Study Notes on Acting and Theater

In 1938, Our Town by Thornton Wilder introduced a straightforward approach to theatrical production in American theater.
The production featured:
- Virtually no scenery
- Muted costumes
- Minimal properties
Key Point:
- The actors are the one indispensable element of the theatrical experience; they told the story with only the essential means necessary to the action.

Acting is described by Sanford Meisner as:
- “Living truthfully in imagined circumstances”
Key Distinctions About Acting:
- Acting is not:
- Showing, narrating, illustrating, or exhibiting
- Dressing up and displaying emotions
- Instead, acting is a creative process that involves:
1. Selecting sensory responses: both psychological and emotional
2. Searching for selected behavior pertinent to the character’s needs within given circumstances (human problems in the play).

Acting is Doing:
- Acting involves preparation, including:
- Individual talent
- Imagination
- Discipline
- A need to express oneself
- Observation through the senses
The preparation involves:
- Selecting from memory and personal experience what the actor has seen, heard, felt, and experienced over a lifetime.
- Konstantine Stanislavski's technique termed Emotional Recall plays a vital role in this preparation.

Actors must be flexible and able to adapt to:
- Requests from the director or playwright
- Relate to other performers on stage
Moreover, collaboration is essential with:
- Designers
- Technicians
- Stage managers
- Dressers and prop crews

Goal of the Actor:
- To tell the character’s circumstances truthfully and effectively within the play's story.
Essential conditions include:
- Time
- Place
- Surroundings
- Relationships with others
Truth in Behavior:
- Actors work during rehearsals to discover the truth of behavior specific to the play’s circumstances, thus creating a stage reality that can seem more vibrant than everyday reality.

Technique and Belief: Two fundamentals of the actor's craft.
External Technique:
- Activity by which an actor chooses, imitates, or illustrates a character’s behavior.
Mimetic Actor:
- Studies and recreates behavior and appearance similar to their character, often referred to as naturalistic acting.
Origins of Naturalistic Acting:
- Perfected by David Garrick in the 18th century, focusing on truthful presentation by imitating action.

Realistic Acting:
- An approach relying on intuitive, subconscious techniques based on working from the inside out.
- Derived from a moment-to-moment awareness on stage relating to subjective experience.
Stanislavski System:
- Developed by Konstantin Stanislavski in the late 19th century for character analysis.
- Focused on determining answers to three critical questions for character involvement:
1. What is my objective?
2. What are my obstacles?
3. What actions will help me achieve my goal?

Tools include:
- Body
- Voice
- Impulses
- Emotion
- Energy
- Concentration
- Imagination
- Improvisation
- Intellect
Actors must integrate these tools effectively to re-create both classical and modern roles.

Apprenticeship Training:
- Many actors begin as apprentices, performing small parts in stock companies and being mentored by experienced actors.
Skill Development:
- Required strong voice projection, exaggerated gestures for emotional demonstration, and the ability to speak in verse.
With the arrival of Realism in the late 19th century, a shift toward a new realistic style of acting emerged, aligning with ordinary middle-class existence behaviors.

Stanislavski emphasized understanding “aesthetic truth,” guiding actors to behave physically and psychologically in given circumstances.
Psychotechnique:
- Involves recalling emotions from personal experiences similar to those of characters.
The Magic If:
- A method for creating a truthful performance by placing oneself in the character's situation:
- Ask, “What would I do?”
Emotional Recall:
- Involves recalling past emotion-filled situations to enhance performance on stage.
Psychophysical Actions:
- Combine psychological understanding with physical actions for creating authenticity.

Various styles evolved, such as:
- The Stanislavsky System
- David Mamet’s Practical Aesthetics
- Anne Bogart’s Viewpoints
- Techniques from Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio.
The Actors Studio:
- Created in 1947 to allow exploration of craft under less pressure from commercial theater.
- Actors must respond to imaginary stimuli more fully and expressively.

Differences Between Stage and Screen Acting:
- The camera is a constant presence in film and television acting, capturing minute details of action and expression.
- Film production often demands quick, varied takes, while stage rely on coordinated rehearsals with other actors.
Technical Concerns:
- Actors must manage various distractions, including technical elements like CGI and camera angles during performance.

Challenges in Auditions:
- Types of spaces, distractions, atmosphere, cold readings, and competition.
Process:
- Actors receive breakdowns for role requirements.
- Headshot and resume submission, followed by line readings called “sides.”
- Call-back auditions to finalize role selections.

Rehearsal Duration:
- Typically span from two to ten weeks, focusing on emotional responses and character objectives.
Director’s Role:
- Establishing the production concept and blocking during rehearsals.
Technical Integration:
- Preparations for the final product, including cues, props, costumes, and set.

Training emphasizes movement choice, expression through the body, and elimination of unnecessary tension.
New Trends:
- Integrating psychology and diverse physical training approaches from various cultures.
Vocal Exercises: Aim to free the voice, focusing on muscularity and control for authentic expression.

The continuous evolution of training methods and techniques reflects the dynamic nature of acting as an art form.