Stanislavski methods were put into practice today.
In rehearsal we were questioned with, ‘What is it to be an adult?’
As actors it was interesting to experience practicing the switches of characteristics of the ages. Our voice would become sweeter and softer when acting as children, and our body movement was free and energetic. Contrasting vastly to the harsher tone in voice when taking on an elderly person, and our movement of our body became slower and heavier
The next exercise we did was the Stanislavski technique ‘What if’ scenario.
Tamsyn directed me with “You have just witnessed a crime…”
So I stepped into the circle responding to the other actors as neutral to the quickly adjusting my physical movement to be faster, with sharper facial expressions to be of shock and panic and embodying a feeling of concern. What I said was improvised and Tamsyn noted down words I said in case they could be of use for scriptwriters later on.
The next part of the workshop the ‘Given the Circumstances’ situation followed.
My direction was “You are in a job interview but you need the toilet…”
This was a more comical situation I was under. I had to not laugh and act rather seriously. I haven’t experienced this before so imagining a way to behave theatrically was amusing. I took on a reserved character, and made my physicality look tense by holding my knees, tapping my feet and rocked slightly on the chair.
These Stanislavski exercises made us think quickly and take on enlarged physical characterises we can potentially take on board for this current production.