Acting techniques from the masters: Constantine Stanislavski

The Importance of Being Honest: Acting Techniques from the Masters

The following are excerpts from Dr. Mary Schuttler's class on the masters of acting technique.

Summary of Constantine Stanislavski's contributions

The method of physical acting is the result of my whole life's work. Physical acting is the key to the emotional reactions of an actor, the basis of an actor's creativity, solution to spontaneity on stage, the essence of the whole system.

Biography of Constantine Stanislavski 1863-1938

Mary's Bio: Constantin Serdeevich Stanislavski was born in Moscow on January 17, 1863. He began his acting career with an amateur group at the young age of fifteen. In 1898 Stanislavski, along with the dramatist Vladimir Ivanovich Nemirovich-Danchenko, founded the Moscow Art Theater, with which Stanislavski worked for the rest of his life.

Constantin Stanislavski is considered to be the “Father of the Acting System.” This Russian actor, director, and teacher spent the majority of his life working out a system, that would help in organizing and strengthening the creative process known as acting. Stanislavski’s productions of Anton Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard,” “Ivanov,” “The Three Sisters,” “Uncle Vanya,” and Makism Gorki’s The Lower Depths,” were his greatest successes. He also was heavily involved with productions of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado,” Moliere’s “The Imaginary Invalid,” and Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” among many, many others.

Stanislavski described in great detail his theories in his autobiography, MY LIFE IN ART (1924) and in his book AN ACTOR PREPARES (1933). After his death in 1938, his complete works, which fill eight volumes, were published.

During the years 1922-24 the Moscow Art Theater toured the world for the first time ever. European and American audiences were exposed to the results of Stanislavski’s teachings for the very first time. All people involved with theater in any way were in awe of the heightened emotional realities represented in Stanislavski’s productions. “The System,” a translated set of Stanislavski’s principles, was by far the most popular theory of acting being studied in the United States during the ‘30s and ‘40s and is still being put into practice by many actors today.

Some of Stanislavski’s actual notes taken from the biography by Jean Benedetti are as follows:  On the topic of motivation, “The blocking is not understood. Everyone moves because the director has said ‘move’ and because the move corresponds to the DIRECTOR’S ideas. Nobody is digging around and so there is no search for inner motive. All the moves are false because they are unthinking. IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND, YOU MUST TAKE YOUR POSITIONS AND MOVES TO HEART!”

Stanislavski believed that an actor could call on past experiences in order to make the emotions expressed in a particular scene more real, for both the actors and the audience alike! “I have managed to achieve much greater simplicity and strength in existing roles and I am able to fortify my creative will to such an extent that even when I am ill, or have a temperature, I forget about my illness and find energy on stage!”

At one point in his career he had to direct a talented actress who was not living up to her potential. At this time Stanislavski came up with the concept of breaking scenes down into units that each had their own individual minor purpose, with the overall combination of these units combining to create one or more major conflicts and major motivations. He also told her to, “...look for some desire which concerns you and you alone and BANISH ALL OTHER, VULGAR DESIRES CONCERNING THE AUDIENCE. You will quickly find this inward work will carry you away.”

Constantin Stanislavski died in Moscow on August 7, 1938. His major contributions to the development of acting and theater are still being felt today.

Web Bio: Born in Moscow in 1863, Constantin Sergeyevich Stanislavsky had a more profound effect on the process of acting than anyone else in the twentieth century. At age 14, Stanislavsky joined a theatrical group organized by his family, and soon became its central figure. Throughout the late 1800s he improved as an actor and began to produce and direct plays. It was his assertion that if the theater was going to be meaningful it needed to move beyond the external representation that acting had primarily been. Over forty years he created an approach that forefronted the psychological and emotional aspects of acting. The Stanislavsky System, or "the method," as it has become known, held that an actor’s main responsibility was to be believed (rather than recognized or understood). To reach this "believable truth", Stanislavsky first employed methods such as "emotional memory." To prepare for a role

that involves fear, the actor must remember something frightening, and attempt to act the part in the emotional space of that fear they once felt. Stanislavsky believed that an actor needed to take his or her own personality onto the stage when they began to play a character. This was a clear break from previous modes of acting that held that the actor's job was to become the character and leave their own emotions behind. Later Stanislavsky concerned himself with the creation of physical entries into these emotional states, believing that the repetition of certain acts and exercises could bridge the gap between life on and off the stage. In his travels throughout the world with the Moscow Arts Theater, Stanislovsky earned international acclaim as an actor, director, and coach. Among his collaborators were the writers Tolstoy and Chekov. While Stanislavsky’s new method of acting supported actors in breaking from the exact lines and actions of the script, it also demanded that they pay closer attention to the important unsaid messages within the writing. This prompted writers such as Chekov to make subtler emotionally alive work. Today in the United States, Stanislavsky’s theories are the primary source of study for many actors. Among the many great actors and teachers to use his work are Stella Adler, Marlon Brando, Sanford Meisner, Lee Strasberg, Harold Clurman, and Gregory Peck. Many of these artists have continued experimentation with Stanislavsky’s ideas. Among the best known of these proponents is the Actor’s Studio, an organization that has been home to some of the most talented and successful actors of our time.

The Stanislavski System by Sonia Moore

The method of physical acting is the result of my whole life’s work. Physical acting is the key to the emotional reactions of an actor, the basis of an actor’s creativity, the solution to spontaneity on stage, the essence of the whole system.  (PHYSICAL ACTIONS)

1. Instead of feeling an emotion before going on stage, the actor fulfills a simple, concrete purposeful physical action, which stirs the psychological side of the psychophysical act, thus achieving psycho-physical involvement.
2. Elements of Action: Magic IF, Given Circumstances, Concentration of Attention, Truth and Belief, Communion, Adaptation, Tempo-Rhythm, Emotional Memory.
3. Active Verbs, Super-Objective, Through Line, Physical Training, Improvisation.
4. Building a Character: Truth – Who am I, where, with whom, what for, why?  Subtext (inner monologue), Verbal Action, Physical Characterization.

Chapter One

• The system cannot be learned by heart; it has to be assimilated, absorbed gradually. To know the system means to be able to use it; it must be learned as an unbreakable whole, without dividing its various elements. Isolated study of the elements can fragment the actor’s behavior on stage.
• Stan - theatre is a pulpit which is the most powerful means of influence; besides entertainment, theatre should develop people’s taste and raise the level of their culture.
• Ethics, profound knowledge, and a highly artistic form of expression are the essence of the Stan system.
• Stan proved that an actor with great talent and subtle nuances needs more technique than others.
• Simplicity and scenic truth - important principles.
• The system turns out the truest portrayal of characters.
• The system has a language of its own and is a science that has undergone change.
• Stan brought the inner world of the character on stage.
• Psychology influenced; an actor can’t pretend to think and feel, she must really do so.
• Stan knew that an actor’s mind, will and emotions - the 3 forces responsible for our psychological life - must participate in the creation of a live human being on stage.
• “Subconscious” - the uncontrolled complex of emotions; found a way to control them thru the METHOD OF PHYSICAL ACTIONS - the key to emotional reactions, basis of creativity, solution to spontaneity on stage, the essence of the whole system, and Stan’s creative heritage of the theatre (result of 40 yrs. work).
• Creativity and inspirational improvisation - goal and essence of his school.
• Each performance should be different; if try to repeat it, the art dies.
• Human spirit - most important part of actor’s art.
• Continual polishing of physical apparatus.
• Actor builds a live and typical character on the basis of the organic nature of a human being.
• The system teaches professionalism; cannot depend on chance!

Chapter Two - Method of Physical Actions

• Soul and Body are indivisible; no inner experience without outer external expression - must learn to connect them.
• Human psychological life - moods, desires, feelings, intentions, ambitions - expressed thru simple physical actions.
• Instead of feeling an emotion before going on stage, the actor fulfills a simple, concrete, purposeful physical action which stirs the psychological side of the psychophysical act, thus achieving psycho-physical involvement.
• Action must be carefully selected on the basis of the play’s circumstances (study the play!); it takes a great deal of experimentation to find the right one, but when you do so, you can achieve spontaneity.
•     Exercises and Improvs: An analogous emotion in your own life should be, as much as possible, the basis for the situation in any improv; be yourself in different circumstances.
• Search for a unique physical action which is connected to the emotion you want to stir -the action will trigger the emotion & you will behave in a psycho-physical way.
• Most exercises should be done to music.
• In all improvs, an actor must think in 3 steps: 1) beginning(exposition), 2)develop, 3)end
• Think of actions, not feelings; do not try too hard, but do not be nonchalant or careless; be concrete in what you do; do not do anything “in general” (the enemy of art); always have an important objective.

Chapter Three - Elements of an action

• MAGIC “IF”: What would I do if I were. . .(in Hamlet’s position?); (Improvs pg.26).
• GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES: plot, time, place. . .all an actor encounters when creating a role; (Improvs pg.27).
• IMAGINATION: must be cultivated and developed; alert, rich, active. Every word and movement of an actor on stage must be a result of a well-functioning imagination. Do not imagine vaguely - use all possible concrete, consecutive details. (Improvs pg.28).
• CONCENTRATION OF ATTENTION: goal is “public solitude” - concentrate attention on stage objects sufficiently attractive to offset the distracting factors beyond the stage; must not forget the audience. Fully concentrated attention depends on the thorough execution of the physical action’. The more an actor exercises her concentration, the sooner it will become automatic; 2nd nature. “Circles of attention”: small, medium, large - when begin to wander, back to small. (Improvs. pg.31-2).
• TRUTH & BELIEF: truth on stage (all invention) is different from truth in life. Belief means treat things or persons as if they were what you want the audience to believe. Truthful execution of a small, physical action helps an actor’s belief in what takes place on stage. (Improvs pg.34).
• COMMUNION: to make the meaning and logic of your actions understandable to the spectators, as an actor must communicate with them indirectly, thru his/her communion with other actors (as a real partner, not an imaginary person.) listen, absorb, respond; verbal action depends on physical action. (Improvs. pg.37).
• ADAPTATION: or adjustment, is really overcoming a physical obstacle in achieving an aim.
• To execute an action which answers “What do I do?” and “Why do I do it?” - Adaptation answers “How do I do it?” What=action, Why=aim, How=adaptation; all part of the scenic task. Adaptation depends on partner’s behavior and other obstacles; must be sought in the process of executing an action. Actors must adjust to one another on stage as in real life; a human being’s behavior depends on his relationship with people around him; law of every scenic action. This will cause a release emotionally if good choices are done well. (Improvs. pg.40).
• TEMPO-RHYTHM: important condition for concreteness and truthfulness in the execution of physical actions. Every moment in life has a corresponding T-R; contributes to concentration. Plays an important role in mastering the logic and consecutiveness of actions. Must correspond to given circumstances; helps in building a scene; each person has own   rhythm-find it in character. Corresponding T-R helps stir actor’s emotions. (Improvs. pg.41)
• EMOTIONAL MEMORY: actor can stir a stage emotion ONLY because he has experienced an analogous emotion in his own life. Re-created emotion should not absorb the actor entirely; never forget that you are an actor. Observe outside world as much as possible. Carrying out the logic of a physical action will bring you to the logic of emotions, and this is everything for an actor.

Chapter Four - Analysis Through Events and Actions

• An active verb should be used for each action.
• Overcome the obstacle.

Chapter five - The Super-Objective and the Through Line of Actions

• The first duty of the theatre is to the playwright.
• To carry out the main idea, or S.O., is the final goal of every performance.
• S.O. is the essence of the play; guides director and the interpretation of characters and events; controls each character’s logic of actions, which makes the theme concrete.
• Every detail, thought, action must be related to the S.O.; an active verb.
• Through line of actions: Active execution of the S.O.; ties together; undercurrent of play.

chapter six - The Actor’s Physical Apparatus

• Role depends on inner and physical embodiment of it.
• Train body, improve posture, release tension; and voice; expression always simple and clear.

chapter seven - Work on the Role: Building a Character

• Important to see how a character builds in terms of actions; choice of actions is the foundation on which a character is built; guided by the main idea.
• For truth: answer “Who am I? Where is the action taking place? With whom? What for?”; know details of given circumstances.
• The role is ready when an actor knows concretely WHAT the character does each moment on the stage and WHY he does it.
• The behavior of the character must be composed of small, logical, concrete actions. Every action must be consecutive, as in life, in life’s T-R, and must have as much concentration as it requires in real life.
• SUBTEXT - inward “life of a human spirit”; constant flow.
• Verbal action: when speak, in process of action thru words.
• “Go from yourself”; with a purpose.
• Although intuition plays an important part in it, the building of character-with its variety of thoughts, physical actions, and feelings-cannot be mastered through that faculty alone.
• Study play; go beyond and collect all details.
• Inner monologue between 2 sentences; must know it.
• An actor must continually control his behavior on stage; no accidental intuition.
• Improv for technique as well as with character you’re playing.
• Rehearse physical characterization as well.

chapter eight - The Subtext of Behavior

• A good performance creates a confrontation between text and subtext; combines verbal action as well as what one means by the behavior.
• Subtext gives life to the words on the page.
• Inner experience must reach the spectator before the words are said; must see movement of actor’s thoughts even when they’re silent.

Sample Acting Exercises by Constantine Stanislavski

1. (Magic IF) Sit, stand and walk with justification.  (ie. Sit at a window to see why the police car stopped in front of the house next door.  Sit in order to rest.  Stand to be photographed.  Stand in order to see better.  Walk to pass the time.  Walk to annoy people in the apartment below.) 
2. (Magic IF) Pack to go on vacation. Pack to leave for war.  Etc.
3. (Concentration/Attention) Count together to thirty.  Clap your hands once when a number includes or may be divided by 3.  Then repeat the exercise, but clap twice when a number includes 5 or may be divided by 5.  If the number may be divided by both 3 and 5, clap three times. 

Additional Weblinks for Constantine Stanislavski

PBS: The American Experience