Stanislavski Lesson 3 - Given Circumstances

Stanislavski Lesson 3 - Given Circumstances

1. Who Am I?

   • My character is Sarah
     • Sarah is 15 years old
     • She lives with her mother as her father is in prison and her older sister has moved out
       • She idolises her father and misses him greatly
         • His absence has left her shaken and vulnerable
           • This could lead her down a bad path (as established in more detail in 'Where Am I?')
       • She feels in competition with her sister from her mothers constant praise directed towards her
         • This brings out her toxic and resentful side of her personality
     • She likes to go out with her friends and socialise
       • When her their financial situation declined, her mother could not supply her with the money to go out with her friends anymore
         • Sarah was caught stealing money out of her mother's bag as for this purpose
           • Her mother struck her for this
     • Sarah was a pretty normal girl before her father's departure
       • All of this shows how big of a part her father's leaving is in her identity - it has effected her deeply
     • Sarah tries to fit in/maintain social status - this is important to her
       • This is shown by the fact that she no longer brings home friends from school, perhaps through embarrassment at the state of her livelihood
       • This is also shown by her need to participate in out of school activities with peers

2. Where Am I?

   • Sarah's mother has no clue to where she has gone
     • She has asked all Sarah's known peers and loved ones if they know her whereabouts in her search for her, but nobody has seen her
       • This would mean Sarah has gone somewhere that has been arranged secretly
         • This would be probable due to her and her mother's poor communication
         • Her mother does not know much about her social life, so she could be staying with new friends
           • This may be the safest possibility, but could also be very dangerous, depending on who the 'friend' is
             • Her mother said that she may have been lead towards a bad crowd since she was effected by her father's sentence (she was vulnerable and shaken)
               • In conclusion, Sarah is probably in danger
       • This could also mean Sarah does not know where she is going and is lost
         • This would make her harder to find
         • This would put her at greater risk
         • This is less probable, due to the amount of times Sarah has tried to escape - this would give her preparation time
           • It is also less probable because there was no argument to prompt her to leave in a hurry without thinking

3. What Am I Doing?

   • Sarah is running away from home
     • She is escaping her mother and their love hate relationship
     • She is escaping the grief of her father's leave
     • She is escaping her sister's influence
     • She is running from the embarrassment of her life
     • She has a purpose as she has obviously thought her disappearance through

4. How Am I Feeling?

   • Sarah feels fed up of her life at home and feels the need to leave
     • See 'What Happened Before The Scene?'
   • She feels trapped in her current situation
   • The fact that she has been persuaded to say multiple times before shows that she may see the disadvantages of leaving, too
     • Maybe she is not as hot-headed as she seems
     • Such as missing her mother
     • She may see that she cannot survive well on her own
       • These would lead to her regret and sadness and mixed emotion
     • This may also mean that her desire to flee has been amplified somehow
       • This would be something private as her mother said that there were no arguments leading up to her disappearance
         • If this were the case, Sarah would be feeling very alone and confused, too
   • In conclusion, Sarah would not be feeling that great right now

5. What Happened Before The Scene?

   • Before the scene, Sarah had tried to run away before but had been caught in the act by her mother and persuaded otherwise
   • Sarah comes from a broken home
     • Her father is in prison for abusing her mother
     • They are no longer financially stable
   • Her relationship with her mother is not healthy
     • They have frequent arguments
     • Her mother does not make time for Sarah very often
     • Her mother has slapped her before
   • Her relationship with her older sister is unhealthy
     • Her sister has moved out and has a steady job and a loving partner
     • Sarah feels that she lives in her sisters shadow
       • This competition has lead them to a love hate relationship
     • They have infrequent contact as her sister has 'escaped' the house and doesn't want much more to do with it

6. Given Circumstances

   • The Given Circumstances are all the facts an actor needs to know about a character
   • In a play these are written by the playwright in stage directions and dialogue and interpreted by the actor and director
   • In an improvisation or acting exercise they are created by the actors use of imagination
   • The actor has to ask questions about their character - 1. Who am I? 2. Where am I? 3. What am I doing? 4. What am I feeling? 5. What happened before?
   • The Rehearsal exercise of “hot-seating “can help an actor to build, develop and add more depth to their interpretation of a, character