Applying Stanislavski’s Principles to a Role in Volpone Essay -- Konst

Applying Stanislavskis Principles to a Role in VolponeAs founder of the first acting system, co-founder of the Moscow ArtTheatre, and an eminent practitioner of the naturalist school ofthought, Konstantin Stanislavski challenged traditional notions of thedramatic process, establishing himself as one of the near pioneeringthinkers of his time in modern theatre. His process of characterdevelopment, the Stanislavski Method, was the catalyst for methodacting- one of the close to influential acting systems on the modern stageand screen. Such renowned schools of acting and directing as the GroupTheatre and The Actors Studio are a legacy of Stanislavskispioneering vision.Stanislavski developed this unique system of training to change theway that people saw their characters. The performers would research thesituation created by the script, break down the schoolbook according totheir characters motivations and recall their own experiences,therefore causing actions and reactions according to thesemotivations. The actor would ideally make his motivations for actingidentical to those of the character in the script. He could thusreplay these emotions and experiences in the role of the character inorder to achieve a more genuine performance. This was Stanislavskismain aim to create a more genuine performance.ACTIONIn every physical action, unless it is purely mechanical, there isconcealed some inner action, some feelings. This is how the two levelsof life in a part (dramatic role) are created, the inner and theouter. They are intertwined. A common purpose brings them together andreinforces the unbreak equal bond. - Creating a roleIn Volpone, it would be most likely to happen in the market place. Thebusy market place would be played by a group of people that would needto launch a complicity of lives that intermingle with other charactersjust as if they were a real community. This would be hard to show, asthey are not a real community. darling methods of getting these groups ofcharacters to resemble villagers would be to give them littlescenarios to act out in which all the characters intermingle and havelines to say to each other. This would tending them get word each othersinner character and feeling and therefore are then able to react inthe way their character would to that situation. wherefore use what they... ...must find out all he can about the character and the situation. Thishelps to create an overall realistic reaction to that particularsituation. To be able to use Magic if the actor must know a lotabout his character and his or her personality.Stanislavski teaches the actor to become the character by askquestions that are answered by action based on emotional response. For example, the actor that plays Volpone in the rape scene must askbefore he plays the scene, What if I am Volpone and I am just aboutto rape Celia and Benario jumps out from the cupboard? What will Ido? Another good question from Celias point of view What if ImCe lia and I am being raped by an old dirty man and I have no one tohelp me would I give in or stand my ground?Magic if questions contain motivation and awareness of the now. The questions are cast in the first person, in the present tense, andtherefore they pull you into the characters major concerns. Veryimportantly, the questions suggest not one but two attitudes Thecharacter toward her or him, and toward other characters. These typesof questions help the actor figure out the action to take in response.