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ACTING
(COURSE PACK)

CONCENTRATION

Concentration is the first step towards acting. This concentration is what

brings you in the line with your objective. You get in the skin of character.
You start living the character. Concentration is what leads a person to
become ascetic. The final destination is Yoga. When an ascetic brings all
senses and faculties together with total control, he gets link with God.
With concentration if one can get God, than acquiring acting skills is so
much easier. It is not even that the concentration factor is a god-given
gift. With regular hard work and practice, even you can achieve this but it
is necessary that the thing you concentrate on must be a thing you have
an absolute passion for.

How is concentration developed? The five senses given to us should

be used to their optimum levels.
EYES
Close your eyes and imagine that between your eyes, there is a shiny
golden star or triangle. Focus your concentration on this.
EARS
Close both your eyes, than listen to the sound coming from behind.
1.
2.
3.
4.

The sound of cloth mopping the floor.

The sound of familiar people.
The sound of a market or any other place.
Imaginary sounds like the music of a song.

NOSE

Just imagine that you are standing in a garden, and are trying to smell:
1. The fragrance of all the flowers
2. The particular fragrance
TONGUE
Whenever you eat different things, try and identify the taste of each food
items separately. Drink a glass of water and feel that you are drinking the
following things bitter medicine, sweet juice, salted butter milk, sour
starch water.
TOUCH
Imagine you are standing on a road and that road:
1. Is made of ice- feel the chill
2. Is made of tar. Feel the tars heat.
While practising you can, as per your wish, concentrate on any topic. The
above exercise helps you in doing the same.

VOICE AND SPEECH

Apart from concentration, observation and imagination, an actors biggest

weapon is his voice. It is through the voice that we give our opinions to
others. In the western countries, there is a saying that a posture could
have several bad qualities, but the voice must undoubtedly be sweet and
effective. It is very important for an actor to have good voice. Even the
audience has woken up to the importance of good voice. Our voice is an
integral part of our individual and persona. To make the persona impactful
and impressionable, the voice plays a bigger role than just good looks and
sense of dressing. The voice also related to our nature and our behaviour.
Our voice is a key means of expression. Its needs to be well produce and
flexible. It needs to express the literal meaning and formal structure of the
text; and, in order to do this to the full, we believe it needs to express the
imaginary circumstances of the world of the play and the characters. To
achieve this, voice must be fully integrated with the acting process.
A primary tool for the actor is the expressive and free voice. Therefore
voice must be trained to be heard (through pitch and volume), understand
(through articulation) and also felt (through expression). The Actors

essential task is to produce a credible reality on stage or screen, founded

on acute observation of the world.
We can probably all agree that a good voice:

Only uses those muscles necessary to do the job economically and

effortlessly
Functions through a harmonious balance between the breathing
apparatus, the whole vocal tract
Is free of unwanted noises, pressure and tension
Sounds full and supported in every speech
Can be loud or quiet at well
Can reach far and flows full of resonance
Is clearly articulated.
HOW IS VOICE PRODUCED AND CONVERTED TO SPEECH
1. Brain sends signal to the body to prepare breath for making
sound.
2. The breath or the air produced in the lungs than moves up
through the wind pipe, where it meets the vocal cords.
3. Vocal cords are flexible folds on either side of the voice box. They
are like elastic bands which can open and close, can become
thick or thin, tight or loose.
4. The air forces itself through Glottis i.e. the space between the
cords; the cords vibrate and produce sound. The raw sound is
voice.
5. Those sound vibrations are then amplified by the resonating
cavities in the body- the chest, the pharynx, the tract between
mouth and gullet, the nose and sinuses and the mouth.
6. Finally this sound is turned in to recognizable speech with the
help of speech organs.
Proper uses of breath and speech organs
predominant role in producing proper speech

play

Speech: is a learned system of communication requiring the

coordinated use of voice, articulation and the language
skill
Voice or Phonation: is the sound produced in the voice box,
or larynx, by the expiration of air through vibrating vocal
cords.

Voice: is defined in terms of pitch and loudness. Optimum

pitch, which means the appropriate pitch for speaking, varies
with each individual. Both optimum pitch and range of pitch are
fundamentally determined by the length and mass of the
vocal cords.
Pitch: may be varied by changing the combination of air
pressure and tension of the vocal cords. This combination
determines the frequency at which the vocal cords vibrate- the
greater the frequency of vibration, the higher the pitch.
Resonance: is the body of the voice. After voice is produced, it
is resonated in the chest, throat and cavities of the mouth. The
quality of the voice is determined by the resonance and the
manner the vocal cords vibrate.
Articulation: refers to the speech sounds that are produced to
form the words of language. The mechanism comprises the lips,
tongue, teeth, jaw and plate.
Language: is an arbitrary system of abstract symbols agreed
upon by a group of people to communicate their thoughts and
feelings. In spoken language, spelling is substituted for
articulation.

How breath can enhance the performance of an

Actor?

1. Breath can connect mind, body and voice.

2. It can drive the will of the actor through sound and
language.
3. It can centre body and calm the mind, helping us
find stillness and focus by connecting with the
gravity centre of the body.
4. It can make us more aware.

5. It can helps to connect and interact within an

unbroken line of communication, we constantly
receive and transmit energy, breathing in response
from the other person an breathing out our
thoughts, feeling and action.
6. It can connect the actor to the theatre space and
the audience.
7. Breathing or inspiration can help us achieve
inspiration, that sense of the subconscious creative
forces taking over our performances and producing
rich and unpredictable qualities.
8. To be on the breath is the goal of any actor
because it releases the actors experience.

MOVEMENT

An actors body is his or instrument; therefore it must

be tuned to perform expertly whenever and however
needed. In addition to expanding body flexibility and
developing actors ability relax and tense when needed,
will also focus on breaking down inhibitions, bring
enable spirit, and providing the necessary tools to bring
physical dimension to all of their role.
Ideally, an actor should be thoroughly trained to deal
effectively with the three areas essential to perform on
the stage: acting, voice and movement. Although there
are many lucid, well written texts to aid one in the
acting and voice areas, there are none to equal them in
the movement field.

Before we begin to discuss movement for actors

training, we must address several questions. The first
is: what disciplines are not movement for actor
training? Mime, ballet, modern dance, jazz dance, Tai
Chai, karate, physical education, rolfing, fencing, stage
combat, approaches like Alexander technique and effort
shape, and so on- none of these disciplines is
movement for actor training in and themselves.
However, all the pioneers and teachers of movement
for actor began as student of this disciplines because
they are not programme target for actors: they had to
find elements of training, they could adopt to the task.
It is certainly beneficial for the actors movement
instructor to be exposed to so many of these disciplines
as possible. But to think that any of them in its pure
form would be for the training of actors would be
mistake.
This leads us to a second question; What is movement
training for actors? It simply a programme divided in to
training session designed to provide actors with
awareness and control of their physical, mental, and
emotional instruments. Moreover, it should be designed
so that actor acquire techniques to deal with their own
alignment, tension, breathing, movement and acting
problems once the trainer is no longer there, in short, it
is a programme of instruction that guides talented,
intelligent, and sensitive individuals to become
versatile experts in their own stage movement
ultimately, then,
good actors movement training
should be the integration of mind, spirit and body.
Important lesson that the actor must learn are:

Proper alignment
Proper balance of tension and relaxation
Proper breathing techniques
Proper worm-up technique
An understanding of his or her body
An understanding of his or her personal
mannerisms
Understanding of basic movement element (time,
space, energy)
An understanding of the mind body- spirit
connection
The ability to work with others
The ability to work alone
Independent from constant monitoring
The ability to apply acting techniques to movement
problem
The ability to apply movement techniques to acting
problem
The art of centring
Proper use of internal and external techniques and
so on.

IMPROVISATION
A good acting is essentially an improvisation, meaning that best moments
are when an actor is alive and reacting to his surroundings in a truthful
way. Improvisation aims to utilize the two elements from everyday life:
spontaneous response to the unfolding of an unexpected situation, and
the ingenuity to deal with the situation.The word improvisation is used in
so many different contexts, for some people improvisation suggests no
more than making do- the need only to cope somehow with blocked
drains. For others there is still a sense of making do, but this time we are
drawing upon our imagination in order to try and achieve an objective we
have set ourselves. There is a further aspect of improvisation we meet in
day to day living: we continually have to adjust to whatever happens

around us. The more unexpected the happening, the more spontaneous
and frank the response is likely to be.
Improvisation: the skill of using bodies, space, all human resources, to
generate a coherent physical expression of an idea, event, a situation, a
character to do this spontaneously without preconception.
Improvisation is fundamental to all drama. All performance uses the body
of the actor, giving space and form to an idea, situation or text in the
moment of creation. It does not matter that the play rehearsed, speech
learned and practised. In the act of performance the actor becomes an
improviser. He hears the lines of his fellow performers as if for the first
time, each time, and respond to them, for the first time. He keeps within
the learned framework of the play; he does not make up new lines, or
alter the plays out come in a drastic way. Improvisation is a part of
natural acting, certainly. But, more importantly, acting is only one part of
the creative process of improvising.
Improvisation is physical response, including the verbal. It is immediate
and organic articulation; not just response, but an idea for the way human
reflect what happens. Where improvisation is the most effective, most
spontaneous, least shyness, it comes to a condition of integration with the
context. And simultaneously express that context in the most appropriate
shape, making it recognisable to others, realising it as act.
The hardest thing to learn is that failure does not matter. It does not have
to be brilliant every time- it cannot be. What is what happens; is what you
have created; is what you have to work with. What matter is to listen, to
watch, to add to what is happening rather than subtract from it. And to
avoid the reflex of trying to make it into something it ought to be, rather
than letting it become what it can be.
The most important moment in improvisation is when you dont know
what will happen next. Learning how to improvise may, therefore, be
rather more than just doing something on the spur of the moment. It
may even be something like a skill for living. Not just doing anything in
the moment, but learning how to make use of ourselves and as much of
the context as possible; learning how to fill the moment.
Improvisation is about order, and about adaption, and about truthfully
responding to changing circumstances and about generating meaning out
of contextual accidents. It is about failing, and about not mending failure.
It is about trying again, and about enjoying the process without straining
to get a known result. It is about creation.

Improvisation is not just a style or an acting technique; it is a dynamic

principle operating in many different spheres; an independent way of
being and doing.

OBSERVATION

Observation: to see things carefully. To become a good actor, one will have
to observe keenly. Observation is one of the most essential characteristic
features an artist must have. We see, but how often do not observe
carefully. Even when we observe carefully, we have fixed parameters of
observation because of which we go wrong. An artist must observe
himself, his immediate environment, natural surroundings, people him
meet, and various characters he comes across. When you are speaking to
someone, notice his face carefully. What do his eyes convey? What does
his voice express? See the movements of his limbs and his body language.
Observation should not be restricted to your brains and eyes but to all
parts of your body.
In this context always remember the 5 Ws-What, When, Where, Why and
Who? You will realise that your observation and memory will improve leaps
and bounds.

How do you enhance keen observation ?

1. Take a piece of paper and write the name of six friends. Note down
against their name, the colour of their eyes, the colour of their body,
hair style and colour of their clothing, their shoes, their body line,
the way they talk, their behaviour, their attitude and psychology all
from the last meeting you had with them.
2. When you are passing by a show room, see the things inside. Go
home and note down all the things you noticed. Go back the next
morning and check the showroom. See how many things you have
forgotten. Do this type of exercise regularly. Gradually, you will learn
to remember all things.
3. When you passing on a street or travelling by bus or train, see the
people around you, observe the environment, the weather, the
sound and so on. Go back home and close your eyes and try to see
what you have seen on the way.
4. Take a paper and list down all the things you have seen in the room
you are sitting in, without looking at them. Try to see that you dont
forget any of the things. Now check physically. You will be surprised

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to note that the things you must have seen so many times in the so
many times before, have not mentioned in your list. This time your
list will be longer. Slowly start doing this exercises by going to
others rooms or by going to friends rooms, relative rooms etc.
5. Keenly observe an object, see it shape and size, texture, height,
length, weight, colour close your eyes and try to see the object.
6. Look a painting carefully see the line, colour, balance, structure,
prospective and etc.
7. If you go to someones house, when you drink tea or water from the
cup offered to you, imagine the same container was used by
Chanakya, Chandragupta, Akber or some other great personality.
Now observe the container carefully and try to describe out of
memory.

IMAGINATION

Imagination is the root of all arts.

The actor needs imagination. The artist should have it in his nature to
learn any subject and think about it. Learn to get familiar with the
surrounding. He must learn to do comparative study. An artists
imagination should be healthy, dynamic, aware, alert, rich and active. To
become a powerful, complete and legendary actor, one must dream of it.
you must have the capability of creating in the colourful dream world, an
imagination of yourself. Only then your character will not be a dead
character. O It will be a powerful and alive character. Our aim to live in
the circumstances of a character while we are acting, to imagine we are
the character for that time, using our own being, experience, observation
and intuition to do that. So, any action on stage, screen or radio has to be
a combination of doing imagination.
When an artiste is able to put meaning in to the dialogues, through his
artistic and imaginative ability in to the dialogues gain substance and
become memorable. Note that everything is hidden in this simple
sentence- meaning, thought and not just words. If the actor can
understand with his imagination, the objective with which the words have
written, than even his voice can take on a terrific expression and bring
about liveliness in it. The audience too will understand and appreciate the
scene better. Otherwise the words will become flat and meaningless. The
words used in the dialogues are born out of thoughts and images and this

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leads to actors reacting with conviction. Audience goes to cinema halls or

theatres to understand the words and also the underlying, hidden subprospective, not just to here the dialogues, which they can even read at
home. Your imagination should have logic too. If you know the magic of
the 5Ws- Who, When, Where, Why and What, than your imaginary role
comes out as a completely lively performance.
The dramatist cannot supply everything that the actors need to know
about the characters. There may be little information in the script about
what had happened before the play begins. In the stage directions you
might read the instruction, Enter Harish or Exit Harish. Specifically
through, for an actor entering each scene we can hone them down to the
following:
Who am I? As myself the actor, or as the character in the script: My
name, senses of identity, what had formed in terms of background, family,
environment, class, education, key events.
Where am I? Where I have come from, where am I now, where am I
going? What is the specific place, the district, the town, the state, the
country and what is in the space around me (animals, plants, objects,
furniture)?
Why am I here? What events, people, relationship, and reason bring me
to this place?
What time is it?
epoch.

The time of the day, day and dates season, year,

Here these 4 Ws succinct because they are not only a form of analysis of
what circumstances comprises, but crucially a means of providing an
imaginative springboard for actually entering the circumstances and
emerging with them.
But you must need to know where you are coming from or where you are
going to. The actor has to fill out the given circumstances with his or her
imagination; otherwise there are gaps or blanks in the life of the role.
Here is another way to understand it:Who, When, Where, Why and What are the wives and How is the husband.
Based on the above, if his imagination and his creativity can go really far
then his performance will be excellent. When the actor reaches this level
his words and actions start coming spontaneously to him. His performance
should reveal clearly how his imagination has resulted in such a
performance.

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If you say a single word, or do anything on stage mechanically, without

knowing who you are, where you have come from, why, what you want,
where you are going and what you will do when you get there- you will be
acting imagination, and this part of your time on stage, be it short or long,
will not be truthful for you- you will be like a clockwork machine, an
automation.
Given below are a few exercises which will help your imagination.
1. When a simple question like Is it cold today? Or did you enjoy the
Ghajal programme? Is asked, then use your imaginative power and
try to remember small things or which people you met your way or
what happened in a gathering, try to imagine what might have
happened at pre and post Ghajal programme.
2. See a picture of an unknown person and guess who it is and how
might be doing physical activity at office or home. Try to know the
background, interests and nature by studying the picture.
Concentrate on the eyes , hair, clothes, the environment, the body
language and etc.
3. Dont think in an incomplete fashion. Get into the world of your
imagination completely.
4. While preparing for your roles, dont be vague in your thoughts. Try
out all possible, confirmed, regular description. Logical and
sequential thought process enhances imagination.
As long sa you distinguish between I and the character you are
playing till then your performance will be incomplete, insipid and
shallow. When you enter the world of that character by travelling on
the wings of your imagination, the characters life becomes your life
and the characters experience becomes your experience. At such
time, your performance does not remain dramatic but gets transformed
into reality thereby giving you the status of a legend.

ARISTOTLE
Aristotle (384-322 B.C), Greek Philosopher. Aristotle is the author of the
earliest extant philosophical defence of tragedy. His treatise is called Peri
poietike (On Poetry) in the Greek manuscripts, and it is often referred to in
English as the Poetics, but it is in fact devoted almost entirely to tragic
drama.

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Aristotle was born in Stagria, a village far to the north of Athens, the home
of tragedy. His father was court physician to the king of Macedon. In 367
B.C. when Aristotle was seventeen, he was sent to Athens to study with
the philosopher Plato (428-348 B.C.) in his school called the Academy. He
remained at the Academy for twenty years, until Plato died. By that time
he has begun to publish philosophical works himself. At first these works
were gracefully composed defences of his teachers philosophical system,
but gradually- perhaps at quiet an early point- he found it necessary to
introduce improvements which Plato and some of his orthodox students
could not have accepted. After Platos death, Aristotle spent some thirteen
years away from Athens, including five years in the East and last three
years in Macedon as the tutor of Alexander the Great (356-323). He
returned to Athens in 335 and set up his own school, called Lyceum after
the sanctuary of Apollo Lykeios in which it was located. He appears to
have published no more, but to have devoted himself instead to lecturing
and research. His interests ranged over the whole of philosophy as Plato
understood it, through his devotion to certain sciences, especially biology,
is peculiarly his own. In 323 B.C. Alexander died and a wave of AntiMacedonian feeling swept Athens. Aristotle said he wanted to prevent
Athens from sinning a second time against philosophy ( the first time
begin the execution of Platos teacher Socrates in 399 B.C.), He left the
city for a nearby island, but then died within a year, of a chronic digestive
trouble.
Plato argued that tragedies involves us emotionally by appealing to the
irrational, thus properly unconscious, part of our psyches- a part that play
a role in the lives of good men only when they sleep but that can make a
less good man incontinent, compulsive, criminal, or even insane in his
working hours as well as his dreams. This, Plato suggested, is why, in
order to move us, tragedies must show us stories like those of Oedipus
and Thyestes, in which appalling irrational fantasies are acted out before
the audience. Aristotle makes no direct comment on this theory in the
Poetics because his analysis of the irrational parts of the psyche was by
now quite different from Platos. In order to reconcile tragedy and
rationality, therefore, all that Aristotle had to argue in the Poetics was that
the arousal of irrational passions in the theatre helped, rather than
hindered, the achievement of balance between such natural drives. Plato
had argued that performance of tragedies increases mens susceptibility
to things like piety and fear. Aristotle insists on the contrary, that arouse
piety and fear only to flush them out. (His term katharsis could mean a
religious purification, as form pollution, or a flushing out, as in a medical
purgative. From his discussion of kathersis at Poetics, it would appear that
the latter is uppermost in his mind.) the fact that the arousal of pity and

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fear is pleasurable seemed sinister to Plato, but Aristotle argues that it is

merely the pleasure that accompanies any return to balance the health.

BHARATA MUNI

Natyasastra: a treatise on drama ascribed to the sage Bharata. The

Natyasastra is the chief discourse on Indian dramatic theory and practice
of the classical period. It accompanied and guided the course of all the
performing arts, with Sanskrit drama at their head. It must have
acknowledged as one of the worlds most remarkable treaties, not only on
drama itself, but on general aesthetics. Sanskrit drama, of which some
seven hundred plays exist, is distinguished, among much else for that
form of sophistication that accompanies aesthetic self-consciousness.
Several manuals of critical literature exist, among which the Natyasastra,
ascribed to Bharata, is the most impressive and probably the most
thorough and exclusive examination of principles of drama in existence.
Conjectures have ranged over several centuries; although at general
opinion places the author in about first century A.D. The frame in which
his work has come down to us, however, is generally thought to derive
from approximately the eight century. Bharat is traditionally held to have
ascended to heaven, where he oversees the daily production of play acted
by apsaras, or celestial sprits, for the pleasure of god. No sentences of a
play is to be written- nor movement to be performed- without reference to
the supreme authority.
Drama is conceived in the Natyasastra as the apex or confluence of all the
arts and thus aesthetic activity brought to its fullest and highest flowering.
Bharatas work contains a general theory of aesthetic: The end of the art
is to induce certainly by the strategy of depicting life in its actual
emotional excitement and at the same time of holding this picture at a
distance and remove all unpleasant experience of tension and stress. In
other words, arts give pleasure that is itself so serene as to be a step
toward the unlimited peace of the mystics meditation. It should be
exercised in the service religion. It is intrinsically neither moral nor
intellectual but spiritual. Hence lifes grosser aspects are no to be openly
represented. Bharata writes at length on all the arts, describing in the
greatest detail countless conventions of the stage, defining gesture,
dance, decor, and the rules for play writing, theatre architecture and
equipment, poetic composition, and, indeed for the entire gamut of

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theatrical production. The book avoids a narrowing or confining tyranny of

opinion by describing many types of plays, all legitimate through some
possessing much greater than others.
From the earliest times in India dance and drama have been in the closest
relationship. This condition is well exemplified by the highly extensive use
of symbolical gestures and finger movements prescribed for dancers and
actors alike. Most of the dancing has been dramatic and much of the
drama choreographic. The Natyashastra gives elaborate direction in these
regard. The dance impinges on mime and both on even the most literary
affected by this condition.
Bharata describes drama as the fifth Veda, a sacred art that appeals to all
class of mankind, both literate and illiterate, where as the more exalted
Vedas are reserved only for scholar and persons of formal education.
Drama is founded upon nine major Rasas or sentiments: the erotic, the
comic, the pathetic, the furious, the heroic, the terrible, the hateful, the
marvellous, and, finally the peaceful. From these are derived nine Bhavas
or sentiments, manifest in drama as love, laughter, pathos, anger, energy,
fear, disgust, wonder and quietude. Each character in dramas has been a
dominant rasa, though he may appear in its many variants. Each play also
has its dominant sentiments, such as erotic or pathetic. The play write is
instructed to conjugate his leading sentiment through as many derivatives
parts as possible. The Natyasastra deals in much with plot construction,
with conventions for the ceremonial opening of the play and the
conclusion and with the each act.
Shringar Rasa (Love), Hasya Rasa (Laughter), Karun Rasa
(Sadness), Veer Rasa (Bravery), Raudra Rasa (Anger), Adhbhuta
Rasa ( Wonderment), Bhibhats Rasa
( Repulsion), Bhayanak
Rasa(Fear), and Shanta Rasa (Tranquillity).

STANISLAVASKI

Stanislavski was born in Moscow, on January 5, 1863 the son of a rich

textile manufacture. He was baptised Konstantin Sergeyevich Alekseyev;
Stanislavski was a stage name he adopted later. Stanislavski
revolutionised our ideas about acting. His discoveries still from the basis
of actors training in the western theatre have great influence. But they
have often been misinterpreted and some important aspects of his work
remain acknowledged. The Stanislavski System emerged from his

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practice and struggles as an actor and director. He never saw it as a rigid

set of rules for an actor to follow; indeed, his ideas and methods were
continually changing and developing. He wrote, my System is the result
of lifelong researches.... I have tried to find a method of work for actors to
enable them to create the image of a character, breathe into it the inner
life of a human spirit and, through natural means, embody it on stage in a
beautiful, artistic form. The foundations for this method were my inquiries
in to the nature of an actor.
Stanislavskys lifelong searches into the nature of acting began when he
was seven years old and he was playing Winter in a family entertainment
about the Four Seasons. The actually felt self-conscious he did not know
where to look, or what he had to do. He had been given a stick and told to
mime putting it into the flame of a candle. Remember it is only make
believe, the other told him. Stanislavski decided to do it real. It seemed a
completely natural and logical action to Stanislavski. Looking back,
Stanislavski said that the experience taught him the importance of having
a purpose and a meaning in all your actions on the stage, and how
awkward you feel when these are missing.
The theatre, the circus and the opera fascinated him from an early age. At
home he created his own little circus troupe. Brothers, sisters and friends
performed as acrobats, clowns and even horses. Stanislavski was the
director and grabbed the best parts. His eldest brother, Vladimir, who
played the music, did not take it seriously. In the middle of the
performance, he would stop everything, and lie on the floor. The
performance was spoiled; all the reality was lost. And that was the most
important thing for us. Stanislavski said; it was necessary to believe it
was all serious and real- or it wasnt interesting. He concluded that
excitement was not enough- one must learn the value of restrain and
control, what he called a feeling of true measure. In 1881, he spent the
summer preparing two one-act comedies, trying to find this feeling of
true measure. Visitors, invited to watch rehearsals, fell asleep from
boredom. The actor spoke louder, and then the spectators complained
they were shouting. One visitor said that speed was important in a light
comedy. Stanislavski decided to cut the running time. At last, it seemed
they were playing at the right speed and volume but the same visitor told
them: I dont understand anything youre saying or anything youre doing.
Youre running about like a group of madmen. So they tried again. The
work was very painful, but the production results. The actors began to
speak more distinctly. But looking back, years later Stanislavski saw that
there was no inner life to the performances. It was speed for the sake
speed; technique for the sake of technique. And when thats the case,
there can be no feeling of truth. While, rehearsing a play called A

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Practical Man (1883), the company decided to live their roles throughout
the day. Whether they were walking in the garden or taking a meal, they
had to stay in the character, and act according to the plays given
circumstances. It was a significant development. Stanislavski began to
feel he was really living the role rather than simply showing off. It
became one of Stanislavskis basic principle Love the in yourself, not
yourself in art. Stanislavski worked tirelessly, almost obsessively, to
improve his voice, his moment and gestures, watching himself in the
mirror- a practice later he condemned. It is dangerous to use mirror. It
teaches the actor to look at himself from the outside, rather than looking
inside. He continued to copy other actors he had seen. This was a
common practice; indeed many drama teachers actively encouraged it.
But imitation of a favourite actor can only create an external method, and
not the inner soul. He felt, acutely the absence of any system or method
to his acting. In1885, he began to study acting at a drama school, but left
after three weeks the teacher he complained, were very good at showing
students the result results they should aim for... But nothing was said
about how to do it, what method and means to use to achieve the desired
result. There was no system. The famous Russian actor, Mikhail Shchepkin
(1788-1863), had died the year Stanislavski was borne, but his influence
on theatre remained. He introduced a new, realistic style of acting. He
declared: Take your models from life not from the stage. Stanislavski
tried to read trid to read everything what Shchepkin had written. A famous
Italian actor, Ernesto Rossi, saw the ply, and asked Stanislavski to come
and see him. He said Stanislavski that: god gave you everything for the
stage, for Othello, for the whole Shakespearean repertoire. Its in your own
hand. All you need is art. It will come, of course. Stanislavski asked him,
but where can I learn that art? And from whom I learn the art? Rossi
replied, if there is no great artist near you whom you can trust, I can
recommend only one teacher, and that is you yourself. And thus The
Stanislavski System emerged from his own practice and struggles as an
actor and a director. For the actors Stanislavski had written three major
books, first one is An actors prepare, second one is Building a
character and the last but not the least is Creating a role.
Throughout his life, Stanislavski sought way to help the actor to
achieve this condition: to find the secret source of
inspiration: to become someone else.

Magic If: In working on a role, you should ask yourself; what would I do
if I was in this situation? This helps to put you in the characters shoes,
Magic If acts as a lever, lifting us from the plane of reality, into the world

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where it is possible to create- the world of imagination. Magic If dos not

ask you to believe something is real. Everyone knows it isnt. You simply
act as if you were in this circumstance. Magic If leads to action- both
internal and external- and it does this witho ut force, In a natural way.
Given Circumstances: Stanislavski adds that this is also exactly what
we demand from the actor. What are the given circumstances? They are
all the factors that an actor must take into account as he or she creates a
character.
Firstly, there are the facts and events that happen in the play. The time
and setting can also affect the way the characters think and behave, and
their ways of relating to each other. The actor needs, moreover, to be
aware of all the elements of the mises en scene, such as the set of
lighting. Magic If and the given circumstances work together; you
imagine what you might do if you were in a particular situation.
Relaxation: Physical tension impairs an actors work. It hampers
movements and constricts the voice. You need ti relax your muscle on
stage, not only in calm movements, but also in movements of the highest
nervous and dramatic intensity. You should be able to monitor yourself,
and remove areas of unnecessary tension when they occur. The process of
self-observation must be developed to the point where it become an
automatic, unconscious habit. In all acting, relaxation is enhanced if you
think of a purpose to your action, as if you in a particular situation. The
movement immediately become a real action with a living objective: to
pick a peach. If you feel the truthfulness of the simple action, then you will
find that superfluous tension disappears quite naturally.
Units and Objectives: (Units)It is not possible to grasp a whole a role
or at once. So, the actor must, in rehearsal, break the play into the smaller
section or Units. What constitute a Unit? how do you define it? For
example Harish walk home. He tries to break his journey into units- going
down the stair, opening the door, stopping to look in a bookshop, etc. He
ends up thoroughly confused, with more than two hundred tiny units. Here
the journey seen simply as one single Large Unit, called going home. to
define a unit, look for where a new action begins- and where it ends. It
began when he set off, and ended when his goal was achieved.
(Objectives) In every unit there is a creative objective- a purpose, a
goal. Harish, for example, has a clear and simple objective: to go home.
Therefore, you need to define your characters objective in each unit. As
we have seen, an objective should be believable and should make you
want to carry it out. It should be defined using the phrase: I want to (e.g. I
want to go home). this immediately suggest the need, the desire for

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action. Every physical action, in fact, contains a psychological element

and vice versa; every psychological action gas a physical component. The
two thing cannot be separated.