The Affect of Stanislavsky on the Theatre
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Constantin Stanislavsky is considered as the father of modern acting theory. The deepest revolution in the theatrical expression methods and the most durable interpretation school (being in force even today in most of the countries) were due to this eminent Russian actor and founder of the most notable theatrical company in the modern world: The Moscow Art Theatre.
We can find his method in three books which are considered the “Bible” of occidental 20th century theatre. Stanislavskys books -An Actor Prepares (1936), Building a Character (1950), and Creating a Role (1961)- represent the most important texts for study in every theatrical school in the world. That is why his personality and his contribution to the theatre art are decisive in the Twentieth century.
Stanislavskis aim was that characters were performed as truthfully as possible. It was preferable to trust on dedication to objectives and physical actions, instead of in artificial reproduction of emotion.
His system was a systematic approach for training actors. He created some exercises in order to help actors improve their acting techniques. This exercises included tasks such as creativity, voice concentration, personalization, observation, physical skills, harmony and emotion memory.
Stanislavski tried to teach the actors to “live the part” during performance with a system that focused on the development of artistic truth onstage. His system was supposed to be applied in all forms of theatre, such as vaudeville, melodrama or opera. So as to create an ensemble of actors all working together as an artistic unit, he organized some young actors in a series of studios in which they were trained in this system.
In the past, actors trained trying to imitate the eldest and most prestigious actors. But the Stanislavskys method basis was the interrelation between audience and actors which nowadays with the development of the technology is becoming more and more popular. We, as audience, hope that the actor convince us. We are interested in believing in the actor as a character. That is why the development of internal emotions in an actor is fundamental in the application of the method.
He was opposed to what he believed were the risks of conventional acting: conventional gestures, playing to the audience Instead of this, his proposal was that actors immerse themselves in the plays circumstances.
A background story (a “back-story) for his character should be done by the actor. This can include the history of the characters before the starting of the play or other elements of the main story, including a detailed portrait of the character. This can help the actor to imagine the circumstances of the play in detail.
Stanislavskys method experiments focused mainly on what was considered for him the most important attribute of an actors work: to bring actors own past emotions into play in a role.
The search of a system in order to help the actors to be plenty owners of their art made that Stanislavsky wanted to create a system whose influence has exceed the limits of the theatre, reaching even the cinema.
One of his biggest innovations was the creation of the actors Studio, where both the new actors and the professional ones could experiment, improvise and solve together the problems of their job.
In the United States his system was received warmly, and from their studios of theatre has arisen a modern tradition so-called by the theatrical American world as “the method”.
The famous “Actors Studio” of New York, has received lot of famous actors. That is why part of the success of some contemporary actors is due to Stanislavsky method: almost all of the English actors like Laurence Olivier or Anthony Hopkins but also American ones such as Orson Wells, Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman and many more. They not only used his method, they pointed it as very important step in their careers.
We also should mention Stanislavskys influence in Russia. During his life and his career, Russia went through many changes. The fortune of theatre was determinate by two major events in Russian history. The first was the 1905 failed revolution and the second one was the 1917 revolution.
The Moscow Art Theatre was developed by Stanislavsky in 1898. The creation of this particular theatre was important because it differed from many of the other theatres of the time. It was a completely professional theatre organization and it emphasized new plays in opposition to older works.
Stanislavsky though that new plays would bring the