STANISLAVSKY - UNPLUGGED

Konstantin Stanislavski

1863 - 1938

Imagination 

Truth

                              Realism/Naturalism

                              Magic if

                              Given circumstances

                              Circles of attention

                              Tempo- rhythm

                              Emotion memory

                              Through line of action

                              Units and objectives

                              The superobjective

                              Subtext

                              Method of Physical Action

INTRODUCTION

MELODRAMA

Stanislavski’s ideas were a reaction to the theatre of his time, i.e. melodrama, where the personality of the actor was more important than the character being portrayed. The performers relied upon fixed movements, gestures and facial expressions to demonstrate their roles.

“The actors playing was considered good when none of them spoke in his natural voice, but in a totally artificial tone, when the words were delivered in a loud voice and when each of them was accompanied by a gesture.  The words ‘love’, ‘passion’ and ‘treachery’ were shouted as loudly as possible but the facial expression did not add to the effect since it remained invariably tense and unnatural.” Schepkin (on Russian Melodrama)

DEMONSTRATION

Explore melodramatic gestures for “The Lover”, The Villian”, “The Genius” and “The Hero” and “The Damsel in Distress.”

Bring all these elements of voice and action into the choral speaking of the line:

“Even though you and I have only just met, already I am filled with great love for you”

- the facilitator leads, breaking the line up into sections and demonstrating large gestures (such as holding the heart and shouting out on the word “love”) as a call and response  with the rest of the group.

“An actor played a certain role excellently.  A second actor saw the performance and did not understand the genuine process of its creation but remembered the form of it.  A third takes the form as an example.  A fourth takes the form to be a theatrical tradition and copies it as law.  These chains prevent us from being guided by the most important director of theatre – life.”

 Stanislavski

Even though we have come to accept realistic acting as the norm Stanislavski’s ideas were revolutionary at the time.  He did not discover his system one day and stick with it for the rest of his career but he developed his ideas through constant exploration and experimentation with his actors over a period of approximately thirty years.

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NATURALISM and REALISM

There are subtle differences between the two artistic movements that followed melodrama.  Naturalism began as a literary movement and was concerned with real people doing real things.  No one spoke in verse and plots were not built around kings, queens or fairies, as in Shakespeare.  Naturalism looked at characters and the new social structures of the time that hadn’t been examined before. 

BACKGROUND In 1867 French novelist Emile Zola wrote Thérèse Raquin, which was later adapted for the stage.  He believed that an author must simply establish his characters in their particular environment and then observe and record their actions as if conducting an experiment. Plot: The sensual Therese and her lover Laurent murder her weak husband Camille. After marrying they are haunted by Camille's ghost and their passion for each other turns to hatred. They eventually kill themselves. Zola's shocking tale dispassionately dissects the motivations of his characters as mere "human beasts” who kill in order to satisfy their lust.  It is a key manifesto of the French Naturalist movement, of which Zola was the founding father.

Naturalism was a necessary reaction to the melodrama prevalent at the time in theatres but taken to its extreme it can result in un-engaging performances.

 

EXERCISE

§  Directed by the facilitator someone mimes making a cup of tea in the manner and detail that they last made one

§  The rest of the group observe and try to work out what they are doing.

§  The mime will be naturalistic, full of detail and take a long time.

§  A second participant repeats the task but the facilitator directs them to only show the essential elements or moments that communicate the task.

§  Discuss the difference between the two mimes.

SUMMARY

Although moments of the mime engage the audience’s interest a naturalistic performance is unnecessarily detailed.  For naturalism dialogue, actions and the environment were slavishly reproduced.

For example, a naturalistic performance set in a kitchen would include a working fridge complete with electricity supply and real food inside, the kettle would be filled from taps that really do release hot and cold water.

A certain degree of naturalism can be engaging  – the BBC situation comedy The Royle Family uses the length of time to boil a kettle or make a bacon sandwich as part of the dramatic action.

Realism only retains those elements of naturalism necessary to carry the action onwards, a familiar parallel are the football highlights in Match of the Day or the edited highlights of Big Brother.

“Acting is elimination rather than embellishment, but you must go through the journey … find and trust the writer.”

Michael Cronin

BACKGROUND

Realist literature is defined particularly as the fiction produced in Europe and the United States from about 1840 to 1890. This form of realism began in France in the novels of Gustave Flaubert and the short stories of Guy de Maupassant. In Russia, realism was represented in the plays and short stories of Anton Chekhov.

The novelist George Eliot introduced realism into English fiction; as she declared in Adam Bede (1859), her purpose was to give a “faithful representation of commonplace things.”

 Mark Twain and William Dean Howells were the pioneers of realism in the United States. One of the greatest realists of all, the Anglo-American novelist Henry James, drew much inspiration from his mentors, Eliot and Howells. James's concern with character motivation and behavior led to the development of a subgenre, the psychological novel.

"A literary and theatrical practice valuing direct imitation or verisimilitude. Often associated with Naturalism, modern realism is something described as the inheritor of naturalism. In practice, realism is usually more concerned with psychological motives, the "inner reality," and less committed to achieving a superficial verisimilitude alone."

Bakhtin - Modern Drama

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RELAXATION

It was important for Stanislavski that his actors were relaxed in order to be able to access their imagination and creativity.  Unwanted tension had to be eliminated in order to attain a state of physical and vocal relaxation.

“Muscular tautness interferes with inner emotional experience.  Muscles must be relaxed in order not to impede your actions”  Stanislavski

Once he asked his actors to lift a grand piano and do mental arithmetic at the same time.  They found this very difficult – which demonstrates that physical tension interferes with the process of the mind.

Stanislavski suggested that actors practised the breathing and poses of Hatha yoga to build habits of relaxation.  He also taught progressive relaxation, which is the contracting and releasing each muscle of the body in turn in order to teach the body (including the voice) the difference between the two.

EXERCISE

- some gentle stretches, including neck rolls

- physical exercises that explore tension and relaxation by going from one state to another (i.e. the body slowly freezes up, section by section, limb by limb, and then thaws in reverse order OR the body locks up and then loosens up as if being slowly oiled.)

- standard yoga moves, including a simple sun salutation, to which visual images can be associated in order to connect  physical control with the imagination.

Stanislavski also encouraged his actors to continue the traditional physical training of actors, i.e. dance and fencing, and this re-enforced their ability to have bodies that were ready to respond and act at any time.

This physical state of awareness is important to many contemporary practitioners, from Complicite to Shared Experience.

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IMAGINATION

Stanislavski’s books document the rehearsal process of a fictional theatre company and inspired by his own experiments in rehearsal.  In these books the fictional director often gives his actors exercises to do which use their imagination to unlock truthful emotional qualities.

“Every moment you make on the stage, every word you speak, is the result of the right life of your imagination.” 

Stanislavski, An Actor Prepares

 

EXERCISE

- Sit relaxed, in silence and with your eyes closed.  Picture something (an object or thing) that you dislike – focusing on something concrete like an animal or a food, rather than an abstract concept e.g. ‘I don’t like the dark.’ or ‘I don’t like being poor.’  The facilitator may give an example here

- Home in on the details of the ‘thing’, focussing on its shape, size, texture, smell –  think in specific details.

- Three participants are chosen to describe their objects whilst everyone keeps their eyes closed.

- Everyone opens their eyes and each one of the three, in turn, describes what they saw, describing it as if it is in the centre of the circle (without revealing to the rest of the group what it was.) 

The object of the exercise is not to be the first to guess correctly but to build up an image from particular descriptive information. 

- Once the “thing” has been described other participants can offer their interpretation of the description.  This should include details of their understanding, such as what they thought it was at the beginning and what they thought it was at the end and which detail was the most important.

SUMMARY

This exercise highlights the use of the imagination. 

Firstly the actor has the task to build up a detailed description without simply stating what it is.  Secondly the audience use their imagination in order to complete their own picture from the details given by the actor.  Each actor and each member of the audience will inevitably offer variations on a theme.

This is essentially how a piece of realistic theatre works.  When a character enters he does not say to the audience ‘I am an evil man’ but his actions, lines and behaviour may gradually build up to convey that overall picture.  Each member of the audience is able to form their own impression of the character, they are to free to interpret what they see on stage rather than being forced into accepting a stock character.

“Establish truly and precisely details that are typical and the audience will have a sense of the whole, because of their special ability to imagine and complete in imagination what you have suggested.”

Stanislavski in Benedetti, 1989: 12

This approach also offers possibilities for the actor and the director as they can interpret details of a script and apply their imagination to every individual performance.  This will result in an ever-shifting interpretation of the same character every time the play is staged.

“During every moment we are on the stage, during every moment of the development of the action of the play, we must be aware either of the external circumstances which surround us (the whole material setting of the production) or of an inner chain of circumstances which we ourselves have imagined in order to illustrate our parts”

Stanislavski – An Actor Prepares

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MAGIC IF / WHAT IF?

Stanislavski said that there is one question we can ask ourselves which will open up infinite possibilities for the imagination: “What if…” . 

He wrote about asking actors in rehearsal to do a scene with the question “What if there was a murderer behind the door.”    The “If” is the most direct and natural means of arousing true feelings

“…It is necessary for the actor to develop to the highest degree his imagination, a childlike naivete and trustfulness, an artistic sensitivity to truth and to the truthful in his soul and body.” Stanislavski

 

 

EXERCISE

- Half the group or a few participants are asked to walk around the room as if they are on their way to college.

 - Lead by the facilitator the group are asked to respond to a series of  ‘What if”s that alter the circumstances. 

For example,  “What if a car suddenly pulled out in front of you.” 

The participants have to physically react immediately rather than trying to explain in words.  

- The audience are encouraged to propose their own “What if’s…”  that become more unusual, are set in the present tense and that will provoke an emotional response.  Each new “if” is given time to be established and explored

Ie. “What if ….. it is your first day school….  …. you find a ten pound note on the floor ……..you hear footsteps behind you … … it is your last day at school …. You are about to get your exam results … the sun suddenly comes out ….. you hear your favourite tune in the distance …. your remember that it is PE today …. you can feel a barrel of gun between your shoulder blades … you can’t hear, you have suddenly lost your sense of hearing .. you smell burning… you have something stolen in your pocket… … you see an ex-lover… the street is filled by a mudslide …. ”

- Audience and participants can be swapped.

- Finally the audience are asked to come up with a few ideas that are completely extraordinary (such as “…your legs are made of jelly”, “… your head has fallen off.”, “ you are wading your way through custard”, “you are naked..”

 

SUMMARY

The ‘magic if’ asks that the actor and audience commit to the truth of the stage in that moment, and engage the imagination to create a complete picture.

This is not about being childish, but childlike.  Watch children play and they really believe in the truth of the game (e.g. getting shot.)  Stanislavski said his actors needed this level of engagement with the imagination to be successful and that :

“’ “if” acts as a lever to lift us out of the world of actuality into the realm of imagination”  Stanislavski

 

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GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES

There is an essential problem with the “Magic If..”   If we are trying to create conditions where we can act truthfully and believe in the truth of the action on stage having “What if your legs were like jelly…” is funny, but unlikely to be useful.

So in rehearsal we create given circumstances to work with or find them in the  play itself through close study of the text.

 

EXERCISE - PART ONE

- Three identical chairs are placed side by side in a row and a volunteer sits on one of the chairs. 

- The group are asked to describe the truth (or actuality) of the situation or scene that they are looking at.

“In ordinary life truth is what really exists, what a person really knows.  Whereas on the stage it consists of something that is not actually in existence but which could happen.”  Stanislavski

- The actor also needs to be cast realistically  - so what is their realistic age range?  They can only play their own gender etc…

- What is truth of the stage?  Where could you find chairs placed in similar arrangements?  Suggestions may be an airport lounge, a doctor’s surgery or job interview etc…

- A setting is chosen that has potential for a dramatic atmosphere.  

- What are the other minimal given circumstances? – i.e. time of day, weather outside, date etc..

- The audience watch the actor onstage.  The scene runs but the volunteer is told not to act and imagine that there is a “fourth wall.”

- Both actor and audience use their imaginations to conjure the truth (or story) of the stage in that moment i.e. the actor is someone, a character, waiting in a given place, such as a doctors surgery or waiting for a job interview.

Discuss their performance: Is this a truthful performance?    What are they feeling?    What type of person are they?   How do we know?

It is important to draw out as much detail as possible and that the audiences’ perception of what they see is interrogated.  For example what body shapes / relationships are made, and therefore what is the meaning of the body language.

EXERCISE - PART TWO

-A second volunteer and then a third join the first person on the chairs. 

-The audience pays close attention to shifts in body language.

Discuss what has happened. What are the characters’ stories?  What are they feeling?  (Rather than the plot)

The internal story that they are trying to keep hidden leaks out in small and unconscious ways.

 

SUMMARY

In the previous “What if ?” exercise we allowed our imaginations to run riot.  If we are to create realistic theatre, we must be aware of the need to set guidelines to help the actor/director shape the performance.  The Given Circumstances provide a structure within which to work creatively and truthfully.

“Properly envisaged ‘given circumstances’ will help you to feel and to create a scenic truth in which you can believe while you are on the stage.”  Stanislavski

The key is not to act, however much you feel like you are not doing anything, because your body is actually betraying many internal stories.  The body language is there but in realism there is also a subconscious level that is very revealing.  The tempo-rhythm of the actors fidgets / movements / tension / breathing / eyelines tell us what the character is feeling internally. Tempo being the basic speed and rhythm being the intensity of the movement

Because the scene in a doctors waiting room or waiting for a job interview is slow and quiet a tempo-rhythm can emerge which will reveal the characters’ hidden feelings.

“Tempo-rhythm carries with itself not only external qualities which directly affect our natures but also our inner content which nourishes our feeling.  In this guise tempo – rhythm remains in our memories and may be used for creative purposes.”  Stanislavski

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CIRCLES OF ATTENTION

An actor must be able to focus their attention on stage and constantly re-focus their concentration depending upon where the stage action lies, whether that be with the person sitting next to you or the cherry orchard in the background.

In addition an actor who is working with such complex tools as truth and imagination also needs a safe place to root their performance.  Stanislavski called this

“Solitude in public; using different circles of attention on stage to focus the attention on the stage: re-focus up on an object if attention is lost and create circles emanating around that object”

Stanislavski, An Actor Prepares.

EXERCISE - Bus Stop Story

- Half, or some, of the group stand as if waiting at a bus stop.  This is not about showing but feeling – this is not about acting, it is about training the actors muscles.

- The other half of the group are watching – and they should pick out one person to watch (but not indicate who they are watching.)

Narration is given by the facilitator for the “on-stage” group to react to internally, each instruction is given time to sink in: E.G…

- You feel as if you are there completely on your own

- You are chewing gum – what flavour is it?

- You have a bag on your shoulder – how heavy is it?

Individual actors are asked: What was your smallest circle of attention?  What was your largest?  What was in between?

Ask the whole group – what was the difference in the concentration levels between the smaller circles and larger circles.  What did you do about it?

Compare to Tim Henman serving for the Wimbledon final or Kelly Holmes at the Olympics.  Their focus needs to be on themselves and on the opposition, on the ball or on the finishing line etc. 

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CIRCLES OF ATTENTION / FOCUS

 

EXERCISE 2

The given circumstances of the situation are that ‘A’ is standing at a bus stop and that a bus stop must be by the side of a road.  ‘A’ is told to wait and the audience observes, eventually ‘A’ is told that his/her bus could be approaching…but it turns out that it’s not.

‘B’ joins ‘A’ at the bus stop (and perhaps a third person is introduced and given the same instructions as ‘B’).  ‘B’ is secretly given the direction to stand as neutrally as possible and to focus solely on ‘A’.

 

SUMMARY

1      During the exercise, A’s attention shifts from his/her immediate area to the imaginary space where the audience/actor envisages the approach of a bus.  The focus widens thus describing a large circle of attention.  The second person has a small circle of attention firmly fixed on ‘A’.

This exercise highlights the actor’s need to be fully focussed in spite of any possible distractions.  It also emphasises the ability of the actor to speak and move at the same time – something we do naturally in life, but which can become challenging when it has to be done again and again in the performance space.

OBJECTIVES

What is an objective and what is a super-objective?

OBJECTIVE: the task of a scene or a character

SUPER-OBJECTIVE: a task that spans a whole play.

eg., Romeo & Juliet, the super-objective is “the resolution of an ancient grudge” and each character tries to resolve this conflict through different ways – marriage, power, law, fighting, negotiation etc.

“The future in a part is it’s super objective.  Let the character keep moving towards it.”  Stanislavski

EXERCISE

A)        Everyone walks around the space.  As you move around the space focus on a specific point in the room (a hook on the wall, a knot of wood in the floor etc…) and move directly towards it.  When you reach it turn, focus on another point and head for that.

B)        Keeping this objective going another objective is added, that is to become aware of one other person and to know where they are in the room (do  not obviously turn and stare at the person you have chosen).  After a few moments another objective is added to become aware of a second person in the space.  You have two people to track while they and you continue to head towards their chosen objectives.

C)        In addition to being aware of the two people you now have to keep both people at an equal distance from themselves.  They will form a kind of triangle.

D)        Keep moving but this time the first person, A, is your worst enemy and you need to keep as far away from him/her as possible.   Moments later the second person, B, is a shield that needs to be the barrier between you and A.

E)        Forget about the enemy/shield people and simply move around the space heading for your objectives once again.  They must now come to a group stop without anyone leading or and without anyone getting left behind

F)        After a group stop, do a group start

OR

After a group stop, one person starts walking, and then another, and then another, until the whole group is walking.  There should be no prior agreement as to what order the group restarts.  If the group make a mistake they return to the group stop.

SUMMARY

What do the different stages of these exercises feel like?  How do they affect how the group moved and how individuals felt?

Actors do not perform in a vacuum, even if they are not directly interacting they must be aware of others at all times.  In each scene a character has a purpose, an objective to be achieved.   In achieving their objectives characters will invariably cross other characters who have their own objectives, and strategies to achieve those objectives. 

This conflict creates dramatic tension as we react truthfully to the behaviour of those around us (i.e. if character drops or changes his or her objective every time he/she encounters an obstacle or conflicting objective this would not be truthful or dramatic.)

And it is at these moments that the inner stories of the characters are revealed.

“Tempo-rhythm cannot be clearly recalled and felt unless there are inner changes present to correspond to it, unless certain circumstances are suggested to affect the emotion concerning objectives and actions to be achieved.”  Stanislavski

For example:  If something endangers us we react truthfully by trying to get away from them (the fight or flight instinct.)  The group speeded up when trying to get away from your enemy.  This external action was a truthful reaction to your internal impulse.

If the walking around was the dramatic structure of a play, what would the story be?  A love triangle, as between Romeo, Juliet and Paris?

There is a need for heightened awareness and focus.  No actor works in a bubble and must be aware of what’s happening on stage and react to that tension and atmosphere.  We all move around in our own tempo-rhythm in life but on stage we need to become aware of our characters’ tempo-rhythm as well.

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EXERCISE

NEUTRAL PLAY. Students work in pairs on the neutral play. Read through altogether explaining the neutrality of the text and ask for suggestions as to what the situation could be and who these characters could be. Our interpretations are informed by our reading of the subtext (the mental activity behind dialogue), which comes as a result of stimulating our imagination within the given circumstances, which you have just created.  

In pairs improvise the scene and decide upon a situation. Pair to answer the six W’s, which must be a coherent and logical sequence, which is part of the characters through line of action. An actor must always have a knowledge and justification for the characters imaginary situation to fill in what the writer has left out and the more precise their understanding of this situation, the more precise my response to it and my behaviour will be.

Once these Q’s have been answered the given circumstances have been formed, which will inform the characters inner monologue (which is the first part of Stanislavski’s division of subtext), which is what we are thinking during speaking or whilst listening to others. Every line is loaded with subtext but actually speak out the characters inner monologue during the pause – what are they thinking about here?

The situation will have been decided upon e.g. In a kitchen…both pairs describe the room they see in detail i.e. Where is the furniture? What’s outside the window? Between them they decide and fix a joint mental image of this room.

Watch a couple of the scenes and analyse drawing out what the scene was about and particularly how this was read through the subtext. Audience decide who these characters are and what their relationship is.

TEXT WORK

Using a short extract of text the students consolidate ideas presented in previous exercises and explore through lines of action, subtext and Method of Physical Action (MoPA.)

THE CHERRY ORCHARD: The original production of The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov was directed by Stanislavski in 1904.

BACKGROUND

The first Russian revolution was in 1905. This had been preceded by the emancipation of Russian serfdom which completely changed the social structure.

 He directed most of Chekhov’s premieres and their work is very closely

 connected.

The given circumstances of this play are: Russia, end of 19^th Century, set in a country house on an estate some distance from any major town.

The house is owned by Mrs Ranevskaya, the family has fallen on hard times and she has come back from Paris penniless.  She had been advised by a family friend, Lopakhin, a self-made man whose family had been serfs, that she needs to sell the cherry orchard if she wants to keep the house.  She refused to compromise her vision of herself as the head of an established artistocratic family with beautiful lands.  But now they are at a crisis point, the land and the house have been auctioned, and bought by Lopakhin.

Mrs Ranevskaya has an adopted unmarried daughter, Varya.  Mrs Ranevskaya has told Lopakhin that Varya is in love with him and all that he needs to do is propose.  Mrs Ranevskaya sends Varya to speak to Lopakhin.

What do you expect scene to be about?  Read the scene with the group.  Discuss

Do we get what we expect? (i.e. a proposal) Why not?  Does it ever get close? What do they talk about instead?  Explore what subtext might be? Do they know what it is?  Eg.  Do you want to come in for a coffee? – what could this mean….

What do they really want to talk about?  Would Chekhov want to write about luggage?  What is it that they want to say? 

METHOD OF PHYSICAL ACTION

Students work in pairs with a director (not a dictator)

The following questions are added as the facilitators circulate around the groups, and for notes during the showing of the scenes.

MAGIC IF?

Do they love each other?  Does she know he is going to propose?

THROUGHLINE

Does she want to marry him, does he want to marry her?  What do they think of each other?  How do the thoughts connect?  Make sure your choices are logical and consistent – i.e. a truthful subtext that follows through.

EMOTIONAL MEMORY

What is it like to propose to someone?  Or be proposed to?  If you don’t know do you have a similar emotional experience that you can draw on – i.e. asking someone else.

TEMPO-RHYTHM

How does the tempo-rhythm change when Varya comes in, Lopakhin is already on stage.  Experiment with Varya’s attitude to looking through the luggage – how does this change her tempo-rthythm.

There is actually a pause after the last line in the scene – what does this do to the tempo-rhythm.  What is its significance to the meaning of the scene.

SUMMARY

Did we believe the scene?  Would they get together?  How do we read the relationship?  What were their objectives and were they clear?  What other elements of the system are evident.

“Always…when you are on the stage, you must play yourself.  But it will be in an infinite variety of objectives, and given circumstances which you have prepared for your part, and which have been smelted in the furnace of your emotion memory.”  Stanislavski

A comparison can be made between the Hugh Grant school of acting, who relies on his screen charisma but invariably gives the same performances.  There is no creative truth.  And the many different characters and performances by Renee Zwellger in Cold Mountain, Chicago, Bridget Jones and Jerry McGuire.

Therefore as an actor you do use some of yourself but you also have to sacrifice your sense of self to create an honest and truthful interpretation of the part, which is all the audience can ask of you.