Quote: chipolata @ July 29 2010, 11:20 AM BSTHave you trod the boards at all, bb?
Yes, I went to drama school at age 51 !!!. I loved it and it was the best decade of my life. I did it professionally having got an Equity contract for my first job.
I did lots of theatre, mainly comedy and used the Stanislavski method. Not all directors like it and can get annoyed. I used to say...'If it's good enough for Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman, its good enough for me' ....LOL
Why? Do they think it's pretentious, or too time consuming or something?
Quote: zooo @ July 29 2010, 11:34 AM BSTWhy? Do they think it's pretentious, or too time consuming or something?
It'd take quite some explaining but to try and shorten it, Stanislavski is sort of method acting, so the actor becomes the character he/she is portraying but they have to be 95% 'being' the character and 5% aware of the audience. As such, if whilst 'being' you feel like walking across the stage or fiddling about with a prop or whatever, this goes against the 'normal' rules of theatre, as you should stay still whilst the focus is on the actor speaking.
I did a two hander at the White Bear in London and the director was strict. I was really uncomfortable doing all the moves she instructed.[they were taking me out of character in my opinion] On the last night I thought 'bugger this' and did it Stanislavski. She came to me after and said...'That was just brilliant, you finally got it'
I was furious
Ha!
How annoying.