(2021). Editorial. Stanislavski Studies: Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 1-1.

ABSTRACT This paper undertakes a study of the Indian “So Sorry” political cartoon (politoon) series, drawing on the work of Russian acting theorist Konstantin Stanislavski. The paper aims to illuminate the cartoons through the prism of Stanislavski’s work. The contribution of this paper will be the application of some of Stanislavski’s key principles to the cartoon series. Thus the paper will provide

ABSTRACT Stanislavski’s attitude to the cinematic art in general and acting in particular changed throughout his life. On the one hand, Stanislavski’s initial negative position on filming actors from the MAT for the first silent films is well-known, but on the other, numerous colleagues who worked at the interface of theatre and cinema confirmed Stanislavski’s attention to the actor’s play within the

(2021). Experiencing Stanislavsky today, training and rehearsal for the psychophysical actor. Stanislavski Studies: Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 113-115.

ABSTRACT Konstantin Stanislavsky created his artistic method of psychological symbolism, trying to overcome the legacy of the socio-typological theatre of the nineteenth century, where the actors’ internal resources were aimed at reproducing recognizable social reflexes of consciousness. Alexander Ostrovsky`s theatre consolidated this tradition in Russian theatrical culture, offering a powerful ensemble

(2021). Rediscovering Stanislavsky. Stanislavski Studies: Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 109-113.

ABSTRACT This is the second article written from an investigation of the Opera-Dramatic Studio (1935–1938) unpublished files, held at the Moscow Art Theatre Museum between November 2017 and February 2018. In it, we try to present an analysis of some new aspects of Stanislavski’s preparation of the Studio’s faculty and his practice with the pupils. After a short introduction to the research, we present

ABSTRACT Stanislavsky distrusted cinema as a distraction for the actor and a poor substitute for the communion between audience and stage. His only intensive engagement with film came in 1923 when a Hollywood studio persuaded him to prepare a scenario about 16th-century Muscovy; but it and other proposed experiments remained unrealized. Nevertheless, the aesthetics and ethos of the Moscow Art Theatre

(2020). Editorial. Stanislavski Studies: Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 163-164.

ABSTRACT This essay discusses my direction of Tony Kushner’s translation of Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children and the ways in which I transposed my understanding of Stanislavski’s Method of Physical Action and my practice of Viewpoints to work with actors to make tangible the play’s anti-capitalist philosophy: by having them score their scripts with “payment” and “profit” rather than the typical

ABSTRACT This paper is based on a lecture/workshop I gave at the S-Word Symposium, held at the University of Malta in April 2019. The original lecture comprised of a PowerPoint presentation, outlining some of the most common problems faced by my BA Hons Acting and Actor Musician students at Rose Bruford College at the beginning of their second year of training. During this initial block of work in

ABSTRACT This article proposes to observe the relationship between the legacy of Constantin Stanislavski and Bertolt Brecht in Brazil, from the 1950s to the present, demarking the influences of both in the transformation of acting practices in the country as established from two moments: first, the construction of an inaugural epic mode of acting in the left-wing experience of the theatre company Teatro

ABSTRACT Haltung (variously translated as attitude, stance, bearing, posture or demeanour) is as central to Brecht’s approach as the concept of Super-Objective is to Stanislavsky’s. For the actor seeking to draw on both traditions, dialectical tensions can arise between Haltung/Attitude (a sociological construct, essentially fluctuating and inconsistent) and Super-Objective (a psychological concept

(2020). Phillip B. Zarrilli: a personal memoir. Stanislavski Studies: Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 165-166.

ABSTRACT Brecht’s “encounters” with Stanislavsky span the 1935 production of The Mother in New York and the 1953 Stanislavsky Conference in East Berlin, revealing the evolution in his thinking vis-à-vis his Russian counterpart. While the first encounter introduced him to American Method Acting as the epitome of dramatic theatre against which his epic theatre was aimed, it also convinced him that he

ABSTRACT Konstantin Stanislavski points out that emotions are like wild animals that can only be lured rather than approached directly; he urges his students not to try to force emotions to arrive, as feelings are independent of the will and cannot be manipulated. Like a whisperer, the actor should lure emotions, gently invite them in, approach them indirectly, instead of “going after” them and scaring

(2020). Objectives, obstacles and tactics in practice: perspectives on activating the actor. Stanislavski Studies: Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 265-267.

(2020). Victor Simov: Stanislavsky’s designer. Stanislavski Studies: Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 267-269.

ABSTRACT This article discusses Katie Mitchell’s Events technique. I locate the technique within the Stanislavskian tradition and identify the ways in which it differs from the approach of other practitioners, analysing the advantages and disadvantages of Mitchell’s approach. Katie Mitchell’s significance as a pedagogue of directors and actors in addition to her role as one of Britain’s leading theatre

ABSTRACT This is the first of a series of two articles written as an investigation of the Opera-Dramatic Studio (1935–1938) unpublished files, held at the Moscow Art Theatre Museum, between November 2017 and February 2018. In it, I try to present an analysis of some new aspects of Stanislavski’s preparation of the Studio’s faculty and his practice with the pupils. After a short introduction to the

ABSTRACT Using Stanislavsky’s pre-System work as a case-study, this essay documents a recent experiment in “practice-based theatre histories”, where the teaching and research of historical material is treated as an embodied experience, lived through in the practice of the studio or performance. The core of the essay provides some suggestions for practice which draw attention to a number of techniques

ABSTRACT In my previous article (Stanislavski Studies, Vol. 6, Issue 1, May 2018), based on the Practice as Research at DAMU in Prague, I described my work with actors and practitioners, using an introductory conditioning set of exercises as part of my own technique, the Yoga of Acting. The Yoga of Acting uses a three-tier system to allow the actor an experience of self, whilst imbricating that experience

ABSTRACT The theatrical Avant-Garde at the beginning of the 20th century in Russian culture produced many practitioners and theories which changed the theatre industry and influenced the development of world theatre for generations. Among them, Stanislavski’s Method of Physical Actions and Active Analysis are widely used, while Evreinov’s unique Monodrama still remains relatively unknown. This paper

ABSTRACT ”Perspective“ is a notion present in Stanislavski’s “system” but not as commonly used in acting practice as “given circumstances” or “objectives”. It deals with the future and with the verbal action. Its use for actors was renewed by the Russian director Anatoly Vasiliev in his work on conceptual texts using the term “reverse perspective”, which has a rich background in art theory, especially

ABSTRACT This article is a continuation of a previously published one and talks about my own research project, with a focus on various meditation techniques, used as un underlying principle of breath to observe possible spiritual ways of preparing the actor towards what Stanislavski defines as the creative state or as experiencing “the life of the human soul” on the stage. Following the odyssey of

ABSTRACT A memorial piece for our late colleague Professor Simon Trussler, editorial advisory board member, Emeritus Professor, Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance (UK).

ABSTRACT This article presents the acting method that the important Greek actor Dimitris Kataleifos uses when approaching a role by presenting and analysing his work process as it is presented in the theatrical notebooks that he keeps. These notebooks concentrate the way that he analyses, synthesizes and approaches each character. They comprise notes on the role’s history, his background, his habits

ABSTRACT This paper describes my initial attempts to create a believable Virtual Actor: an autonomous computer graphic character depiction that can convincingly portray actions and emotions in-the-moment, in real-time response to given circumstances of a dramatic context. The focus here is on the journey so far; and on some of the discoveries and realizations that have emerged from research and creative

ABSTRACT In October of 2018, Backstage published an article by Alex Yates called “The Definitive Guide to the Stanislavski Acting Technique”. This was a very cursory and superficial description of his life and some of his ideas. It was certainly in no way “definitive”. In fact, it perpetuated some common misconceptions about his work. For instance, it says he merely “dabbled in the performing arts

ABSTRACT Although the title “Building a Character”, may not have been coined by Stanislavski himself, certainly, the idea of construction may be linked to his work. His system may be viewed in terms of a giant artistic edifice that is still alive today. This essay will therefore establish links between Stanislavski’s vision of theatre, as expressed mainly through his writings, and architecture, focusing

ABSTRACT The paper discusses the cultural context of the expression „Я есмь“/”I am being” in Stanislavski system and his book An Actor’s Work: A Student’s Diary – part 1. It explains the relation of this term to the concepts of acting of experiencing (переживание) and supertask (сверхзадача) and Vladimir Solovyov’s philosophy. The connection between Stanislavski’s system, the acting of experiencing

ABSTRACT Adopting and adapting Giorgio Strehler’s notion of treating a great play as a series of nesting boxes, I intend to examine the contexts of Stanislavsky’s life and work as Matryoshka dolls, ever widening in significance. The first, most compact box is the biographical: the influence of family, education, theatrical experience, and cultural background on his artistic programme. It is set within

For our fifth annual event, we aim to explore all aspects of Stanislavsky’s relationship with and impact upon all aspects of the contemporary media – film, television, radio, electronic media, print and journalism, and via still and moving images, sound and music. We now invite proposals for papers (20 minutes duration), practical workshops (40 minutes duration) and panel presentations (60 minutes

ABSTRACT “Relationship, paradoxical curiosity, creativity and risk” are four elements identified John Paul Lederach as necessary for peacebuilding and conflict transformation. The ability to imagine a web of relationships, to be curious about people and their lives as well as being able to image the “other” and take risks are all qualities actors learn through studying Stanislavski’s methodology. Based

ABSTRACT This article traces the approaches to actor training offered in Australia based on the training backgrounds of influential teachers. The research for this article finds international connections that reveal strong links to approaches originating with Konstantin Stanislavski and Bertolt Brecht. It seeks to understand with whom a teacher studied to explain what was probably learnt and therefore

At least since Denis Diderot’s 18 century essay, Paradoxe Sur Le Comedien (c.1773), the question about what, precisely, constitutes the nature of acting has been hotly debated, both within the acting profession itself (as part of an actor’s practice) and, more theoretically, within academia. Indeed, a concern relating to the actor’s apparent transformation into someone else is already present in Plato

ABSTRACT Theatre artists and philosophers all over the centuries have often pointed out the existence of two levels within every phenomenon; we call this thought “Dualism”. During the last centuries, many have focused on a specific, although traditional, example of dualism, which envisions a superior, transcendent reality – that is not connected to ours -. The performer can create such a connection

ABSTRACT Expressed through many possible Orthodox concepts, such as “soul”, “heart”, “love”, “beauty” and “truth”, scattered throughout all his writings, Konstantin Stanislavski’s personal religious feelings seemed constantly to have shaped his life-long sense of an artistic spirituality. Yet, in spite of this presence, the Christian Orthodox connections appear to be neither properly analysed nor fully

ABSTRACT Pedagogy and methodology for acting curriculum is consistent among universities in the United States. Students are introduced to acting principles formulated by Konstantin Stanislavski, Sanford Meisner, Uta Hagen, Robert Cohen, Jerzy Grotowski, Robert Benedetti, Lee Strasberg, and other experts in the field. This is not always the case for musical theatre acting courses offered by these same

ABSTRACT This article follows on from a previous exploration (published in Vol. 6, # 1, May 2018) into the links between current psychological concepts of emotional and spiritual intelligence and Stanislavskian-based principles; here considering how aspects of both might be integrated into current training programmes. The author starts by outlining some key findings from a recent research project and

ABSTRACT This is the third of a four-part series of interrelated articles discussing the pedagogical, ideological, and sociological functions of the audition process in drama school training. For this third paper, we have re-interviewed our contributors in 2019, as they come towards the end of their formal training. We have asked them to compare their experiences of professional auditions with their

Early in April, the fourth international S Word symposium took place at the Valletta campus of the University of Malta. Taking as it’s focus Stanislavski in Context, the event, which attracted delegates from the USA, Canada, Australia, the UK, Czech Republic, Russia, Poland and Belgium, included keynote addresses by Professor Laurence Senelick (Tufts University) and Professor Vicki Ann Cremona (University

ABSTRACT In performance, it naturally occurs to the actor to become aware of her emotions, inner spirit, and physical agility, and Stanislavski established exercises to hone the understanding of these three realms. He found that there is an indissoluble link between internal sensation and physical expression, and he studied this phenomenon as the crux of his research. By the 1910s and 1920s – a culture

ABSTRACT This article examines my journey into the concepts and practice of Stanislavski-based Active Analysis from my initial encounter in writings, through the embodiment of practice during the S Word: A Practical Acting Laboratory, and finally through applying current cognitive science theories to see if and how they connect. I begin with my investigation into Stanislavski’s work and the general

ABSTRACT This article reviews the findings of an actor’s laboratory lead by Native American actor-educator, Kimberly Guerrero, at The S Word Conference in 2018. This practice-based research centres around the question, “Is it possible to intentionally transform performance into a healing ceremony?” The lab utilized the format of an indigenous Talking Circle, as 12 participants from around the globe

ABSTRACT This article will quantify the larger benefits of two techniques created by Tina Packer of Shakespeare & Company. The first technique, being the application of “massage” to text work. I will explore how this process, engages what Stanislavski referred to as the three impelling energy centres “mind”, “will” and “feeling” and how in turn, this process towards “embodying the role”, engages the

ABSTRACT This article is an investigation into the difference between reaction and counter-action. The question arose during my experience of Active Analysis at the Stanislavski Acting Laboratory in California Riverside University. In the Meisner technique the emphasis lies on instinctive reaction, whereas in Stanislavski’s Active Analysis the action and counter-action are emphasised. Counter-action

ABSTRACT Reading Sharon Carnicke’s research about Active Analysis (2010, 2016) led me to make connections between this technique and my own directing and teaching practice. Bella Merlin too records a process she encountered in Russia which emerges from the work of Maria Knebel (Merlin 2001). This description also resonated with me strongly in my use of Impulse Work, a term that Melbourne theatre practitioners

ABSTRACT A sharing of practice-based research occurring in actor training labs, this paper will explore subjective findings regarding a new technique called Inhabiting, with reference to inspiration gained at The S-Word Symposium. Investigation of the author’s early psychophysical experiences as theatre practitioner form the foundation of this research. The goal of this work has been to define a new

ABSTRACT In 2016, Drs. Paul Fryer (Stanislavski Centre, Rose Bruford College for Theatre and Performance) and Bella Merlin (department of Theatre, Film and Digital Production at the University of California, Riverside) co-created “The S Word”, a series of international events intended to provoke new inquiry and stir up debate concerning Stanislavski’s place in twenty-first-century acting. The third

Directing with the Michael Chekhov Technique is a much welcome addition to exploring Chekhov’s methodologies as the examination of the work of Russian theatre practitioners continues to gather apace in the West. There are several works on his technique from an acting practitioner’s perspective, such as Lenard Petit’s The Michael Chekhov Handbook (2009) with Sinead Rushe’s Michael Chekhov’s Acting Technique

ABSTRACT This article stems from practice-based research conducted during the 2018 S-Word conference hosted by the University of California, Riverside. As a psychology professor and theatre professor, we take a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to examine the roles of reciprocity, empathy, and power dynamics. We ground our exploration in a participatory theatre exercise that emphasized varying

ABSTRACT This essay describes the genesis, process, and results of an experiment on Active Analysis (as developed by Stanislavsky and his protégé Maria Knebel) that was conducted by the author and fifteen actors at the 2018 S Word Symposium at the University of California, Riverside. The experiment was designed to interrogate the boundary between “improvisations” and improvisatory “etudes,” which lie

As this text is aimed at directors as well as those in training, I would have liked Monday to counter the above preconception of a director’s role and not see this as an absolute. There is no doubt that many directors do not always support the work of characterization as much as they could or should! Yet, this over-generalization does not help in the future development of training directors in how

ABSTRACT A transcript of a keynote address given by the late Richard Hornby at the Sanford Meisner symposium, The Reality of Doing, a one-day event presented at Rose Bruford College in 2011.

ABSTRACT This is the second of a four-part series of interrelated articles discussing the pedagogical, ideological, and sociological functions of the audition process in drama school training. This article addresses the “callback” audition experience via the analytical framework of Actor Network Theory and with special reference to the construction of self-identities. In our work, we recognize that

ABSTRACT This article reveals and reviews the degree to which and in what aspects, the significant Greek director, Karolos Koun, was influenced and inspired by the writings of Konstantin Stanislavski and the accomplishments of the Moscow Art Theatre. It presents a brief overview of Koun’s Theatro Technis history and its endeavours. It argues that Stanislavski had a significant impact on Koun in relation

ABSTRACT In the light of the current century being described by various cultural theorists as dominated by a “games” or “ludic” paradigm, the first part of this two part study aims to identify a “malaise” in conventional realist approaches to staging fictional dramatic texts in the UK, and the consequent appearance of a new mode of performance influenced by a “ludic” social paradigm. This new mode

Pursued by a Bear) both of which have “remained solvent while producing critically acclaimed work in New York.” These graduate companies have materialized, so Zazzali argues, directly out of evolving pedagogies at the leading US university programmes. PigPen for instance developed out of “Carnegie’s Playground [my italics], a practice that continues today with classes being suspended for a week, as

ABSTRACT Stanislavski’s Eastern influence and his persistent fascination with Yoga is an established area of research. Stanislavski has two major yogic influences in the System: Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga. The first is about training the body through postures, movements, stances, and breathing exercises to make it active, relaxed, and energetic. The second includes a range of exclusive practices on concentration