Stanislavski
Konstantin Stanislavski was a Russian actor and director, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of theatre.
Stanislavski, born 1863, is well renowned throughout dramatical history as one of the most influential practitioners. He co-founded the Moscow Art Theatre in 1898 and developed a system of acting that emphasized emotional authenticity and psychological realism. His techniques, often referred to as the "Stanislavski Method," focused on helping actors create believable characters through emotional memory and improvisation.
His method focused mainly on key elements such as:
Emotional Memory: Actors drawing on their own memories and feelings to connect with their characters' emotions, making performances more authentic.
Given Circumstances: Actors must understand the context of their characters, including the time, place, and situation, to portray them accurately.
Objectives and Actions: Each character has specific goals or objectives they attempt to achieve, which leads to their actions and choices in a scene.
Subtext: The underlying meaning behind a character's words and actions is crucial. Actors explore what is not said to add depth to their performance.
Relaxation and Concentration: Stanislavski emphasized the importance of relaxation and focus for actors to access their emotions and respond naturally on stage.
Improvisation: He encouraged improvisational exercises to help actors develop their characters and develop spontaneity.
during lesson we focused mainly on emotional memory. we were tasked with thinking about an object that meant a lot to us and we had to think about how we would feel if we lost that object. from this we had to act out multiple scenarios whilst thinking about this emotion we felt. this helped us understand the start of the Stanislavski.