Acting Process and Techniques

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the acting process and major theatrical techniques from Stanislavsky to Grotowski based on the lecture transcript.

Acting Process

A creative journey involving steps like evaluating the part, determining the objective, and understanding subtext to bring a character to life.

Acting Techniques

Systems or methods that actors use to approach a role, improve performance skills, and create believable characters.

Evaluate the Part

The first step of the acting process which involves reading and understanding the character and the story.

Super-objective

The core, guiding desire for the character throughout the entire play, such as finding love or achieving freedom.

Interconnectivity of the Characters

The relationships and dynamics an actor establishes with others in a scene.

Subtext

The hidden meaning and unspoken thoughts behind the literal words written in a script.

Production Role

The collaborative aspect of acting involving work with directors, designers, and crew to create a show.

Stanislavsky’s System

A technique developed by Konstantin Stanislavsky that emphasizes the emotional life of characters and living the role rather than performing it.

The Father of Modern Acting

A title given to Konstantin Stanislavsky, known for his works 'Building a Character' and 'Creating a Role'.

The 'Magic If'

A catalyst for imagination where the actor asks, 'What if I were in this character's situation?'

Given Circumstances

Every known detail provided by the script about the character's world, including time, place, history, and social context.

Affectionate Memory

A Stanislavsky concept where an actor recalls their emotional past to use in a performance.

Sensory Recall

The process of re-experiencing the five senses to create belief in the character's environment.

Lee Strasberg

A disciple of Stanislavsky whose approach became famously known as 'The Method'.

The Method

An acting technique that encourages actors to use their psyches and emotional recall to find the life of the character.

Affective Memory

A key technique in Strasberg's Method that channels personal experience to find emotional truth.

Sense Memory

The sensory recall of objects and conditions used in Lee Strasberg’s training.

The Relaxation

A Strasberg technique used to liberate the body and voice from rigidity to allow for impulsiveness and spontaneity.

The Actors Studio

The legendary training ground for iconic performers of 'The Method' like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.

Stella Adler Technique

An approach that pushes students to create convincing moments through imagination rather than emotional recall.

Actor's Imagination (Adler)

Creating a detailed internal world and visualizing specific images from the text to anchor the character.

Use of Action (Adler)

Identifying and executing clear physical and vocal actions to achieve specific objectives.

Meisner Technique

A method established by Sanford Meisner focusing on instinct and 'living truthfully under imaginary circumstances'.

The Repetition Exercise

A Meisner exercise designed to build spontaneity and focus on the partner rather than the self.

Emotional Impulses

Acting from instinct and trust rather than intellectual thinking, a core pillar of the Meisner Technique.

Uta Hagen’s Technique

A technique that encourages behave realistically in imaginary circumstances through practical tools like substitution.

Substitution

A Uta Hagen principle of using personal truths and memories to enrich the character's life.

The Obstacle

People or things standing in the way of a character's objective, creating tension and conflict.

Spolin Technique

An approach by Viola Spolin centered on the power of play and improvisation to develop essential habits.

Yes and…

A mindset encouraged in Viola Spolin’s spontaneity workshops to 'agree and add' to what a partner provides.

Theater Games

Tools used in the Spolin Technique to instantly explore and define the 'who, what, and where' of a scene.

Practical Aesthetics

A direct acting approach developed by William H. Macy and David Mamet that focuses on action over feeling.

Literal Action

In Practical Aesthetics, asking what the character is physically doing, such as 'writing a letter'.

Tactical Verb

An action word like 'to beg' or 'to command' that defines what the character is doing to get what they want.

As If

A core pillar of Practical Aesthetics used to find internal meaning, such as 'to secure survival'.

Viewpoints

A technique by Anne Bogart and Tina Landau that trains actors to collaborate using physical instincts and awareness.

Theatre of the Oppressed

A method developed by Augusto Boal to use theatre as a tool for social activism and community dialogue.

Spect-actor

Augusto Boal’s concept of the actor being both a spectator and an artist, educator, and activist.

Chekhov Technique

A technique by Michael Chekhov that utilizes the power of archetypes and the 'cocktail of imagination'.

Psychological Gesture

A clear, archetypal physical movement, such as 'to push forward', that bridges inner psychology with physical action.

Archetype

A core character role or quality, such as 'The Warrior' or 'The Wise Man', used to identify character needs.

Linklater Method

A vocal technique developed by Kristin Linklater rooted in 'meaningful breath' to find human truth and texture.

Freeing the True Voice

The goal of the Linklater Method, aimed at releasing tension and connecting voice to thought and emotion.

Grotowski Technique

An approach by Jerzy Grotowski that views the actor as a holy vessel capable of uncovering truth through the body.

Poor Theatre

Grotowski’s concept of stripping away superfluous elements like costumes and sets to rely solely on the actor's skill.

Via Negativa

The 'actor's journey' in Grotowski's method involving the elimination of physical and psychic blocks.

Vocal Resonators

A Grotowski principle where the actor uses the entire body as a resonator for unconventional vocal usage.

Classical Acting

An umbrella term for European approaches from the 5th-16th centuries focusing on voice, body control, and textual analysis.

Spontaneity

A key acting goal characterized by living fully in the moment and reacting immediately to a partner's impulses.

Physical Impulses

Prioritizing external awareness and bodily interaction over internal thoughts, used in Spolin and Viewpoints.