2. OBJECTIVES OF THE LECTURE…
To identify Stanislavski’s techniques and be able to
define them.
To be able to apply the techniques to a character.
To evaluate the process that an actor must go
through in order to perform a naturalistic character
effectively
3. STANISLAVSKI’S METHOD.
NOT to be confused with Method acting (Lee
Strasberg).
Stanislavski’s method simply asks the performer to
create a mental link – using the characters thought
process as influence, not using the process itself!
4. 3 CORE ELEMENTS TO STANISLAVSKI'S
METHOD.
Objective:
What the character wants
Obstacle:
What is stopping the character
Method:
How the character achieves the objective
An actor can discover these 3 elements by going
through the script and finding the key factors of
their character.
5. OBJECTIVE
To identify the objective clearly, a scene must be
divided into ‘beats’ or ‘bits’.
A ‘beat’ or ‘bit’ is determined by change in
objective. Objectives can be defined as
Action
Emotion
Dialogue
6. OBJECTIVE WORDS
This concept states that it is the actors job to
understand the key motivation in every piece of
text.
If an actor understands the meaning behind each
line, the emotion and action will follow naturally.
This is the basic practice in Stanislavski’s Method.
7. SUPER OBJECTIVE
This is a constant objective, everything in the piece
drives towards this super objective.
Examples of a super objective:
Revenge in Hamlet
Consequences of Actions in Romeo & Juliet
Contrast in Social Class in Blood Brothers
8. GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES
These are the facts given to the actor by the
playwright in the text…
THEY ARE UNCHANGEABLE!!
These can be any number of things:
Date/Period of piece
Location
Gender, name and age of a character
Social class
9. OBSTACLES AND METHODS WITHIN A SCENE
An obstacle is what prevents the character from
reaching their objective. Obstacles can be a great
number of things.
E.g. A man is making a cup of coffee (Objective), the
kettle is empty (Obstacle).
These obstacles can be dealt with in 3 different ways.
Give up on the objective.
Find a way around the obstacle.
Carry’s on regardless of the obstacle.
A characters reaction to an obstacle is key to
discovering their base. If they give up, we know that
they are likely to be lazy, easily discouraged.
This is key to Stanislavski’s Method, as it’s basis relies
on defining how and why a character gives a specific
response
10. INTERNAL MONOLOGUE
This is also known as ‘Subtext’.
Actor’s must understand the internal monologue –
the meaning behind the text.
To truly understand the characters reaction, we
must understand the reasons for this reaction. By
looking at subtext we are able to decipher these
meanings.
Some reactions natural while others are
spontaneous – this is known as semi-constant flow
of events. These spontaneous actions often differ
after each performance of a piece, creating a
feeling of reality. Stanislavski’s Method attempts to
mimic this reality.
