Method Acting – Strasberg Acting Technique
Learn about how an actor prepares, building a character, and creating a role.
The Method Technique will teach you how to create a moving performance, infused with a vibrant inner life. This acting technique in which an actor aspires to encourage sincere and emotionally expressive performances by fully inhabiting the role of the character.
Method acting is an acting technique wherein the actor aims to completely identify with the part they’re playing at an emotional level. They try and “become” the character and remain in character for long periods. By completely aligning with their psyche with that of their character and going about life impersonating them, the actor seeks to understand more about this other “person” and deliver a more authentic performance on screen. This technique is just as valid for fictional characters as it is for portrayals of real people.
Method acting is based on a system originally evolved by Stanislavski. It was developed, in particular, by Lee Strasberg and Elia Kazan. Some of its contemporary exponents include Marlon Brando, Robert de Niro, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
What is Method Acting and How to Method Act?
This technique is a study in psychological exploration as the actor tries to plumb the depths of their character’s individuality. To embody their character’s life experiences, the actor must often be willing to go through the trauma and wear the emotional baggage that can accompany those experiences. This then becomes a self-explanatory journey to the character’s “natural” self.
Method acting involves a series of training and rehearsal techniques devised to help you “get into character.” It’s critical to approach a role with a blank slate. If you want to authentically convey your character’s beliefs, you must let go of your own. Mental and bodily relaxation to release tension is key to this.
Engage all of your senses when you’re practicing a scene. Actors sometimes try to recreate their character’s experiences in their own lives and commit all the sensory feedback, including touch, smell, sound, and sight to memory. Recalling all these stimuli can help them evoke rich responses on set.
Learn Acting at Michelle Danner Acting Studio
At Michelle Danner Acting Studio, we train our actors in a range of acting techniques, including the Stanislavski, Meisner, Stella Adler, and Strasberg methods. We also teach you to build on your learning and create your own Golden Box of acting techniques that you can tap into at will. Learn how to wear your character like a glove and deliver memorable performances on stage and on set. Contact us for more information about what method acting is or about our classes.
