Acting Stanislavski

Acting Stanislavski explains the method Stanislavski developed for drawing on personal experience, imagination and close observation to create believable performances. A century and a half after his birth, the approach is taught widely around the world, yet it is still often dismissed, misread and applied the wrong way. John Gillett sets out the full method, from early training through to the final performance.

The book works through the main building blocks: ease and concentration; action, interaction and the actor's objectives; the imagined circumstances of a scene, the senses and emotion; active analysis of the script; expressing character through the body and voice; and the actor's place in training and the profession. Terms and ideas are explained in plain language, and each topic includes practical exercises and worked examples. Gillett's account draws on Stanislavski's major writings in two English translations, as well as records of his rehearsal methods and final studio classes.

Written from the performer's point of view for students, professionals and teachers, this new, expanded and fully updated edition revises the earlier book Acting on Reclaiming the Stanislavski Approach (Methuen Drama, 2007). It adds new exercises and biographies, a further chapter on character and a larger glossary. The book also connects Stanislavski's ideas with those of his successors, including Michael Chekhov, Meisner, Adler and Strasberg.