
Ennoble the mind
Uplift the spirit
Theatre should deal with important social issues
but should not be overly didactic in its politics,
the text should speak for itself.
Realism
• An emphasis on the subtext of the play
(characters say and do things that have hidden
agendas.)
• Material closely observed from the real world. It
shows a more realistic interpretation version of
everyday life, but not exactly life itself.
• Develops an acting system to achieve greater
more truthful realism
Analysis and constant close reading of the text is crucial
Ensemble
• Company should be disciplined have good
resources and comfortable rehearsal spaceactors should be artists dedicated to the work
and the ensemble
• "there are no small parts only small actors"
• must have a love of art for its own sake not be
egotistical
The system
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Evolves over thirty years
Three stages
Imitation and observation
Analysis precedes action
Know authors work/search for
psychological realism / create imaginary
models of character
• Method of Physical action--- action and
analysis work together
• Function of theatre--Moral instrument, to
civilise, increase sensitivity, heighten perception,
ennoble the mind, uplift spirits.
• Style =Realism( observed selected material)
• The key to achieving realism is the system of
Actor Training
• Discipline and focus is essential
for actors to develop mind, body and voice.
Internal
External
Action
Relaxation
Imagination
External Tempo Rhythms
Given Circumstances
Voice
Units and objectives
Speech
Magic If
Vocal Technique
Tempo & rhythm
Movement
Internal characteristics
Dance
Emotion memory
Physical Expressiveness
Units and Objectives
• Super objective
• Through line
the main idea
the main ideas/action that
galvanises all objectives
• Units and objectives
breaking down the play into smaller units -helps to play scenes /sections with focus and
energy
Action
• meaningful purpose of an actor on stage. The
actor is always engaged in action even when
still.
• " always act with purpose" AAP p.40
• "all action must have an inner justification, be
logical, coherent and real" AAP p46
• Therefore only movement should only be used
when strictly necessary- when it has meaning
and purpose
Given Circumstances
Actor must read the play thoroughly and must believe in the given
circumstances = ability to function at a high level of involvement
• Context of the
action---
story of the play
facts, events, date, time, place
of action
conditions of life for the main
context and of each character
actors and directors
interpretation
production, set, costume,
properties lighting, sound
effects
Magic If
• To create imaginative fiction of another
person -the actor needs to
" sincerely believe in the possibilities of what
you are called upon to do on stage"
What would happen if ?
Imagination
• Read the text but also enhance your character
by filling in the gaps through imagination.
• "on stage everything must be real in the
imaginary life of the actor“
• " If you speak any lines, or do anything,
mechanically without fully realising who you are,
where you came from, why, what you want,
where you are going and what you will do when
you get there, you will be acting with out your
imagination"
Emotion Memory
• As an actor bring back feelings you have
experienced—
• do exercises to train the memory –
• work on making emotional memories
conscious and vivid in order to have a
wide range of experiences to draw on.
Relaxation
• Exercises to release tension in the body
and mind.
• Circles of attention --relaxation exercises
to increase focus and awareness
Tempo Rhythm
Finding the inner rhythm of the character
• affects how you do an action and how you
react to other characters.
• Stanislavski did exercises using
metronomes with actors working in
different rhythms
Method of physical action
• A later development that objectives could be identified through
physical action.
• He found too much sitting and analysing, stilted the actors creativity
so he started the practical work on scenes earlier.
• There is a physical aspect to thought and therefore physical work
can act as a stimulus to the imagination and the unconscious, every
action has a psychological element.
• By action he means action directed towards the achievement of an
objective.
• Complex emotions in the play/characters are broken down into a
serious of actions and often improvisation is used to unlock the text.
• Working from physical actions stimulates the actor to explore the
characters inner life. He recognised that physical actions are more
accessible and tangible than feelings
References
Sanislavski C. An Actor Prepares translated by Reynolds-Hargood E. (1937) (ed 1995)
Methuen Drama
Sanislavski C. Creating a Role (ed 1968) TH New English Library. London
Mitter S. Systems of Rehearsal (1992) Routledge
Stylan J.L. (1981) Modern Drama in Theory and Practice 2 Cambridge university Press
Allen D. Sanislavski for beginners illustrated by Fallow J. (1999) Writers and Readers
Comic book Writers and Readers Publishing
Benedetti J. Sanislavski, An Introduction, Routledge New York (2004)
Mackey S.& Cooper S. Drama and Theatre Studies (2000)
Stanley Thornes ( Publishers Ltd.)