STANISLAVSKI

The last class we had was very stimulating.

The class before, Libby divided us in two team and told us to make a research about Stanislavski. Then, in this past class, we elaborated our information about him, all together. It was very nice.

What did we learn about Stanislavski?

Stanislavski (17 January 1863 – 7 August 1938) was a Russian actor and theatre director who laid the foundations of modern opera and gave instant renown to the works of such talented writers and playwrights as Anton Chekhov. He works principally in Moscow, in a very important historical period. During his life he assisted in fundamental events such as the 1^st World War (1914 – 1918), the Russian Revolution in 1917, Lenin’s government, the Birth of Communism. He could also be influenced by important “thinkers” like Karl Marx, Engels and S. Freud. During his life he also saw different movements that succeed in Europe: Impressionism, Surrealism, and Symbolism. At his time there were a lot of transformations, the arriving of new social structure.

He was associated with the Moscow Theatre he collaborated different times with the playwright Anton Chekhov and sometimes with Tolstoy and ?Nemiroucch Danchauko?.

Some plays directed by him are The Seagull, The Cherry Orchard, Three Sisters, The Fruit of Enlightenment and Uncle Vanya.

For example, The Seagull was first directed by Chekhov, but when Stanislavski directed it at the Moscow Art Theatre the play was a very triumph, the greatest event in the history of Russia theatre and one of the greatest new developments in the history of world drama. Also The Cherry Orchard was first directed by Chekhov as a comedy and then by Stanislavski as a tragedy. The Fruit of Enlightenment was first directed by Tolstoy and then by Stanislavski.

Stanislavski organized his realistic techniques into a coherent and usable 'system.'

Method acting is a phrase that loosely refers to a family of techniques by which actors try to create in themselves the thoughts and emotions of their characters in an effort to develop lifelike performances. It can be contrasted with more classical forms of acting, in which actors simulate thoughts and emotions through external means, such as vocal intonation or facial expression. Though not all Method actors use the same approach, the "method" in Method acting usually refers to the practice by which actors draw upon their own emotions and memories in their portrayals, aided by a set of exercises and practices including sense memory and affective memory.

Method actors are often characterized as immersing themselves in their characters to the extent that they continue to portray them even offstage or off-camera for the duration of a project. However, this is a popular misconception. While some actors have employed this approach, it is generally not taught as part of the Method. Some exercise/techniques he used were emotional memory, physical acting, internal monologue (sub-text) and “the magic if”.

His contemporary approach to acting that is his legacy is naturalism.

In this last classes we also talked about the stagecraft (in particular our little theatre stagecraft).

Stagecraft is a generic term referring to the technical aspects of theatrical, film, and video production. It includes, but is not limited to, constructing and rigging scenery, hanging and focusing of lighting, design and procurement of costumes, makeup, procurement of props, stage management, and recording and mixing of sound.

In its most basic form, stagecraft is managed by a single person (often the stage manager of a smaller production) who arranges all scenery, costumes, lighting, and sound, and organizes the cast. At a more professional level, for example modern Broadway houses, stagecraft is managed by hundreds of skilled carpenters, painters, electricians and stagehands.


Max Bell Theatre