BEYOND STANISLAVSKY - A PSYCHO-PHYSICAL APPROACH TO ACTOR TRAINING

At the time of his death, Stanislavsky was at work on an advanced approach to actor training that became known as psycho-physical acting. Previously he had taught that truthful performance sprang from the actor's imagination and experience. Later in life Stanislavsky realized that physical actions can not only spring from emotions but induce emotions as well. This perception lies at the heart of psycho-physical acting. Though well known and much taught in Russia, psycho-physical acting is in its infancy in the rest of the world. Bella Merlin has studied under three of the best teachers in Russia; this book is the fruit of her time there. 'Beyond Stanislavsky' takes the reader through a course in the new system, complete with exercises. Infused with the author's personal experience this is never a set of dry instructions, but a vital engagement with Stanislavsky's mature ideas on actor training.