Monthly Archives: June 2011

Do you want to become a successful actor like Robert De Niro, Marlon Brando, Benicio Del Toro, Naomi Watts and Salma Hayek just to name a few? If you do, then you might want to study the Stella Adler acting technique. The famous actors mentioned are only among the many Hollywood stars who studies the Stella Adler method in order to improve their acting skills. Stella Adler was an experienced film and theater actress before she started teaching. Although she trained under the renowned Stanislavsky, Adler did not necessarily agree with all his principles. For instance, although Adler believes that imagination is key to becoming a successful actor, she doesn’t think that it’s necessary for the actor to go back to his own experiences to be able to convey realistic emotions.

Look For Actions

According to Stella Adler, a good actor knows how to translate his imagination into actions. She says that it’s important for the actor to be constantly doing something while onstage. This doesn’t mean that you should always be moving around the stage. It means that you should focus on the emotions of your character and translate them to the equivalent actions. For instance, is your character trying to plead, to help, to teach, to demean, to avoid, etc.? It’s important that you know the motivation behind every line your character says and every move he makes.

How to Develop the Imagination

Being a good observant is necessary for developing the imagination. You should always be observing the world around you, making sure that you focus even in the slightest details. You can then imagine these specific details and use them onstage as though you are really seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and tasting these details. Once you have done this effectively, the audience will be able to see the scene through your eyes.

It’s also important to use your imagination and intellect when studying the play or the script. Of course, it’s not enough that you know your scenes and have memorized your lines, you should also understand the entire story of the play and the motivation behind it. It also helps if you imagine the social situation of the play. What is the story’s milieu and how does this milieu affect your character?

Some Acting Exercises

The Stella Adler Acting method requires acting students to perform a lot of exercises. One good acting exercise that you can do is selecting a single line from a play that you haven’t read or watched before. Now, try to imagine the motivation behind the character saying that particular line. What are the circumstances? What is the character trying to achieve? Make sure that the situation you choose is something that you feel passionately about so you can live the lines, instead of just memorizing and saying them.

The Stella Adler acting method is an ideal acting technique for aspiring stage actors. If you feel that your acting skills are still down to “role-playing”, then the Stella Adler method can also train you to hone your imagination so you make the circumstances of the play as real as possible.

If you are pursuing a career as a professional actor then you probably know that there are many acting techniques that you can use to master your craft. One of these techniques is the Meisner Acting method. Like many acting techniques, the Meisner method was influenced by the Stanislavsky acting system. However, unlike the Stanislavksy technique which involves plenty of mental exercises (such as the sense memory exercise), Meisner insists that an actor mustn’t just work “in his head”. Instead, Meisner emphasizes the importance of spontaneity and instincts in an actor’s training.

Doing and Acting

Unlike other acting methods which requires the actor to think extensively about his role, the Meisner technique also puts importance in the act of “doing” itself. Meisner believes that in order to become a credible performer, you need to be engaged in something real that is occurring onstage, not just in your imagination. Once you become committed to what is really happening onstage, it will be much easier for you to act using your impulses.

Focusing On the Moment

Focusing on what is occurring at the given moment also figures heavily in training under the Meisner acting method. Instead of thinking about your character’s objective and what will happen next in the scene, it’s important that you experience the scene as the present moment. After all, this is true enough in real life. Even though we do our best to plan and prepare for the future, the only tangible circumstance that we can deal with is none other than the present moment. Another way that you can concentrate on the present moment is by focusing more on the other actor/actors in the scene with you, rather than yourself.

Daydreaming vs. Sense Memory

Other acting methods such as the Stanislavsky method makes use of sense memory exercises in order to convey realistic emotions in a scene. What the actor does is recall his own real-life experiences that are similar to the situation in the scene. This way, he can re-create the appropriate emotions. Although this method works for a number of successful actors, Meisner believes that simple daydreaming or fantasizing is even more reliable than sense memory exercises. This can be particularly helpful if the scene involves a situation which you have never experienced before. For instance, let’s say that you are supposed to play a role of someone who has been betrayed by a loved one. If you haven’t had a similar experience before, you can imagine a fantasy instead. Say your best friend revealed a secret that you confided in her. You will probably feel a mixture of anger, hurt and other emotions. You can then play off these emotions during the scene.

Some Meisner Technique Exercises

If you will be studying acting under the Meisner acting method, you should expect to do a lot of exercises. For instance, you will be doing some exercises to help you learn your lines mechanically, without focusing yet on pauses, intonation, tempo, etc. This will allow you to become spontaneous when you are actually saying your lines in the scene.

Learning and memorizing lines is without a doubt one of the most common problems that many actors experience. If you have found yourself many times stammering onstage or in front of the camera, racking your brain for your next line, then don’t worry: you’re not alone. Many actors have trouble memorizing their lines. Unfortunately, memorizing lines is one of the nonnegotiable aspects of acting. Even though you will sometimes hear famous actors talking about how they would improvise, you can guarantee that they started out memorizing their lines as well. Here are some tips to help you learn your lines better:

Repeat and repeat again

Repetition is not only one of the most common ways to memorize your lines, it is also extremely effective. Of course, you don’t want to just repeat the lines in your head, you need to say them out loud repeatedly. If you’re a beginning actor, the best thing to do would be to say your lines as you would say them during the performance itself. Some advanced actors say their lines out loud in a mechanical manner. Only during performances do they add the pauses, silences, tempo, intonation, etc. This helps them become spontaneous in their acting.

Listen and communicate with other actors in the scene

Many actors make the mistake of listening to other actors in the scene, just so they can hear the cue for their next line. This might help you say your lines on time, but it will certainly disrupt your performance. Keep in mind that to become an effective actor, you need to believe the situation or the circumstances happening in the play or the film. Obviously, you won’t be able to do this if all you’re thinking about is your lines. When you listen attentively to your fellow actor, you get to contextualize your lines, which in turn helps you remember them better. Your acting performance also improves since you become more “natural” in saying your lines.

Get moving

Studies have proven that movement can help you remember your lines better. So when practicing your lines on and off the stage, make sure that you perform the accompanying movements as well—whether it’s pacing around or just making simple gestures.

Rehearse on your free time

Although there are plenty of rehearsals and read-throughs before the actual performance, these may not be enough for someone who needs to exert extra effort to memorize lines. If this sounds like you then you need to take the initiative to practice the lines on your own. Record the lines and use your MP3 player to listen to them on your free time. You can just choose to read the other actors’ lines and leave yours blank so you can supply them. Practice your lines while driving, working out at the gym, washing dishes and other everyday activities. By the time you are about to go onstage or in front of the camera, chances are you have memorized your lines so much that you can say them in your sleep.