It is about the deconstruction and reconstruction of movement to create the ultimate form. Actors should build up a vocabulary of actions and movements so that it can be accessed when required. In a production the physicality of the character should be so well rehearsed that emotions can be experienced truthfully and differently during every performance. The actor must be able to react on emotional impulses without losing truthful and accurate form.
"The great actor should be full of feeling. He must feel an emotion not only once or twice while he is studying his part, but to a greater or lesser degree every time he plays it, no matter whether it is the first or thousandth time"" (Stanislavski 1936: 14). Stanislavski developed the "system" to create a clear view on what elements acting consist of, for it is impossible to develop an art form without understanding its building blocks first. The "system" is an attempt at creating a precise theory for actors to perfect their art. Yet, it is not a theory; it is a system that demands hard work and daily training to overcome physical or mental limitations, with the ultimate goal of a refined actor. The "system" opens up a whole new realm for an actor to explore their own physical and mental limitations, for only when one's limitations are clear one can grow.
According to the system, action happening on stage should be motivated from within, for when the physical embodiment of a character is done correctly, the emotion will come naturally. There are two main aspects of Stanislavski's system, namely; inner truth and outer expression. As a whole it is about using your finely tuned organism to physically and artistically show the emotions of the character you have become. Thus, the main element of acting is "action." .
To portray genuine, appropriate action, hours of self-observation and work needs to be done. Stanislavski often used the comparison of a child to explain this point; each time something is experienced on stage, it should be as if it is experienced for the very first time.
Constantin Sergeyevich Stanislavski was the founder of the first acting "System." ... The result was the Stanislavski System, also known as "the method." In his system the actor's main responsibility was to be believed. ... Stanislavski called this effect "psychological realism." Ironically, Stanislavski eventually believed that these emotional memory techniques could be psychologically damaging. ...
One man, Constantin Stanislavski, was Russian. ... For many years, the Moscow Art Theatre (MAT) had used a system of acting that tried to eliminate the formal, static, and presentational performances given on the traditional stage. In 1936, Constantin Stanislavski wrote the first of three books explaining the system the actors at the MAT used. ... Because Boleslavsky, who particularly favoured the emotional work, left Stanislavski at the height of Stanislavski's interest in emotional psychology, Strasberg was presented with a prejudiced, slightly inaccurate view of Stanislavski's ...
In order to achieve this believability on stage Russian actor and director Constantin Stanislavski created a system now commonly known as the Stanislavski System that focused on achieving four main aims. 1. ... THE METHOD The Method developed by Lee Strasberg and was highly influenced by Stanislavski's theories. ... In order to free the body of superfluous muscular tension Stanislavski insisted each of his actors to develop his own relaxation technique. ... Another difference is that in recalling an emotion Stanislavski relied on the actors" ability to remember an event in his past ...
Chekhov's plays were perfect for Stanislavski's (1938) method, being plays that insisted on a system of producing actors capable of discovering the inner life of the man they portray [FW,J74]. So with the help of Stanislavski's teachings, his students took the naturalism of Zola consciously into the realm of psychology, which in turn informed and determined the realm of new and improved action on the stage (Demastes, 1998, pg. 22). At the same time physical actions, in Stanislavski's sense of utilizing stage objects for the purpose of providing the scene with an atmosphere ...
When viewing dramatic theatre the audience is being "taken for granted" as characters are constructed to hold similar values and attitudes as the viewers therefore allowing them to be lured into emotionally identifying with the characters, following Stanislavski method style of acting. ... Dramatic theatre consists of a system of interdependent scenes, continuing and building on from one another. ...
I would use the Stanislavski System in the way that I would put my self in the shoes of the Laramie people and try to become one of the town members and just the thought of having your own people perform a hate crime on there own towns people. ...
This essay will discuss the development of theatre in the 20th century. It will be discussed in chronological order. It will trace the development of theatre from the late 19th century through realism, naturalism, symbolism, Epic theatre, Existentialism and the Theatre of the Absurd. With each new g...
