Here is a link to a video that will tell you about the history of acting and about "The Method":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfPz1c07IsQ
Constantin Stanislavski was a Russian actor and theatre director. He was also known as "the father of modern day acting" Moreover, he came up with some ideas to help actors bring more realistic and emotional truth into their performances and taught them to a group of actors who brought, taught and developed the technique that they liked the best to North America.
1) Lee Strasberg (Strasberg Method)
He was an American actor and teacher who adopted the technique called "method acting"
Method Acting is using sense memory or what is called the 'magic as if'.
Sense Memory ---> You are using a real life memory. Ask yourself the question: How did I feel when this happened?
Magic As If ----> You are using your imagination. Ask yourself the question: How would I feel if this happened?
2) Sanford Meisner (The Meisner Technique)
He was an American actor and teacher who developed the Meisner technique.
The Meisner technique is done by doing a series of repetition exercises.
Example of a basic exercise:
Note: It must be a truth based on the other actors physical appearance.
Actor 1: You have an orange shirt.
Actor 2: I have an orange shirt.
You will continue to repeat until anything changes that you observe in the other person (e.g. emotion, facial expression, tone etc.)
Example of a more complicated exercise:
Actor 1: Is given a physical action
Actor 2: Is given a circumstance
Then they will do the scene and play off of each other.
Here is a link to a very good video that will explain how to do this technique by New York acting coach John Windsor-Cunningham but we would also recommend you get into an acting class that focuses on this technique (Robin Kay Studio in Toronto).
3) Stella Alder (The Alder Technique)
She is an American actor and teacher who believes in using the power of your imagination.
Sample exercises:
Imagination: Pick an object and describe it.
Paraphrase: Pick a book and paraphrase it in your own words on a piece of paper and then present it in front of an audience.
Inner Justification: Pick a random line from a play or book that you don't know and imagine the reasons why you are saying it.
Here is an article where to get more details on these exercises and the technique:
http://www.acting-school-stop.com/stella-adler.html
Here is a link to a youtube video that will give you a better understanding of the technique and how actors who study this technique work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOkwoIXyeFI
- Aisha and Alisha
