Something that really intreagues me as an actor is the topic of method acting. To many actors, even mentioning the very words will make their faces grimace as some actors may feel the practise totally unecessary to achieve the role or part in hand. Methof acting however is not so uncommon and there are many great actors who still practise the technique. From Marlin Brando many years ago to modern day actors like Sean Penn; the practise is still in play. I for one was always some what narrow minded when it came to method acting but after studying and employing just a few of Stanislavski's findings, I was soon to start dancing to a different beat!
Let's face it, as thespians we will always express our own thoughts in relation to acting and the way we perceive the craft but let's just ponder over this for a while. When we think of film for instance, the whole idea of performing may quite easily be one of the most under valued issues in film actuates.
So studying at an actor, what can we say that it is that he or she contributes to a movie, and even more so, just how does the actor or performer go about achieving it? This is important because when we look at successful movie actors and performers we can simply debate that the actors who achieve the more dynamic impact, strangely enough, are the actors who actually do not act. Sure it sounds a little crazy but stick with me on this! Great actors can be thought of to be not acting as we like to look at it but to actually be becoming only themselves and reacting or perhaps 'responding' Now this is key here.
All I've pointed out here closely relates to the acting method known as The Stanislavski Method. This method was to stop actors becoming 'sheeplike' and not following the habitual way of performing on stage but instead to focus their actions, and mannerisms in a way that a person would carry on as themselves in their private life.
Who Is Stanislavski?
Konstantin Stanislavski was part of the Moscow Theater and was very well thought of for some great books that he'd written about acting and even more so, for his great book 'An Actor Prepares'. This is one of the most refered to publications in conjunction with method acting.
It was at the Group Theatre that was which was formed in NYC, in 1931, that Stanislavski's acting methods were showcased with the theaters most highlighted performance of Waiting For Lefty. Unfortunatelty though The Group Theatre ceased to contunue after the thirties but one thing that can be surely be said is that the theater left a great blast in Hollywood and film.
Stanislavski's 'Method' would get an actor to go firmly within themselves and bring out their own unique experiences, memories etc in order to shape the basis on how a character may express any movement and speech. Some of you may have been on stage and had to do a very emotional scene that has required great intensity and tears. These scenes can be very difficult even at the top of our game. One of the best ways to find the emotion is do what is known as 'an emotional recall', all bearing the relevance of Stanislavski's 'Method'. An emotional recall is going back to a traumatic time in your life when you felt an emotion that can be some how compared to the emotion required in a particular scene. It is the case of chanelling all of your energy into this particular emotion and bringing it into your present character portrayal.
When an actor uses the method, he or she can delve deep within and become even more complex with their character portrayals, their inner feelings and elation. A performer is no longer limited to portraying a character with just one single avenue , The method lets an actor be more adventurous and really FIND ones self. I highly recommend you consider grabbing a copy of Stanislavski's book.
The Method has become synonymous with many great actors such as Daniel Day Lewis, Sean Penn, Forest Whitaker, Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, and Marlon Brando to name but a few. But what is the Method? And what has made it so successful?
Below are practical exercises from the technique that clarify some of the tools used by Method actors.
1. Develop Your Concentration
A high level of concentration is essential to enable top quality acting. Concentration triggers your belief, impulses and imagination.
Concentration is not abstract. Often you will hear teachers or directors telling actors to concentrate and focus, but what on? You have to concentrate on something real and something specific this evokes real thought. Not phony or pretend thinking, but real thought.
The first exercise we tackle in the Method to build concentration and belief in what we are doing on stage, is the Sense Memory exercise.
2. Sense Memory Exercise
It is understood that we perceive the world through our senses. We see, we hear, we smell, we touch, we taste. This is what stimulates us as human beings. It's also understood that the memory of these senses can affect us. We have all felt hungry and thought of our favorite food and started to salivate, or heard a song that has reminded us of a relationship we once had. Our memories are strongly linked to our senses.
To develop your concentration and sense memory, begin with a simple exercise.
The Breakfast Drink - Recall what you drink first thing in the morning in intricate detail. Close your eyes and recreate in your mind's eye the room that you have the drink in - really see it, smell it, touch it, hear it. Then bring your attention to the drink and slowly start to drink, really concentrating on the senses. Try this for 15-20 minutes. Then choose a monologue you have learned by heart and start to say the lines whilst thinking about the drink. The drink is the main focus of concentration the lines are secondary.
You must ensure that you are truly focused on the drink. Test this by continually asking sense questions internally to yourself, such as ?How hot or cold is it? What is the cup made of? How does it taste?', whilst saying the lines at the same time. Tricky I know, but it will have a significant effect on the believability of the lines. The reason for this is that the experience of the drink is real to you - you believe in the drink. This belief starts to transcend into the words of the character.
3. Overall Sensation Exercise
In the same way as the breakfast drink, try an overall sensation sense memory. Ok, this part can be a bit uncomfortable, but take a cold shower?.for real. Then later try and recreate in your mind's eye that event. Use all your senses to relive the cold shower. Once you have done this for 15-20 mins, try saying the lines from a monologue whilst recreating the experience of the cold shower. This will have quite an impact on your senses and will impact the way that you say the lines significantly.
4. Personal Object Exercise
Ok, you are probably getting the hang of this concept by now. This time, identify a personal object from your own life that has significant meaning to you. Take the object and really focus on it. Investigate it from a sense point of view. How does it look, smell, taste, feel and sound? Whilst doing this, start to say the lines from a monologue. Do nothing more other than investigate the object in intricate detail and say the lines. The memory of the object will impact the way that you say the lines of the character.
5. The Animal Exercise
This exercise is relatively famous within the technique. It requires you to humanise an animal's physicality to recreate a new physicality for a character. If you look at Marlon Brando's performance in the ?Godfather', he plays a bulldog or in ?A Street Car Named Desire' you can see that he plays an ape.
Pick a wild animal that you think could have similarities to your character. Go to the zoo and study the animal physically. Study how they move, eat and sleep, in detail. Then at home, physically recreate to the best of your ability, the animal. Once you have done this for awhile, stand up and humanise the animal. How would it walk and move if it were human?
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