A Man Who Changed the World Without the Recognition of Nations:

 Stanislavski’s Impact on the Performance Industry Today. 

​

    Marilyn Monroe, Al Pacino, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Robert Dinero, Viola Davis, and Gabrielle Phillips. What do all of these names have in common? The individual people that comprise this list are all actors. More specifically, each person listed utilizes Stanislavski’s method.  Stanislavski’s method, also known as “the method” acting, focuses on realism. Briefly summarized, Stanislavski curated a groundbreaking method of “believable truth” where the techniques of his method focus on numerous ways of reaching believability. My name appeared on the list of individuals because I too am an actor, and Stanislavski based. I chose the theatre community as my group to focus on, but more specifically, the collective of trained actors who engineer their work off of the method. I am a BFA Acting major at Florida State University’s School of Theatre. FSU’s School of Theatre values Stanislavski’s method as the foundation for the program. 

    Stanislavski does not strike me as a household name, which I would find understandable if he didn’t impact today’s entertainment industry. Without Stanislavski, the realism of movies, theatre, and television may never have existed. For that idea alone, I chose this specific community. With my focus being on the theatre community, and more precisely the association of trained actors practicing the Stanislavski method, I question: “How is Stanislavski’s method impacting pre-professional, and professional acting today?” Currently, the conversation regarding Stanislavski's approach is very limited. Outside of this modest professional community, the method is nameless. For this reason, I hope the topic at hand will create an awareness of Stanislavski and his connections with the current entertainment industry. 

    Stanislavski’s method provides the basis of all realistic acting today. To grasp the prevalence of the method in today’s industry, an understanding of the method itself will be helpful. In Stanislavski’s book, An Actor Prepares, he breaks down his technique into fourteen parts, all which work in tandem to achieve the goal of truthful acting. 

    Beginning with “Action,” Stanislavski stresses the importance of having a purpose (Stanislavski 37). Actors take plays and create a story that people can relate to; the relationship between performance and audience members is not curated with only the given text. Stanislavski emphasizes this by articulating, “we bring life to what is hidden under the words; we put our thoughts into the author’s lines, and we establish our relationships to other characters in the play, and the conditions of their lives” (Stanislavski 56). The actor takes the lines and infuses humanity so that the audience can see their own lives onstage: their troubles, triumphs, relationships, fears, and dreams. 

    Imagination is another key part of the method. Not all essential background information is provided by the playwright. Performers have to imagine beyond the text to reach the depths of their character’s circumstances, asking “when, where, why, and how” throughout the arc of the story (Stanislavski 77). For example, if an actor is given the character description, “mom of three, middle-aged, divorced”, the actor must create a backstory of the character’s life. Where did this character grow up? What are the children names? What are her likes and dislikes? What leads her to divorce her partner? Questions such as these aid in determining the details of their character’s life on and offstage (Naturalism). 

    Stanislavski also believed in constantly striving towards achieving a goals. Humans are all working to achieve goals in life; high school students strive for a high school diploma, and after graduation people put effort into finding a job. This concept applies to characters as well because “whatever happens onstage, as well as off it, consists of an uninterrupted series of objectives” (Bilgrave 330). Ph.D. Psychologists Dyer P. Bilgrave and Robert H. Deluty compare a concept of psychology to Stanislavski’s method in their article, “Stanislavski’s Acting Method and Control Theory: Commonalities Across Time Place, and Field.” Bilgrave and Deulty specifically delve into the details of Stanislavski’s objective work. 

    Another essential part of Stanislavski’s method is the emotional memory. The process of emotional memory begins with the recollection of a time in which you felt an emotion to its fullest. Once you have a specific memory, you put yourself back into that time. From there, you apply the feeling into a scene that calls for a similar emotion to the one from your memory (Constantin). Emotional memory work can be perfected over time but is often found incredibly difficult to master. 

    Clearly, Stanislavski’s method primarily relies on psychological and directional aspects, but physicality also plays a crucial role. One element of the method’s physicality is the relaxation of muscles. The relaxation of tense muscles develops attention and focuses thoughts towards one point (Galendeyev, 104). The psychological and physical pieces of the method work hand and hand in creating the realism Stanislavski’s method sets out to produce. Professor V.N. Galendeyev affirms “physical actions in the play and role analysis became so essential for Stanislavski” in his article “Physical actions, and the Emergence of Speech Origination” as a part of his dissertation on Stanislavski’s Teaching on Voice and Speech on Stage. As seen from the extensive explanation of some of the more critical elements of Stanislavski’s method, many intricate moving parts work side by side creating a process for actors to reach a more realistic performance. 

    Stanislavski’s method has held up against the test of time. The longevity of his discoveries is not only credited to his monumental publishings but also the interpretation of his work by his colleagues. The method functions as the base for many other offspring teachings. Well known methods and creators of different techniques that credit Stanislavski include Checkov, Uta Hagen, Viewpoints, Stella Adler, Lee Strasberg and Stanford Meisner. Each of these methods expands on specific facets of Stanislavski’s method. For example, Meisner “[enabled] his students to approach their work with absolute emotional truth and genuine psychological depth” (Shirley, 200). Automatically you know this idea derived from the method just based off the articulation of words such as, “truth” and “genuine,” which would not have been used before Stanislavksi’s method. His influence on the majority of acting training techniques exemplifies the adaptability of his method. 

    Being the most commonly used method in acting, conservatory and pre-professional acting programs operate with his techniques preparing their students for the industry. Widely agreed upon, “today virtually all training programs for the professional action in both Europe and the United States are based on his work” (Bilgrave, 330). If the entirety of the industry practices by his works, the schools that are developing students for the industry would need to be teaching his methods in order to adequately prepare them.  According to the research search engine StartClass, there are over 91 college programs that offer Acting Degrees in the United States alone (Compare). This number does not even take into account all other performance degrees that incorporate acting, such as musical theatre and dance performance. From this list, there are several notable universities and conservatories that are known for their employment of Stanislavski’s techniques. Arguably the most well known conservatory in the world, Juilliard, joins the many that teach Stanislavski. First year actors in their drama school have the Alexander Technique integrated in their curriculum (Drama). Alexander technique derives from Stanislavski. Student continue with realistic acting approaches throughout their four years at Juilliard. Others that are included in the long list of Stanislavski based schools include Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University, Florida State University, and University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance. Each of these universities offer information regarding their curriculum and teaching beliefs on their  respective university websites. With such a large base of universities training the next generation of actors, the list of graduates and current actors who use Stanislavki’s method expands even longer. 

    Universities and conservatories pride themselves on their alumni; the individuals continuing to represent their school in their field of work. In today’s theatre, film, and television, “realism is a foundational element in almost all current naturalistic productions that seek to tell a story and evoke a response’ (Cole 400). With the goal of acting being placed on the realism within a set of given circumstances, actors welcome the method. The initial list from the beginning of this paper offered a few names of Stanislavski based actors, evidently the list is not that short. Well known actor, William H. Macey, currently starring in Showtime’s hit television show, Shameless connects with Stanislavski’s teachings. Not only does he practice the method in his work, but he also teaches how he applies the method alongside David Mamet at The School of Practical Aesthetics, which they founded (Scholte 1373). With an entire industry following in the footsteps of Stanislavksi, inevitably you are familiar with the works of famous actors who value his practice.

    Florida State University, among the many others, relies on Stanislavski’s method to prepare their students for the real world; providing each graduate with their own resources to pursue careers in the field.  Jean McDaniel Lickson leads Florida State’s acting division at the School of Theatre as an Associate Professor and Curriculum Vitae. With countless successes as an actor under her belt, including credits of Arcadina in The Seagull, Ouisa in Six Degrees of Separation, and Abby in Desire Under the Elms, Lickson became familiar with many positions within the performance industry. She shared her thoughts with me on Stanislavski, both from the perspective of a mentor to the next generation, and a prosperous performer. 

    In respects to Lickson’s acting pursuits, she knows “Stanislavski is the method”. Regardless of the exact offspring method of training you received (Meisner, Utah Hagen, Adler, etc.), it all relates back to Stanislavski’s work. His insight was revolutionary and “changed theatre forever because it comes from a psychological point of view.” Looking back on the way in which theatre actors performed before the method, acting was over the top; when onstage, individuals would use gestures to express how they were feeling, as opposed to “actually really listening and actually really responding.” 

    Lickson goes to great lengths to provide her students with the best education possible. Following graduation, and upon the start of their lives in the “real world”, Jean assured that her alumni are using the method more than ever. Lickson touched on the reality of the performance industry and noted, “the more you work, the more you understand you have to [use the method].” Lickson joked that if you are going to school for acting, you use Stanislavski unless “you’re going to clown school or going into the school of melodrama or maybe cartoon school.” When put that way, it is incredible to believe his work is not more widely recognized amongst the general public. 

    Not only are rising students using the method, the entire industry joins them in the use. You do not have to be a trained actor, or teacher to recognize actors who rely on Stanislavski’s method because “if they’re real, they’re using Stanislavski’s work. Because what Stanislavski’s work is, is being an actual human being…” His method comes from the heart, and it shows. No matter what role you play in the performance industry: actor, mentor, or audience member, Stanislavski impacts your life. 

    Stanislavski’s method allows connection between actors, audience members, and the imaginary circumstances of the show. He has created the way in which all media is performed currently. Although Constantin Stanislavski  may not be as common of a name as Marilyn Monroe or Al Pacino, his legacy continues thriving through the actors who perform globally today. The group of actors that practice the method is not limited to the stars of Broadway and Hollywood. From community theatre actors who rehearse for long hours into the night after working a nine-to-five job, to elementary students who put on summer productions of Disney’s classics- Stanislavski shines through in all. It is doubtful that each one of the kindergarteners knows they are a part of the continuation of a legacy. I didn’t. I was clueless as a five year old in Once Upon A Mattress that I was sharing an art form that had been perfect for hundreds of years. Unknowingly, the world continues without the recognition of a single man who changed it through his art.

 

Works Cited

Bilgrave, Dyer D., and Deulty, Robert H. “Stanislavski’s Acting Method and Control Theory: 

Commonalities Across Time Place, and Field.” Social Behavior and Personality: An international journal, 32, 329-340, June 2004. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2004.32.4.329, 22 January 2018.

Cole, Emma. “The Method Behind the Maddness: Katie Mitchell, Stanislavski, and The 

Classics.” Classical Receptions Journal, vol. 7, no. 3. 1 December 2015, Pages 400-421, https://doi.org/10.1093/crj/clu022. 21 January 2018. 

“Compare Colleges with Acting Degrees.” 2017 Best Colleges Offering Acting Degrees, 2018,

colleges.startclass.com/d/o/Acting. 14 February 2018. 

“Constantin Stanislavski.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/wnet/

americanmasters/database/stanislavsky_c.html. 3 February 2018. 

“Drama.” Undergraduate Diploma at The Juilliard School, www.juilliard.edu/drama/acting/

drama-undergraduate-diploma. 14 February 2018. 

Galendeyev, Valery. “Stanislavski’s Method of Physical Actions, and the Emergence of Speech 

Origination.” Stanislavski Studies, vol. 3, no. 2. 2-15, Pages 101-117, http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rfst20. 23 January 2018. 

Leşe, Ana-Cristina. "The Physical Training of the Actor in the 20th Century Drama Pedagogy.” 

Review of Artistic Education, no. 7/8, pp. 164-168, Sept. 2014. EBSCOhost, login.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asu&AN=97264752&site=eds-live. 30 January 2018. 

McDaniel Lickson, Jean. Personal Interview. 23 January 2018.

“Naturalism and Stanislavski.” BBC: Bitesize, BBC, 2018, www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/

zxn4mp3/revision. 2 February 2018. 

Scholte, Tom. ”Proto-cybernetics in the Stanislavski System of Acting: Past foundations, present 

analyses and future prospects.” Kybernetes, Vol. 44, Issue: 8/9, pp.1371-1379, https://doi.org/10.1108/K-11-2014-0234. 25 January 2018. 

Shirley, David. "'The Reality of Doing': Meisner Technique and British Actor Training." Theatre, 

Dance & Performance Training, vol. 1, no. 2, Sept. 2010, pp. 199-213. EBSCOhost, http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=b7916710-8187-45fa-9f39-a50809404416%40sessionmgr101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=ibh&AN=53854543.11 February 2018.

Stanislavsky, Konstantin. An Actor Prepares. Translated by Elizabeth R Hapgood, Routledge, 

2003.

Tait, Peta. "Bodies Perform Inner Emotions: Stanislavski's Legacy." Australasian Drama Studies, 

no. 53, 2008, p. 84. EBSCOhost, login.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsihs&AN=edsihs.792230392513517&site=eds-live. 30 January 2018. 

The Associated Press. “Stanislavsky Dies in Moscow At 75.” The New York Times, The New 

York Times, 8 Aug. 1938, archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0105.html. 14 February 2018.