THE AMERICAN LABRichard Boleslavsky & Maria Ouspenskaya

The American Lab TheaterFounded by Boleslavsky and Ouspenskaya The teachings were based off the old un-evolved ideas of Stanislavski.Gave Americans the opportunity to see what the Russians were doing in theater. Boleslavsky taught the aspects of the system.Ouspenskaya taught “animal exercises”

Richard BoleslavskyBorn February 4th 1889 Fought as a cavalry lieutenant during World War ILeft Russia after the Russian Revolution in 1917 and went to Poland.along with Maria Ouspenskaya, he began to teach what would become known as Method acting. He was married at least three times and had a son named Jan.

He was married at least three times and had a

Maria OuspenskayaMaria Osupenskaya was born July 29, 1876 in Russia. A member of the Moscow Art Theatre, later arriving in New York in 1922. In 1929 she branched out to form “The School of Dramatic Art” in New York with Boleslavsky. Ouspenskaya died December 3, 1949 from a stroke after receiving severe burns from falling asleep with a cigarette.

Ensemble System vs. Star SystemThe Ensemble System is a system of acting that involves several good acting all around.The Star System is a system that relied on one actor’s “star power” to bring in viewers. The rest of the acting did not matter.

The Reformation of the magic “if”Stanislavski created the magic “if”“If I were this character how would I feel?”Vakhtangov altered the magic “if” to better suit himself.“What would motivate me to behave as the character behaves.”

THE GREAT DEPRESSION

Great Depression FactsThe Great Depression was an economic slump in North America, Europe, and other industrialized areas of the world that began in 1929 to about 1939. For the next three years stock prices in the United States continued to fall until by late 1932 they had dropped to only about 20 percent of their value in 1929. Many banks were consequently forced into insolvency; by 1933, 11,000 of the 25,000 banks had failed. The result was drastically falling output and drastically rising unemployment and by 1932 left 12- 15 million workers jobless. The overall end of the depression left a moral stain on the people of the Untied States with the rest of the world following with it.

Great Depression Facts (cont.)Dates of the Great Depression in various countriesCountryDepression beganRecovery beganUnited States 1929:3 1933:2 United Kingdom 1930:1 1932:4 Germany 1928:1 1932:3 France 1930:2 1932:3 Italy 1929:3 1933:1 Japan 1930:1 1932:3

Great Depression Facts (cont.)Canada 1929:2 1933:2 Belgium 1929:3 1932:4 The Netherlands 1929:4 1933:2 Sweden 1930:2 1932:3 Switzerland 1929:4 1933:1 Denmark 1930:4 1933:2 Poland 1929:1 1933:2 Czechoslovakia 1929:4 1933:2 Argentina 1929:2 1932:1 Brazil 1928:3 1931:4 India 1929:4 1931:4 South Africa 1930:1 1933:1

Great Depression Facts (cont.)Peak-to-trough decline in industrial production in various countries(annual data) CountryDeclineUnited States 46.8% United Kingdom 16.2% Germany 41.8% France 31.3% Italy 33.0% Japan 8.5% Canada 42.4% Belgium 30.6% The Netherlands 37.4% Sweden 10.3% Denmark 16.5% Poland 46.6% Czechoslovakia 40.4% Argentina 17.0%

Theater during The Great DepressionTheatre still continued under the conditions of the Great Depression. No company was more successful in continuing this other than the Group Theatre. Founded in 1931 by the directors Harold Clurman, Lee Strasberg, and Cheryl Crawford. Survived throughout the Great Depression in New York City as a noncommercial repertory company devoted to plays of current relevance, significance, emphasizing the realistic acting style known as the Method,. The company featured actors such as Stella Adler, John Garfield, Franchot Tone, Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden, and Elia Kazan.

The EndAny Questions?