A technique called method acting

A technique called method acting The controversy surrounding emotion training such as method acting still remains a poignant subject when discussing actor training (Chabora) but despite its controversy the technique called method acting is still popular, particularly in America where it was created (20thC training). In Method acting, the body is encouraged to respond to a series of stimulus that the actor has collected throughout their training. It emphasizes the importance of authenticity in a make-believe world. (method acting Krasner p5) The technique was developed using some of the ideas of Stanislavski’s system but has evolved over time with the input of various actors and directors (20thC training p129). The teaching of the method in America was instigated by Stanislavski’s students Richard Boleslavsky and Maria Ouspenskaya, their aim was to train actors to find depth in their characters. (20thC training p130) One of their students, Lee Strasberg became one of the founding members of Group Theat re (20thC training p130) who’s ethos promoted the use of real emotion on stage as opposed to it being suggested (20thC training p130). Despite, being director most associated with the method (20thC training p134) Richard Hornby (2002) states that even though Strasberg used Stanislavski’s name in order to advertise his own method of teaching, Boleslavsky was Strasberg’s sole link to them (end of acting p182). It was Strasberg’s belief that emotions are the most fundamental tool in the actor’s repertoire. (Chapora p231) He looks in particular at psychological processes, and is primarily concerned with the actor’s process rather than performance (20thC training p129). It is Strasberg’s affective/emotion memory that is his most controversial technique derived from Stanislavski’s work on Ivan Pavlov’s research (20thC training p135). This technique highlights the importance of actors using their own experiences and beliefs enc ouraging the actor to live the life of the character (20thC training p130). He believed the body to be stimulated by recalled experiences (20thC training p134) and affective/emotion memory exercise puts this belief into practice. It encourages the actor to remember corporeal feelings by way of examining personal cues, such as an object which holds emotional connotations for them. The next stage is bringing to mind memories (method acting Krasner p12 because as Strasberg noted, the most valuable memories are those buried deep in the actor’s subconscious. He suggests that the further back you explore, the more intense the memory. (Chabora p231) A common misconception about Strasberg’s affective/emotion memory is that it is the actor aim to remember the emotion contained within a memory, but this is not the case. The actor, instead of concentrating on how the event made them feel, remembers other details such as sight, sounds and smells (Chabora p231) which then cause the emotion to develop organically because â€Å"remembering a ‘situation’ in all of its vivid, sensory details†¦evokes a rich nexus of images that then facilitates a feeling response† (cognitive neuroscience P44). Each exploration into the ‘sensory details’ of a memory helps to build a collection which can be used during the actor’s process. (Chabora p231). Strasberg himself understood the risk of using this technique; only allowing people to train after studying their psychiatric records (Chabora p233) and also acknowledged that the emotional intensity of the memory may change over time. (Chabora p233)