Presentation review

I have learned lot of acting techniques from the presentations that my classmates presented during the class last week. There were lot of actors from different countries who had inspired people with their techniques and theories about acting. Vsevolod Meyerhold used symbolism and biomechanics in his play that he thought stage does not only mean what it looks like, but it is also something more beyond. He emphasized actors to exaggerate the body movement, but not facial expression; he even uses mask during the play in order to make audience to focus on more body movement rather than his face. Viola Spolin was known worldwide as the originator of theater gamers; she used non verbal teaching method by developing body motions to help develop stage presence. She was mostly known for development of modern improvisation, and largely spread her idea to the world. Sanford Meisner was an American actor and acting teacher who wanted actors to live truthfully under the imaginary circumstances of acting by saying “Good acting comes from the heart.” Konstantin Stanislavski used authentic emotion and method acting techniques, which are strategy that seeks to encourage  sincere and emotionally expressive performances. Lee Strasberg used the method acting as well, and he used past event or emotion to help actors act sincerely, which were called as “affective memory” or “emotional memory”. Michael Chekhov believed the universal emotions and psychological gesture; therefore he underlined to use imagination with physical movement, and stimulating feeling through imaginary. Most of theorists highlighted to their students to use past memories, emotions, or imagination while acting and describing the character . German born American actress Uta Hagen was also one of the most influential theorists; her technique was a method that focuses on “being” the character rather than just acting like the character you are given. She believed an actor must use all of themselves and their education or experience to portray a character, by using method called “Substitution” and “Transference”. She strongly believed that transference and substitution could help actors to identify with the experiences of the character-connect.

As my character is Laura, who is insanely shy and physically crippled girl, I thought Uta Hagen’s “Substitution” and “Transference” methods and Michael Chekhov’s “Psychological Gesture” method would be most helpful to identify and to portray my character. Since the scene is conversation between Laura and Jim and Laura liked Jim before, I should use Uta Hagen’s “substitution” method to use my past memories of liking someone, therefore I can stand on Laura’s perspective and feel of Laura how shy does she actually feel in front of Jim. Moreover I could use past experience of myself being significantly changed by my mom’s inspiring advice while acting Laura and feeling her emotion when she started to open herself to Jim through giving her favorite unicorn. Furthermore, Michael Chekhov’s “Psychological Gesture” technique must be really important for me since my character is Laura, who has a crippled leg. I should use my imagination to think myself as Laura, and connect it with to physical movement to describe her crippled leg, and being as her.

There are so many theorists and technique that I can use to describe Laura in the play. I will mostly focus on using my imagination and past memories or experience to stand on Laura’s perspective, and thinks, feels, and moves in a same way with her.