Stanislavski's System - Vocabulary

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to Stanislavski's System and acting techniques.

Constantine Stanislavski

Born in Moscow, Russia in 1863, he was an actor who became a director and teacher, developing a new approach to acting known as the Stanislavski System.

Stanislavski System

An intense character development process that strives to make a performance 'real' and not artificial by bringing an actor's experiences into the role and expanding an actor's imaginations.

Inside-Out Acting

Approaching a character from the inside, drawing on the real inside life of the actor (memories) and creating an inner life for the character (inner thought, backstory, beliefs).

Relaxation (Actor Preparation)

Learning to relax the muscles and eliminate physical tension while performing.

Concentration (Actor Preparation)

Learning to think like an actor and to respond to one's own imagination.

Observation (Actor Preparation)

Discovering the sensory base of the work, memorizing and recalling sensations (sense memory or affective memory), and expanding small sensations (spheres of attention).

Communication (Actor Preparation)

Developing the ability to interact with other performers spontaneously, and with an audience, without violating the world of the play.

Imagination (Actor Preparation)

The more fertile the actor’s imagination, the more interesting would be the choices made in terms of objectives, physical action and creating the given circumstances around the character.

Given Circumstances

The character details in the script, including the location of the play, time/period/year it is set, and the people in the play.

Action

Understanding the aim or main idea of the play by answering: What do I (the character) do? Why do I (the character) do it? How do I (the character) do it?

Units (of Action)

Sections of the script that contain one objective for an actor; a portion of a scene that contains one objective for an actor; there can be more than one unit that occurs during a scene.

Objective

Expressed through the use of an active verb; what the character is striving for in a unit of action.

Super Objective

The main theme or subject of the play; everything drives toward the Super Objective.

Motivation

An actor either driven by emotions or by the mind to choose physical actions and arouse the ‘will’ of the actor to perform the given actions. The ‘will’ or motivation is in the subconscious.

Subtext

The meaning lying underneath the text/dialogue, interpreted by the actor through gesture, posture, pauses, or choices in the action.

Magic If

In Realism where the aim of the actor is to create the appearance of reality or truth on stage, considering what one would do if they were in the same specific situation as the character.

The Physical Apparatus

An actor’s body and voice the physical apparatus that is needed in order for the actor to fully express every nuance and subtle shade of character.