From active analysis to the actor-creator’s work with the first impulse

ABSTRACT

In this article, we are looking for ways of congruence between Konstantin Stanislavsky’s Method of Active Analysis and Nikolai Demidov’s School, theoretically observing similarities, while also concentrating on some major differences, such as the complete initial lack of given circumstances for études in Demidov or the inceptive use of improvised speech as opposed to the given text in Stanislavsky. During one of their last encounters, Demidov shared with Stanislavsky his own thoughts related to the shortcomings of teaching the “system”, while arranging a demonstration of his own latest discoveries. Apparently, Stanislavsky, who was previously against Demidov’s desire to train students/actors differently, was positively surprised when witnessing the results of this new approach. Although both practitioners might have thought that a combination between the two techniques could provide a new path for the actor, probably due to Stanislavsky’s health problems, such an endeavour never came to fruition. Therefore, as a prerequisite of a practical research project, briefly analysing both paths, this article aims to delineate ways towards finding out whether they can be merged into a single one and how this could be used as a brand-new rehearsing technique.

KEYWORDS:

• Active analysis
• Stanislavsky
• Demidov
• impulse
• organic actor
• études
• the “system”

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Curpan, In Search of Stanislavsky’s Creative State on the Stage, 54

2. Stanislavsky in Demidov, Becoming an Actor Creator, 1

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid.

5. Curpan, In Search of Stanislavsky’s Creative State on the Stage, 54–5.

6. Ibid.

7. Demidov, Becoming an Actor Creator, 34

8. Ibid., 30

9. Ibid., 31

10. Van Den Bosch, “Anatomy of a Psycho- Physical Technique,” 5

11. Curpan, “Stanislavski’s creative state on the stage,” 74 (Emphasis in the original)

12. Stanislavski in Curpan, “Stanislavski’s creative state on the stage,” 74

13. Demidov, Becoming an Actor Creator, 28.

14. Ibid.

15. Ibid., 30 (Emphasis in the original)

16. Ibid., 29 (Emphasis in the original)

17. Ibid.

18. Stanislavsky in Curpan, In Search of Stanislavsky’s Creative State on the Stage, 150.

19. Magarshack, Stanislavsky a Life, 393–4.

20. Stanislavsky in Curpan, In Search of the Creative State on the Stage, 210.

21. Ibid.

22. Carnicke, Stanislavsky in Focus, 99–100.

23. Ibid., 101.

24. Ibid.

25. Van Den Bosch, “Anatomy of a Psycho- Physical Technique,” 8–9.

26. Curpan, In Search of Stanislavsky’s Creative State on the Stage, 222.

27. We are using the abbreviations – AA for Active Analysis, MOPA for the Method of Physical Actions, and DS for Demidov School.

28. Beddie, “Exploring Impulse Work and Active Analysis in Practice”, 58.

29. Ibid.

30. Carnicke, “Improvisations and etudes,” 19.

31. Christie, “The What Happened of Experience,” 154.

32. Knebel in Jackson, Twenty-first-century Russian Actor Training, 170.

33. Carnicke, “Active Analysis,” 1.

34. Dahl in Filshtinsky, “Education Through Etudes,” 118.

35. Ibid., 116.

36. Demidov, Becoming an Actor-Creator, 265.

37. Ibid.

38. Brown, “Enter into a Larger System,” 1.

39. Demidov, Becoming an Actor-Creator, 46.

40. See note 38 above.

41. Demidov, Becoming an Actor-Creator, 34.

42. Ibid.

43. Ibid., 277.

44. Ibid.

45. Malaev-Babel and Biziorek, “Instagram Live Conversation,” 04ʹ07” – 05ʹ57”.

46. Malaev-Babel, “Nikolai Demidov – Russian Theater’s Best-kept Secret,” 77.

47. Malaev-Babel and Biziorek, “Instagram Live Conversation,” 07ʹ07” – 08ʹ16”.

48. Ibid.,19ʹ30”.

49. Ibid., 10ʹ54” – 12ʹ05”.

50. Ibid., 12ʹ08” – 13ʹ51”.

51. Ibid.

52. Ibid.

53. Ibid.

54. Ibid.

55. Ibid.

56. Ibid., 14ʹ14” – 16ʹ39”.

57. Ibid.

58. Ibid.

59. Demidov, Becoming an Actor-Creator, 78.

60. Malaev-Babel and Biziorek, “Instagram Live Conversation,” 16ʹ54” – 17ʹ56”.

61. See note 38 above.,

62. Ibid.

63. Ibid.

64. Demidov, Becoming an Actor-Creator, 388–9.

65. Ibid., 390.

66. Knebel in Curpan, In Search of Stanislavsky’s Creative State on the Stage, 224–5.

67. Ibid., 224.

68. Ibid.

69. Ibid.

70. Ibid., 225.

71. Ibid.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gabriela Curpan

Being both experienced Romanian professional actors and senior lecturers, Gabriela Curpan (The University of Wolverhampton) and Ion Florin Grigoras (The National University of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography, I.L. Caragiale) were successfully awarded their PhDs - Gabriela from Goldsmiths, University of London, and Florin from UNATC, Romania. They share a research interest in actor training, theatre, and spirituality, particularly through the works of Stanislavsky and Demidov.