2) What can you expect?

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1 STELLA ADLER HANDOUT Acting is The actor must always do something on stage. He looks for actions in the script (for example, "to teach, to confess, to beg", etc.) and finds the human in them. He must have a for each action (know exactly why he is performing each action). Developing the An actor develops his imagination by first observing the world around him in very details. He can then create specific images in his mind in order to surround himself with things that are to him on stage. If he succeeds, the audience will see through his eyes. Training the mind Actors must have a real of the play in order to reveal its secrets to the audience. They must study the text and its ideas but also research the situations of the play. Size Actors need strong bodies and voices for the stage so they can bring size to their. Adler encouraged actors never to be. Her students learned to always bring a bigger to the text. Stella Adler felt that a lot of actors confused being true and with being ordinary and boring. Her approach to acting definitely helps actors break away from "boring". 2) What can you expect? A lot of Adler expected her students to for every single activity and action they were going to have on stage. If you study her acting techniques, you will spend a lot of time creating specific images for the circumstances of the play. For example, if you are working on the 'Where am I?' in a scene, you will work out in your mind every minor detail of what surrounds you. A lot of Stella Adler believed that an actor's most important tool is his. She also believed that an actor must completely understand the text of the play to be able to communicate it onstage without faking. So expect to do a lot of, script and of the play to make it your own. 3) Sample Stella Adler Acting Exercises Exercise Pick an object and describe it. The goal is to get very specific (shades of colors, texture, etc.) but to communicate what the object looks like in a simple way that speaks to your audience. The more you do this exercise, the more objects will speak to you and the quicker your imagination will kick in onstage. Then take the exercise to the next level by letting your run free (Adler calls that "traveling"). For example, a green couch can remind you of emerald earrings a woman wore at a party you went to which reminds you of the music that was playing and so on and so on. Pick a book and write down one idea from the book in your own words, then present it onstage to others. Try to experience the idea so you can give it a live dimension on stage. To do that, you first need to understand the idea, then respond to it and make it your until you feel a real need to it. Inner justification Randomly pick a simple line from a play you don't know and bring it to life by imagining in details the reason why you're saying that line. Try to make a strong, something that stirs you and creates conflict. This exercise helps actors their lines instead of just saying them.

2 4) Is the Adler technique for you? Studying the Adler technique is a great way to study acting if you're a very creative person who feels limited by the more structured acting techniques. Here are a few other things to consider. Stella Adler her students constantly. Getting the most out of her acting method requires a lot of hard work and. Adler's acting style is very relevant if you want to be a theater actor because she helped her students build the high level of required for the stage. It's all about being bigger than life, so if you're the kind of actor who's great at being natural and being yourself but not so good at " the stage", study Stella Adler. This is a good acting method to pick if you find yourself often " " or "indicating" as an actor. Ms. Adler helped her students focus on creating true images for themselves so they wouldn't have "to " on stage. This method also helps with stage fright. The development of independent actors Stella Adler, herself a fiercely independent theater artist, understood that acting becomes vital, exciting, and alive when actors do their own and bring a point of view or a sense of mission to their work. One of her most frequently quoted statements is: Your talent is in your. At the Studio, the aim is to develop actors who think for themselves, respect their own ideas and ideals, and use the theatre as a means to share those ideas and ideals. Such independent actors are fully resolved to train their minds, bodies, voices, and spirits to achieve that end. The power of the imagination Actors imaginations are the most powerful source for them to draw on. To bring theatrical texts to life the actor must be able to create a transforming, experience. To create such an experience, students at the Stella Adler Studio are asked to use their imagination to locate the fullest range of motivational force, rather than depending solely on their personal past and emotional memory. The importance of action Drama depends on, not feeling; feeling is a by-product of doing. Our approach to acting depends on connecting strongly to each other by way of actions and creating dramatic events that take place between I and, not between me and myself. These actions include the subtle, creative, onstage choices to which actors. Script interpretation A text, once the author has surrendered it, is an object in itself with its own life, its own meaningful possibilities, and its own potential for impact. Another Stella Adler quote still used at the Studio is: The play is not in the words, it s in! It is the actor s responsibility to respect the script with a willingness to read it deeply with a fertile imagination. This respect involves an understanding of where the playwright is leading the character, including understanding the character s environment and investigating the full setting of the play. The cultivation of a rich humanity The actor s is the actor s own body and brain but if the dramatic arts are to avoid shrinking to a self-referential, self-enclosed, detached, and isolated unit of a larger world, then the psyche upon which the actor calls must not be the actor s own, but the character s. Therefore, an actor needs to develop resources of information and experience that connect with the rest of the world socially, culturally, historically, and politically thereby enriching the actor s instrument that is required to perform. This is why, in addition to world class faculty and well structured curriculum the Stella Adler Studio presents the Harold Clurman Arts Series which includes theater and dance theater, lectures and

3 symposia, poetry readings and play readings, jazz and classical concerts. This is why we have created the Stella Adler Outreach Division whose mission is to bring free actor training to young people who can t afford tuition while providing our tuition based students of social engagement. Each of these principals permeates all of the Studio s courses as the general teaching philosophy at the Adler Studio. S AM PLE ACTING EXERCI SES BY STELL A ADLER 1. ( A C T I O N S ) P l a n n e d E n t r a n c e. O f f i c e : h o l d t h e m a i l w h i l e c o m i n g i n ; p u t e y e g l a s s e s a w a y ; d r o p y o u r k e y s. B e d r o o m : t a k e o f f s c a r f ; p u t k e y i n t o p u r s e ; r e a d n a m e a n d a d d r e s s o n l e t t e r. C l a s s r o o m : t a k e o f f c o a t ; t a k e o f f g l o v e s ; a r r a n g e c l a s s p a p e r s. 2. ( A C T I O N S ) F i v e P r e p a r a t i o n s. F o r e xa m p l e, t o h i d e h e s l o o k i n g f o r me so I better h i d e : D o s o m e t h i n g a s y o u e n t e r t h e r o o m a n d f i n i s h i t o n s t a g e. T h a t w a y t h e a u d i e n c e c a n t e l l w h a t y o u w e r e d o i n g b e f o r e y o u e n t e r e d. 3. ( A C T I O N S ) P a i n a h e a d a c h e : I m a g i n e a s i f a ) s o m e o n e w e r e p u s h i n g i n y o u r e y e b a l l s. b ) I w e r e s t i c k i n g a n e e d l e i n y o u r e y e. T o o t h a c h e : l o c a t e t h e t o o t h a n d i m a g i n e a s i f s o m e o n e w e r e s c r a p i n g y o u r g u m s w i t h a r a z o r. D o n o t a n t i c i p a t e t h e p a i n. 4. (W O R K I N G O N T H E S T A G E ) P r o p s : a ) p e r s o n a l i z e t h e m i n r e a d i n g a m a g a z i n e, t e a r o u t a p a g e ; i n c o u n t i n g m o n e y, p u t s o m e o f t h e c h a n g e i n y o u r p o c k e t ; i n g o i n g t h r o u g h l e t t e r s, l o o k f o r a s p e c i f i c o n e a n d t h r o w i t a w a y. b ) e n d o w m e n t i n p i n n i n g a f l o w e r o n y o u r d r e s s, s h a k e o f f t h e w a t e r o r t a k e o f f a t h o r n ; i n p u t t i n g a w a y a s w e a t e r, f i x a l o o s e t h r e a d f i r s t ; i n d r i n k i n g a g l a s s o f w a t e r, w i p e o f f t h e l i p s t i c k m a r k f i r s t. THE TECHNIQUE ON ACT ING BY STELL A ADLER (CHARACTERIZATION/OBSERVATION) 1. T h e A c t o r s G o a l s r i d s e l f o f o u t s i d e o p i n i o n s ; b e g i n w i t h s e l f - a w a r e n e s s ; b o d y, s p e e c h, m i n d, e m o t i o n s ; d i s c i p l i n e. 2. B e g i n n i n g t h e T e c h n i q u e e n e r g y, b e h e a r d, e l i m i n a t e t e n s i o n, p h y s i c a l c o n t r o l, s p e e c h c o n t r o l, m u s c u l a r m e m o r y, a n i m a l m o v e m e n t. 3. I m a g i n a t i o n c o l l e c t i v e c o n s c i o u s n e s s, s e e i n g i m a g i n a t i v e l y, s e e i n g a n d d e s c r i b i n g. 4. C i r c u m s t a n c e s t h e t r u t h o f t h e p l a c e, l i v i n g t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s, b u i l d i n g t h e l a r g e r c i r c u m s t a n c e s, m o o d i n c i r c u m s t a n c e s. 5. A c t i o n s do- a b l e a n d i n V E R B f o r m. A c t i o n i s s o m e t h i n g y o u D O ( t o r e a d ; i t h a s a n e n d ( r e a d i n g n e w s p a p e r ) ; i t i s d o n e i n c i r c u ms t a n c e s ( i n t h e s u b w a y ) ; i t i s j u s t i f i e d ( t o f o l l o w t h e s t o c k m a r k e t ). 6. J u s t i f i c a t i o n 1 s t c o m e s t h e a c t i o n, t h e n t h e r e a s o n f o r d o i n g i t. I n s t a n t, c r e a t i v e, i n t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s ( p h y s i c a l i z e p r o p s ), i n n e r. 7. W or k i n g o n t h e S t a g e P r o p s, S m a r t e n i n g u p t h e A c t i o n, P e r s o n a l i z a t i o n, P l a n n e d A c c i d e n t s. 8. C h a r a c t e r S t a r t w i t h c i r c u m s t a n c e s t h e p l a y w r i g h t g i v e s y o u. 9. W or k i n g o n t h e T e xt V e r b i n g, U n i t s, S t u d y S c r i p t, T e l l t h e S t o r y, A c t i o n s 1 s t W or d s 2 n d ; w o r d s c o m e o u t o f a c t i o n s. C H AP T E R O N E - T H E AC T O R ' S G O AL S 1 s t j o b o f a c t o r : r i d s e l f o f o u t s i d e o p i n i o n s. M a k e l i s t s o f a s s e t s a n d f a u l t s : o n l y w i t h t r u e a w a r e n e s s o f b o t h, c a n y o u b e g i n t o l e a r n t o b r e a k o u t o f y o u r m i d - c l a s s d e f e n s i v e n e s s. J O U R N A L E N T R Y C a n n o t h o l d b a c k a n y t h i n g ; b e g i n s w i t h s e l f - a w a r e n e s s. A c t o r h a s o n l y h e r b o d y a s a n i n s t r u m e n t ; w o r k o n b o d y, s p e e c h, m i n d, e m o t i o n s. M u s t h a v e a c o r e m a d e o f s t e e l a n d a w i l l t o s u r v i v e. E n t a i l s a s p e c i a l s t r e n g t h, a n e w d i s c i p l i n e. C H AP T E R T W O - B E G I N N I N G T H E T E C H N I QUE E n e r g y : f i n d t h e e n e r g y y o u n e e d f o r y o u r w o r d s ; s t a r t w i t h v o c a l. R e a c h i n g t h e A u d i e n c e : a l l m u s t h e a r y o u!

4 T e n s i o n : e n e m y o f a c t i n g ; p r e v e n t s t r u t h ; r e d u c e d w h e n c o n c e n t r a t i o n i s g i v e n t o a c t i o n ; l o c a t e t e n s e a r e a s ; r e l a x. P h y s i c a l C o n t r o l s : p r i n c i p l e - 1 s t y o u m u s t a c h i ev e y o u r n o r m a n d u n d e r s t a n d y o u r b o d y. C o n t r o l s f o r S p e e c h : u n d e r s t a n d y o u r s ; l i p s, ac c e n t s, e t c. M u s c u l a r M e m o r y : s e n s or y t r u t h o f m o v e m e n t ; t o u c h o b j e c t & t h e n r e - c r ea t e w h e n n o t t h e r e. A n i m a l M o v e m e n t : p u r p o s e - r i d a c t o r o f s oc i a l mas k a n d f r e e f r o m i n h i b i t i o n s. 1 5 m i n / d a y ; l e a r n t o u s e b o d y a n d v o i c e d i f f e r e n t l y. C H AP T E R T H R E E - I M AG I N AT I O N 9 9 % o f w h a t y o u s e e a n d u s e o n s t a g e c o m e s f r o m i t. C o l l e c t i v e C o n s c i o u s n e s s : t a p i n t o a l l y o u v e e x p e r i e n c e d. S e e i n g I m a g i n a t i v e l y. S e e i n g a n d D e s c r i b i n g. F a c t s v s. A c t o r s W a y : p g. 2 1 ; i n y o u r C H O I C E i s y o u r t a l e n t. C H AP T E R F O U R - C I R C U M S T AN C E S T h e T r u t h o f t h e P l a c e : b e f o r e g o t o t e xt, i m p e r a t i v e t o p h y s i c a l l y m o v e a r o u n d i n n e w c i r c u m. a n d u s e t h e m ; c o m p l e t e a b s o r p t i o n. L i v i n g t h e C i r c u m s t a n c e s : p g. 3 2 ; d o n t t a k e s e l f a n d p u t i n t o. H a m l e t ; t r u t h o f c h a r a c t e r i s n o t f o u n d i n Y O U, b u t i n C I R C U M S T A N C E S o f r o y a l p o s i t i o n o f H a m l e t. T H E T R U T H I S A LW A Y S T H E T R U T H I N T H E C I R C U M S T A N C E S O F T H E C H A R A C T E R. B u i l d i n g t h e L a r g e r C i r c u m s t a n c e s : D e t a i l s! ; b u i l d p l a c e f o r s e l f a n d l i v e i n i t. Mood i n t h e C i r c u m s t a n c e s : M o o d c o m e s f r o m t h e c i r c u m ; c h u r c h, b a r, ho s p i t a l h a s a m o o d ; l i g h t o r d a r k. C H AP T E R F I V E - AC T I O N S A i m o f y o u r a p p r o a c h t o a c t i n g i s t o f i n d t h e a c t i o n s i n a s c e n e o r p l a y ; m u s t b e d o - a b l e ; e x p r e s s e d b y u s i n g v e r b f o r m. A c t i o n i s s o m e t h i n g y o u D O ( t o r e a d ) ; i t h a s a n e n d ( r e a d i n g n e w s p a p e r ) ; i t i s d o n e i n c i r c u m s t a n c e s ( i n t h e s u b w a y ) ; i t i s j u s t i f i e d ( t o f o l l o w t h e s t o c k m a r k e t ). S t r o n g & W e ak A c t i o n s : m u s t h a v e a n o b j e c t i v e. E xp l a n a t i o n o f a n A c t i o n : K N OW - w h a t y o u d o, w h e r e y o u d o i t, w h e n y o u d o i t, w h y y o u d o i t ; t h e a c t i o n d o e s N O T i n c l u d e h o w w h i c h s h o u l d b e s p o n t a n e o u s a n d u n e x p e c t e d. N a t u r e o f a n A c t i o n : i t s t r u t h ; w i t h s o m e a c t i o n s y o u D O p h y s i c a l t h i n g s o r a c t i v i t i e s ; d o e a c h a n d i t w i l l r e s u l t i n a n o v e r a l l. O v e r a l l A c t i o n ( R u l i n g I d e a ) : s u m o f a l l o t h e r a c t i o n s ( g o a l ) ; 3 a c t i v i t i e s pe r s t e p. P h y s i c a l i z i n g : d o s o m e t h i n g p h y s i c a l ; t a k e s t h e b u r d e n o f f t h e a c t o r. C o m p l e t i n g a n d N o t C o m p l e t i n g A c t i o n s : i f c a n t c o m p l e t e, c h a n g e i t t o a n o t h e r ; i f c a n c o m p l e t e, d o s o, t h e n g o t o a n o t h e r. A c t i o n s W h i c h D o N o t U s e T e xt : t h e y p r o v o k e y o u t o u s e c i r c u m s t a n c e s ; p g t o r e a d o n v e r a n d a y o u m u s t m o v e c h a i r, s h o o b e e s, a r r a n g e b o o k e t c. ( 4 a c t i o n s a r e g o o d ). P r e p a r a t i o n a n d C o v e r e d E n t r a n c e s : h e l p s y o u s t a r t y o u r a c t i o n ; k e e p s y o u f r o m t i g h t e n i n g u p ; p r o p k e e p s y o u t r u t h f u l ( t ak e o f f c o a t w h e n e n t e r r o o m ). P a i n a n d D e a t h : N e e d a s i f... ( s t uc k n e e d l e i n e y e = h e a d a c h e ). E m o t i o n : a l l c a n b e f o u n d t h r u i m a g i n i n g i n t h e c i r c u m. i n t h e p l a y ; g o t o s i m i l a r A C T I O N i n o w n l i f e t h a t p r o d u c e s n e e d e d e m o t i o n ; r e m e m b e r w h a t y o u d i d, r e c a l l t h e p l a c e. C H AP T E R S I X - J U S T I F I C AT I O N 1 s t c o m e s ac t i o n, t h e n r e a s o n f o r d o i n g i t ( j u s t i f i c a t i o n ). W h at y o u c h o o s e f o r j u s t. S h o u l d a g i t a t e y o u ; a s a r e s u l t o f a g i t a t i o n y o u w i l l e xp e r i e n c e t h e a c t i o n a n d t h e e m o t i o n. T a l e n t c o n s i s t s o f h o w w e l l y o u d o t h i s. I n s t a n t J u s t i f i c a t i o n : a wak e n s a b i l i t y t o e xp e r i e n c e a c t i v i t y ; d r i n k w a t e r t o t a k e p i l l s ; e a c h j u s t. M u s t h a v e l o g i c ; d e a l o n l y w i t h c i r c u m. i n f r o n t o f y o u. M o r e C r e a t i v e J u s t i f i c a t i o n s : u s e i m a g i n a t i o n ; m o r e p e r s o n a l t o y o u t h e n m o r e i n t e r e s t i n g a n d v i v i d t o a u d i e n c e.

5 J u s t i f i c a t i o n i n t h e C i r c um s t a n c e s : us e t h e c i r c um a n d p h y s i c a l i z e t h e p r o p s i f p o s s i b l e. I n n e r J u s t i f i c a t i o n : w h a t t h e a c t o r c o n t r i b u t e s t o t h e l i n e s o f t h e p l a y w r i g h t ; l i es b e h i n d t h e w o r d s ; a u t h o r g i v e s l i n e s a n d a c t o r j u s t i f i e s. A n s w e r i n g f a c t u a l l y : b o r i n g s o J u s t. T u r n s f a c t s i n t o e xp e r i e n c e. C H AP T E R S E V E N - W O R K I N G O N T H E S T AG E P r o p s : u s e i m a g i n a t i o n w h e n w o r k i n g w i t h p r o p s ; k n o w l i f e o f p r o p ; u n d e r s t a n d e a c h. S m a r t e n i n g U p t h e A c t i o n : c a n t a f f o r d t o b e b o r i n g o n s t a g e ; w h a t y o u d o o n s t a g e a l s o n e e d s a c e r t a i n e c o n o m y - c a n t d o a l l s o c h o o s e p a r t s ( p u t o n m a k e - up - o n l y l i p s t i c k a n d b l u s h ). P e r s o n a l i z a t i o n : p u t o w n t r u t h i n t o e v e r y p r o p ; b e o r i g i n a l ( m i r r o r i s d i r t y) ; a d d d e t a i l ; t a l e n t i s h o w o n e c h o o s e s, h a n d l e s a n d p e r s o n a l i z e s e a c h p r o p ; p r a c t i c e w i t h t h e m ; a d j u s t t o t h e m. P l a n n e d A c c i d e n t s : p r a c t i c e s o n o u n p l a n n e d o c c u r s! C o s t u m e : a c t i o n & c o s t u m e g o t o g e t h e r ; p e r s o n a l i z e f o r c h a r a c t e r ; h e l p s c r e a t e i n n e r s e l f. C H AP T E R E I G H T - C H AR AC T E R A c t i n g i s l a r g e l y b a s e d o n d i f f e r e n c e s b e t w e e n c h a r a c t e r s. S t a r t w i t h c i r c u m. t h a t PW g i v e s y o u. [ S o c i a l S i t u a t i o n, C l a s s, P l a y i n g a P r o f e s s i o n, B a c k g r o u n d o f C h a r a c t e r ( w h o, w h a t, w h e n, w h e r e, w h y ), C h a r a c t e r E l e m e n t s, A t t i t u d e T o w a r d P a r t n e r, D i a l o g u e ( i n d i c a t e o n a p p. p g : a c t i o n s, m o o d s, a c t i v i t i e s ), A t t i t u d e, B u i l d i n g a P l o t ( c h a r a c t e r r e v e a l e d t h r u i t ), B a c k g r o u n d ( o f f a m i l y & b e l i e f s ), L e v e l s ( l i g h t c o m e d y, m e d i u m, d a r k d r a m a ) ; o n l y 1. ] C H AP T E R N I N E - V O C AB U L AR Y O F AC T I O N V e r b s C H AP T E R T E N - AC T O R ' S F I R S T AP P R O A C H T O T H E AC T O R P a r a p h r a s e p l a y i n a c t o r s w o r d s s o t h e y b e l o n g t o y o u. B r e a k p l a y i n t o s e q u e n c e s ; u n i t s. C H AP T E R E L E V E N - W OR K I N G O N T H E T E XT D i s c u s s i t a n d i t s i d e a s ; t e l l t h e s t o r y! s t u d y s c r i p t, l i f t i d e a, r ea l i z e t h e p l a y. C H AP T E R T W E L V E - AC T O R ' S C O N T R I B UT I O N L o s e d e p e n d e n c y o n w o r d s a n d g o t o t h e a c t i o n s o f t h e p l a y. T H I S I S W H Y W E W I L L M E M O R I Z E S C E N E B E F O R E Y O U S T A R T R E H E A R S I N G A c t i o n s 1 s t, w o r d s 2 n d ; w o r d s c o m e o u t o f t h e a c t i o n s. R e a d t h e p l a y s e v e r a l t i m e s.

Seymour Centre 2017 Education Program 2071 CURRICULUM LINKS

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