Acting theory

Modern acting theory probably began with Stanislavsky's An Actor Prepares.  On the anniversary (Centennial?) of Stanislavsky's death the only American Russia invited to attend was Lee Strasberg co-founder of The Group Theater, and The Actors Studio.

Cut to the 1960-70s (somewhere in there) 10th floor Carnegie Hall, NYC.  Strasberg's acting class, the one you paid for, not the free Actors Studio, Lee is chatting with early arrivals about the student, female, who gave him credit for her finally being able to conceive a baby. No, not that Lee was the father (athough he did father a child when in his 70's - his Oscar Nomination also came in 1976  for The Godfather ll ) but that she declared in class she learned to relax enough so that all of her body and mind was present with her in bed. Lee didn't necessarily believe her, he just reported what she'd said. Wink. And, he was serious. He was in the habit, in class, and at the Studio,  of off-handedly, sometims in fun, telling a theater-related anecdote or opinion. He said for example that The Catholic church was "Good theater." (It requires what acting requires: belief!)  He opined that Shakespeare had a mental collapse late in life.

Some theater people, not enough in my opinion, take the so called 'Method', and the study of acting seriously. Lee's son David works at The Strasberg Institute on Santa Monica Blvd in LA. On one of my visits to that building, to watch a play, I found on the counter near the entrance a copy of an essay on acting taken from the Encyclopedia Brittanica listed under ACTING. It was written by Lee Strasberg.

Barry

  http://journals.aol.com/bbartle3/Vengeance/