This is the section of play we have chosen to work with in the lesson on Stanislavski -
The Seagull - Anton Chekhov
Penguin Classics Page 178
TREPLIOV. Nina ! Nina ! It's you .... you.... I seem to have had a presentiment, my heart's been aching terribly all day ... ( takes off her cape and hat.) Oh, my sweet, my precious girl, she's come at last! Don't let us cry, don't !
NINA. There's someone here.
TREPLIOV. There isn't anyone.
NINA. Please lock the doors, or someone will come in.
TREPLIOV. No one will come in.
NINA. I know Irena Nikolayevna is here. Lock the doors.
TREPLIOV. (locks the door on right, then crosses to the left.) There's no lock on this one. I'll put a chair against it. (puts armchair against the door) Don't be afraid, no one will come in.
NINA. (looks intently at his face). Let me look at you for a little while. (looking round.) How warm , how nice it is here!.... This used to be a drawing-room. Have I changed a lot?
TREPLIOV. Yes... You are thinner and your eyes have grown bigger. Nina, it's so strange to be seeing you! Why wouldn't you let me see you? Why haven't you come here before now? I know you've been in the town almost a week.. I've been to your place everyday, several times a day: I stood under your window like a beggar.
NINA. I was afraid that you might hate me. Every night I dream that you look at me and don't recognize me. If only you knew... beside the lake. I've been near this house many times, but I dared not come in. Let us sit down.
(They sit down.)
Dominique
Tuesday 8 May 2007
Stan's Physical Warm Up
This is a copy of the warm up that we used in our lesson on Stanislavski. If you require it again at a later date, here is a brief description.
Firstly we started working the head in all directions, opening and closing the jaw, moving onto shoulders and ribs. Warming up the top half the body, which is vital in the kind of work we were doing. Preparing us for the work ahead.
Next we found a space to lie down on the floor - using Stanislavski's stretching, and tension releasing exercises.
Lying on th efloor, working through the body, consistently tensing and releasing each set of muscles from the feet, the calves, the knees, the thighd, the buttocks, ( the whole leg), the stomach, the chest, then the whole torso.
The upper arms, the lower arms, the fists, (then the whole arm), the neck, the face, the whole scalp.
Next adopt a series of poses (sitting up straight, half sitting, standing, half standing, kneeling, crouching.
As you adopt each pose make a mental note of which muscles are involved in the task., and how few are actually needed to carry it out effectively.
Then relax any muscles unncessary employed.
Dominique
Firstly we started working the head in all directions, opening and closing the jaw, moving onto shoulders and ribs. Warming up the top half the body, which is vital in the kind of work we were doing. Preparing us for the work ahead.
Next we found a space to lie down on the floor - using Stanislavski's stretching, and tension releasing exercises.
Lying on th efloor, working through the body, consistently tensing and releasing each set of muscles from the feet, the calves, the knees, the thighd, the buttocks, ( the whole leg), the stomach, the chest, then the whole torso.
The upper arms, the lower arms, the fists, (then the whole arm), the neck, the face, the whole scalp.
Next adopt a series of poses (sitting up straight, half sitting, standing, half standing, kneeling, crouching.
As you adopt each pose make a mental note of which muscles are involved in the task., and how few are actually needed to carry it out effectively.
Then relax any muscles unncessary employed.
Dominique
Monday 7 May 2007
The Magic If
The 'magic if' is the basis of assuming the mentality of a character. An actor asks 'If I were there, what would I be thinking?' and then later 'If I were my character, what would I be thinking?' allowing the emulation of realism on stage. Stanislavski did not require actors to be the part, as is a popular misconception, but he did demand that they lived the part with the magic if.
The 'magic if' is the basis of assuming the mentality of a character. An actor asks 'If I were there, what would I be thinking?' and then later 'If I were my character, what would I be thinking?' allowing the emulation of realism on stage. Stanislavski did not require actors to be the part, as is a popular misconception, but he did demand that they lived the part with the magic if.
THE MAGIC IF
Magic If
What would I do if I were in this situation? This helps to put you in the character's shoes; it acts as a lever lifting us into the world where it is possible to create – the world of imagination. It does not ask you to believe something is real, you simply act as if you were in those circumstances.
" "As If" leads to action- both internal and external- and it does this without force, in a natural way."
What would you do if you were in Masha’s situation in Act4? If you were using this in an essay you would have to imagine you were playing the part and say how you would react and how you would use this in performance, BUT do not forget the Given Circumstances.
What would I do if I were in this situation? This helps to put you in the character's shoes; it acts as a lever lifting us into the world where it is possible to create – the world of imagination. It does not ask you to believe something is real, you simply act as if you were in those circumstances.
" "As If" leads to action- both internal and external- and it does this without force, in a natural way."
What would you do if you were in Masha’s situation in Act4? If you were using this in an essay you would have to imagine you were playing the part and say how you would react and how you would use this in performance, BUT do not forget the Given Circumstances.
MAGIC IF EXERCISES
1) You are getting ready to go out to an important business party.( what would you do (if) the lights suddenly went out?
2)You are on your way to the airport ,about to go on hoilday .(what would you do (if) someone from the office called and asked you to postpone your trip?
3)You are on a train going to a job interview .(what would you do (if) you realized that you were on the wrong train?
4)You are the bestman at a wedding and your at the church.(what would you do (if) you left the rings at home.
I think this exercise is excellent for an actors improvisation skills , as an actor you need to be on point and ready to perform in any given situation. Also as an actor doing exercises like this you need to create a quick storyboard in your head because as stanislavski said Do you know where you are going? who are you going to see? what for? What if you were a king, spy or a teacher.
2)You are on your way to the airport ,about to go on hoilday .(what would you do (if) someone from the office called and asked you to postpone your trip?
3)You are on a train going to a job interview .(what would you do (if) you realized that you were on the wrong train?
4)You are the bestman at a wedding and your at the church.(what would you do (if) you left the rings at home.
I think this exercise is excellent for an actors improvisation skills , as an actor you need to be on point and ready to perform in any given situation. Also as an actor doing exercises like this you need to create a quick storyboard in your head because as stanislavski said Do you know where you are going? who are you going to see? what for? What if you were a king, spy or a teacher.
Sunday 6 May 2007
Stanislavski's Magic If
THE MAGIC IF...Stanislavski did not think that an actor could honestly believe in the truth and reality of events on the stage, but he said that an actor can believe in the possibility of events.An actor must only try to answer the question,"What would i do if i were in King Lear's position?" This "magic if" as stanislavski called it,transforms the character's aim into the actor's.It is a strong stimulus to inner and physical actions.If carries the actor into the imaginary circumstantces.If is a supposition,and it does not imply or assert anything that exists.Through it an actor can create problems for himself,and his effort to solve them will lead him naturally to inner and external actions.If is a powerful stimulus to imagination,thought,and logical action.And,we have seen,a correctly executed logical action will stir the actor's inner mechanism of emotions.(A QUOTE TAKEN FROM THE BOOK " THE STANISLAVKISI SYSTEM". WRITTEN BY SONIA MOORE..)
03 May 2007 20:25
Nicola Brown
03 May 2007 20:25
Nicola Brown
The Magic If
Konstantin Sergeyevich Alexeyev later changed to Stanislavski, was born on January 5th 1863 in Moscow, Russia. The Alexeyev Circle was a theatre company formed by his family in 1877 which Stanislavki became an important part of.
Stanislavski believed that actors had portrayed characters from an external point of view. A sick person looks like this so that is how I will act. He believed that actors should look at internal aspects of characters, how they feel, react and behave.
If you are asked to portray a death scene then you must draw on personal experience that might be relevant to that scene i.e. what did you do, what were the emotions you were feeling, what did you say to other people? If you have not had direct experience then you must ask people who have has those experiences and IMAGINE how you would react then place yourself in that situation, ask yourself the MAGIC IF. Stanislavski wants actors and the audience to experience real EMOTIONS.
If I were to play a character that had just robbed a bank and was on the run from the police, would I be able to act without looking false. I have no experience of this, so emotionally I can not relate to it, the experience that my character is facing is outside my personal experience. This is where I would ask myself, “What IF I were in this position what would I do?”
Stanislavski teaches that an actor should approach a role asking the question, “What would I do IF I were in this characters particular situation?” This is where the Magic If is put to use. The Magic If allows the actor to explore new emotions that they may never have experienced before. This method can prove to be helpful during any improvisation games e.g. what IF I just discovered I was adopted? What IF I only have one week to live?
“The actor above all must believe in everything going on around him, and most of all he must believe in what he is doing. And he can only believe what is true. And so he must genuinely feel that truth, look for it and for that he must develop his artistic awareness of truth. He will be told:
‘Rubbish! What kind of truth do you call this, when everything on stage is a lie, a fake- the set, colours, make up, costumes, props etc. What kind of truth is that?
But I am talking about another kind of truth, the truth of my feelings and sensations, the truth of the inner creative urge that is desperate to find expression.” (J.Benedetti, Stanislavski An Introduction, 2000, p35)
Stanislavski believed that actors had portrayed characters from an external point of view. A sick person looks like this so that is how I will act. He believed that actors should look at internal aspects of characters, how they feel, react and behave.
If you are asked to portray a death scene then you must draw on personal experience that might be relevant to that scene i.e. what did you do, what were the emotions you were feeling, what did you say to other people? If you have not had direct experience then you must ask people who have has those experiences and IMAGINE how you would react then place yourself in that situation, ask yourself the MAGIC IF. Stanislavski wants actors and the audience to experience real EMOTIONS.
If I were to play a character that had just robbed a bank and was on the run from the police, would I be able to act without looking false. I have no experience of this, so emotionally I can not relate to it, the experience that my character is facing is outside my personal experience. This is where I would ask myself, “What IF I were in this position what would I do?”
Stanislavski teaches that an actor should approach a role asking the question, “What would I do IF I were in this characters particular situation?” This is where the Magic If is put to use. The Magic If allows the actor to explore new emotions that they may never have experienced before. This method can prove to be helpful during any improvisation games e.g. what IF I just discovered I was adopted? What IF I only have one week to live?
“The actor above all must believe in everything going on around him, and most of all he must believe in what he is doing. And he can only believe what is true. And so he must genuinely feel that truth, look for it and for that he must develop his artistic awareness of truth. He will be told:
‘Rubbish! What kind of truth do you call this, when everything on stage is a lie, a fake- the set, colours, make up, costumes, props etc. What kind of truth is that?
But I am talking about another kind of truth, the truth of my feelings and sensations, the truth of the inner creative urge that is desperate to find expression.” (J.Benedetti, Stanislavski An Introduction, 2000, p35)
The Magic If asks the actor to begin their work by asking, "What would I do IF I were in these circumstances?"
The answer to this question can be a selection of creativity and inspiration, because it allows the actor to realise the fact that they are living out a fictional life, a figment of the authours imagination.
TEN GOLDEN RULES FOR VOICE
TEN GOLDEN RULES FOR VOICE
1. Voice can never be isolated from the rest of your body- An actor must exercise voice, mind and body together.
2. Vocal work should begin with RELAXATION. Otherwise tension and stress will affect yourbreath and therefore you will have a negative effect on the quality of speech.
3. Tension gathers in the shoulders and neck and this can restrict air flow.
4. Breath is the starting point for all sound.
5. Breath should always be supported by the DIAPHRAGM.
6. Vowels are BREATH sounds and are not articulated.
7. RESONANCE is what makes sound audible.
8. When sound is articulated it becomes speech.
9. Clear and accurate articulation is the sign of a trained voice.
10. Your natural accent is distinctive and valuable- S.B.S (Standard British Speech) is just another accent which you should learn.
Akashdeep Heer
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