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Writers & Readers Documentary Comic Book #87
Stanislavski for Beginners
This guide traces both the subject's life and his "system" - a series of deep acting exercises that focus on relaxation, concentration, and emotional memory. Along the way the authors show how Stanislavski's influence continues today.
175 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 30, 2011
Easier to read than Stanislavsky's own books. Almost as good. Takes Adler's side over Strasburg's, which I like.
April 6, 2019
I knew that Stanislavski was important but hadn't realized that like, 75% of what I know about theater comes from his ideas. It's remarkable to realize that one guy can singlehandedly change an entire field.
I will definitely read one of his books but I was a little intimidated so this was a nice introduction. I did feel like I wanted to hear more about his system and less about his biography (especially since it all seems to be "so this play was a huge success, he then did this play and it was a failure, he got sick, he created a new theater, and repeat").
All in all, I love this series. They're always very user friendly.
what I'm taking with me:
• Stanislavski realized that you can use your past emotions as a tool but it's better to understand the action and through that, reach emotion. You don't act sorrow, you simply create a sorrowful situation that will lead to your audience feeling sorrow.
• Chekhov liked his interpretation of his plays so much that he wrote a few for him and also married the lead actress.
• I have to see the coffee shop where Stanislavski met the other dude and they created their theatre group in 18 hours.
• There's the physical side of theater and the emotional side, you must work on both and Stanislavski's theory focuses on both.
• Due to a ten year publishing gap, An Actor Prepares (which focuses on the emotional) is seen as more important but this is false. He considered his later works as his best.
• There's a map that explains his works really well, google Stanislavski's system.
• Creating a line of motives for your character, starting from their past and stretching out all the way till after the play. What do they want? What's the super objective (רצון על as we say in Hebrew)?
• You split your part into little units. Each unit has a physical action but it needs to come from an actual desire. Not too little units, it must stay coherent.
• An actor has to be authentic, Stanislavski used to often tell his actors that he doesn't believe them.
• Okay, his last words are so depressing.
I will definitely read one of his books but I was a little intimidated so this was a nice introduction. I did feel like I wanted to hear more about his system and less about his biography (especially since it all seems to be "so this play was a huge success, he then did this play and it was a failure, he got sick, he created a new theater, and repeat").
All in all, I love this series. They're always very user friendly.
what I'm taking with me:
• Stanislavski realized that you can use your past emotions as a tool but it's better to understand the action and through that, reach emotion. You don't act sorrow, you simply create a sorrowful situation that will lead to your audience feeling sorrow.
• Chekhov liked his interpretation of his plays so much that he wrote a few for him and also married the lead actress.
• I have to see the coffee shop where Stanislavski met the other dude and they created their theatre group in 18 hours.
• There's the physical side of theater and the emotional side, you must work on both and Stanislavski's theory focuses on both.
• Due to a ten year publishing gap, An Actor Prepares (which focuses on the emotional) is seen as more important but this is false. He considered his later works as his best.
• There's a map that explains his works really well, google Stanislavski's system.
• Creating a line of motives for your character, starting from their past and stretching out all the way till after the play. What do they want? What's the super objective (רצון על as we say in Hebrew)?
• You split your part into little units. Each unit has a physical action but it needs to come from an actual desire. Not too little units, it must stay coherent.
• An actor has to be authentic, Stanislavski used to often tell his actors that he doesn't believe them.
• Okay, his last words are so depressing.
July 11, 2022
This is a comic book/graphic novel and as such a very quick read.
At times, the language reads as if a non-native speaker (e.g. someone from Russia?!?) wrote the text. There are a few grammatical mistakes, but not too many. And sometimes words are used in a slightly unusual way. It is well readable, though. It comes across like it was written by a non-native speaker with very high English proficiency. I am not sure whether this is an accident or intended. For all I know, it could well be intended for artistic effect.
This was my first exposure to Stanislavski's method (and his biography). The book seems to cover everything that is relevant about Stanislavski and his system. The system itself, as it is described in this book and set into the context of Stanislavski's life, makes sense and is indeed beautiful and intriguing.
At times, the language reads as if a non-native speaker (e.g. someone from Russia?!?) wrote the text. There are a few grammatical mistakes, but not too many. And sometimes words are used in a slightly unusual way. It is well readable, though. It comes across like it was written by a non-native speaker with very high English proficiency. I am not sure whether this is an accident or intended. For all I know, it could well be intended for artistic effect.
This was my first exposure to Stanislavski's method (and his biography). The book seems to cover everything that is relevant about Stanislavski and his system. The system itself, as it is described in this book and set into the context of Stanislavski's life, makes sense and is indeed beautiful and intriguing.
August 4, 2022
Era todo lo bueno que esperaba. Introductorio pero a la vez profundo, lleno de datos teóricos y prácticos valiosos, tanto por el aspirante a actor como para el entusiasta de las biografías. Útil y accesible en varios sentidos. Muy buena lectura, recomendado
November 16, 2024
This is an excellent introduction into the world of one of the founders of modern theatre. This is a must have for every actor and director who seeks to have a deeper understanding of the development of character and truth in the theatrical arts!
August 3, 2023
La lectura se vuelve dinámica y muy entretenida. Es un excelente libro para introducirse en el universo stanislavskiano y teatral, ya que aporta datos relevantes y significativos para el arte del actor.
February 1, 2024
This was a fun graphic novel kind of read.
March 4, 2017
Who thought understanding the concepts underneath Stanislavski's method would be so easy? This book runs illustrations throughout so it feels like you're reading a graphic novel - and maybe you are. Yet you get a comprehensive overview that's easily to follow and understand. A great achievement.
August 9, 2016
Picked this up hoping to find some methods and exercises that would be useful in teaching Stanislavski's system to high school students. Unfortunately, that's not what this was.
What I found instead was an excellent book about the life of Stanislavski and how he came to develop his system. I came away with a better understanding of how to explain his intentions for the system (as well as common misconceptions surrounding it), though not so much of how to put it into practice. Definitely acts as an excellent primer for high school students to read before tackling An Actor Prepares.
What I found instead was an excellent book about the life of Stanislavski and how he came to develop his system. I came away with a better understanding of how to explain his intentions for the system (as well as common misconceptions surrounding it), though not so much of how to put it into practice. Definitely acts as an excellent primer for high school students to read before tackling An Actor Prepares.
February 26, 2013
The simplest way to understand the complicated life of Mr. Stanislavski and his life-long study in the art of acting.
October 17, 2013
Great book, great advice for actors. The reader learns a lot about "The Method" form of acting.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews