Semester one :
Stanislavski :
Q1. What are seven elements of Stanislavski’ system?
- The Magic if
The first element is the “magic if” makes a actor want to know what they would be like in that situation in real life. In the scene before going on the actor could ask themselves “What would I do if I was in this situation?” , this can make the actors character more emotional in the scene.
2. Objective
In this element the actor needs to know there character, this helps the character engage with the audience more in their scene and also realistic. This also helps the actor analyze the script.
3. Physical Action
Physical action can help the actor bring out their emotions out and this helps the actors bring them more honest with themselves on stage.
4. Emotional Memory
Emotional Memory is a very common element because it makes the actor connect with there character, however it does also make the actor go into there past and makes them feel like that all over again but on stage.
5. Super Objective
When it comes to Super Objective the actor wants to reach a goal in there acting on stage and by the actor doing this element they need to connect with this Super Objective all the way through the play.
6. Given Circumstances
The most important thing about acting is for the actors to know the classic “Who ,What ,where and why” this helps the actor understand the character when researching so it can help them on stage is well.
7. Subtext
This element can give the actor to deliver there lines properly in subtext. This also get the actors desires and emotions.
Ates. A (2023) The Stanislavsky Technique: an Actor’s Guide | Backstage
Q2. What are the aims of Stanislavski’s system?
The aim of Stanislavski system is to make the actors be more truthful and honest in themselves. When it comes to Stanislavski system this makes a way for the actors to make a more realistic performance.
Strasberg and Lee (2022) Lee Strasberg on acting | Method Acting, Stanislavski System & Theatre | Britannica
Q3. How did you apply given circumstances to a character?
To apply given circumstances they have to research more into the script and find out more about your character. This can also help on how to make your character feel real.
Lee-Rekers . A (2024) Using Given Circumstances in your Acting | A Practical Guide
Q4. What do you like about using given circumstances?
I like given circumstances because you can research more into my character and this can help me understand what my character will be and also helps with understanding on what the play is.
Q5. Where there any elements you did not like?
The elements I personally do not like is Emotional memory, this is because it can bring back bad memories and not make me a good actor on stage. However in a way it can be a good thing to use emotional memory because this can help the actor make the scene more realistic.
Q6. How did you apply objectives/super objectives to a character?
I apply objective and super objective to a character by researching my character first and then see what i want to be on stage for my character from researching on my character.
Q7. What did you like about using objectives/super objectives?
That I can research about my character so I know what to act like on stage instead of not knowing how to portray my character on stage.
Q8. Were there any aspects of it you didn’t like?
I like all the aspects of using objects and super objectives because I can know about my character but also wanting to know what my goal as a character would be like.
Devising – The Investigations:
I was not here for this session
Eden Camp :
I was not here for this trip
Stage combat with Jack :
Q1. What happened?
We learned all different ways on how to do stage combat fighting to help us know what to do in the future when we have to do stage combat in a film or in a theatre. This helped us all because some of us did not know certian moves and it is also helpful to put on our CVs to put for experience to say we had a workshop with a proffesional on how to learn stage combat.
Q2. What did you learn ?
The first thing we learned was how to slap someone without actually hurting them and then we moved onto more advanced stuff and also how to punch someone and in different moves is well. We got to also punch Jack in the stomach for a exercises and we have to punch him over and over until he though it was a 7. Then we also learned how to choke someone but also how to let them breath and not struggle to breath. Finally we learnt how to arrest someone if we had to do this in a scene. I found this day really fun because I volunteered to do loads of stuff because I found it interesting, I would defiantly do something like this again.
Q3. How will you apply this in future?
I will apply this in the future by if we have to do this in the film I can remember on how to do this and to help others.
Comedy Workshop with Joe :
Q1. What happened?
We met Joe who is a proffesional comedian in the clown industry is well and we talked about the different styles of comedy and got to do loads of games is well which was really fun and to learn about Joes background in comedy.
Q2. What did you learn?
I learned how to write a script with different jokes instead of the same ones over and over and it can be helpful for us for our next project and for this project it helped us to know how to do it.
Q3. How will you apply this in the future?
I will apply this in the future by using these skills in my project coming up and the second project. I can also put on my CV that I have had a workshop in comedy with Joe.
Theory Acting Lessons :
Acting Lesson 1 :
The principles of Acting :
- Face
- Body
- Voice
Body work:
- Stretching
- Walking
- Levels of tension
Diaphragm Exercises :
- Lie down on your back and focus on your breathing.
- Slowly warm up on your vocals.
- Thinking on the Theory behind on what you are doing.
Vocal Warm ups:
- Using the mouth.
- Warming up the lips/mouth.
- Gibberish.
- Tonge Twisters.
- Exhausted or Catatonic = The Jellyfish. There is no tension in the body at all. Begin in a complete state of relaxation. If you have to move or speak, it is a real effort. See what happens when you try to speak.
- Laid Back = The “Californian” (soap opera) many people live at this level of tension. Everything you say is cool and relaxed, probably locking in credibility. The casual throw-away line “I think I will go to bed now”.
- Neutral or the “Economic” = This is like a contemporary dance. It is what it is. There is nothing more or less, the right amount and no past or future. You are totally present and aware. It is the state of tension before something happens, think of a cat sitting comfortably on a wall and ready to leap up if a bird comes near. You more with no story behind your movement.
- Alert or Curious (force) = Look at things, sit down and stand up. Indecision think Hulot (Jacques Tati) or Mr. Bean.
- Suspense or the reactive = Is the 19th Century melodrama, is there a bomb in the room? The crisis is about to happen. All the tension is in the body, concentrated between the eyes, an inbreath. There is a delay to your reaction.
- Passionate (Opera) = There is a bomb in the room, the tension has exploded out of the body. Anger ,fear ,hilarity and despair. Its difficult to control, you walk into a room and there is a lion sitting there, there is a snake in the shower.
Devising :
Devised theatre is a collaborative and experimental form a theatre -making where an ensemble creates a original performance from scratch, rather than working from a script. The work is developed collectivity by the entire team, including actors, directors, designers and actor creative artists.
Acting Lesson 2 :
Third Angle was a theatre company led by Rachel Walton and Alexander Kelly from 1995 – 2023.
“Here at Third Angle we think our job is to get people to look at the world differently, including theatre and what it can be and do. We believe everyone has the right to access culture and that creativity makes the world a better place. At the heart of everything we do is collaboration with other artists, performers , participants and our audience. We like to play, to experiment , to devise , to write , to draw , to research , to talk and write lists.”
Acting Lesson 3 :
. Acting is the ability to do truthfully under imaginary circumstances.
Meisner :
- Sanford “Sandy” Meisner (1905-2023) was an American actor and one of the most influenced acting teachers of the 20th century.
- Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Hungarian – Jewish immigrants, Meisner, experienced a traumatic childhood event when his younger brother died from a misdiagnosed illness.
- He initially studied to be a concert pianist at the Damrosch in situate of Music (later part of Juilliard school).
- The group theatre = in 1931, Meisner co -funded the legendary Group theatre, an ensemble of actors and directors dedicated to an honest and psychologically truthful American style of acting. Other founding member included Lee Strasberg Harold Clurman and Stella Aller.
Meisner’s Principles :
- The group theatres work was inspired by Stanislavski. However, key disagreements emerged over the use of emotional memory, which required actors to draw on personal trauma to evoke emotions on stage.
- While Strasberg insisted on using emotional recall, Meisner and Aller opposed it. Meisner argued it was psychology damaging and manipulative, believing that an actors imagination was enough. These ideological differences contributed to the group theatres disbanding it in 1941.
- Meisner became head of the acting department at the neighborhood playhouse school of theatre in 1935. Here he refined his can technique, focusing on the core principle of “acting truthfully under imaginary circumstances” and emphasizing the actors relationship to their partner.
Repetition :
Step 1 = Observation. One actor (A) makes a simple, neural observation about their partner (B) for example “You are wearing a blue shirt”.
Step 2 = Repetition. Actor B repeats the observation back for example “I am wearing a blue skirt”. Then actor A repeats their line again and so on.
Step 3 = Instinctual shift, listen and observe their partner for any subtle emotional or physical changes. When a truthful, instinctual impulse happens, the repetition should shift.
For example :
A = “You are smiling”
B = “I am smiling”
A = “You are smiling” (this line might now be said with more feeling)
Emotional Daydreaming:
- Choose a simple scenario from a list (or one you invent) that evokes a specific emotional state, for example preparing for an exciting job interview or discovering something a friend did behind their back).
- You should then enter an imaginary room and let the emotion inform your actions and behaviors, without speaking.
Home Alone :
- The “Knock at the door”, one student is in a pantomime room doing a “home alone” activity, having done their emotional preparation.
- The other student knocks at the door, bringing in a prepared emotion or piece of news that directly conflicts with their partners state.
- Students then improvise a scene, using the repetition exercise only if they get stuck or an organic, impulsive movement.
Distraction :
One actor is given a physically engaging but challenging task to complete in a pantomime environment. The task must have a high – stakes “do or die” quality, such as building a house of cards that is an urgent birthday gift. The other actor is given an objective that involves distracting their partner.
Acting Lesson 4 :
Uta Hagen :
- Impact of Mc McCarthyism = During the anti- communist “Red Scare” of the 1950s, Hagen was backlisted in Hollywood. This was partly due to her affair with Paul Robeson, her co – star in Othello, who was also blacklisted.
- HB Studio = In 1947, Hagen began teaching at the Herbert Bergdorf Studio, which her second husband, Herbert Bergdorf co funded. She was later take over the school as its chairperson following his death in 1990.
Hagen’s Style :
Uta Hagen acting technique is a practical, self -sufficient approach rooted in realism that teaches actors to live truthfully in imaginary circumstances. Building on Stanislavski system, she developed tangible exercises and a character analysis frame w0rk for creating authentic and believable performances.
Core principles :
- Authenticity and truthfulness = Hagen believed that authentic behavior on stage comes from deep observation of human behaviors and ones own life, not forced emotions display.
- Action over emotion = Her method emphasizes that emotional expression is a result of a characters “doing”, or actively pursuing an objective. This prevents actors from focusing on “feeling” and instead drives their performance with purposeful action.
- Preparation = Through preparation is a cornerstone of Hagen’s technique, she taught that realistic performances require intense and disciplined rehearsal, including detailed observation of one is own routine behaviors.
- Substitution and transference = Unlike “The method” approach of emotional recall Hagen’s “Substitutions” clatter called “transference” like asking actors to connect their personal experiences to the character’s given circumstances. This allows actors to find genuine emotional reactions without dreading up their own painful emotional past.
The six questions :
Q1. Who am I?
Q2. What are the circumstances?
Q3. What are my relationships?
Q4. What do I want?
Q5. What is my obstacle ?
Q6. What do I get what do I want?
Background of Uta Hagen :
- Born in Gottingen, Germany. Hagen and her family moved to Madison, Wilson in 1924.
- At age 18, she landed her major role as Nina in a Broadway production of Anton Chekhov the Seagull.
- She became a leading stage actress known for her versatility. Highlights of her career including playing Desclomna in Othello in 1943.
Truth :
- Personal truth refers to actors ability to draw on their own authentic lived experience, their emotions habits and sensory memories. This is to create a truthful and believable portrayal of a character. It is the foundation for her centered acting principle “living truthfully under imaginary circumstances”.
- Instead of manufacturing emotions or mimicking reality, Hagen taught that genuine acting comes from deep self – awareness. The actors own “truth” is used as a bridge and inhabit the characters life and situation.
Methods of Substitution :
This technique for creating authentic emotional responses by linking a characters circumstances to an actors personal memories. It is a refinement of earlier “emotional recall” methods, emphasizing a focus on parallel experience rather than reliving trauma.
Personal experience :
Q1. How might you connect to this character?
Q2. Can you share with the person next to you?
The three entrances?
Q1. Where did I come from (What were you doing immediately before entering the space?)
Q2. What am I doing right now ? ( What is the specific action or activity you are engaged in as you enter?)
Q3. What is my goal / objective (What are you doing in this specific moment, with this immediate action?)
- They mentally or physically create their “three entrances” , focusing on a specific, grounded action they are coming from and doing as they enter.
More questions :
Q1. How might you connect to this character?
Q2. Can you share with the person next to you ?
Basic Object :
The basic object exercise, sometimes called “two mindsets of daily life” this exercise requires the actor to replicate activities from their own daily routine in specific detail (think making breakfast or getting ready to go out ). The goal of this exercise is to increase the actor awareness of their un – observed behavior.
Immediacy :
Hagen asked actors to search for a small object that they need. You can perform the exercise on a set or in your home. As you search, you should observe the behavior and thoughts that arise as you authenticity try to find something. The objective is to identify the thoughts, behaviors and sensations you experience when you genuinely do not know the outcome, so you can use them on stage.
Fourth side :
This exercise starts with a phone call to a person you know, you should call them with a specific objective in mind. During the conversation, Hagen wants you to focus on your surroundings and the specific objects that your eyes rest on, the purpose is to help actors observe now they interact with all dimensions of an enclosed physical space so they can recreate the feeling of privacy on stage.
Endowment :
This exercise is designed to help actors apply their observed behaviors to endow props with qualities that they cannot safely have on stage. Hot irons and sharp knives are typical examples. The endowment exercise asks actors to believably treat objects on stage as though they have the actors need in a scene.
Acting Lesson 5
Stella Adler
Learning Objectives :
- Outline the key principles of Stella Adler’s acting technique and explain how it differs from other Stanislavski, devised methods.
- Participate in core Alder exercises to apply the principles of imagination and “given circumstances”.
- Analise a text through an Adelrian lens, focusing on imagination and context rather than personal emotional memory.
Stella Adler :
- Adler was an American actress and teacher whose influence on the craft of acting remains significant. A member of the group theatre in 1930. Adler eventually distanced herself from its predominant adoption of Konstantin Stanislavski system, particularly as interpreted by Lee – Strasberg.
- Strasberg’s focus on emotional memory and introspection did not resonate with Alder, who later studied directly under Stanislavski. This led her to formulate her contemporaries, emphasizing external factors like script analyze, given circumstances and character objectives over internal emotional recall.
Adler’s Technique :
- Script Analysis and Given circumstances
Adler stressed the importance of understanding the given circumstances within the script . These include not just the obvious elements like time and place but extended to societal norms, economics conditions, and even weather. The actor must analyze these factors meticulously to understand their character and the world in habit truly.
2. The reality of doing
This principle stresses that an actors actions on stage should be as real and purposeful as they are in life. Each actions should stem from an understanding of the characters objective and the given circumstances, rather than being an aimless movement or gesture.
3. Imagination over emotional recall
Unlike Lee Strasberg’s method, unrich employs emotional recall as a central technique. Adler encouraged actors to use their imaginations. She believed that drawing upon personal emotional experiences was limited and potentially damaging.
4. Objective and Action
For Adler, knowing a character’s objective is pivotal. Every action an actor takes on stage serves to achieve this objective. By focusing on what the character wants the actor creates a through – line that lends coherence and integrity to the performance.
5. Societal and Cultural context
Adler emphasized understanding the bordure societal and cultural factors that influence a character. She encouraged actors to read widely and understand the historical context of the work in which they were performing.
6. Physical Additions and Physicality
Adler paid close attention to the role of physical actions in conveying emotional and psychological states. Her approach often included various physical exercises to free the actors expressive capacity.
7. “As if” technique
This technique allows actors to relate to their characters by equating the experiences of the character with their own experiences. Instead of recalling a personal emotion the actor imagines what it would be like “as if” they were in the given circumstances, which allows them for a more spontaneous and imaginative interpretation.
Given Circumstances :
- Social Norms
These behavioral expectations and taboos can exert pressure on a character, influencing their decisions and motivations. Understanding the societal norms of a scripts setting can dramatically affect how an actors approaches a role.
2. Economic Conditions
The financial milieu in which a character operates can be a significant driving force behind their actions. Poverty, affluence of economic instability could each inspire distinct emotional states and choices.
3. Political Climate
The prevailing power dynamics, governance model and political ideologies can have a bearing on a characters outlook and objectives.
4. Cultural Traditions
Cultural norms and practices provide a texture to the characters world influencing everything from dialogue delievery to physical movements.
5. Interpersonal relationships
An analysis of the characters relationships with other figures in the script provides vital clues about social dynamics that may not be evertly stated.
6. Psychological Factors
Elements such as past trauma, education and even neurodiversity can be part of a characters given circumstances.
7. Environmental Aspects
Even the weather or the specific characteristics of a location, like its level of urbanization, can be consequential. For example : The sweltering hear in Tennessee Williams “A Streetcar Named Desires” contributes to the plays emotional intensity.
Text :
- Annotation = Actively making the script to note given circumstances and their potential impact on the character.
- Research = Conducting external research to understand the context more fully. For example, if a script is set in a historical period, an actor might study that era’s social and economic conditions.
- Discussion and Collaboration = Engaging in dialogues with co – actors directors, and even experts in relevant fields can provide additional layers of understanding and interpation.
- Imagination Exploration = Using the given circumstances as a launching pad for imaginative work that helps the actor internalize the character’s world.
Action :
- Purposeful Action
Adler argued that every action, no matter how minor, should serve a purpose. This purpose is often tied to the characters primary objective within the scene to the characters primary objective throughout the play.
2. Contextual Understanding
Actions on stage are not isolated events but rather occur within a set of given circumstances that Adler believed should be meticulously understood and incorporated by the actor.
3. Avoidance of Superficiality
The concept actively dissuaded aimless movements or gestures that do not contribute to the storytelling or the characters emotional life.
4. Physicality as language
For Alder, Physical actions were another form of language that could be as articulate as verbal dialogue in conveying character traits, motivations and emotions.
Stanislavski Lesson 1 :
- In 1998, he co – funded the Mosow Art Theatre (MAT) within nadimir Nemirovich – Danchanko, a partnership that would become a landmark in theatre history.
- The MAT , known for its groundbreaking naturalistic productions of plays by authors like Anton Chekhov, became a laboratory for Stanislavski evolving theories.
- Driven by a desire for truthfulness and authenticity on stage, Stanislavski developed his renowned “system”, a systematic approach to acting that emphasizes psychological realism and actors inner life.
- The system incorporates techniques like emotional recall, the “magic if”, action analysis and the exploration of a characters backstory and motivations to create a believable and engaging performance.
Later career, death and legacy :
- Stanislavski counited to refine his system throughout his career, which included extensive work with Moscow Art theatre studio and a later emphasis on a “method of physical action”.
- He stopped acting after a heart attack in 1928, focusing instead on directing, teaching and writing.
- He passed away in Moscow in 1938, shortly before the publication of the first volume of his foundation of acting manual, “an actors work.
- Stanislavski’s ideas and teaching have had a profound and enduring impact on acting globally, influencing countless actors and theatre professionals.
- His work remains a cornerstone of acting training, shaping the approach of actors in theatre.
Stanislavski System
A method of actor training that encourages actors to deeply explore a characters motivation and circumstances to deliver truthful and lifelike performance
- Emotional memory :
Actors draw on personal past experiences to evoke real emotions that align with their characters situations.
2. The Magic If
By asking “What would I do if I were in this situation?” actors use this imagination to connect personality with the character experience.
3. Super Objective
This is the Characters overreaching goal or desire throughout the entire play, guiding their overall journey and choices.
4. Given circumstances
Actors must understand the who, what , where , when and why of their characters situation to ground their performance in the reality of the play.
5. Subtext
The underlying meaning beneath the dialogue is explored so the actor can deliver lines with layered and truthful expression.
6. Physical action
Physical actions are used to externalize inner emotions and objectives, helping actors remain truthful and reactive on stage.
7. Through line of action
Actors trace a consistent path of motivations and actions that link scenes together, treating a coherent and believable character etc.
Break down of Given circumstances :
- Who = Details about the characters identity, including their name, age , background , social status and personal history.
- What = The characters desires motivations and the overall objectives they are pursuing in the story.
- Where = The physical and social exists, including the location and setting the cultural context.
- When = The time period, time of day and any specific events of historical context relevant to the story.
- Why = The characters motivations, beliefs and the underlying reasons for their actions and choices.
- How = The methods and tactics the character employs to achieve their objectives.
Stanislavski lesson 2:
Circle of Attention :
- The small circle :
Focus = This innermost circle encompasses the actor and their immediate, such as props costumes, or a small area of the stage.
Purpose = To achieve a sense of “public solitude”, where the actor is engrossed in the character’s internal thoughts and activities. This helps to minimize awareness of the audience and allows the actor to delve deeply into the characters given circumstances such as their motivations and relationships.
2. The medium circle :
Focus = This circle extends to include other actors, props and set pieces in the immediate vicinity.
Purpose = To broaden the actors awareness to include interactions with other characters and their reactions to the environment.
3. The large circle :
Focus = This encompasses the entire stage or performance area, taking into account the characters relationship to the overall space.
Purpose = To engage with the wider environment and establish the characters presence within the entire production. Some interpretations also refer to a “fourth circle” that includes the audience, that Stanislavski generally emphasized a concentration that did not directly involve the audience during the performance.
Tempo and Rhythm
Stanislavski highlighted the existence of both an inner and an outer tempo – rhythm. The inner tempo -rhythm reflects on the characters internal thoughts and feelings, while the outer tempo – rhythm is what the audience observes through their physical action, seen patterns and interactions. Ideally these two should be in harmony and creating a cohesive and believable performance.
- Establish character traits = A nervous character might have a fast tempo and agitated rhythm, while a confident character might have a slower and more deliberate pace.
- Build tension and release = Gradually increasing tempo can build suspense, while sudden shifts can create moments of surprise or emotional release.
- Convey emotions and intentions = Subtle changes in tempos and rhythm can effectively communicate a characters underlying feelings, even without explicit dialogue. Shape the overall mood and atmosphere of a scene and the entire play.
- Enhance ensemble work = Actors must be mindful of each others tempos and rhythms to create a cohesive and believable dynamic within the ensemble.
Physical Action :
Stanislavski found that a series of specific, purposeful physical actions could indirectly trigger the necessary emotions in and actors performance. He believed that emotions in an actors performance. He believed that emotions, based in the subconscious, were difficult to access directly on command. Therefore a “conscious means to the unconscious” was needed and this was provided by the systematic exploration of physical actions. By focusing on a sequence of physical actions arranged in a logical order, actors could organically arrive at the emotions their characters were experiencing.