practitioners

practitioners

1. Stanislavsky

   • given circumstance
     • helps actors to build characterisation, giving them information that stage directions may not. information such as how old? where from? what's their situation? etc.
       • having a given circumstance gives the actors an idea of who their character is so they are able to later use this for character development and using the "magic if"
   • "if"
     • also known as the "magic if"- actors are tasked to put themselves in the character's situation, asking themselves "what would I do in this situation"
       • this technique is significant as it makes each reaction more natural and life-like, allowing for a better connection with the audience if they believe the actor actually truly feels what they are saying
   • emotional memory
     • when the actor finds a real past experience where they felt a similar emotion to that demanded by the role
       • this helps to bring the role to life
   • subtext
     • the actual meaning and motivation behind the text (dialogue) or actions taken. for example "I hate you" can be assumed to be an angry/ tense moment. however if the actor was to say the line in a sarcastic tone or whilst laughing then we would assume that she was simply joking, perhaps being flirtatious
   • method of physical actions
     • how a physical action can release necessary emotions. for example imagine opening a door. now imagine opening a door after learning your partner had cheated on you. there will be a significant change in how you perform that simple task which translates necessary emotions to the audience without dialogue.
   • objective
     • super-objective
       • an over-reaching objective, usually what the character wishes to achieve as the outcome of the play. the core idea of the play, what the series of events are based around. a character's objectives are likely stepping-stones throughout the play to reach the super-objective
     • through-line
       • occurs when the journey is perceived as a clear path to the super-objective. such as the wizard of oz
     • the reason for our actions, what are we trying to achieve? circumstances present us with barriers which we constantly strive to overcome. these objectives appear throughout the scene, with characters constantly aiming to break through the barriers
   • facts
     • his work is influential in present day theatre as new practitioners are able to develop on the technique without being restricted by it
     • konstanin Stanislavsky
     • created a "system" of how to approach or write a play,
     • helped to found Moscow Art Theatre
     • 1863-1938
   • naturalism
     • stage time = real time
     • life-like naturalistic vocal and physical features
     • "slice of life"
   • circles of attention
     • first circle- avoids distraction, actors concentrate on themselves- "solitude in public". to avoid unnecessary tension
     • second circle- the actor becomes aware of the character they are addressing
     • third circle- the actors become aware of everyone else on stage with them in the production
     • in stanislavsky's style there is no direct awareness of the audience, they sit behind the "fourth wall". this allows the actors to focus and concentrate on themselves to be able to give a convincing performance without consciously being aware of an audience watching them which creates unnecessary tension
     • if all actors remain in the inner circle the production will lose cohesion, it is the director's job to bring back cohesion whilst prompting all actors to reach their full emotional potential
   • improvisation
     • a crucial element of this style as the rehearsal process and Stanislavsky wanted the actors to reach within themselves in creating a role
   • character development
     • characters are developed through given circumstance rather than text itself. actors must ask themselves as the character "where am I?, what time is it? how did I get here? what do I need to do? how can I do it? "
   • analysis of text
     • an actor may approach the script with stanislavksy's techniques, breaking it down into objectives, analysing the text to discover key information about the character for "given circumstance"
   • actor developments
     • Stanislavsky argued that all actors were able to live up to physical demands of a role. these demands may be athletic, emotional intensity or vocal strength
       • he felt that an actor should regard their body in the same light as tuning an instrument. it should be trained and tuned so an actor can perform effectively

2. Brecht

   • epic theatre
     • form of didactic drama
       • presenting a series of loosely connected scenes that avoid illusion
   • improvisation
   • gestus
     • these are movements that attach to a character to represent them throughout the play designed to capture a moment or attitude with a movement rather than delving into emotion
   • spass
     • translates to "fun"- designed to add moments of comedy into serious moments. prompting the audience to ask themselves why they laughed, to question themselves morally and to question society
   • alienation effect
     • a technique designed to distance the audience form emotional involvement with jolting reminders o fthe artificiality throughout the performance
     • placards are used to alienate the audience and to interject moments of artificiality into the scenes by narrating or announcing when the scenes will start
   • facts
     • marxism
       • believes that we live in a capitalist society where the ruling class exploit the working class for profit. he addresses social class and social injustice his work
     • 1898-1956
   • character development
     • little to no development of characterisation as actors will often break character to address the audience directly, making its hard for the audience to recognise a character that isn't being played by an actor
   • experimentation
     • the structure of the plays are often experimented, with the order of the scenes often being a disconnected montage and the structure being non-linear and sometimes cyclic
   • analysis of text
     • the actors should understand what message they are trying to send but it is for the audience to analyse and interpret the play however they please, prompting controversial topics
   • production
     • bare staging to stop the audience becoming absorbed in a fictional reality
       • happenings behind the scenes should be left exposed such as wires and stage lighting or the wings/ back wall to further emphasise to the audience they are watching a play
     • music is meant to comment on the action onstage rather than adding to the mood
   • actor developments
     • actors should not be 100% connected with the character, they should be aware that they are playing a role and the audience should be aware of this too
   • relationship with audience
     • often addresses audiences directly with use of analysis, argument and text
     • aimed to "break the fourth wall" and remind the audience that they are watching a play, prompting them to become invested with the message the play is sending rather than becoming emotionally involved with the characters

3. Artaud

   • stagecraft
     • lighting, costume, colour have to stand out as add to mood, audience have no choice but to focus on them
       • the audience's senses were assaulted by piercing and hypnotising sound joined with harsh, bright lights, hence the word cruelty
         • using spectacle and sensation, Artaud wanted to hypnotise the audience and bring them into a metaphysical reality they had not experienced before
     • mood is a significant factor of the theatre of cruelty, with the actual plot appearing illogical or abstract forcing the audience to latch onto the character's emotions
       • this was achieved through dark/dim lighting and the use of shadow work through black-box lighting as well as eerie, piercing music designed to add to the mood of the play
     • there would be little to no set as the focus, again, remains on the actors emotional state
   • acting and characteristics
     • all characteristics are largely over-exaggerated and abstract, designed to clearly present emotions
     • the actors are encouraged to openly use and display emotions and were encouraged to stay away from the use of one emotion, with mood swings creating a drastic contrast and throwing the audience off guard
   • theatre of cruelty
     • Artaud's aim was not to reflect the reality of every day life but to reflect the reality of the extraordinary
     • this technique was d3signed to assault the audience's senses, making them feel uneasy
     • abstract
   • surrealism
     • surrealism aims to unlock the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example with the use of juxtaposing imagery
       • helps people to go beyond rational thought
   • relationship with audience
     • he aimed to appeal to the irrational mind, one not conditioned by society
     • Artaud wished to attack the audience's senses leaving them vulnerable and to push them beyond their comfort zones
     • the relationship with the audience and actors was intimate. Artaud wanted the staging to take place with the audience in the centre so that they were surrounded by action. this would further assault and exploit the audience's emotions as they would be constantly unaware of what will happen next and from which direction
       • he developed the idea of having actors in all four corners which became a revolutionary idea as it further meant that the audience was constantly on edge and weary of the environment around them
       • galeries and catwalks allowed actors to look down on the audience, trapping them
   • personal mental health
     • tortured poet
     • spent many years in hospital and sanitoriums
     • nervous disorders and instability
   • visual poetry
     • mime, gestures and dance
       • would often create violent and disturbing images designed to shock the audience
         • these violent images would often remain in the minds of the audience leaving a lasting impression and making them think beyond reality
     • movement is seen as a key element, replacing speech and text as he believed movement can carry deeper meaning than words
   • research
     • Antonin Artaud
     • 1886-1901
   • experimentation
     • Artaud experimented a lot with the actor-audience relationship and wanted the audience to become immersed in the performance
   • improvisation
     • there is a significant emphasis on improvisation and no written scripts. due to lack of dialogue, actors would be expected to use abstract noises, screams and levels of breathing to present a character's emotions to the audience
   • character development
     • avoided the use of stereotypes and individual characterisation, Artaud wanted his work to be an abstract blur of emotions rather than development of character or plot
   • analysis of text
     • all of his work was personal
     • his work is not easily interpreted in the modern day and his theories are not an accessible form to understand
     • emphasis of written text is significantly reduced as text was viewed as a less-powerful component (Artaud believed that movement had a deeper meaning than words)
   • actor development
     • not only does theatre of cruelty push the audience beyond their limits, it aims to push the actors out of their comfort zones also, creating a united sense of uncertainty and tension