We had an in-depth talk about the nine questions. I think we got too carried away with the discussion, so we only had one run-through of the script. We also divided the sections of the script up. From this rehearsal to the next, we will start memorizing lines for the first section. Next class, we will make sure to save enough time to run through our script at least twice and work on the first section of the scene.

5  ELements of Actor Preparation:

Relaxation- Learning to relax the muscles and eliminate physical tension while performing.

Concentration – learning to think like an actor and to respond to one’s own imagination.

Observation- Discovering the sensory base of the work: learning to memorize and recall sensations, often called “sense memory” and/or “affective memory”; learning to work from a small sensation and expand it, a technique called “spheres of attention.”

Communication- Developing the ability to interact with other performances spontaneously, and with an audience, without violating the world of play.

Imagination: The more fertile the actor’s imagination, the more interesting would be the choices made in terms of objectives, physical., action and creating the given circumstances around the character. There is no such thing as ‘actually’ on stage. Art is a product of the imagination, as the world of a dramatist should be. The aim of the actor should be to use his/her technique to turn the play into a theatrical reality. In this process, imagination plays the greatest part.

Constantine Stanislavski:

•Born in Moscow, Russia in 1863 (died:1938)

• An actor and moved on to become a director and teacher

• He developed a way of actor training and development– a new approach to acting

•It took years of experimenting to get to what is now known as the Stanislavski system

The work that Stan “the man” did help to create what we recognize as ‘good acting’ today. We even give awards to actors who can create the best characters

Additional information

•Most modern-day acting has roots in the Stanislavski system

•Prior to the Stanislavski system, there was something called Melodrama, it was more about looking like a character, unlike developing a character.

• Stanislavski looked at this system and realized from new inventions that people have different levels to them and adapted that to their character.

•It took years of experience to get to what is now known as the Stanislavski

•Though it was created in the 1900s, adaptations of the Stanislavski systems are still used today.

As an actor, Stanislacsk saw a lot of bad acting – what e termed as “artificial”

1.

I used to think improvisation was about being clever– thinking quickly on the spot and having a perfect execution on those ideas. Now I understand that improvisation is about going with the flow. Instead of being clever, it is about adding to the already done plot to enhance the scene. I’ve noticed that improvisation in a set starts with one person doing anything. Instead of the actor being super clever and taking the stage in a whole new direction, you can go with the flow: respond positively to what has already been happening in the scene and extend the plot (by merely saying “yes and…”).

2.

Through improvisation, I have noticed that failure is often present. When the scene doesn’t flow well, an unfitted relationship is established, or one person contributes more than the other. However, when we are scared of doing such things, it often makes failure occur. It’s what makes us stutter, sound unconfident, and pass down opportunities to make the scene incredibly interesting. This concept will stick with me beyond theatre class, as I am often scared of failure. If I’m ever anxious or stressed out, the fear of failure is what usually plays on my mind. I will often pass up opportunities because the ever-present fear of failing and making a fool out of myself is there. However, by realizing that the worst that could happen if I failed is to get up and try again, I could improve my mindset and avoid actual ‘failure’.

3.

I did well in extending the plot after my partner added on to something, the ‘yes and…’ part. I could respond quickly and makeup something that would provide a scene where the other actor could interact and establish relationships rapidly regarding the context. However, something that I could work on is creating lines to promote an open-ended question. After my improvisation, my partner often responds with only one sentence or a question instead of extending the plot. I think this may be because my line prompts are not open-ended enough. I think the only way to tackle this situation effectively is with more practice in interaction improvisation, specifically, or watching models of other scenes to practice and understand how a balanced peer improvisation scene looks like.

One of my earliest theatre memory was of the six-grade ISB play– Honk. I was timid back then, so participating in a drama production was overwhelming at first, but I was committed. I would practice my audition monologue to the point where all my friends and family knew it by heart, and I was truly nervous about the casting and performing in front of everyone. However, we were expected to stay after school nearly every day; I gave up many invitations, events, clubs for the play that I truly felt a sense of commitment to theatre. Also, as a sixth-grader, I felt really supported having all these older kids in the production help me through the process. I made friends with the actors (some with me in this very drama class or in IB theatre). Though I was only a part of the ensemble, I had so much fun and felt like part of the theatre community. I was once this shy kid, afraid to raise my hands in class. After that drama experience, I have not only become a better public speaker and got rid of my stage fright, I also grew up to be a more confident person. And ever since then, I have participated in every theatre opportunity given to me, bringing me to why I’m writing this blog post.

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