I always envied men like Stanislavsky. Tall, handsome, with the deep actor's voice, rich. I didn't like the Moscow Art Theatre too, it smelled of a museum. Many of us thought that Stanislavsky is overrated. Besides, he was the Soviet Theatre icon.

Dialogues with Stanislavsky

Outline: in Four Acts (parts).

Each chapter (subject) as a scene.

Time: now

Place: here

List of Characters
Anatoly
Stanislavsky
Meyerhold
Chekhov and his characters
Shakespeare and his heroes
Aristotle
Students
Many more...

How to link with Spectator?

For scenes and monologues go to SHOWS directory!

Preface

I try not to touch the topics well covered in the existing books on Method. Relaxation, Sense Memory, Concentration, Magic If, Objects Substitution, Animal Exercise, Private Moment, Speaking Out, Moment-to-Moment Justification, Affective Memory, Givens, Strasberg, Stanislavsky.... Read other books first. I based this book on my Advanced Acting classes. Do you know what is "emotional recall"? Objective? Obstacle?
The definitions you can find in Dictionary
My task is to show the System (the original name by Stanislavsky) of the Method -- and I do it from the director's perspective.

Part I: CHARACTER
Part II: ROLE
Part III: ACTOR
Part IV: Theory in Action

Part 5? The samples?

Summary

Relax, save it for the bar after the show. They came to see Hamlet, not you. Nobody cares about you and if you are doing good job, nobody even see you! Why are you so nervous? It's him, Hamlet on stage, not you. You are not less invisible than your director. We all are backstage, friend. We are the pupperteers, only in your case the pupper is your body.

Questions

Why do I need this preface? I don't. You do.

Homework

Always read the whole book first -- and only then we can come back to each chapter.

Notes

Stanislavsky never visits me when the other people are around. I understand it. He doesn't mind, if I am in a company of Aristotle or Shakespeare, but if there are too many of them, the living dead, he doesn't speak. Actors are shy, you know. This is why they act. Sometimes I see him next to my car, waiting for me in this bloody Alaskan winter. But what does he care? Always dressed like for the Oscar! I likew it, especially the silk white scarf. So, we talk in the car. I complain, he complains, but I have to remind him that his complains means nothing; he and everybody he complains about are dead. If I am with Chechov, he never shows up. There is some bad blood between them. He is a gentleman, I am not. I say things, like -- fuck the bullshit, get to the point! He never speaks this way. Never unfinished sentences. Too flowery for me. Well, we all have our short commings. Of course, we speak in Russian. Sometimes my actors ask, what do you say, Anatoly? "It's not for you," I say. How can I tell them that I am talking with Stanislavsky? I am already have a reputation of "the crazy Russian" -- I have to think about my reputation too. Sometimes I have to rude with him, I am sorry, I have to say things like -- Go away! Not now! I will talk to you later! He understands, he is a gentleman.