BLOG QUESTION ADV: THE ORIGINS OF ACTING P. 2

What was traditional acting on the stage like in the 19th century? How did Stanislavski change acting? What was the Stanislavski System?

Traditional acting on stage in the 19th century continued to follow the grand declamatory style. Theater had to be exaggerated in order to be considered real, and certain emotions had motions and poses that were associated with it. Stanislavski found this style boring, and found interest in "living  the part", choosing to dress himself as different characters and stay in character while acting in public spaces. The Stanislavski System is a psychological approach to acting that was made for actors to get "into the moment". 

There are 3 key steps to the system: 

1. Preparation (Training your body and voice for the role), 

2. Studying the role (understanding the work), 

3. Truth (Feel as if the play is reality).