Stringent Strindberg

Using a good, reliable, relevant, specific source create a post including the following...

Some biographical detail on Strindberg.

A quotation from or about Strindberg or from or about his works.


A link to a review of one of his works.


No repetition allowed.

Site all sources used.

Stanislavski in the Studio

Reflect on the Studio activities we have completed over the last few weeks.

Pick one that you think would be most beneficial to the actor when creating a character.

State the activity.
Explain how it would support an actor when creating a character.
Explain how it would help an actor understand the psychology of a character.
Make mention of how you could develop or extend the activity to get greater understanding of the character.

The Government Inspector by Nicolai Gogol

...or The Inspector General by Nicolay Gogol

Find out and post...

1.  Some brief biographical details about Gogol
2. Some brief details about the geographical, social and political context the play was written in
3.  Some brief details about the play itself; plot, themes, character, performances.

Naturalistic Exercises

Working with Naturalistic Exercises

Recently we have been studying and using exercises that focus on:

Awareness of Muscles

Control of Muscles

Observation of Everyday Activities
Centers of Gravity

Consider these questions...

To what extent are the type of exercises we have been working with of use to...

a) the acting student
b) the actor
c) anyone and everyone in everday life
d) you

Refer to specific exercises in your answers

The Actors Studio

The Actors Studio

http://www.theactorsstudio.org/

A simple task this week...

Visit this website.
Explore.
Read what it says under the tab marked Our History

Publish a comment that includes...

One almunus (famous former student) of The Actors Studio that you have heard of and at least two (prefereably more) pieces of their work (that you have also heard of)

Once a person has been posted you cannot repeat the name.

Go!

The Great Naturalistic Playwrights

The Great Naturalistic Playwrights

The two most notable Naturalistic playwrights are Anton Chekhov and Henrik Ibsen

Chekhov worked with Stanislavski at the Moscow Art Theatre.
Ibsen is widely referred to as the 'father' of modern drama.
(Pretty strong references...I think you'll agree)

These authors believed in the acting method that was proposed and developed by Stanislavski; their plays had scenic reality, a linear timeline, thematic realism etc...

Basically they were written with this method of acting in mind.

For each of the following plays provide a short summary that makes note of the main events of the play, some of the characters, the moral/message and the context (time and place).

Anton Chekov

Three Sisters

The Cherry Orchard

The Seagull

Uncle Vanya

An Enemy of the People

Henrik Ibsen

Hedda Gabler

Ghosts

Peer Gynt

A Doll's House

Magic If...

Magic if...

It is not always easy to think of good quality 'magic if...' questions to propose for characters.

Over years I have developed a bank of questions in my head that I have picked up from different; exercises, situations, roles and people.

Each of you is to write five good quality questions that would help you explore any character. 

They should not be closed questions (ones that would solicit a yes or no answer),nor should they be preference stating questions.

They should simply include the word 'if'...there is no other guidance.

Remember to look over other people's posts if you post first.

Simples!

What's a practitioner?

Practitioners

A practitioner, in theatre terms, refers to a figure in the field of performing arts who has, in some was, redefined the area in which they work.  You need to be aware of a whole series of practitioners in order to fully appreciate the development of the theory of the stage.  During classes we will be exploring the work of Stanislavski; this study will be supported if you all have a basic understanding of the practitioners that came after him.

Each of you is to research one of the names on the list below and post a six bullet point overview of their life and work.  

You are not to create the list from the first six things you find out.  Visit a series of sources and decide what six key details you should include to well represent the figure.

Practitioners

Bertolt Brecht

Antonin Artaud

Edward Gordon Craig

Peter Brook

Lee Strasberg

Augusto Boal

Keith Johnstone

Make sure your response is of a decent length and include the sources you use at the end.

The System

Constantin Stanislavski and The System

 In the early part of the 20th century Constantin Stanislavski, a Russian actor and theatre director, changed the nature of performance permanently.  Once Stanislavski's 'System' had been conceived, codified, developed and practiced it spread throughout the developed world.

Stanislavski's ideas, theories, methodology and pedagogy still underpin all modern performance theory.

As we go through our learning together we will always share the workload.  

You will learn more from each other than you ever will from me, and that is how it should be!

Each of you is to complete a piece of research into one of the areas of Stanislavski's system which are listed below.

You are not to copy and paste; I will put random sections into a clever search engine which will tell me whether you have plagiarised work and where from.

Write about what the term means; what you understand it to mean; your thoughts and opinions on it.

Try to complete all the terms between you.  Feel free to comment on each other's posts.  

Once you have completed 'your bit' keep checking back to see the progress; everyone should check in before the next lesson.

Elements of The System

Communion

Emotion Memory

Given Circumstances

Imagination

Magic If

Objectives

Super - Objective 

Relaxation (of Muscles)

Symbolism

Tempo -Rhythm

Units / Episodes

Through Line of Action 

If everyone does two then we're onto a winner.

No copying and pasting allowed!

Try to take pleasure in the gathering of knowledge.