Stanislavski's System - Vocabulary

Constantine Stanislavski

• Born in Moscow, Russia in 1863.
• Actor, director, and teacher.
• Developed a new approach to acting: The Stanislavski System.

Stanislavski's System

• Aimed to eliminate artificial acting.
• Emphasized working on characters from the inside to create a true performance.

Core Principles:

• Bring actor's experiences into the role.
• Expand actor's imagination.
• Approach character from the inside.
• Draw on real-life memories and create the character's inner life.
• Answer questions about the character in the first person.

Elements of Actor Preparation

• Relaxation: Eliminate physical tension.
• Concentration: Think like the character and respond to imagination.
• Observation: Memorize and recall sensations (sense memory or affective memory); expand sensations.
• Communication: Interact spontaneously with other performers and the audience.
• Imagination: Use imagination to make interesting choices regarding objectives and actions.

Analysis of Action

• Given Circumstances: Character details in the script (location, time, people).
• Action: Understand the aim or main idea.
  • What do I (the character) do?
  • Why do I (the character) do it?
  • How do I (the character) do it?
• Units (of Action) & Objectives:
  • Break script into units (sections).
  • A unit contains one objective for the actor.
  • Every unit has an objective expressed through an active verb.
• Super Objective: Main theme of the play.
  • Everything drives toward the Super Objective.
  • A through line of action can be mapped out for the character.
• Motivation:
  • Driven by emotions or the mind to choose physical actions.
  • Will is activated indirectly through emotions or the mind.
• Subtext: Meaning lying underneath the dialogue.
  • Interpreted through gesture, posture, pauses, or action.

Magic If

• What would I do if I were in the same situation?
• Combine real-life experiences and imagination, make real-life decisions on taking action.

The Physical Apparatus

• Actor's body and voice are instruments.
• Body needs training to improve posture and movements.