Stanislavski and the Midland Actors Theatre

David Allen, MAT's Artistic Director, is the author of numerous books and articles on acting, including:

Stanislavski for Beginners

Performing Chekhov

He's currently working on a new book, Acting for Beginners.

Stanislavski for Beginners has become a key text for use in schools, colleges, drama schools and universities. MAT offers a workshop on Stanislavski, led by David Allen, and aimed at GCSE and 'A' Level drama students. Based on Stanislavki for Beginners, it provides a clear and practical introduction to Stanislavski's techniques. For further information, call us now on: 0121 608 7144 or 07946 006511

Here are some extracts from 'Stanislavski for Beginners'. Text by David Allen; art work by Jeff Fallow. Copyright 1999.

The "System" Triumphant

In May 1929 Stanislavski left Russia for a rest cure, travelling to Badenweiler in the Black Forest, and then to Nice. He did not return to Moscow until the autumn of 1930. He had contemplated writing a book about his acting methods for some years; now he began assembling his notes. The book that slowly (very slowly) emerged was called The Actor's Work on the Self. It is in two parts:

Part One: The Actor's Work on the Self in the Creative Process of "Living Through" (perezhivanie)
(The title is a bit of a mouthful and the book first appeared in America and the U.K. as "An Actor Prepares").

Part Two: The Actor's Work on the Self in the Creative Process of Physical Embodiment (First published as "Building a Character")

The first part concentrates on the actor's inner or psycho-technique, and is designed to help the actor to live the role.

The second part concentrates on physical work - movement, voice etc. - and is intended to help the actor to express the inner life of the role in an "artistic, scenic form."

The two parts should be read together.
In fact, the plan was to publish them as one volume. The decision was made to split them into two separate books because of length.

The books appeared with a 14-year gap between them in the States - and a 17-year gap in the Soviet Union. This has had very unfortunate consequences. The first volume, inevitably, made more impact. There has even been an assumption that it is the "system". But it is only part of it. The second volume, focusing on physical work, has received comparatively little attention. Partly as a result some people have even assumed, quite erroneously, that the "system" is only concerned with the actor's internal technique, to the neglect of physical work.

The ideas are presented in the form of a fictional "diary" written by a young student, Kostya, who is studying acting with the director, Tortsov. Stanislavski chose this format because he did not want to use a "dry, scientific language"; instead, he wanted the book to be accessible to actors, and to work through concrete anecdotes and practical examples.

Both Kostya and Tortsov are loosely based on Stanislavski himself. Kostya represents Stanislavski in his youth - naïve and keen to learn. Tortsov represents the mature Stanislavski - the experienced director, teacher, and actor.

THE ACTOR'S WORK ON THE SELF (Part One)

The book opens with an actor finding "inspiration" on stage quite by chance. Kostya is preparing a scene from "Othello". On the day of the performance, he only feels empty inside; the "excessive effort to squeeze out the emotion" and "the powerlessness to achieve the impossible" produces tension in his whole body, paralysing his movements. But then the line, "O blood, blood, blood!" seems to burst from him, like "the frantic cry of a man in pain". It is a moment of real inspiration. He is acting "subconsciously, intuitively".

At the end of the first book, Kostya again experiences "inspiration" on the stage - but this time not by accident. Instead, he applies different elements of the actor's psycho-technique he has studied under Tortsov. He creates the conditions for "inspiration" to appear.

Action

The first lesson Tortsov's students learn is that everything that happens on the stage must happen for a purpose. One of them is asked to imagine she has lost a very valuable brooch, and must search for it. At first, she rushes around the stage, clutching her head or beating her breast in despair. But she actually forgets all about looking for the brooch itself... Tortsov asks her to repeat the exercise - this time, concentrating on her purpose: to find the brooch. Her search now is painstaking and slower; she is completely absorbed in her task; and the sincerity of her feelings is evident. Tortsov concludes: "Do not run for the sake of running, or suffer for the sake of suffering. On stage, you must not act in a 'generalised' way, for the sake of action; you must act with a purpose".


All too often, actors aim for results and try to show jealousy or despair and so on. The actor should remember that feelings are the result of something that has gone before. Rather that thinking about the feeling directly, the actor should concentrate on the steps that lead to it.

The Russian actor and director, Iosif Rapoport (who appeared in Vakhtangov's Princess Turandot), offered the following example. You cannot act "sorrow", but you might, say, be acting a scene in which someone you are close to is seriously ill. "You want to help him, ease his suffering, but you are unable to do so. Here is your task, fulfil it, fight for the person's health, do this in all sincerity - and you will evoke the authentic stage feeling which corresponds to the feeling we call sorrow".

In other words, the actor should concentrate on the action - on trying to achieve an objective. The action, in fact, will create the feeling.




Objectives
In every unit, Stanislavski argues, "there is a creative objective" - a purpose, a goal. Kostya, for example, has a clear and simple objective: to go home.

Therefore, you need to define your character's objective in each unit.

As we have seen, an objective should be believable, and should make you want to carry it out. It should be defined using the phrase: I want to... (e.g. "I want to go home"). This suggests immediately the need, the desire for action.

The wording needs to be carefully thought out. I want power, for example, is too general. You must have something more concrete to do. You might say: "I want to do so and so, to obtain power".

Stanislavski distinguishes between a simple, ordinary task - such as entering a room and greeting someone... and greeting them in such a way as to show them your love, respect, or thanks. This action contains a psychological element.

If you are entering a room, in order to shakes hands with an enemy of yesterday - that is an even more complex task, and you would have to think carefully and overcome many emotions before you could do it. "This", Stanislavski concludes, "is what might be termed a psychological objective".

Every physical action, in fact, contains a psychological element - and visa versa: every psychological action has a physical component. The two things cannot be separated.

Tortsov advises his young actors to limit themselves at first to simple, physical objectives, rather than trying to play complex psychological objectives at once. Physical objectives, in fact, are "more available and easier to accomplish. Working through them, you reduce the risk of falling into artificiality".

He uses the example of Salieri in Pushkin's play, "Mozart and Salieri". The psychology of the character, as he plans Mozart's murder, is very complex. It is difficult for him to decide to take a glass, pour wine into it, add the poison, and give the glass to his friend... "These are all physical actions, and yet they contain so much psychology! Or, rather: these are complex psychological actions, and yet, they contain so much that is physical!"