STANISLAVISK'S METHOD ACTING- PART 6-(b)

Alright, so here is the second part of an actor's problem, wwoooshhhhhh, so many problems an actor faces right?! It is as long as it is taking two blog post to complete it. But at times it is great to actually discuss these issues or problems one faces in there live's, specially when it comes to acting for an individual. So let's continue the previously discussed topic that is Imitating. Mannier times I have observed that the actor in there initial stage imitate a behaviour that is completely inspired from real life and does not try to embellish the way his own instruments work! However, these images that are purely imaginary and further tries to implement with his own instruments that he/she carries, leads to something which is creative, instinctive and breathtaking.

So now many of us who are reading this blog, might question that as an actor when it comes to a character, when every thing is available or rather let me say when your source of characterization, maybe the person is directly available for you, and the script that demands a character which is similar to the person that you have seen him/her from ages.So why can't you exactly copy him/her? or imitate him? 

Well the answer to it is we should know that imitation in this case is the last round when you do not have references and are completely obliged to doing something that is in general. To bring back the same set of emotions which is required for the role to make it look generous rather than just portraying something superficial. Never really become the person be the one who creates a character using his own instruments. And when we imitate the same person,
we don't really find the motive behind it.

If we imitate an already set example, it might look mimetic, something people have a general idea about it and so do not expect anything knew from it. 

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Alright, so the third type of problem is purely imitating or copying an actor which shares the same space as that of the other one is the acting or behaviourism or mannerism is exactly tip to bottom same. 

One should actually not imitate the same which is out in the public domain. When it comes to an actor when he/she gets that rare job of reading and performing in the audition, added anxiety is always observed, an actor leads to misjudgement of the script and leads to a lot of trouble. The stress created by the worry free society also embodies solution that can be used to face not only first audition script, but first screen performance or stage performance!  

As per the Russian theatre practitioner, Konstantin Stanislavisky said  'OUTER CHARACTER IS THE EXTENSION OF INNER CHARACTERIZATION'. You don't have to leave yourself in search of others, keep yourself within, and try to portray characters through your vision and sensibilities. Now you got to furnish your personal characteristics into character mannerism, this will definitely lead to a better role and character in future. Verbal Dialect and accent needs to be worked much more.

Try to work in theatre play, on field and get experiences of the character that will help you nourish as an actor. When it comes to a actor taking part in a theatre play, he generally anticipates the tone of the play as same as before and does concludes the play in same audacity, to which according to me is a wrong approach towards working in a play. There are plays when you don't understand the soul of it and misinterpret the feelings of the play. An Actor should not really set a defined pitch of the play and should be impromptu, it should procced gradually as per the situation that gets piled on! 

            

During first reading of the script, one should not be conscious of the kind of role that he is playing, the way character is gonna speak, not actually including punctuation marks, exclamation and other grammatical mistakes. As a normal human being we should read the script first we the normal pace of vocabulary, your natural tone! Initially things should be generalized in terms of people the kind of work they do, and at this point, an actor needs to have a fair share of his problems, something that the playwriter relates to in general life. So in this case, improvisation helps a lot, one should always work on verbal speech patterns that helps create vector flow in artists thus personifies actors memorization. 

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At times setting a particular set pattern in terms of voice can make things generalized, we usually do not communicate with one another with a set pattern, the tone through which we speak has slangs, witty saying, quirkiness together and thus help develop an environment amongst ourselves. An actor should let his lines come along way with rehearsals and practicing. He/She shouldn't force lines on the character. By creating an imaginary 'improvisation' one should actually work on there lines, the flow of words time to time in every rehearsals, will definitely lead to a majority in sensing emotions, feelings and the associated attributes of the character. There's one formula for method acting when it comes to memorization of lines that is 'NEVER WORK FIRST FOR THE END RESULT', try to create situations that will make an actor breath his lines. Work on the situation that will help endeavor naturalism in an actor and so the lines will become logical and will strike the right cord in an actor's instrument (his inner life).

                                              Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Awareness of the problem is essential for an actor to make believe, and it is the conscious effort to actually supervise and manipulate the scene to it's desired outputs. When it comes to acting as a career, one shouldn't wait for the time and situation to get corrected when turned wrong, but it is moreover a mental job so one should be aware of the senses and work on their instruments to make it effective. When it comes to voice and speech actors work only on the dialect that is essential for the character to conceive the emotions, but surpass the effect of actually emoting them in a constructive manner. Many voice coaches only work on the language part which is secondary and also useful, but before that one should work on the baritone, should work on the projection and as a tool for propagating actions.

So here's an exercise that i'll recommend to everyone whomsoever work for there wellbeing as an actor and using weapon as an pivotal tool! The following exercise is an conscious effort to strengthen an actor's vocabulary, to bring resonance in their voice and make it liable to reach till the end of the audience in a theatre play. 

And the exercise that needs to be performed should be as follows:-

1) Choose a corner and Stand up lean at a point, where your hands are at the sideways relaxed and so your feet, every portion of your body should be touching the wall, from the feet to your head.

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2) This exercise is entitled only to the movement of your head from a fixed position to towards upward and downwards vertically. Begin counting from one,two,three.. and so your back neck end region will move towards the wall and when you slide down your chin bottom will get placed at the chest. 

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                                                       Photo by Ba Tik from Pexels

3) As you gradually do the vertical swing movement of your head, try to say the counting from 1-10 with full vocal strength, shout the numbers aloud as you move your head. Now not necessarily your back neck will touch the wall, so in this case do not stop, keep on doing it on daily basis. Never miss a single day to this exercise.

An actor should actually learn variations the are essential for body movements and so voice, instead cliche voice dialects and vocal pathos!

While many times getting ready for a theatrical performance, an actors works in a confined set pattern as to his body that will rely to those predefined or preconceived notions only. So when it comes to an actor he/she should work on naturalism, right from body movements that have sensitivity, poise, charm rather working in stylised format! an actor should know what is real and what is imaginary and a set line should be made, but naturalism should be taught first. As an audience, people should know the true essence of an actor, how is the person in real life rather than having generalized mindset and movements.

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Any sort of physical activity which doesn't predefine an actor's movement will gradually help making the body acceptable and aligned for every dramatic form to be worked upon. Also when it comes to an actor, one should be in harmony. Harmony here means that he should be physically and mentally active as to get adaptable to every workflow, no matter he does the same old cliche work! Well here is a set of exercise that every actor needs to practice, to build expressiveness in there work. The exercise is termed as the SINGING EXERCISE, in general it doesn't mean that one should be trained in singing and must have a staccato in her/his voice build Up! No..Not at all. Ok so now let's begin with it.

1) So now the actor needs to work on a single song to which he/she is well versed with. basically the person needs to sing a song with normal baritone, no such fluctuations and no body movements assigned. The person needs to just enjoy the song while standing in front of a classroom openly, with no voluntary movements. The actor should actually feel the emotion internally, shouldn't really be worried of failed attempts or consequences. At times there are situation when someone has a lot that needs to be expressed for the audience, but are not so expressive in conveying. Here what one can actually observe their inner emotions, the silence, the calm, the ferocious nature, the anger etc. And try to stay in present moment.

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Main purpose of this step in exercise is to stay in present moment and to keenly observe what is going through within body. At times an actor tends to be anxious as to will he be able to express his/her emotions in the most purest form?! This will help in unlocking mental block, making the actor to examine himself and work creatively. 

2) The second half of this exercise now helps in emoting feelings in a way more vibrant ways, just adding movements into there songs making it more exertive, forceful and juvenile in nature. An actor should have the rhythmic movement as that of the flow of the song. It should consist of marching steps around the stage platform, move the torso in sync with the tune and attempt on to next step accordingly. The voice should propagate from chest and must be out in the most dynamic form. This second half will actually help in developing relationship with the music and body. This situation helps in inhibitory problems to actually reveal and work on those aspects of your nature, that you don't really express in public. You can also term it as the private moment of the exercise, as people stay in free mode when they are in private! So this phase of exercise actually help in fabricating a chunk of liberating emotions from peak to peak.

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                                           Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

3) Third and last variation is add a monologue and try working it out on the tunes of a song! The rage, the tempo, the charisma,the suave, the attitude through which you'll carry your body language with the rhythmic moments set. Hereby this phase will help create tonality in between different patches and situation when you try to attempt a monologue!

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So Here's the end to the problems faced by the actors and in detail description of how one can actually deal with it!

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