Acting exercises for beginners. Interesting exercises for developing acting skills

Methods for developing acting skills are very popular today with both adults and children. The reason for this is the requirements that life itself sets: the ability to adequately respond to external stimuli, act quickly in critical situations, express one’s thoughts clearly and clearly.

The last quality is most in demand by those whose occupation is related to communication: lecturers, company employees who often present presentations or make reports. Basic ways to help develop hidden talents, will be presented below.

Basic rules for beginners

Usually, training begins with the simplest techniques, but this does not mean that they are primitive or ineffective. Moreover, many of them are successfully used in leading acting schools. So, the basics of acting include:

techniques for achieving expressiveness (pantomimes, small skits);
who will name more words by letter;
his own imitator;
fantasy task (come up with a biography).

In addition to these, there are other methods - there are quite a lot of them. In general, it is not necessary to provide a scientific basis or organize some of your achievements - as long as they work. For example, the “broken phone” game used to be very popular among children - but with its help, they also develop the ability to hear, improvise, and sometimes transform.

Pantomime has been known for a very long time; it can be said to be one of the secrets of acting. A mime must be able to convey anything with the help of plasticity, movements, and subtle gestures: a mood, an action, an event. In ancient Greece, actors used pantomime to convey different characters and even characters. Considering that usually the composition of the troupe was strictly limited (and it included only men), this required remarkable talent.

Among folk games, a game with the strange name “Crocodile” is very close to pantomime. The presenter, on the instructions of the participants, must exclusively use gestures (without saying a word) to describe a word, phrase, saying, action, while he will have to make every effort so that the other players can solve the puzzle.

Exercises with words starting with a specific letter develops creative thinking, teaches a non-standard perception of the world. The closest analogue is the game of cities. Can be recommended for developing acting skills for children. Trains memory, reaction speed, imagination, develops horizons. Imitation is based on the ability to repeat someone else's manners, speech, and gait.

Parodists master it brilliantly. You watch the performance of a talented imitator portraying famous person, and you are surprised: in appearance they are not at all similar, but everything else is like 2 drops of water! The ability to “disembody” into another type helps to create an image that matches the role, and to do it as deeply as possible.

An imagination task will come in handy while traveling on public transport: looking at random fellow travelers, you can imagine in your mind what this person does, where he works, what his temperament and habits are. The task becomes more complicated when exact data about a person is known, but the one who describes him does not know them.

A classic example is when Sherlock Holmes played a joke on his doctor friend by inviting him to make a “portrait” of a passer-by (who actually turned out to be the detective’s brother). For those interested in various esoteric practices, there is a similar exercise: they need, by the will of their imagination, to imagine that they are in an unfamiliar city or a completely foreign place and gradually adapt themselves to their usual state.

Important. During classes, you need not so much to quickly learn how to use techniques, but to focus on the quality of their implementation. And, of course, don’t be afraid to experiment.

Exercises to develop attention

Elements aimed at attentiveness (concentration) are the basis of the artist’s work. A person is always surrounded by objects and other people that prevent him from doing his job with maximum efficiency, accurately and accurately. The actor needs to be able, despite irritating factors, to completely “disconnect” from the outside world in a short period of time, focusing on the task at hand (embodiment of the character).

One of the easiest ways to learn acting at home is the countdown technique. To do this, you need to close your eyes and count from 100 to 1 evenly, at the same pace. At the same time, the trainee maintains even and deep breathing, trying to imagine the image of each number.

The second method is associated with the ability to concentrate on a specific subject. You should take a comfortable position, concentrating on some thing, for example, the minute hand of a clock. It is very important to imagine that nothing else exists except this object. Hypnotists and psychotherapists use a similar practice when they put a patient into a state of deep trance.

What is special about attention exercises for children?

Acting for children 3 years of age and older consists of the same exercises as for adults, but less complex. For example, a common game is “find some differences”. The child is shown two pictures that differ from each other. At first, it is permissible to give hints and push children in the right direction. Gradually, the baby learns to independently find the required parts, choosing more and more complex tasks.

Important. Particular subtlety is required in the ability to interest the child and introduce an element of play into the task. If a careless word or action discourages a child from engaging in an activity, it will not be so easy to entice him again.

How pantomime helps to reveal talent

The ability to convey emotions and subtle experiences with the help of gestures, plasticity, and dance has been known for a long time. Famous examples of this acting skill for adults - street performers, circus clowns, Japanese theater Kabuki. The artist’s goal is to, having at his disposal a limited arsenal of tools (makeup, costumes), convey what he wants to the viewer as accurately as possible. This requires real talent.

Moreover, the actors make up in a special, minimalist style, placing the main emphasis on conveying the idea through body language and gestures. In Somerset Maugham's book The Theater, the main character, the leading actress, perfectly mastered the art of holding a pause - and with the help of this technique she played any role perfectly.

A person practicing pantomime must learn to convey emotions through subtle movements, turning the body, tilting the head: anger, sadness, joy, despair, and in such a way that the audience has a complete illusion of what is happening, without any doubt.

How to properly develop coordination

The ability to move or coordinate fluidly and accurately is a great help in improving acting skills for teenagers. Dancing, outdoor games, including team games, and sports are designed to accustom the vestibular apparatus to orientation in space.

At the same time, such activities contribute to the development harmonious personality- completely in accordance with the saying of Chekhov, who believed that everything in a person should be beautiful. Some sports, such as tennis, simultaneously strengthen muscles and develop the eye. Performing complex movements that require high concentration in figure skating or gymnastics is also achieved through persistent training. But acting for models includes exercises on the ability to move easily and plastically, as well as a sense of balance.

You can start with the basics: learn to stand on one leg while maintaining your balance. Or throw the ball at the wall, trying to catch it on the rebound (more difficult option- standing on one leg). They develop coordination well in games that require moving in a complex pattern while performing some task: basketball, football, hockey.

Acting for beginners includes exercises to maintain balance on a beam or balance beam, and obstacle course running.

Examples of exercises and etudes

It doesn’t matter whether acting is required for life or just as a hobby, to develop it, everyone is able to develop several basic exercises, repeating which, it is quite possible to achieve tangible results:

Exercise in front of a mirror. Looking at your reflection, read a poem with expression, sing, trying to convey emotions as fully as possible. Helps prepare for public speaking, develops diction and reduces the threshold of fear of public speaking.
Depict the mood. Try to use body position and facial expressions to overwhelm emotions (for example, joy). To do this, you need to imagine some bright event, literally feel it again and play it, create the image of a happy person. This same category includes advice on how to learn to cry with the help of acting: you need to remember some sad, unbearable event in your life (personal tragedy, emotional experience) and force yourself to relive it.
Free improvisation. Find a unique image, recreate it according to to the smallest details(gait, speech, behavior, accent) and with their help complete the portrait. You can make friendly caricatures of friends and acquaintances, and then ask them how successful the copy was.

Attention. During any exercise, it is important not to overact, to rely on the sincerity and subtlety of experiences, and not on excessive emphasis on external manifestations of emotions.

Finally

There are no absolutely universal methods of how to learn acting - there are only general recommendations. And on their basis, anyone - a teacher, student, businessman, aspiring artist - is able to develop their natural talents or acquire new skills.

Good actors get used to any role. All professionals read scripts, rehearse monologues, and also undertake creative experiments in acting courses. A good game looks like it's effortless, but in reality there's a lot of effort put into it. The following guidelines will help you become a top-notch actor.

Steps

Do-it-yourself preparation

Record monologues and short skits. Buy a book of monologues online or in print and practice a variety of roles. Choose a monologue and run it 2-3 times, then record your speech on video. When revising, pay attention to weak points, successful phrases, and also write down ideas for improving your game. After that, repeat and record the monologue again until you are satisfied with the result.

Watch your favorite actor. Watch and re-watch your favorite scenes. What do the actor's movements look like? What words are emphasized in each line? How does an actor behave in a moment of silence? It's not enough to just watch your favorite actors. Study their playing style.

Focus on diction or manner of speaking. All actors must pronounce lines clearly and confidently. Video recording will come to the rescue again. Listen to your voice and pay attention to unclear phrases. Learn to speak clearly at varying volumes and speeds so that every word exudes power and conviction.

Practice cold reading. In cold reading, you are given lines and asked to act them out without preparation. This type of task often comes up during auditions. The task may seem daunting, but it helps improve acting skills and improvisation skills, which makes the actor more confident.

Get used to different roles, characters and people. Best Actors They are like chameleons - they dissolve and get used to each role. This requires rich emotional experience. Watch movies and plays, read information, and take notes to see the world through a character's eyes. This is especially important when preparing for a specific role. Go deeper into the role, explore the issue, and become fully immersed in the character.

Preparing for the role

Read the script several times. To play well, you need to grasp the entire plot, not just your role. The actor should not stand out, but become a cog in the big mechanism of the story. To do this, you will need to understand the plot, all the themes and motives, as well as your own role.
- Analyze the entire plot and go back to your character's scenes. Read them a couple more times and then focus on the character's role and words.
- How would you summarize the movie in 1-2 sentences? What about your role?

Theater studios, trainings and acting courses have long been popular not only among professionals. IN modern world There are many areas of activity and professions where mastery of the body, voice, speech and the ability to control one’s psychological state is an important component of success. In addition, these skills are indispensable in Everyday life. Theatrical art has long ceased to be just a profession for some and a hobby for others. Acting techniques and techniques are gradually being introduced into personal growth training, art therapy, and psychology.

Let's try to figure out what tasks acting courses are designed to solve, as well as what you should focus on when choosing acting courses, their directions and programs in order to achieve maximum results.

Who needs acting classes?

Someone dreams of becoming an actor since childhood and decides to make acting their profession by enrolling in a theater university. Others strive for self-improvement and personal development and, feeling hidden potential in themselves, want to realize it on stage or in front of the camera. And some feel the need to develop communication skills and want to master the art of oratory, speech techniques and voice control, subsequently using them for communication, conducting successful business negotiations and business.

So, who needs acting courses and why, and what problems are they designed to solve?

Fear of public speaking

The bright light is blinding, your mouth is dry, below, in the semi-darkness, there are two hundred eyes carefully looking at you. No that's not chamber theater, and you are by no means his actor. You are just making a friendly presentation to the company's partners at a corporate conference. This speech will not have any consequences for your career - all you need to do is say a few welcoming words and read out a report that you know by heart. So where do these shaking hands and cold sweat all over your back come from?

Let's add here confused, slurred speech, stupid speech errors, nervous gestures out of place, and a pitiful, ingratiating smile addressed to the people in the hall. Is it really possible to get pleasure and even inspiration from this whole situation? The performance in front of the audience was yours nightmare with student years and this cannot be changed, you are sure. Meanwhile, in a fairly short time you can turn 20 minutes of such shame into 20 minutes of personal triumph. For this to happen, just make a request in the search engine “school of acting art Kyiv” or “theater studio Kyiv” and sign up for a course for beginners.

Actors in life

We are all a bit of actors. We dramatically throw up our hands in front of the big-eyed baby and say - Ah! The dog took your pacifier! We pause mysteriously, fall to our knees, holding out the ring to our beloved and uttering the cherished words. We tragically roll our eyes down, flirt, “in a corner, on our nose, at an object” - all these are our acting talents, which the DramaSchool theater studio

are sometimes realized completely unconsciously, without self-report in acting. But acting is a serious tool for human communication. The skill of the actor is relevant not only in Hamlet. Our life is a set of game situations: we are carelessly lazy at home, in the boss’s office we are reservedly polite, on vacation we are charming shirtless guys, and all of the above and many other roles can be played within a couple of hours, but to manage them, Not every person knows how to include them consciously at the right moments in their life. But if you have this talent and skill, you own your world. This is not about exceptional dominance and endless success. But in difficult life situations to be able to go beyond the boundaries of one’s “I”, to look at oneself from the outside, to switch from a minor key to a major one with the help of a small “performance”, a gesture - these are very valuable qualities, a skill that modern society applauds.

An acting course is a way to look inside yourself, rethink your own personality, sort out your feelings and determine how they appear to others and whether they exist at all. Disturbed communication with society, according to psychologists, is one of the most pressing problems of a modern city dweller, leading to depression and psychosis. The ability to open oneself, to throw out reflections and complexes accumulating inside through acting is a psychotherapeutic tool that is definitely necessary for every resident of a big city.

Applying acting skills to everyday life and business

In addition to acquiring and improving the level of skill, acting training helps to reveal the individual’s creative potential and hidden abilities. After all, as a rule, during the training process a lot of attention is paid not only to acting methods and special techniques, but also to the psychological component. The result is liberation, the removal of internal pressures, and the elimination of stage and audience fear.

The vast majority of acting training programs have entire disciplines or separate lessons that help you learn how to control your body, voice and breathing. Some of the programs are aimed at mastering the basics of public speaking and speaking techniques. This kind of work on yourself allows you to develop communication skills, the ability to listen and hear your interlocutor, learn to speak correctly and beautifully, present and convey information, the ability to captivate and lead, which is an irreplaceable experience in business communication and business.

Theater studio Kiev Acting courses help us master the complex skills of improvisation and the ability to think creatively, which we so often need in various areas of business and everyday life.

The ability to control one’s voice and body, as well as to manage one’s emotional state, acquired in acting courses will allow a person to communicate more freely and productively with any interlocutor and get rid of the fear of an audience, will help to feel relaxed and confident everywhere, which will always be advantageous in business and personal circle.

Undoubtedly, acting training is a powerful breakthrough in the development of a person’s personality, very relevant not only from the point of view of professional growth, but also in everyday life.

So, absolutely everyone needs acting courses. And this is not an unfounded statement, because practice shows how strongly knowledge of mastery influences a person. The skill of an actor, first of all, teaches maximum interaction: with people, circumstances and situations.

To summarize, by attending a theater studio or acting classes, you receive a number of valuable benefits. Namely:

You increase your level of communication skills by an order of magnitude;

You receive the basics of rhetoric, competent and voluminous speech;

Learn not to be afraid of the stage or the audience.

Theater studio or training center

As for acting courses, trainings and theater studios in Kyiv, there are a lot of offers and they are very diverse.

It is important to understand very clearly what exactly interests you and what the purpose of your studies is. If you are interested not only in personal development, but also creative realization, then you should pay attention to theater studios. As a rule, they organize shows and performances for the students. The duration of training can vary from several months to several years, which allows you to eventually reach a fairly serious level of mastery of acting skills and continue your creative path in amateur theater.

If you need to quickly master certain skills, then it would be more advisable for you to take a short training course.

Long-term training has one advantage - the longer you study, the better the knowledge you acquire is absorbed. Theater Studio DramaSchool And the experience of public speaking that is offered by theater studios will become invaluable to you. In the case of short-term training, you save time and get a squeeze of the necessary information and exercises, that is, the most concentrated amount of knowledge and skills. Nothing extra. But quickly acquired knowledge threatens to be forgotten just as quickly. And, for example, if your problem is tension in the body that interferes with working in public, then you can only cope with them through long-term training and exercises. Or continue independent work over yourself after completing the training.

Under the guise of various courses, it very often turns out to be an enterprise for pumping out money. If they promise to make you a movie, theater or TV superstar in just two weeks, then this is a reason to think about whether you should trust these promises.

What to look for when choosing an acting course

So, you realized that learning acting will add new colors and notes to your personality and life. And it will really happen. Provided you don't make a mistake with your choice creative studio. What should you pay attention to when choosing a studio?

The teaching staff, of course, first of all. He must be qualified, but not necessarily “star”. Famous teachers, especially actors, do not always have time to pay due attention to their students due to their constant busyness. Ideally, each direction should have its own teacher.

Do not rush to pay for master classes of the so-called “stars”. Listening to interesting stories from their lives will not help your growth. TV presenters, famous actors and singers at such events, as a rule, do not provide either practical or theoretical knowledge. But if you're interested in their path to success, then it might be worth checking them out.

On the ideology of the school. It should be close to you. Fundamental or lightweight? Theoretical or practical? What you really need - understand this from comments on the Internet and through personal conversations with teachers and course curators.

For disciplines. It is advisable that your course contains not only acting skills, but at least stage speech and the basics of stage movement. But at the same time, when as part of your training you are offered a dozen more complementary courses, then there is a risk of not learning anything at all.

On the conditions of conducting classes. The room for learning acting should be comfortable for you. It doesn’t have to be a room with expensive renovations, the main thing is that it’s comfortable for you to work. Students should change into comfortable training clothes and replaceable shoes. This not only helps you relax and switch to the learning process, but also promotes basic comfort and hygiene. The group should not be large, no more than 14-16 people.

For the cost of training. How much to pay is, of course, an individual question. But acting courses, due to their specificity, tend to be more expensive than some other creative areas, such as dancing. The price ranges from 350 – 700 UAH. per month of training (2-3 lessons per week) up to 2500 UAH. for a two-day training course. There are, of course, more expensive training options, and sometimes there are free courses, but the quality of training in them remains questionable.

If you still can’t decide which theater studio to choose, then go to a trial lesson, meet the teacher, see who’s in the group. To understand what you can learn, it’s worth going to a show or performance by studio students.

And, of course, the theater studio also invites you to its classes. We organize Days open doors, open shows creative works our students and offer trial classes for everyone. Waiting for you!

Theoretical foundations of acting
But now let's go back to the first year. Comprehension of directing through acting is a key property of the school that I represent. Sometimes people ask me: why is so much attention paid to acting? I will answer simply: because the actor is the most important figure in the theater, its “material”. This means that the director must learn to work with the actor - first of all. But as? I know the only way: to know with all my psychophysics (and not just to comprehend with my mind) the laws of acting. Having been in the “actor’s shoes”, having practically studied the symptoms of the actor’s “illness” and how to cure them, the director will be more likely to be able to see his mistakes and help him overcome them - he knows what “medicine” works, is useful, and offers it to the actor instead of fruitless conversations. Stanislavsky said that “...in our language, to know means to feel, and to feel is equivalent to the word to be able to.” Every director must be, at least to a certain extent, an actor. It is important that he practically understands acting psychotechnics, techniques, approaches to the role, to creativity, and the complex sensations associated with public speaking. Without this, the director will not understand the actors and will not find common language with them. “Let the students of the directing department themselves, through their own experiences and feelings, learn what they will always have to deal with when working with artists,” Stanislavsky insisted.
Following the master's behest, at Tovstonogov's directing school great importance is given to the acting potential of applicants entering the directing course, and with other equal talents of the examinees, preference is always given to those who are gifted as actors, who have an acting nature. Tovstonogov called a director who knows how to work with actors a “roots director.” The formation of a “root director” begins in the first year.
Theoretical knowledge of the laws of acting is an important stage on this path.
The spiritual enrichment of the individual occurs continuously, under the influence of various factors. Creative material that nourishes and develops a director must be sought everywhere. Stanislavsky rightly noted that artistic impressions, feelings, experiences “...we draw both from reality and from imaginary life, from memories, from books, from art, from science and knowledge, from travel, from museums and, mainly , from communicating with people." Let us highlight two words for now - “from science and knowledge.” From the very beginning, the school immerses students in an atmosphere of unity of practice with its theoretical understanding. “You cannot convey what you do not understand, you cannot convey the spontaneous power of talent, you can only convey school” - these words of Mikhail Chekhov can be addressed to opponents of scientific knowledge.
Laws of organic creativity, discovered by Stanislavsky, freed from literalism, from primitive, scholastic interpretations, formed the basis of the theoretical course of the directing school of the first year of study. Terms, concepts of the Stanislavsky system, born in the living theater practice, in the process of trial and error, experimentation, were repeatedly refined, rethought, lost their original content, and filled with new meaning. Years passed, and Tovstonogov bitterly stated: “Terminology has turned into erased, devalued, student-worn concepts, behind which nothing living, sensual and real stands.” And if this is so, then the methodology itself becomes meaningless and, therefore, becomes something unnecessary and useless. The trouble is that many teachers have lost semantic terminological precision; the trouble is that often the methodology exists in the form of general words. “Instead of the precise and practically invaluable method given to us by Stanislavsky, instead of using it as a truly professional weapon, we turn it into a director’s commentary on the subject, equipping it with a set of terms for persuasiveness.” Tovstonogov’s concern is completely justified, because almost all the concepts of Stanislavsky’s teaching are very diverse and sometimes completely arbitrarily interpreted. How often students and theater teachers use the same words (for example, “action”, “communication”, “intonation”), but attach completely different meanings to these terms. It seems that, using common terminology, theater people speak the same language, but in reality (when you find out what content they mean by this or that concept) it becomes clear that they think about completely different things and do not understand each other. Commonality of professional words is not yet commonality creative language. Developing a clear and precise terminological language within the framework of a unified directing school helps communication among professionals and reduces the time and path to mutual understanding.
Stanislavsky sought to create an acting “multiplication table”, a professional alphabet, without which neither painters, nor poets, nor composers can do. Tovstonogov rightly believed that such an alphabet is also necessary for directors.
Until now, among artists there is a widespread aversion to terms, typology, and classification, since they are of a general rather than individual nature. But it is precisely the general properties that make it possible to understand a phenomenon in the context of diverse connections. The school teaches not to confuse freedom and arbitrariness. Freedom is a reward for knowledge, and arbitrariness is a consequence of disregard for knowledge; it is akin to ignorance and amateurism. A skill based on knowledge is a prerequisite for a professional director, and school should provide it. But I emphasize - knowledge of laws and patterns, and not recipes, templates and cliches. For this purpose, a professional theory was created.
The theory of directing, as we know, does not exist, although the general theory of theater, the related theory of acting, and world directing and teaching practice contain a wealth of material for it. The need for a scientific understanding of the directing profession is felt more and more acutely every year. Huge director's and teaching experience Tovstonogov allowed him to write significant pages into this science. “I quite consciously,” the master admitted, “from time to time dwell on a detailed decoding of individual terms of the system, because in most cases directors and actors use them simply barbarously. The terminology of Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko has lost its original meaning and turned into a set of formal verbal designations, into which each director puts a meaning that is understandable and convenient for him alone.” Relying on the teachings of Stanislavsky, Tovstonogov creates a unified terminological language of his school. This terminological apparatus is widely used in the first-year lecture course.
I am sure that reading lectures on the theory of the directing profession would be interesting for readers. But they are quite voluminous - about 1500 pages. It will take more than one book to present them. Therefore, I will limit myself to only individual fragments of the first course lectures, describing the content of only those concepts and terms without which it is impossible to understand further, in particular the basic principles of the method of effective analysis.
But I will start with a list of topics from the first course lectures in order to give big picture, against the background of which the practical development of the basics of acting is carried out.
1 Introduction to the profession.
2 The artist’s super-super task.
3 Artistic image.
4 Specific features of theatrical art.
5 Stanislavsky system. Goals, tasks. The art of “representation” and the art of “experience” are like the art of “action”.
6 Laws of acting psychotechnics. Elements of the Stanislavsky system.
7 Stage action.
8 Proposed circumstances.
9 Imagination is the leading element of the system.
10 Stage attention.
11 Muscle freedom.
12 Tempo-rhythm of action.
13 Stage attitude.
14 An event is an indivisible atom of the stage process.
15 Stage evaluation is the process of transition from one event to another.
16 Exercises for the memory of physical actions and sensations - the scale of acting.
17 Interaction. Communication.
18 Verbal action. Subtext.
19 Mental action.
20 Visions. "Zones of Silence".
21 Physical action.
22 Cross-cutting action and the ultimate task of the artist-role.
23 Character and distinctiveness.
24 Reincarnation.

The sequence of presentation of these topics, of course, may partially vary and change. However, in the formulation of the key concepts of the theory, it is important to maintain accuracy, because, as modern psychological science, “...awareness is unthinkable without a name, that is, without denoting what is being realized with an exact word, without verbalization.”
The goal of Stanislavsky's system is to find conscious ways to awaken the actor's subconscious and then not to interfere with this subconscious to create. The elements of the system are the laws of organic life, natural human behavior. They must not be violated in unnatural stage conditions. Elements of the system are elements of action. They are interconnected and inseparable from each other (system!). An actor's underestimation of even one, lack of mastery of even one of these elements leads to the destruction of the entire effective process. Hence - “training and drill!”, as Stanislavsky suggested.
Action is a single psychophysical process of achieving a goal in the fight against the proposed circumstances of a small circle, expressed in some way in time and space. In this formulation, every word is important; to remove any means to destroy the meaning of the concept. This is how you can briefly comment on this formula. First of all, it is necessary to emphasize in the effective process the inseparability of the psychological and physical, their unity. It should be remembered that the concept of “physical action” is conditional; of course, from Stanislavsky we're talking about about psychophysical action, the proposed name simply expresses the desire to emphasize the physical side of the effective process. Without understanding this, physical action is often called just physical mechanical movement. Let us remember that physical action in Stanislavsky’s teaching is always a psychophysical action. This is the value of his discovery: a precisely found physical action can awaken the true psychological, emotional nature of the actor. This is how Stanislavsky wrote about it: “...physical action is easier to grasp than psychological action, it is more accessible than elusive internal sensations; because physical action is more convenient for recording, it is material, visible, because physical action has a connection with all other elements. In fact, there is no physical action without desire, aspiration and tasks, without their internal justification by feeling...” Stanislavsky's discovery is based on the law of the organic relationship between mental and physical processes in humans.
Action is a process. Therefore, it has a beginning, development, and has an end. How does a stage action begin, according to what laws does it develop, why and how does it end or be interrupted? The answers to these questions explain the essence of the process.
The motivator of our actions in life is the objectively existing world, with which we are constantly in interaction through circumstances created by us or circumstances that exist independently of us. On stage, these are the circumstances proposed by the author, that is, the proposed circumstances. They encourage action, move and develop the process. The law of stage existence is the law of aggravation of the proposed circumstances. An extreme aggravation of circumstances activates action, otherwise it will proceed sluggishly.
Action is born simultaneously with the emergence of a new goal, the achievement of which is accompanied by a struggle with various circumstances of a small circle. The proposed circumstances of a small circle are the immediate cause, the impulse of action; they really influence, influence a person here, now; they enter into a concrete struggle. Conflict is the driving force of stage action. The struggle with the proposed circumstances of a small circle to achieve the goal is the main content of an effective process. Its development is associated with precisely this struggle, with overcoming obstacles on the way to the goal. Obstacles can be of a different nature: with a sign (-) and with a sign (+), that is, they can interfere with movement towards the goal (-) or help (+).
The action ends either with the achievement of the goal, or with the appearance of a new proposed circumstance that changes the goal, accordingly giving birth to a new action. Without knowing the purpose and proposed circumstances of the small circle, one cannot talk about action.
As you can see, the definition of stage action contains:
1 Purpose (for what?)
2 Psychophysical implementation (what am I doing to achieve this goal?)
3 Device (how?)
I remind you of the final definition: “Action is a process expressed in some way in space and time.” What is important here is the temporal-spatial characteristic of theatrical art, associated with the problem of entertainment, a bright, polished form, with a tempo-rhythmic organization that determines the development of an event in time. In this case, it is especially necessary to emphasize the improvisational essence of the action, its multivariance; it is said: “a process - expressed in some way,” and not once and for all approved, as happens in the art of “representation.” The so-called art of “experience” that we profess is the living, always improvisational creativity of the actor.
I repeat that action is a single psycho-physical process. However, in an effort to analyze such a complex phenomenon, it was conventionally divided into three components: mental, physical and verbal action. Such a division helps to identify in each specific case the predominant importance of either the verbal, physical, or mental side of the single process of action. It should be remembered that mental action always accompanies both physical and verbal.
Once again I draw your attention to the fact that physical action - as an action, always purposeful, psycho-physical - should not be confused with physical movement (not action!), which can only be an adaptation (how?).
Let's continue the conversation about the proposed circumstances. As you know, creativity in the theater begins with the magical “if only,” that is, with the actor’s ability to transform reality with the power of his imagination. The proposed circumstances are the set of “ifs”, they set the action in motion, develop it. From the totality of the circumstances of a person’s life, the author makes a strict selection. In order to understand this abundance of circumstances and bring them into a system, it is advisable to conditionally divide all the circumstances into three circles: circumstances of the small circle, stimulating and determining the process of struggle in the event; circumstances of the middle circle, covering the entire play, determining the development of the end-to-end action of the person-role; and circumstances of a large circle that lie outside the play, absorbing the super task of the person-role. All circumstances are capable of moving from one circle to another. We will not be able to build the logic of the small circle without knowing the circumstances of the middle and large circles, because it is they who correct and determine the logic of the small circle. Circumstances lying in one circle must be verified by circumstances in another circle.
It should be said once again about the most important law of aggravation of the proposed circumstances. This is not the law of life, but the most important law of the theater, of stage existence: otherwise the action will lose its most important quality - activity, the struggle will be passive. Remember: it’s cold or hot, but not warm! Exacerbation can be with a sign (+) or with a sign (-) in relation to the action.
Imagination is the leading element of the system, but it is the only element that is not the law of life. Without imagination, not a single element of the system can exist. For example, the law of connection between stage attention and imagination: I see what is given, but I treat it as given. Imagination and fantasy are different concepts. Imagination is an emotional action, performed with the creator himself (everything happens to me, in me); fantasy is a more rational action, it happens not with the creator, but with someone else (outside of me). Imagination is a person’s ability to create new images from his previous ideas, knowledge, and experience.
Stage attention is an active, conscious process of concentrating the will on any object, a process of active comprehension of the phenomena of life. What attention is directed to is the object of attention. All objects affecting a person are located outside him, on the periphery (with the exception of objects associated with the disease of the person himself, they are in him). Law: in each unit of time a person has one object of attention.
During the first year, it is necessary to learn to greedily get carried away by fictitious objects of attention in conditions stage life; destroy the natural object of attention on stage - the viewer (the well-known “public loneliness”). Passion for scenic objects requires a developed imagination.
Muscular freedom is the law of organic human behavior in life,
therefore, it is one of the elements of the system. The essence of the law is this: a person spends exactly as much muscle energy as is required to perform a particular action. More or less than required expenditure of muscle energy leads to muscle tension with a sign (+), or with a sign (-), that is, to excessive relaxation (+), or to excessive muscle tension (-). Muscle clamp is often a consequence of the actor's hypertrophied self-control. A natural way to extinguish overly developed self-control, to dull it, is to get carried away by the stage object. To get distracted, you need to get carried away!
Rhythm as an element of the system, an element of acting psychotechnics, is made up of the relationship between the goal and the proposed circumstances of a small circle. Rhythm in human behavior is the degree of intensity of action, the activity of struggling with proposed circumstances in the process of achieving a goal. The rhythm of an event is determined by the rhythm of the actions of the people participating in the event, their relationship. An event is always a struggle of rhythms. The more contrasting the rhythms of the participants in an event, the more rhythmically diverse it is. A change of circumstances, a transition from one event to another causes a change in rhythms; the rhythm changes during the assessment process, after establishing superior quality. Changing rhythms is the law of human life. Since the art of theater is spatiotemporal, the concept of rhythm is integral to tempo, that is, to the speed of action. Intensity (rhythm) and speed (tempo) are interrelated. Their relationship is an important means of acting expression.
The stage attitude is an element of the system, a law of life: every object, every circumstance requires the establishment of an attitude towards itself. Attitude is a certain emotional reaction, psychological attitude, disposition to behavior. Attitude has sensual and intellectual aspects. It is especially important that the circumstances of a small circle evoke, first of all, a sensory reaction. Unfortunately, on stage, attitudes often arise only in the intellectual sphere. Each person establishes an attitude towards circumstances based on personal experience, depending on his psychological attitude. Relationship is a process; Establishing a relationship occurs in stages:
1 Change of object of attention.
2 Collecting signs (from lowest to highest).
3 At the moment of establishing the highest attribute, a relationship is born.
This process can occur almost instantly, but can also be lengthy. The time required to establish a relationship depends on many factors (in particular, on nervous readiness, compared with the experience of the individual, and many other circumstances).
The structure of stage life is effective, spectacular and eventful.
The sum of the proposed circumstances (small circle!) with one action is an event. An event has the character of an individual assessment, a point of view - it is a specific incident, an effective fact (having an extension in time), occurring before my eyes (that is, before the eyes of the audience) - today, here, now! An event is a way of analysis and then synthesis. An event is called either a verbal noun, or it can be identical to the leading proposed circumstance (determining the action, that is, affecting all participants in the event).
Assessment is a very important element of the system.
Evaluation is the process of moving from one event to another. In evaluation, the previous event dies and a new one is born. Change of events occurs through assessment. People go to the theater for grades! The famous "tour breaks" are assessments. The evaluation process first goes through the same channels as establishing a relationship:
1 change of object of attention;
2 collecting signs (from lowest to highest);
3 establishment of the highest sign (the most important stage). At the moment of establishing the highest attribute, following the emergence of a relationship;
4 a new goal appears, the rhythm changes, a new action is born - this is how we move on to the next event.
In the first year we talk only about the end-to-end action of the artist-role, the person-role, not the play as a whole. This is a stage of life united by one goal; or - the average circle of proposed circumstances, covered by one effective-volitional goal; another definition - the desire, the desire of the character in the period of time under study - is his end-to-end action.
Please note that we give several definitions and formulations to a number of the most important concepts of the doctrine (such as, for example, “event”, “through action”). Such diversity allows us to look at the phenomenon from a different perspective. different sides, helps to understand the essence of a particular professional term.
The ultimate task of a person-role (not a play!) is the representation of a person, his dream of happiness. The ultimate task is an objective concept. A person’s whole life is subordinated to one goal, one dream; he can deceive those around him, hiding his true goal behind false declarations, but by examining his actions and real behavior, we can draw a conclusion about the person’s true ultimate task - not in words, but in deeds.
Just as action relates to end-to-end action, end-to-end action relates to overarching objectives. They can be studied according to the law: from the particular to the general, and vice versa - to verify the particular with the general. These concepts are closely interrelated.
The fragments of lectures and brief formulations I have cited, of course, cannot give a comprehensive idea of the theoretical foundations of the first course. A real lecture-conversation is always filled with an abundance of examples and detailed characteristics of each concept. But now it is important for me to demonstrate to readers the general direction of the theoretical course, its practicality, well-known technology and specificity. Any work can be presented briefly, if, of course, you understand it to the end, and bring it to the very simplicity - this is real science. Everything initial should be simple. Let us remember Niels Bohr, who said that if a person does not understand a problem, he writes a lot of formulas, and when he understands what is going on, they will remain in better case two. Not vague thoughts “about”, but strict formulas based on rich practical experience - this is the principled approach to the theory of the profession in Tovstonogov’s directing school.
For example, it may seem that such a complex, ambiguous concept as “stage action” is being simplified. It is known that “action” as a scientific category of theater theory has been intensively studied since the beginning of the 20th century. In theater science and pedagogy today there are many definitions and mutually exclusive interpretations; Sometimes completely different meanings are put into it. Therefore, the subject of research itself becomes blurred and uncertain. At the same time, not only the theory of the issue, but also real stage and pedagogical practice depends on what content is contained in it. Therefore, Tovstonogov consciously turned a very complex definition into a highly specialized one and included this multifaceted category in a specific working formula. In this case, the master was interested in the professional and technological aspect of the stage action. This does not mean that other aspects of this phenomenon are not interesting. After all, the technology of the profession is inseparable from the spiritual essence of the creative process, from the moral task. But the possibility of arbitrary interpretations is always disastrous for the school.
Tovstonogov's directing school invites its students to abandon the term “the art of experience,” replacing it with the “art of action.” The everyday meaning of the word “experience” sometimes overshadows the essence of the phenomenon. The appeal to feeling in Stanislavsky's school is not direct; the feeling is what is sought, the result of a correct, effective process. That’s why it’s fair to classify our directing school as the “art of action.”
What are the differences between the art of “experiencing” and the art of “imagining”? The art of “representation” can be called the art of depiction, reproduction, imitation, the art of exact repetition, copying a perfect form once found and approved. And the art of “experiencing” presupposes the birth of an effective process anew each time, like the first time - this is a living theater, improvisational in nature. It is based on the principle of reincarnation, not imitation, but merging with the image.
Creative activity of students in the process of comprehending the theory of acting and directing - the most important condition learning productivity. This is achieved, among other things, by a special way of constructing lectures. They should take the form of conversations and seminars, in which the share of student participation is very significant. The teacher does not present ready-made formulations to the students; they are born each time, as if anew, through joint work. A creative leader who leads creators - this model is quite applicable to the student audience at a directing school. Lectures should not be academic in nature. They require students to have high intelligence (intellect - from the Greek “intelego” - I choose between), the ability to equally enter into a conversation with the teacher. Truth, as we know, is born from dialogue. It is essentially non-monologue and arises at the intersection of ideas of the participants in the dialogue. It is important to leave each student the right to have his say in a conversation, moreover, to provoke an argument. Lectures-conversations should awaken in students an independent search for truth, intensify live work mind. Maximalism and sincerity of judgment, freshness of views on art - these are the most important qualities that create a special environment in which the dialogue between the teacher and his students develops. Each lecture is a cross-talk filled with living examples, broad associations, and fascinating stories. At the same time, creative polemics and free clashes of opinions must coexist with the severity of assessments, with increased demands on the culture of thinking of students, and intransigence towards manifestations of passive, dull apprenticeship. Self-confidence, inflated self-esteem, based, as a rule, on semi-culture, semi-education, on aggressive amateurism (sometimes characteristic of student directors) - this is back side medals. What's worse: passivity or self-confidence? The talent of a teacher is able to overcome both of these negative trends. It’s good when the conversation gives rise to many questions from students: this is evidence that the topic of the conversation touched a nerve and, in addition, interesting questions allow you to look at the subject under discussion from different angles.

In life we often play different roles, not only on stage. As Shakespeare said, “The whole world is a theater, in it women, men - all actors”. Acting is useful not only in theater and cinema, it can be useful when speaking in public with a speech or presentation, in business communication and in many other life situations. This section of our website was created to help in learning the art of acting.

This course of classes is intended for aspiring actors who are just trying their hand at the art of impersonation and want to take free online lessons on developing acting skills. In the training lessons you will briefly become acquainted with the theatrical systems of Stanislavsky, Meyerhold, Chekhov, Nemirovich-Danchenko, learn what qualities a real actor should have and how these qualities can be acquired, get closer to the art of impersonation and the art of experience, be able to make stage speeches and naturally reproduce the simplest emotions at the right moment. In addition, in this section you will learn about leading theater universities, schools, clubs and studios; you will be able to download and read useful books and textbooks; learn about exercises and games that are used in training professional actors; You will also be able to watch video clips of real acting trainings with your own eyes.

What is acting?

Acting art is a professional creative activity in the field of performing arts, consisting in the creation of stage images (roles), a type of performing arts. Playing a specific role in theatrical performance, the actor seems to liken himself to the person on whose behalf he is acting in the play. By influencing the viewer during the performance, a special playing space and community of actors and spectators are created.

In modern society, when people spend a lot of time on computers and various mobile gadgets, many find it difficult to feel liberated, manage their emotions, communicate freely, and be confident. Because of this, people experience apathy or fear, as well as difficulty expressing their own thoughts and moods. Emotional depression leads to internal pressures, which manifest themselves not only in facial expressions, speech, movements, but also in inner world. Therefore, acting is useful not only for those who want to become professional actor, but also for people who want to learn how to manage emotions, be sociable, charismatic and successful in life.

Elements of the art of transformation

The basis of acting creativity is its main idea - transformation. Reincarnation can be external and internal. In the process of preparing for a role, the actor selects certain facial expressions, gestures, voice intonations, gait, and resorts to help. All in order to convey with maximum accuracy the demeanor and other external attributes of the character he portrays. But true transformation lies not only in conveying on stage appearance character: the actor reveals the spiritual world of his hero, shows his character, expresses his thoughts and experiences.

The concepts of external and internal reincarnation can only be divided conditionally. We can say that these are two sides of the same coin - the creative process, which are closely interconnected. In the process of transformation, action, thought and feeling are in inextricable unity.

To truly transform into your character, you need to know and be able to do a lot. Konstantin Stanislavsky identified two key groups of elements of acting:

First group: the actor's work on himself. The elements of this group represent psychophysical processes in which the will, mind, emotions, external and internal artistic data of the actor are involved. All these are called Stanislavsky elements actor's creativity, these include: attention, memory, imagination, sense of truth, ability to communicate, emotional memory, sense of rhythm, speech technique, plasticity.

Second group: the actor's work on the role. Elements of the second group of acting art are associated with the actor’s work on the role, which ends with the organic merging of the actor with the image of his character, that is, transformation into the image. This group, according to Stanislavsky, includes 2 types of mastery: the art of presentation and the art of experience.

But acting is not only about transforming into a specific character about whom everything is known. The actor has to think out, imagine his character, that is, get involved. The famous theater teacher Stanislavsky noted that the true creative state of an actor consists of four important interrelated elements:

Stage attention (active concentration);
Stage freedom (tension-free body);
Stage Faith (correct assessment of the proposed circumstances);
Stage action (an emerging desire to act).

Of course, learning all the elements of acting is difficult, and not everyone can master it. Faina Ranevskaya once said:

I receive letters - ‘Help me become an actor’. I answer: ‘God will help!’

Probably, you shouldn’t rely on God alone either. It is important to want and work hard, and those who try are truly favored by luck and higher powers.

Want to test your knowledge?

If you want to test your theoretical knowledge on the topic of the course and understand how suitable it is for you, you can take our test. For each question, only 1 option can be correct. After you select one of the options, the system automatically moves on to the next question.

Acting training and lessons

In order to master the qualities and techniques described above that make up the art of acting, we have prepared a series of lessons for you.

(1874-1940) - Russian and Soviet theater director, actor and teacher. The biomechanics he developed is a system of acting training that allows you to move from external to internal transformation. The extent to which the actor will be perceived by the audience depends on the accurately found movement and correct intonation. Often this system is contrasted with the views of Stanislavsky. In our lessons, biomechanics is considered as an addition to Stanislavsky’s system, and is aimed at developing the ability to reproduce the necessary emotions “here and now.”

(1891-1955) - Russian and American actor, theater teacher, director. In his classes, Chekhov developed his thoughts about the ideal theater, which is associated with the actors’ understanding of the best and even divine in man. Mikhail Chekhov spoke about his philosophy of acting as an ideology “ ideal person”, which is embodied in the future actor. The system of training actors, according to Chekhov, includes such elements as the world of images and creative thinking, our higher consciousness, professional acting technique, habits and the ability to control our body.

(1858-1943) - Russian and Soviet theater teacher, director, writer and theatrical figure. To develop acting skills, you can use the concept developed by Nemirovich-Danchenko about the system of “three perceptions”: social, psychological and theatrical. Each type of perception must be important for the actor, and their synthesis is the basis of theatrical skill. The Nemirovich-Danchenko approach helps actors create vivid, socially rich images that correspond to the ultimate goal of the entire performance.

Books and textbooks

Many books and textbooks are devoted to theatrical and stage skills. To make it easier for you to navigate this variety of acting literature, we have created a special book section, where we will talk about the most interesting, and most importantly, useful publications for training actors.

“An actor’s work on himself” - K.S. Stanislavsky. This book is one of the most famous and sought-after works of the great Russian director and theater teacher Konstantin Sergeevich Stanislavsky. We can say that this work has been a reference book for any actor and director for a long time. It is rightly called one of the most famous textbooks on acting and theatrical art. The book consistently sets out the contents of the so-called Stanislavsky system, which today underlies the practical training of leading Russian and world theater universities. In addition to a theoretical description of the system itself, in the book you will find useful exercises and practical recommendations.

“On the history of the creative method: Publications. Articles" - V.E. Meyerhold. Creative method Vsevolod Meyerhold remains little studied. Researchers of the history of the director's performances interpret in many different ways general principles directed by Meyerhold. Domestic theater studies long years was limited in its ability to objectively study non-realistic artistic methods. Own theory Meyerhold Theater was denied. “When he talks about the principles of his theater - he is weak and even helpless - he does not know what principles he is proceeding from,” this opinion of A. V. Lunacharsky was characteristic of many works about Meyerhold.

“On the actor’s technique” - M.A. Chekhov. This is one of the most famous books by Mikhail Chekhov, who saw many actors and directors different types, schools, directions and calibers. Organizing, systematizing and simplifying the accumulated material took the author many years. The original version of this book was written in English, since Chekhov moved to live and work in the USA after the revolution. But now the book can be read in Russian.

“Acting training. Gymnastics of feelings" - S.V. Gippius. This is a work by the famous Russian theater director and acting teacher Sergei Vasilievich Gippius, with whom more than one generation of future actors and directors worked. Four hundred acting exercises presented in the textbook will help free the imagination, develop the ability to transform, creative imagination and intuition. All exercises are based on the system of Konstantin Stanislavsky, recognized throughout the world as the standard of acting, deeply meaningful and adapted by the author specifically for the learning process.

. This textbook on rhetoric was written by German professor at the University of Bremen Heinz Lemmermann almost in the middle of the last century. The book is intended as a systematic introduction to modern rhetoric for readers without special philological and linguistic education. The author tries to popularly reveal the key concepts and principles of rhetoric that are necessary for each of us. The textbook is suitable for both adults and schoolchildren, and with it everyone can master the course of rhetoric proposed by the author and learn to speak brightly and convincingly in public.