Constantine
Stanislavski
Constantine Stanislavski
• Born in Moscow, Russia in 1863.
• An actor and moved on to become a director
and teacher.
• He developed a new approach to acting.
• It took years of experimenting to get to what
is now known as the Stanislavski System.
Stanislavski's System
• As an actor, Stanislavski saw a
lot of bad acting - what he
termed as artificial.
• He wanted actors to work on
characters from the inside
(instead of the outside) and
thus create more of a "true" or
"real" (i.e. not artificial)
performance.
What is it?
•
The Stanislavski System is
an intense character
development process that
strives to make a
performance "real" and
not artificial by:
1. Bringing an actor's
experiences into the role.
2. Expanding an actor's
imaginations.
**Stanislavski believed that in order to make a character true, the
character must be approached from the inside.
a. That means drawing on the real inside life of the actor, most
specifically drawing on memories.
b. The actor also has to create the inside life of the character:
1. the character has to have inner thought,
2. back story,
3. beliefs
4. ___________________ (What else?)
just as a real person does.
**When the actor answers questions about the character, they should
speak in the first person. "I am..." "I want..."
5 ELEMENTS OF ACTOR
PREPARTATION
IMAGINATION
• The more fertile the
actor’s imagination, the
more interesting would be
the choices made in terms
of objectives, physical
action and creating the
given circumstances around
the character.
• There is no such thing as
actually on the stage. Art is
a product of the
imagination, as the work of
a dramatist should be. The
aim of the actor should be
to use his technique to turn
the play into a theatrical
reality. In this process the
imagination plays by far
the greatest part.
Imagination Activity
IMAGINATION ACTIVITY
• Stand, eyes closed, and
imagine
p. 12 of Theatre in
Practice
The magic if Activity
- Sit and imagine
Questions:
1. Did using the magic if help to
trigger your imagination?
2. Did using the magic if help
create different pictures
around you?
3. When you used the magic if,
did you find that, as your
imagination started to work,
this brought about a change
in what you were thinking
and feeling?
Acting Tip:
When acting, ask yourself: What if
my character was in that
circumstance? What would I be
thinking and doing?
RELAXATION
Learning to relax the muscles
and eliminate physical
tension while performing.
Stand and Close your eyes
(p. 16 Theatre in Practice)
CONCENTRATION
Learning to think like an
actor and to respond to
one’s own imagination.
(Concentration Activity – 4 people at the front of the room – 2 people out of the room)
OBSERVATION
Discovering the sensory base of the
work: learning to memorize and
recall sensations, often called
“sense memory” and /or “affective
memory”; learning to work from a
small sensation and expand it, a
technique Stanislavski called
“spheres of attention”.
COMMUNICATION
Developing the ability to
interact with other
performers spontaneously,
and with an audience,
without violating the world
of the play.
Rays – an invisible current that
flows between us all the time
Activity = 5 people at the front of the
room
(p. 21 of Theatre in Practice)
ANALYSIS OF THE ACTION
Given Circumstances
• The given circumstances are
the character details in the
script - the facts the
playwright gives the actor.
• What has the playwright
told us?
• Location of the play?
• Time/period/year it is set?
• People in the play?
The Six W’s
•
•
•
•
•
•
Who am I?
When am I ?
Why am I here?
Where am I?
What do I want?
What will I do to
achieve my want?
• Commercial Capers
- For your commercial
character – answer
the 6 W’s in your
journal.
Units (of action) & Objectives
• Break the script down into
units (sections).
• Every unit has an objective
for each character.
• A unit (aka beat) is a
portion of a scene that
contains one objective for
an actor.
• An objective is expressed
through the use of an active
verb.
• There can be more than one
unit that occurs during a
scene.
• Not necessarily what
happens, but this is what
the character is striving for
Pick an Objective for your character:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
I want to do my best
I want to find out
I want to suffer
I want to be special
I want to be cared for
I want to lose myself
I want to provoke anger
I want to do my duty
I want to be admired
I want to be remembered
I want to be rich
I want to have no responsibilities
I want to be powerful
I want to be envied
I want to be poor
I want to be rejected
I want to despair
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
I want to be strong
I want to enjoy my time
I want to understand
I want to please
I want to be frustrated
I want to be lucky
I want to be the winner
I want to be superior
I want to belong
I want to be liked
I want to be the center of attention
I want to impress
I want to be famous
I want to have peace of mind
I want to succeed
I want to be accepted
I want it over and done with
Commercial Capers
- You are putting on a commercial
- Using your objective and your given
circumstances you will create a scene
- Protagonist
- Antagonist
Cannot be longer
- Supporting Characters
than 2 ½ min.
- Conflict
- Climax
- Resolution
NC Playwright’s Festival – 1st Draft due the end
•
•
•
•
•
•
of class February 5th
No longer than 45 pages
No more than 3 working on a script (can work in 2’s
or by yourself)
Must be at least 5 pages
Must have a protagonist, antagonist, conflict, climax,
resolution
School appropriate - No violence, drugs, etc.
Must be in the correct format:
JOE
Oh no!
(runs toward Jodie)
JODIE
Joe!!!
Warm Up 2/3 - When you’re done rehearse your Commercial Caper
•
•
•
Cat and Jen work together in a small office. They have been working together for around
3 years and get on really well. Cat is the quieter of the two and has a very dry sense of
humour; Jen is quite feisty, a good time girl and a real “looker.”
Jen’s boyfriend, Toby, an actor, is always popping into the office when he is in town. This
morning, he pops into the office when Jen is out at a meeting. Toby is chatting to Cat
when his phone rings and he walks into the reception area to take the call. Cat overhears
the conversation and realizes that Toby is seeing someone else behind Jen’s back.
Toby has to dash off and, an hour later, Jen arrives back in the office. Jen is very
happy and tells Cat that she got a text from Toby saying he is meeting her after work as
he has something important to tell her. Jen thinks he is going to pop the question.
1. From this scenario, what is Cat’s objective going to be? Decide, is she going to
tell Jen? What does she really think of Jen? How would what she really thinks
of Jen affect her objective?
1. Now imagine that Cat has told Jen. What would Jen’s objective be once she
finds out?
LIST OF POSSIBLE OBJECTIVES: to do my best, to find out, to suffer, to be special, to be cared for, to
lose myself, to provoke anger, to do my duty, to be admired, to be remembered, to be rich, to have no
responsibilities, to be strong, to enjoy my time, to understand, to be frustrated, to be lucky, to be the
winner, to be superior, to belong, to be liked, to be important, to be the center of attention, to
impress, to be powerful, to be envied, to be poor, to be famous, to have peace of mind, to succeed, to
be rejected, to despair, to be accepted, to want it over and done with
Action
• This helps the actor
understand the aim or
the main idea of the
play.
• In analysing an action,
the actor answered
three questions:
1. What do I (the
character) do?
2. Why do I (the
character) do it?
3. How do I (the
character) do it?
My Action
Example: p. 30 – Antonia and Francis
Questions:
1. How did having an action help your
improvisation?
2. Did you allow the circumstances to feed
into the action?
3. Did having an action help you to know
what to think and do in the circumstance?
VOCAB:
Psychophysical – combination of what we are
thinking and doing that works across the
system. What we think and do working
together in harmony.
• We do not show an
emotion; we have an
action within a given
circumstance that
creates an emotion. I do
not show “anger”; I
have the action of “I tell
off”, which creates the
emotion “anger.”
Scenario and Setting Activity
*In pairs – pick a scenario and setting and an
action for your character
SCENARIO and SETTING
Customs – at the airport – being stopped and asked to empty your bag.
Mall/Shopping Center – bumping into a well known actor.
Hospital – meeting an old flame.
Building Site- being told you have put the wall in the wrong place.
Street – being stopped and searched by the police officer.
**Don’t forget the 6 W’s – Who am I? When am I ? Where am I? Why am I here? What do I
want? What will I do to achieve my want?
ACTIONS
I enjoy
I look forward
I belong
I provoke
I take pride
I cajole
I cover up
I force myself
I remember
I scream for help
I wait
I revel
I stand my ground
I work myself up
I lure
I taunt
I sneer
I coax
I brush off
I despair
I find a reason
I tease
I impress
I provoke fear
I insult
I do my duty
I tempt
I rehearse
I shrink
I fascinate
I divulge
I observe
I dread
I do my best
I reject
I gloat
I assess
I seduce
I dream
I flirt
I let go
I long for
I cringe
I condescend
I entice
I despair
I blame
I relax
I suffer
I tease
I put down
I bide my time
I envy
I demand obedience I challenge
25 MINUTES TO WORK ON YOUR
SCRIPT FOR NC PLAYWRIGHTS
FESTIVAL
11:15AM – 11:40AM
**MUST BE PREPARED TO SHARE A
ROUGH DRAFT ON MONDAY**
Warm Up – Day 3
1. Choose one of the
following characters:
Dracula
Spiderman
Sherlock Holmes
Hamlet
Macbeth
Jane Eyre
Mary Poppins
Hermione Granger
Juliet
Lady MacBeth
2. Answer the following
question about them:
– What do you think the
character wants/wanted to
achieve from his or her life,
based on all the facts you
know about him or her? Why?
– How do they go about getting
what they want? What’s their
action?
Subconscious vs. Conscious
Conscious
I want to be
successful…
Subconscious
I want to be
superior…
Super Objective
• The Super Objective is
the main theme of the
play.
• The sum of all the
objectives of the
characters
• What the play is really
about
• For the character, the
super objective is what
they want over the
course of the play.
The Germ
• The character’s
germ is their
essence, one word
that sums them up.
• Using the character
you chose in the
warm up, decide upon
the character’s germ
– What do they think
of themselves?
Germs:
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
capable
devious
cheeky
a loser
confused
a reject
a victim
selfish
conscientious
a hero
damaged
weak
a genius
irritating
inferior
lucky
unloved
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
am
lonely
brave
lazy
special
a witch
innocent
a winner
superior
trapped
desirable
frightened
viscious
cocky
lost
a joker
misunderstood
strong
Putting it Together
*Think of a character you’ve played before,
either in class or in a play.
•
•
•
•
What
What
What
What
was
was
was
was
their
their
their
their
objective (conscious)?
super objective (subconscious)?
action?
character germ?
*Really think about what you’ve answered. I will
randomly pick a group of people to come up and do
an improv scene using the character you’ve picked.
Warm Up -- Day 4
• Write down the following:
1.What is the conflict?
2.What are the character objective’s?
3.What are some actions they use to achieve
those objectives?
4.How does the sound support the
performance?
I Scream for Ice Cream
10 Minute Plays – we will perform them at the end of
March
1. Sit in a circle with your group and read through the play
• Write down one sentence that, for you, captures the plot of the play, and
compare with the rest of your group.
• As a group, come up with one sentence that, for all of you, best sums up
the plot of the play.
2. As your character,
• Write down your super objective (the overall want of your character)
and germ (what your character thinks of themselves). Think about what
you want to achieve in the future and the essence of your character.
• Answer the 6 W’s: Who am I? When am I? Why am I here? Where am I?
What do I want? What will I do to achieve my want?
• Write down all the characters that you have relationships with in the
play. What do you (as your character) think of them?
3. Discuss what you’ve come up with your group – see if you all agree on
your choices.
Play Presentations-- Wednesday
• Get with your NC Playwrights group and plan
how you will present your play to the class:
– You will present the protagonist, antagonist, and
conflict
– You will share the overall theme of the play
– You will share 2 pages of the script (in a stage
reading)
– Sell it! You will be graded on how you sell it.
– The script must be shared with Ms. K via google
docs.
Warm Up Day 5
• Set up the chairs in one large circle and sit
with group.
• Get your brains together for your
presentation.
• Sell your script.
• What is the story? What makes it
unique/interesting? A story that needs to be
told?
• Go over the 2 pages you’ve picked to share.
Area
A
B
Dramatic
Action
Intentions of characters
drive the play and demand
actions or responses to
obstacles
Plot
Rubric
C
D
F
A majority of the
actions of the play
result from
characters working
to achieve
intentions and
reacting to
obstacles
Some of the actions of
the play seem to be a
result of character
intentions and reaction
to obstacles.
Few of the Actions
of the play seem
connected to
character intentions
and/or obstacles.
The work does not
seem driven by
character needs
and desires.
Obstacles, if they
exist seem
contrived.
The sequence of events –
from crisis through climax
and resolution- effectively
tells the story and
continually increases
audience expectations.
The sequence of
events- from crisis
thru climax and
resolution – tells
the story and
generally increases
audience
expectations.
A sequence of eventsfrom crisis thru climax
and resolution – is
intact. The story lacks
cohesiveness.
The work lacks a
clear structure and
may be missing a
crisis, a climax,
and/or a resolution.
Events do not seem
sequential, lacking
a major crisis,
climax, and
resolution.
Character
Characters have unique
voice, POV and clear and
compelling intentions.
Major characters are
dynamic and change as a
result of confronting
obstacles
A majority of
characters have
distinctive voice,
POV, and clear
intentions. Major
characters change
as a result of
confronting
obstacles.
Some characters have
distinct voice and POV,
as well as intentions. At
least one character
changes as a result of
confronting obstacles.
Characters have
little individuality of
voice and intention.
Changes in
characters do not
seem to be as a
result of
confronting
obstacles.
Characters do not
have unique voices
and intentions.
They do not change
as a result of the
events in the play.
Style
Language and stage image
are used to powerful effect
to tell this story. The work is
inspired and original.
Language and stage
image are used
skillfully to tell this
story. The work is
original.
Language and stage
image are generally
effective in telling the
story. The work is
somewhat original.
Language and stage
image are
inconsistently
employed to tell a
story. The story is
contrived and
predictable.
Language does not
effectively tell a
story. The writer
exhibits little
understanding of
stage image. The
work is uninspired
Warm Up 2/23
Answer the following questions:
1. What is the objective for your character in your 10 minute play?
2. What is your relationship to the other characters in the play? Be specific.
Write down the following information:
Rosencranz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard
First Performed 1966.
(in your own words summarize the following)
An absurdist play - Their work expressed what happens when human existence
has no meaning or purpose and therefore all communication breaks down, in
fact alerting their audiences to pursue the opposite.
The action of Stoppard's play takes place mainly "in the wings" of
Shakespeare's, with brief appearances of major characters from Hamlet
who enact fragments of the original's scenes. Between these episodes the
two protagonists voice their confusion at the progress of events of which—
occurring onstage without them in Hamlet—they have no direct knowledge.
Read Through the Following
Scene – Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern
Watch the video – What are
Benedict’s Actions through
out? List them.
Subtext – Inner monologue
• Subtext refers to the
meaning lying
underneath the text/
dialogue.
• The subtext is not
spoken, but is
interpreted by the actor
through, gesture,
posture, pauses or
choices in the action.
• There is a clear
relationship between
Subtexts & dialogue and
between subtext and
objective…
Subtext Cont’
• “Jane accidentally runs into Tom, whom she
finds extremely annoying. Social necessities
oblige her to be pleasant to him, while
underneath she wants to get as far away from
him as possible.”
• What’s the subtext?
• What’s the objective?
…Answer
• Subtext: a polite and pleasant exchange that is
conflicted by her feelings underneath.
• Objective: to get away from Tom.
Magic If…
• In Realism where the aim of the
actor is to create the appearance
of reality or ‘truth’ on stage.
• Your character is in a specific
situation. The Magic If answers
the following question: "What
would I do if I were in the same
situation?“
• The "If" is very important. This
about your real life experiences,
in combination with your
imagination.
• The situation is not real, and the
system doesn't assume you have
ever been in that situation. But
knowing yourself, what would
you do? How would you act?
• Take the imaginary situation and
make real life decisions as to how
you would behave.
• It's crucial to determine the "do"
in the question. What action
would you take?
The Physical Apparatus
• Stanislavski believed that an
actor’s body and voice is the
physical apparatus that is needed
in order for the actor to fully
express every nuance and subtle
shade of character.
• He saw the body and voice as
‘instruments’ that could be
trained and could help the actor
give shape to a character.
• The body needs to be trained,
improve posture and make
movements supple and graceful,
with purpose and truth.
Breaking Down Your Script
A. Divide Up Your Play
into Units
A new bit can start when:
• A character enters or
exits
• There is an event on stage
• There is a change of
objective for one or more
of the characters
B. Name Each Unit
• Give each a name and
number
Ex: Unit 3 – Fight
• Mark Each in Your Script
C. Go thru Each Unit and
decide on an objective and
action for it
Unit
Name and
#
1.
Main
event in
Unit
Your
Character’
s
Objective
Your
Character’
s Action
Inner
Monologu
e
I want
to….
I…..
I…..
D. Pick a Unit/Two of your
Script
You are going to improv it with your
group.
Remember your relationships,
objectives, and actions are the most
important things.
Answer the following Questions
1. How did playing the objective,
action, and relationship, help
you become the character
onstage?
2. What do you think of
Stanislavski’s System?
3. Do you think it could work for
you?