An Interesting Resource explaining some Brechtian Techniques

http://web.mit.edu/allanmc/www/brecht.pdf

In-class writing on Stanislavski wrap-up

In-class writing on Stanislavski:

1. What have you learned about him and how can you apply that to your own acting/performance practice? 

2. Why is he useful in terms of studying theater? 

3. What do you think are the pros and cons to using his method?

Some Brecht resources

Here is a short video we will watch in class:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-828KqtTkA


And here are two videos in a series of videos looking at different theories about theater practice. These two compare the same scene as done using Stanislavski's method vs. Brecht's theories. (See the rest in the series for other types of theater theory/practice.)

Stanislavski:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OD7phopWWk

Brecht:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62-gYcO6jrY

Short short play

Click on the title to read: A Lonely Impulse of Delight by John Patrick Shanley.

Some Background Info on Stanislavski

This first one explains where theater comes from and what Stanislavski was reacting to in creating his realistic method of acting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfPz1c07IsQ

Stanislavski promoted the idea of acting truthfully within a set of given circumstances. He worked with the idea of exploring actors' motivation or goal and objectives in certain scenes and in the play as a whole. After "loading the space" with a realistic setting and understanding the character's situation, an actor can react naturally to the stimuli provided.

Devising Workshop in class

Here is the link to the video of our devising workshop, led by Helen:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z82Dz9Ym7gQ

In it, we are working on movement without much language, but movement in the bodies of our specific characters. The intent is to be able to feel those characters in our bodies and not just in our heads or in the words delivered in the performance. This was a successful activity and one that all the actors can draw from in making their final performance stronger.

Devising Theatre

If you saw or participated in the Spring 2017 production of "Sent from my iPhone" at CA, you know a little bit about devising theater and the devising process -- when actors in a company make up the show from scratch, usually starting with a theme or idea and building stories around that.

Here are some resources you should check out to learn more about devising:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devised_theatre

https://thetheatretimes.com/what-is-devised-theatre/

Also, research a devising company like Frantic Assembly or Complicite (or any other one) and watch a video of their work -- learning some of their methods will help you in your own devising process.