Stanislavski

Outline of Stanislavski's System

Background

Magic "If"

Key techniques

He was born on the 17th January, 1863, in Moscow, Russia.

His parents were Sergei Alekseyev and Elizaveta Vassylievna Yakovleva

He died on the 7th August , 1938, in Moscow, Russia.

  1. Relaxation. Learning to relax the muscles and eliminate physical tension while performing.
  1. Concentration. Learning to think like an actor and to respond to one's own imagination.

The actor tried to answer the question, “If I were in Macbeth’s position, then what would I do?"

  1. Work with the senses. Discovering the sensory base of the work
  1. Contact and communication. Developing the ability to interact with other performers spontaneously.
  1. Learning to divide the role into units that can be worked on individually
  1. Logic and believability. Discovering how to be certain that the combined objectives are consistent

Stanislavski stated that truth on stage was different from truth in real life.

Quotes

"Our demands are simple, normal, and therefore they are difficult to satisfy. All we ask is that an actor on the stage live in accordance with natural laws."

Emotional memory

The fourth wall

feeling of truth

the magic "if"

muscular memory

circles of attention

intonation and pauses

restraint and control

naturalistic movement

three dimensional characters