Director and the Text Blog

Reflections Reading  The Complete Staniskavsky Toolkit (pg.17-52) This introduction to one aspect of Staniskavsky’s acting method was very insightful and interesting. As I am a director who enjoys working with authenticity and casting those with experiences and struggles similar to the characters they are portraying, I find Staniskavsky’s idea of psycho-physicality to be quite appealing. Using the source of personal experience in a role is not enough to fully embody and portray the character as that is only part of the acting experience. The idea of really listening to your scene partners and not only what they are saying but HOW they are saying their lines is extremely important. I think a lot of actors are mainly concerned with listening for their cue and when to come in, when, yes, they should be listening for the cue but also listening to how their cue was set up by the other actor. They should then respond with the appropriate nuances and cadences that reflect the delivery of ...