Stanislavski (1863 – 1938) 1863 Born 5 January to possibly the richest family in Russia. 1877 When he was 14 his father transformed a wing of their country house into a theatre for the entertainment of family and friends. They later built a theatre in their family home too. 1884 He adopted the name Stanislavski in order to keep his activities secret from his family (real name Konstantin Sergeievich Alexeiev). 1885 At 22 he enrolled at the Moscow Theatre School but left after 3 wks, dissatisfied with the training. 1887 After staging a successful performance of the Russian premiere of The Mikado at his family’s home and gaining a professional review, Stanislavski is given permission by his father to continue his career as an actor. 1888 – 1898 He travels extensively, learning from companies around the world and having considerable success as an actor e.g. as Othello. 1
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Stanislavski(1863 – 1938)
1863 Born 5 January to possibly the richest family in Russia.
1877 When he was 14 his father transformed a wing of their
country house into a theatre for the entertainment of family and
friends. They later built a theatre in their family home too.
1884 He adopted the name Stanislavski in order to keep his activities secret from
his family (real name Konstantin Sergeievich Alexeiev).
1885 At 22 he enrolled at the Moscow Theatre School but left after 3 wks,
dissatisfied with the training.
1887 After staging a successful performance of the Russian premiere of The
Mikado at his family’s home and gaining a professional review, Stanislavski is given
permission by his father to continue his career as an actor.
1888 – 1898 He travels extensively, learning from companies around the world and
having considerable success as an actor e.g. as Othello.
1898 9 April he assumes the role of Principal Director of what becomes the Moscow
Art Theatre.
1904 Chekhov dies.
1917 The Russian Revolution.
1922 – 1923 The Moscow Art Theatre tour Berlin,
Paris and the United States to universal acclaim.
1937 He dies.
1
Characteristics:
He believed that theatre was to be a
moral instrument to ennoble the mind and
uplift the spirit. It should civilize, increase
sensitivity and heighten perception.
‘Seek your examples in life’.
In choosing actors Stanislavski was heard to say: ‘She is a good actress but not for us…She does not love art, but herself in art.’Chose plays from the classical repertoire, but also encouraged new writing.
Treated actors with respect, but expected dedication and self-discipline.
Previously, many actors lacked punctuality and were often drunk. Experienced
actors spoke out front; old sets, props and costumes were merely reused.
Stanislavski’s legacy is a system of approaching the inexact
science of acting.
He tried in a systematic way to lay down ground rules for
approaching a character and for how an actor might employ
his/her body, voice and mind in such a creation. His own acting
was often too full of personal mannerisms or overblown
extravagance and his directors would then resort to ‘imitation’ as
a form of direction which removed the process.
Realism: a selection and distillation of the detailed
observation of life, not the life itself.
Subtext: What can be identified under the text – the
unspoken nuance that we as the audience
recognize and which gives a character more
depth or psychological realism. This gives us
insights into the character’s motivations often
denied to those characters themselves. The
subtext must, however, be acknowledged and
understood by the actor.
2
STANISLAVSKI'S SYSTEM is a progression of techniques
used to train actors and actresses to draw believable emotions to their performances.
The method that was originally created and used by Constantin Stanislavski from
1911 to 1916 was based on the concept of emotional memory for which an actor
focuses internally to portray a character's emotions onstage.
Later, between 1934 and 1938, this technique evolved to a method of physical
actions in which emotions are produced through the use of these actions. The latter
technique is referred to as Stanislavski's system. The system is the result of
Stanislavski's many years of efforts to determine how someone can control in
performance the most intangible and uncontrollable aspects of human behaviour,
such as emotions and art inspiration.
The most influential acting teachers, including Richard Boleslavsky, Vsevolod
Meyerhold, Michael Chekhov, Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, Harold Clurman, Robert
Lewis, Sanford Meisner, Uta Hagen, Ion Cojar, Andrey Vasilyev and Ivana Chubbuck
all traced their pedigrees to Stanislavski, his theories and/or his disciples.
1. ACTION – concerned with the meaningful and purposeful activity on stage.
This includes concentrated stillness or inner
intensity. Always act with a purpose.In other words it must have a ‘why?’
“THE METHOD”When the Moscow Art Theatre toured America in 1923-24 they left behind two
actors: Richard Boleslavski and Maria Ouspenskaya who formed a school called the
American Laboratory Theatre.
Among their students were Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg who later formed The Actor’s Studio which relied on Stanislavski’s ideas to create The Method. This
relied heavily on Emotion Memory. Method actors analysed and utilised their own
personalities extensively and produced very emotionally based performances.
The Method has provided a sound training for actors in the American theatre and film
industry, where value is placed on intense psychological realism in the construction
of character.
Notable actors who used the Method to great acclaim are Marlon Brando, Marilyn
Monroe, James Dean, Jane Fonda, Daniel Day-Lewis and Al Pacino.