The Stanislavski Acting Technique

Here you’ll find information on the Stanislavski system for actors, along with sample Stanislavsky acting exercises you can try at home and other details to help you decide if this acting technique is for you.

Constantin Stanislavski (sometimes spelled “Konstantin Stanislavsky”) was a Russian actor and director from the beginning of the 20th century. His “system” was born out of a quest for realism in acting. His acting method both inspired and preceded the major acting techniques developed in America in the twentieth century. He is often referred to as the “father of Method acting”.

1) What is the Stanislavski system?

• Using your imagination to create real emotions on stage
  In order to believe in the given circumstances of the play, Stanislavsky actors use the magic if: “What if this was really happening to me?” Actors also use their imagination to create their character by asking themselves questions like:
  “Where do I come from?”
  “What do I want?”
  “Where am I going?”
  “What will I do when I get there?”
  You can also use the magic if to make up details about the props you use on stage.
• Action versus Emotion
  Stanislavsky actors try to find the super-objective of the play (i.e. the theme or driving force of the play). Then, they break down the script into objectives (what the character wants to accomplish), obstacles (what’s in his or her way) and actions (what are the different things the character can do to try to reach his objective). The Through-Line links all the units together into the super-objective. Using these acting methods helps you concentrate on the action rather then the emotion by making each objective an active verb. Here are a few examples of active verbs that can be objectives:
  To help
  To hurt
  To praise
  To demean
  To leave
  To keep
  To convince




• Relaxation and Concentration
  Actors who study this acting technique learn to relax their muscles and not use any extra muscles then the ones needed to perform a particular action. They also work on concentration so they can reach a state of solitude in public and not feel tense when performing on stage. One way they learn to do that is by concentrating on a very small area at first and then widening the circle of concentration until it includes the entire stage.
• Emotional Memory
  Stanislavsky students learned to access their own memories to call upon emotions needed to play certain scenes and acting roles, but unlike Method Actors, Stanislavsky actors also work “from the outside in”, accessing emotions through physical actions.
• Character-building techniques
  Stanislavsky students learned how to find their characters’ inner motives, but also how to build a character “from the outside in” through physicality and voice. For example, a student of Constantin Stanislavski would explore his character’s rhythm through repetition (by rehearsing his lines over and over until he discovered the right tempo).

Here’s an interesting slideshow that will give you some more in-depth guidance on how a Stanislavsky actor should rehearse a new play:

2) What can you expect?

• Work on relaxation and concentration
  Most Stanislavski classes will start with a brief relaxation session, followed by some concentration exercises. A beginning actor may do general concentration exercises while a more advanced actor may be asked to do sensory exercises or emotional memory exercises that help him re-create the given circumstances of the play he’s working on (for example, if his character has just been outside in the snow before the scene starts, the actor may do a sensory exercise to re-create the feeling of the snow).
• A lot of homework
  When you study the Stanislavsky technique well, you’ll spend a lot of time using the magic if to create full bios for your characters and to make up scenes that took place outside of the play. You’ll also spend a lot of time writing subtext for your scenes (i.e. breaking the scenes down into units and turning each unit into an action verb).
• Some improvisation
  For example, you may be asked to improvise a scene that is not in the play but took place between your character and another.
• Physical and vocal training
  Stanislavsky believed that acting starts with the actor’s body. Through a series of exercises and an introduction to the art of costumes and make-up, you will find your character’s physicality. A good Stanislavsky teacher will also teach you rhythm and tempo and recommend you take a speech class, a singing class and a dance class to support your acting training.

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Continue to page 2 to view a guided Stanislavski acting exercise on video and to find out if the Stanislavski system is right for you.

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