Konstantin Stanislavski developed "Method acting" which was used to great effect by actors such as Marlon Brando. Photo / Getty Images
Konstantin Stanislavski developed "Method acting" which was used to great effect by actors such as Marlon Brando. Photo / Getty Images
Repertory Theatre has just begun rehearsals for their latest production, Direct Hit, written by local playwright Shona Wilson and directed by Kerry Girdwood. Much of the dialogue focuses on different acting and directing styles which has led me to investigate some styles myself.
I'm probably most familiar with Konstantin Stanislavski's"Method" which wasn't universally accepted when he first developed it, calling on actors to remember their past experiences and how they felt and reacted to situations at the time. Stanislavski believed this helped actors produce authentic characters.
One of the early proponents of Stanislavski's method was Marlon Brando. It was believed that he relied heavily on the character of his abusive alcoholic father when portraying the coarse Stanley Kowalski in the film adaptation of Tennessee Williams ' A Streetcar Named Desire. I don't think he was a nice chap.
Brando's many successes bear testament to the effectiveness of Stanislavski's method. His many Oscar nominations and triumphs speak for themselves. It will be interesting to learn which acting and directing styles the cast of Direct Hit employ to bring us another successful production.
