examination and exploration of the different types of active methods that exist within the art form and the founding artists who created them

examination and exploration of the different types of active methods that exist within the art form and the founding artists who created them

Abstract

My thesis topic will be on the subject of different acting methodologies. Specifically, my argument will be an examination and exploration of the different types of active methods that exist within the art form and the founding artists who created them. I will be assessing four alternate methods. These methods will be Stanislavski’s method, Uta Hagen’s method, Lee Strasberg’s method, and Michael Chekhov’s method. In looking at these methods, I will analyze the four of them and discuss what it is that makes these techniques their unique practices. Also, I will be comparing and contrasting the methods to one another and revealing the commonalities as well as the differences they hold between them. Through my analysis, I will attempt to answer the questions of which method is the best for which role? What are the pros and cons of each technique? Can the methods be combined? I will also call into question what prominent actors have used any one of these techniques for their roles and why specifically they felt that the particular method they chose served them as an actor the best.

My topic is significant in that it sheds light upon the several different options that actors have to serve them and their craft. There is no one way to act, and there is no one way to portray a role. And my topic of analyzing the techniques of Stanislavski, Hagen, and Chekhov is vital to the field of acting because it shows actors that they can perform actions in several different ways. It is just a matter of which methodology they feel they can best utilize and engage in.

My approach to my topic will primarily be through researching the individuals, Uta Hagen, Konstantin Stanislavski, Michael Chekhov, and Lee Strasberg, getting background on them, and then researching their specific founded acting method. I anticipate my information coming from academic journal articles as well as books and web articles. I will then analyze and compare the different elements of each technique. I will also be looking at interviews with practitioners of each method. I will attempt to answer questions posed for myself through my findings in the articles and interviews.

Through my findings, I expect to demonstrate the vast options of portrayal that actors possess and how they can use them. I hope to resolve the questions of what are the pros and cons of each technique? Which method is the best for a particular role? Is there an intersection between any of the methods, or are the elements of each practice unique to themselves?

Introduction

There are many forms of art within our world. There are painters, dancers, musicians, poets, sculptors, writers, singers and finally, actors. No matter what the art form be, however, artists within their professions, all must develop a technique that enables them to perform their art most productively and satisfactorily for them. With every discovery made, there is always a first in doing so. As it pertains to the arts, any technique for any artform has been formed and developed by a first. These “firsts” are known as the cultivators or masters of their fields. Of the several art forms, there are within our world; it is my belief that acting is the most abstract and dynamic of them all. Acting is an art form that has been around for quite some time. The most prominent and permanent changes in the art of acting were indisputably brought about by a man named Konstantin Stanislavski. Stanislavski took the tradition of performing and imposed his beliefs and ideas on how the art should be done. With his transformation of acting, several artists were inspired by his take and then decided to birth their forms and techniques of the practice. Some of these artists are known as Lee Strasberg, Uta Hagen, and Michael Chekhov. These artists took bits and pieces from Stanislavski’s methods and formed their practices, which have also become widely known today. With that being said, the art of acting can be achieved through various different means. These means, or methods, rather are mean to serve as a guideline of tools for the actor to be able to best perform their roles in a manner that is satisfactory to them. There is no one way to act. There are several different methods of acting actors can choose from to portray their roles. In this paper, we will be taking a look at the ways of acting derived by Stanislavski, Strasberg, Hagen, and Chekhov, and assessing the elements of each form, with the hopes of expressing the different techniques possible for actors to utilize to perform their craft.

Current problem

Acting is one of the most entertaining professions around which requires talent, skills, passion, and good looks. The current challenge being faced by actors is that there are several acting methods created by previous actors and acting teachers that create a dilemma on which method is best to adopt (Benedetti 32). The process of becoming a professional actor requires one to undergo years of practice as well as experience. However, taking into consideration the acting techniques can assist one in developing a wide variety of acting skills. Besides, there exist different kinds of crafts that can be developed using mastered acting teachers, which has led to the development of various famous stars. The act of learning acting techniques not only gives an actor or actress an edge during the audition process, but it also hones their skills in the field.

Area of focus

In the present paper, we take a look at various useful acting techniques that have been developed, namely Stanislavski’s method, Uta Hagen’s method, Lee Strasberg’s method, and Michael Chekhov’s method. The paper primarily focusses on exploring the different methods of acting to give actors an understanding of which way best portrays their roles.

Review of Literature

Stanislavski`s method

Constantin Stanislavski has been considered by many as the father of acting. He is best remembered for initially creating and adopting Stanislavski`s system, which is a progression of techniques that are used in the training of actors. The central tenet idea behind Stanislavski`s system was the idea of experiencing. The method trains actors to draw upon realistic emotions as they perform. The technique is based on a concept in which the actor focuses internally to portray the character`s feelings on stage. Constantin developed the technique between the years of 1911 and 1916, with it evolving into a method that involves the use of physical actions where emotions can then be produced (Stanislavski 11). Stanislavski incorporated numerous natural behavioral influences, which include self-analysis and emotional memory. The aim is to experience the character rather than represent the character, which involves employing a holistic approach towards performance as well as the breakdown of texts into relevant intentions (Stanislavski 16). The aim of Stanislavski`s technique is to remain aware of the objectives as well as the problems to be solved, which is not inhibited by the fact that the actor will b aware of their artificial surrounding.

The use of active verbs and objectives

In using Stanislavsky`s system, the actors attempt to find the play`s super-objective (the theme and driving force of the play). The script is then broken down into the objectives, which is what the character intends to accomplish and the obstacles, which are the activities that lay in their way. It also includes the actions which include the various things that the character can use to help facilitate their intended objective. The through-line acts to link all the units together, such as one super-objective (Stanislavski 26). Making use of such acting methods helps the actor to concentrate on the action as opposed to the emotion since it involves making each objective an active verb. For instance, the objective can be to destroy, to defend, to seize, to understand, to seduce, and to convince.

Stanislavski`s requirement for change

Stanislavski conducted a series of experiments on emotional memory, which left him dissatisfied. The tests ultimately caused him to develop a methodology that could change how emotions get triggered. According to the method, emotions can get stimulated through several simple physical actions. Stanislavski based argument on these assumptions. According to him, there existed a connection between physical expression and their internal experiences. This has been substantiated by other scientists such as Sechenov and Pavlov.

As Stanislavski searched and attempted to come up with the ideal training system for acting, he noticed that there was a gap between the actor`s mental and physical behavior while on stage. It also included the differences that existed between the actor`s physical and psychological preparation as they worked on the different characters (Benedetti 65). It means that the actor worked hard over some time, both emotionally and internally, to create a form of physicality within the character. However, in such an instance, it had already become very late to conduct any organic physical work. This was especially true since, in such a situation, the actor`s internal emotional choices had already gained some form of physicality, which was most likely to be small, lacking in theatrical form and unoriginal. Based on this conclusion, Stanislavski discovered that it was critical to explore the psychological processes and physical life which the actor underwent since they were interdependent ((Stanislavski 123). The conclusion led to him discovering it was possible to stimulate emotions through physical actions. The shift from emotional memory to ‘method of physical activity’ was a significant turn in the training system of actors during the period. Many players in the art met Stanislavski`s method with much resistance from Russia`s Moscow Art Theatre. It also received some opposition from acting schools in the United States as well.

Stanislavski did not stop there as he continually attempted to shift his perspectives by trying to discover more efficient ways in which actors could perform. This is one primary reason why Stanislavski hesitated to publish his original method over a long duration of time (Belgrave 333). If he was alive even at this moment, it is possible that he would have continued to change his perspectives. Hence, it is crucial that all students do not fossilize his ideas. Stanislavski`s system is, therefore, a process of training actors, which can also be used as the actor`s learning tool. The method cannot hence be a dogma, which will be student`s will follow in blind faith.

Emotional memory

The tenet of emotional memory requires the actor to recreate certain events from their past, which can then be used to regenerate the ‘feelings’ which were experienced at in the time. The regeneration of feelings can be used within the acting situation so as to fill out the acting role with some personal involvement as well as human depth. Stanislavski acknowledged that the event had to be from the distant past rather one from the recent past since he felt that the distilled feelings and events acted as a filter for remembered feelings (Bilgrave 334). Hence, the actor`s quality when performing depended more on whether the level of sincerity of their experience. A sincere experience was processed using a time filter that would transform the quality of the experience to one that poetically reflected life`s experiences.

When on stage, an actor lives an authentic stage experience but instead experiences a true stage experience. Based on this, it is true to determine that stage emotion cannot be compared to life emotions since the stage experience is a repeated experience rather than a primary one. The actor can then remember parallel situations that will evoke similar emotions.

The method of physical actions

Stanislavski`s system indicated that a series of physical actions that were arranged in a sequential manner could trigger the necessary emotions required for the actor`s performance (Benedetti 101). The emotions cannot directly arise to the surface as required as they are based in the unconscious. This led him to create a map of ‘physical actions’ which could help in bringing out the actor`s unconscious emotions.

Units and objectives

Stanislavski created the map reference, which was developed as the actor`s points of reference, which is known as objective and units. A portion of the scene that contains the actor`s objective is known as a unit. In retrospect, hence, the units changed each time there occurred a shift in the scene (Benedetti 42). In each unit, each character had its objective, which got expressed via the use of transitive and active verbs. For instance, to annoy him or to seduce him. In such an instance, there existed an action-driven objective that can be expressed using physical actions that will help in achieving the objective. Such actions must be achieved through interaction with other individuals.

The analysis of text through action

An analysis of the action required the actor to answer questions such as ‘what does the character do? Why does the character do it? And how does the character do it? It helps the actor in understanding the play`s aim and main idea. Stanislavski indicated that realism was true, such that the actor aimed to create the appearance of reality on stage (Bilgrave 336). In the technique, the actor does not believe whether the events on the stage are true but rather believe in their imaginative creation. Stanislavski believed that scenic truth occurred in the plane of artistic and imaginative fiction, which can be differentiated from the truth created autonomously on the actual fact plane. According to Stanislavski, performing scenic truth accurately constituted ‘art’ on the stage.

Lee Strasberg`s Method

Lee Strasberg, who lived between 1901 and 1982, adopted and developed Stanislavski`s method, also called ‘the method,’ which placed more emphasis on the psychological elements related to acting where the actors become the character from the inside out. Strasberg based his technique on the system created by Konstantin Stanislavski, where the actors utilize their emotional memories to create a realistic performance (Pitches 25). Strasberg`s acting method is similar to Stanislavski`s system. Strasberg, however, took Stanislavski`s system much further with the actors being required to use more than their emotional memory. It required the use of substitution, where the actors become the characters in which they are portraying. The technique of method realism aims to achieve realism, which differs from other classical acting styles. The styles have featured exaggerated styles, which are much larger than life (Pitches 27). The method technique by Strasberg requires that actors make use of their senses, imagination, and emotions to help in conceiving characters that have original and unique behavior. The target is to create performances that are based on the human truth of the moment.

Strasberg indicated several limitations in the Stanislavski method. For one, he suggested that actors had insufficient emotional memories that could allow them to fully connect based on the experienced circumstances of characters being portrayed. Strasberg did not fully comprehend how an actor that grew up in a metropolitan city like New York could truly fathom the kind of life that a character is drawn from a poor Southern rural town (Krasner 151). The method by Strasberg indicates that actors should prepare for their respective roles through the action of immersing themselves into the respective circumstances of their characters. The actors can do this by living as per their characters, and it also involves the action of transforming their bodies if there is a need. The method has, however, faced criticism and come under scrutiny since some actors go to extreme measures to replicate the lives of their characters.

Method acting makes use of a systematic approach that involves the training of the living material, which comprises of the actor`s instrument and the means by which a role is prepared. The Strasberg`s exercise is used in developing the actor`s content and talent while offering them with a roadmap to which the individual can create a character. In involves using an individual`s life experiences in a creative and imaginative manner, which infuses the selected choice with genuine desire, sensation, desire, action, and thought, which results in in-depth psychological behavior (Tcherkaski 102). Through this, the work builds upon Stanisalvasky`s work by training the actors to use the emotional, physical and mental self to create a character while also stressing the manner in which personal experiences can fire the imagination of the actors.

Exercises to teach the Strasberg`s acting method

Strasberg listed several exercises that can be used in teaching method acting to enable its understanding and accomplishment. The first exercise which has to be repeated during rehearsal is relaxation. According to Strasberg, all the actors need to exercise relaxation during the rehearsal stage with others as well as themselves, which will allow for tension to disappear, which also boosts their concentration levels (Tcherkaski 106). Strasberg associated tension as a sign of emotional excessiveness, which his relaxation exercises fought against. The exercise involved the actor sitting in an armless and straight-backed chair while assuming a comfortable position. The actor would use Strasberg`s directions to go through their body while finding the tension that exists in their muscles, which is then released. Strasberg recognized that any tension released from the body would then go to the vocal chords which the actors could then vocalize. With the repetition of the exercise, the actor can sense automatically if there exists any unnecessary tension within their bodies as they act or rehearse on the stage.

The second exercise used by the exercise is called sense and affective memory. It is commonly misinterpreted that the actors should embody the characters in which they represent even at the time they are not rehearsing or when on stage (Krasner 161). Such a notion begs the question of whether the actor should actually experience the emotions of their characters or should they demonstrate such emotions without actually experiencing them. According to Strausberg, the actor makes use of affective memory to describe the experience of the actor and their respective imagination. It involves the aspect of combining the aspects of experiencing and demonstrating emotions so as to achieve the emotions successfully. The actor hence must refer to their own experience so as to find an emotion that resembles the one they intend to showcase to their audiences (Tcherkaski 112). Also, the use of sense memory assists them in achieving their affective memory. The recollection of the senses of the memory, which includes tastes, sound, smells, feelings, and sights, can he help the actor comfortably feel the moment`s physical pain.

The third exercise highlighted by Strasberg would be the one called animal exercise, which involves the actors looking for elements that can easily characterize and realize any animal which they were simulating. It consists of the actor studying a particular animal and then mimicking its posture, eye contact, movement, gestures, pace, and facial expressions. The purpose of the exercise was to help lower any inhibitions that the actor might have as he mimics an animal (Pitches 45). It involves doing the things that can help them in pinpointing the various things that they have to change about themselves to best suit their character, which includes acts such as eye contact, movement, facial expressions, pace, posture, and eye contact.

The fourth exercise used by Strasberg is fundamental in the creation of excellent performance and involves concentration when delivering their performance. Many new actors have to fight stage fright, with the actors being afraid and aware of their audiences (Krasner 160). When the actors achieve full concentration, they can act using affective memory, which will allow them to concentrate on their emotions and the physical movements of the characters. Focus also assists the actors in developing and maintaining their relaxation, which assists them in preventing extraneous thoughts that help in reducing muscle tension.

Each of the exercises by Strasberg can be used to suit the specific production with the aim of the set being used and considered in all the times. The training and exercises can go a long way to cover the bases that the actor knows, such as relaxation, self-awareness, and concentration.

Methodology

The paper conducts a comparative analysis of the various acting methodologies in a bid to explore the various types of active methods that exist in the art form. I will conduct a comparative analysis of the four acting methods, namely Stanislavski’s method, Uta Hagen’s method, Lee Strasberg’s method, and Michael Chekhov’s method. The comparative analysis aims to answers the following questions, which include: Which method is the best for which role? What are the pros and cons of each technique? Can the methods be combined? I pay reference to various prominent actors that have made use of the techniques and the multiple techniques that served them the best in their roles. Ultimately, the research aims to answer whether there exists an intersection between any of the methods, or are the elements of each practice unique to themselves?

Contrast and comparison of each method