stanisvlaski

𝕊𝕋𝔸ℕ𝕚𝕊𝕃𝔸𝕍𝕊𝕂𝕀  ~𝓘lonka 𝓕lora

Background

Konstantin Stanislavski was a seminal Russian theatre practitioner and actor. Born in 1863 and passed away August 1938, but in between these important dates, he was able to achieve many 'things', which have led him to change the world of acting forever.

Stanislavski was actually a stage name to keep his performance activities a secret from his parents, his family name was Alexeiev( His real name was Konstantin Alexeiev), which belongs to one of the richest families in Russia. However, it wasn't all bad as he was able to use the money to his advantage to fund his experiments in acting and directing.
After his debut performance in 1877, his father gave him his approval he began to write detailed observations on his acting, aphorisms and problems. This is how his system came about and how he was able to truly transform himself into an established figure. He wrote major texts from  observations on the art performance which are:

• My life in art
• Building character
• An actor prepares
• Creating a role

Naturalism

This method can be easily oversimplified by others. The main point is that the actors should really inhabit the role that they are playing. Meaning the actor shouldn't only need to know their lines, but also understand the meaning behind these lines. It's important to find the motivation for the lines. The actor must interpret their character, look at the character's life offstage as well as onstage. this way, we are able to deliver lines and realistic reactions.

OK, BUT WHAT IS NATURALISM?

Naturalism is often used to refer to the same thing as realism. But it is the belief that a human character is formed by what they've inherited from their family and environment. This method of work is mostly associated with the work o the French novelist, Emile Zola (Below).

''REMEMBER: THERE ARE NO SMALL PARTS, ONLY SMALL ACTORS''

~ Konstantin Stanislavski

The System

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OBJECTIVE

Objective is a reason for our actions. What are we trying to achieve? Life, people and situations constantly create barriers and obstacles for us, so in order to get past this, we need to take some kind of action. for example, in order to find a hidden treasure, you need to defeat a fire-breathing dragon, this obstacle is put in your way and your new objective in order to reach your super-objective is to slay the dragon, this is the reason for your actions.

SUPER OBJECTIVE

Super-objective is linked to the overall outcome of the play. It characterises the essential idea, the core which provided the main reason to write the play. The character's minor - objectives are likely to be staged in the journey towards the super-objectives.

THROUGH LINE

If the journey as a clear path to the super-objective, then you have your through line.

GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES
This is the information you are given about the character at the start if the play. How old are they? their situation in relation to other characters? These kinds of notes will help begin building of the character.

EMOTIONAL MEMORY
This is when the actor finds a real past experience where they have felt a similar emotion to that which is demanded by the role they are playing. They bring the role to life by 'borrowing' those feelings. It's important to not hurt yourself by opening or creating any scars. for example, The Joker role in Batman has affected nearly most of the actors who have taken the role, such as Heath Ledger (Who passed away) and Jared Leto, Therapy is needed after the making of the film as some actors find it hard to separate themselves and the character.

METHOD OF PHYSICAL ACTIONS
Simple activities such as brushing your teeth or cleaning can convey a deeper meaning, if the actor is able to, they can release specific and necessary emotion such as passive aggressiveness will show anger.

SUBTEXT
This is the meaning and motivation behind the lines/text {Actions taken}. Content underneath the dialogue. Saying a line such as I love you may be seen as sweet but if we (The audience) know the entire story, it may be conveyed differently and even delivered differently. Another example would be saying 'loving the dress' but the emotion portrayed is pride and competition so this would show the person doesn't mean it at all in the way it is usually intended to be.

'IF'
The 'Magic if' implies what would the character do if placed in a certain situation. This is the actor putting themselves in the characters shoes. This then motivates the actor, and it stimulates the motivation.

''OUR DEMANDS ARE SIMPLE, NORMAL, AND THEREFORE THEY ARE DIFFICULT TO SATISFY. ALL WE ASK IS THAT AN ACOTR ON THE STAGE LIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH NATURAL LAWS.'' 

~ Konstantin Stanisla

vski

Realism

Using Stanislavski techniques

An actor might approach a script using Stanislavski's techniques, breaking a script down into objectives. These are:

♢Cirle of Attention: Stanislavski believed in order to achieve a realness, actors needed a sense of isolation to produce a characterisation and avoid any unnecessary tension. To truly build their character 

 Stanislavski believed that an actor needed a sense of isolation in order to produce a characterisation and avoid unnecessary tension. They needed to concentrate on themselves. This is the first circle of attention. Stanislavski referred to it as Solitude in Public. Beyond this, the actor might, in the 'second circle', be aware of the character he is addressing and in the 'third circle', the rest of the production. There's no direct awareness of the audience in this. These circles of attention are achieved through focus and concentration.

♢Tempo&Rhythm

♢Impro

♢Physical Action



Sources; https:
//www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zxn4mp3/revision
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Stanislavski