Notes on Stanislavsky

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    Constantin Stanislavsky was a famous Russian actor, director, and teacher. Stanislavsky had a major influence on theater of the 20th century and he developed techniques such as the "Stanislavsky system/method." He published several books such as My Life in Art, Building a Character, and Creating a Role. Stanislavsky's goal for his methods was to portray believable, natural people on stage. Prior to and during his lifetime, most actors spoke in a grandiose tone and gestured in an over-the-top manner. Stanislavsky fathered todays style of acting in which actors immerse themselves into their characters as much as possible. Stanislavsky believed that the best performances were the most natural and realistic ones. Parts of his method included the "magic if," re-education, observation, motivation, and emotional memory. 

- The "magic if": "what would I do if I were in this situation?" natural reactions to events in the story 

- Re-education: rethink the way actors move and talk while onstage 

- Observation: observe others, physical traits and personalities 

- Motivation: what is my motivation?

- Emotional memory: feel the emotion, recall when you have experienced the emotion

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