The Case Against the Stanislavski "system" of Acting

Download or read book The Case Against the Stanislavski "system" of Acting written by Florence Moskowitz and published by . This book was released on 1966 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the introduction: The Stanislavski "system" of acting was introduced to this country many years ago, first in derivative form and then-via Stanislavski's books on the subject-in the form in which he conceived it. Both here and abroad, and throughout its history, the "system" has been a matter of controversy. Though controversial-and despite the fact that a certain amount of mystery has surrounded its meaning-the "system" has had a profound influence on the teaching and practice of acting in this country. Because of its influence, the question of what it is and whether or not it has merit is one of some consequence. This book is the result of an intensive investigation into the origin and nature of the "system." It does the following: (1) states what the "system" is; (2) presents the case, as I see it, against the Stanislavksi "system"; (3) defines the natural, correct procedure. The alternate, but less used, name of the Stanislaviski "system" is the Stanislaviski "method". The derivatives of the "system" are also designated by the work "method." In this book the "system" is referred to only as the "system." The words "method" and "the method" (when place in quotation marks) mean the derivatives of the "system." The discussion opens with a few biographical facts, the story of the origin of the "system" and a presentation of other background material.