2009 LUL
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* March 2006: Go.dot -- 100 years since Sam Beckett's birth * ...
Oh, it's a long story! lul.sellassie.info lul.vtheatre.net teatr.vtheatre.net ... more? Phases: Producer [3-year plan] Director (Artistic) Director stagematrix.vtheatre.net [filmplus.org/thr continues] Acting-2 ? Here come in this directory, but new forms of instructions: apprenticeship. How? Masterclasses, workshop? ...
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I do not know how I ended up teaching acting. I am not an actor and a few times I acted, I didn't like the experience. I like theatre; how couldn't I love actors?
THR221 Intermediate Acting
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& thr blog
Physical Method
Theatre BioMX Theory for Method Actors
Anatoly Antohin
REVELATION & CONFESSION...I am working on my webBooks for over a year, on my webpages -- three years, since I learned how to make them. I have thousands now -- yes, and only now I realized what I am doing!
It was a shock for me.
Look, I write the textbooks about acting (I teach theatre for many years!) -- and I had many good explainations, why do I do it (teaching for years and writing the textbooks for over a year), you will find my silly reasons on the pages I wrote before the grand revelation.
The truth was simple and merciless. I teach, because I do not believe in talent! Did you notice the titles? "System of the Method"? "Biomechanics Theory for Actors"? What? System? Method? Theory? Mechanics? Do you follow me? I say that it could be learned as accounting, plumming, driving!
Sorry, this is what I say...
Oh! I better say it all! I myself learned it all because I had no talent!
I didn't need methods and systems, when I was young! And I did it, the theatre! Badly, perhaps, but now I, the loser, claim that anybody could learn the art MECHANICALLY! What is that? Acting and direceting for the dummies? Madness? Arrogance?
Forgive me....
But honestly, in America we all do not believe in talent, blessing and the stuff. We believe that we can do it without grace and gift. "How to Be Happy" or "How to Make Any Woman Satisfied" -- it is from the US Constitution! If I can learn how to be happy, I am for sure can learn how to act!
In fact, the talent would be an obsticle! No, no talent, please, none for soever! Nothing! That is what you really need to learn theatre! If you do have any talent, or even believe that you might have a talent -- do not read my books!
Yes, I know, it's painful, I uderstand it, I suffer myself from the realization that I am a pig. More so, the reason why I understand more than you in Method or Biomechanics techniques -- is because I am LESS talented than you! Understand?
The confession. Do you think it's pleasant? Oh, how nice it would be to have a talent or something like this! But I know so much about the craft of theatre that there is no hope for me whatsoever! It's late for me, but I warn you, the young, -- give it up while it's not late! Think about it over, because when you start learning the systems and techniques, there is no way back -- you will acting and directing better and better! You will live under an illusion that you have talent! I beg you to remember my miserable life and aviod the suffering in the old age!
I see, you insist. Go ahead, read the Intro, read the Preface, read and forget about the talent forever! I hope, you will not understand a thing in this book!
This revolution was against the overwhelming success of representational theatre (Moscow Art Theatre School). There was a secret side of the naturalist theatre -- dramatic narrative from the birth of theatre belong to many characters, theatre messages were expressed in hidden (not openly articulated) forms -- we always were "guessing" the message, comparing statements and actions of many. As in life. Verisimilitude was pregnant with this twentieth century cultural explosion. In the times of revolt of the masses and success of the industrial (manufacturing) revolution, an individual claimed his right to see the world "his" way. Spectator revolted against the public. Mimesis, which ruled arts (drama to the extreme), contradicted not only the interpretive nature of the dramatic (author voice is never direct, only through many voices), it contradicted the sensitivity. We, Americans, didn't see the past in control of the present: the future rules the present. We are not inhabitants of the existing reality, but the builders of our "own" designed -- and "artificial" (man-made) reality. Instead of being a great teacher, History acted as a burden, that was the begging of the American Age.
The theatre of direct conformity to life attempts to confront the audience with all the unpredictable complexity of reality and the unexpected development of events, attempting to conceal both the ending and the emotional coloration of the action from the public. Stage action is to catch the audience unprepared, so that its impact is increased. This is why the genre `play' or `drama' exists; the theatre of direct conformity to life warns the audience of nothing in advance, and the same time is the bearer of detailed and accurate minutiae, both of everyday life and psychology, which make the artistic whole believable. (Meyerhold 139)
....text became something of an obstacle. Decoration was replaced by a construction. the construction of drama = attraction assembly (episodic structure). There is no stage and auditorium anymore; to organize the stage space most conveniently for the actors, to create "working space for the players. A machine. Non-individual approach to reality.
Biomechanics establishes the principles of precise analytical execution of each motion, establishes the differentiation of each motion for purposes of maximum precision, demonstrativeness -- visual Taylorism of motion (Sign of refusal -- the establishing of the start and end points of motion, a pause after each accomplished motion, the geometrization of movement in planes.) We must be able to show the modern actor on stage as a complete automation. (Meyerhold 294)
The actor's art is the creation of plastic forms in space. Therefore, the actor's art is the ability to utilize the expressive potential of his body correctly. This means that the route to image and feeling must begin not with experience, not with seeking to plumb the meaning of the role, not with an attempt to assimilate the psychological essence of the phenomenon, in sum, not "from within" but from without; it must begin with motion. This means the motion of an actor excellently trained, possessing musical rhythm and easy, reflectory excitability; an actor whose natural abilities have been developed by systematic training. (Meyerhold 294-295) ...
2005 * As you noticed, I gave up on "How To Use" Anatoly's webpages. Use the search "filmplus.org" (Google) at the bottom!
An online course supplement *
2005-2006 Theatre UAF Season: Four Farces + One Funeral & Godot'06
Film-North * Anatoly Antohin * eCitations *
Acting amazon
After 2009 : After USA : After Anatoly :
Theatre LUL, Addis Ababa Repertory & School [ see "Lul" pages ]
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