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Tyler Folkedahl
Emily Cherry
Theatre 371
3/10/16
An Actor Prepares
For my book report, I chose to read Stanislavskis An Actor Prepares. Im very happy
with my choice, because I was finally able to dive into the primary source material of the
foundations for modern acting. Ive had an idea about Stanislavskis system for a while, but
much of it has remained hazy and seemingly unattainable. Reading this book has given me a
greater understanding of his methods, and a bevy of new tools that Im excited to test out in
rehearsals and scene work in classes. Some of the areas that I found to be most exciting were
those about general actor decorum, releasing tension, objective work, and imagination. Ill start
by talking about general actor decorum.
From the very outset, Stanislavski places a very strong emphasis on the actor needing to
behave as a professional, and treat his cohorts as such. I think the way that Kostya being late for
rehearsal was handled brilliantly. There were actual repercussions immediately following the
mistake that was made, rather than letting it slide and having to deal with it getting out of control
later in the rehearsal process. Establishing this at the very outset creates an environment where
everyone is expected to be consistently doing their best work, being professional, and taking
responsibility for their actions.
Another moment that I appreciated was when the director scolded the students for
laughing in their first class. Its easy to forget, especially at the outset of acting classes, that
everyone there is learning. This is especially true of groups where you arent comfortable with

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everyone youre learning with. Passing judgement on others work in rehearsal and learning
processes can be a huge inhibitor to actors ability to let go of insecurities and immerse
themselves in their work. Establishing a workspace where actors feel free and comfortable to
give feedback and commentary on each others performances in a respectful manner is pivotal to
me as a performer in a show. Oftentimes, as is noted in the introduction of the Hapgood
translation, actors feel that they cant offer feedback or advice to others in the show, because
acting is so personal and each persons problem is their own. When people get into this mindset
onstage, I dont feel comfortable as an actor working and creating a dialogue in that
environment, and it makes me feel limited in my ability to progress in the scene. On the flipside,
learning how to provide feedback in a constructive and respectful manner is a skill that I think all
actors (and everyone involved in theatre) needs to learn.
Stanislavski also discusses the actor as needing to have an iron will. I love this
sentiment. As Ive previously expressed, I am a hands-on practicer. I love rehearsing, working,
and practicing things up on their feet. Obviously, there are times that I struggle with this and
would rather lay in bed and watch Netflix, but in general, I like to get up and practice the things
that were working on in class. I feel that a lot of theatre students I know are quick to settle on
good enough, and that does not fly with me. Im guilty of being a perfectionist, and there are
times that I know I need to learn to let go, but as far as things like vocal work and dance go, I
dont feel that Im in the wrong for wanting to practice. Some people are willing to settle for
being strong in only one aspect of theatre (voice, acting, etc), but Stanislavski asserts that to be a
truly competent actor, one needs to sharpen and hone all of these skills. Neglecting the technique
and training that one has to go through with their voice and body is to cheat yourself out of full
use of your body, which is your instrument as an actor.

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Another thing that weve previously discussed in class is that I am a very tense person
and struggle with becoming overly tense onstage. The fact that there is an entire chapter in the
book dedicated to releasing tension comforts me as an actor. It tells me that tension isnt a
problem that only I am facing, and that probably more of my peers struggle with it than even
realize as well. The fact that he goes so far as to even list the specific exercises that they utilize
in their class is immensely helpful. It gives me a bank of tools that I can utilize and test out to
help in situations when I become overly tense onstage, that are specifically crafted to help actors
in onstage situations.
One thing in the tension chapter that I struggle with is the fact that an actor needs to be
constantly working on releasing tension at all moments in their life. Ive had this problem in
acting class as well, when Gaye has said that we need to attentively listen to people at all times in
our life to sharpen our listening skills onstage. Listening to people and releasing tension are
obviously things that would do nothing but make me a better and more comfortable person, but
they take a lot of effort that I cannot or will not expend at all moments of my life. With listening
skills, frankly, I just forget to listen intently all the time, and if I were listening intently all the
time I would probably go nuts, because thats just not how people function. With releasing
tension, I just rarely, if ever, notice how tense I am unless I am actively thinking about it or lying
in bed. This ties back into the previously mentioned point about actors needing an iron will.
This is one of the things that makes me question my dedication as an actor. I love acting, and I
want to act professionally, but sometimes I doubt if I even have it in me to put in the kind of
work and commitment that is demanded by these things.
I also found the chapter on objective work particularly useful. Some of the things that
Stanislavski discusses about objectives still seem foggy and grey, but I think having the in depth

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discussion about them helped me to work out some of the things I didnt quite understand about
them and the way that they fit into Stanislavskis system as a whole. The most helpful thing for
me is the list of criteria that he presents for having a strong objective. They function as a sort of
test that I can subject an objective to in order to figure out how strong it is.
The chapter on Super Objectives is confusing to me. It seems a little disjointed, and
doesnt really give a super practical way to apply it. I think part of the problem I have with this
chapter is the way that he uses through line, super objective, and theme. I can understand
through line and super objective as the same concept, but once you throw theme into the mix
things get muddy. What Ive always learned is that a super objective is personal to your
character, and that the things that your character in particular does form the through line pointing
toward your super objective. What Ive taken away from this chapter is that one super objective
exists for all of the characters in the play, and they can either be working towards it or against it.
I can see how this could be possible with the theme of the play, but he brings the two concepts
together in a way that doesnt make sense to me. He also doesnt really describe how the super
objective is a functional tool for actors. When he tells the story of the failing actress and pins her
lack of success on lack of establishing the through line, he doesnt really say what she did to fix
her performance, or how the lack of such a through line is affecting her book work. I can draw
conclusions based on assumptions that her work was scene by scene or disjointed, but he never
delves into if this is what he actually means. It also feels contradictory to me that characters can
be working against the super objective. If an actors performance is suffering because they
havent linked their objectives to the through line, then how does an actor craft a strong
performance if they are in fact portraying the character who works against that through line?

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Maybe its just because this chapter is short, but I feel that there are some gaps in this idea that
dont get fully explained
As an actor, one of the biggest things I struggle with is accepting given circumstances. I
can do book work, figure out my objectives, and lay out given circumstances in depth that are
supported by the text, but when it comes to actually immersing myself in them, I fall flat. The
exercises that Stanislavski outlines about strengthening ones imagination seem like they could
really help me in this area. Ive never understood why I have such a hard time accepting given
circumstances, because I dont have a hard time imagining different realities in my head, or
oftentimes even pretending to be someone else. After reading the chapter about imagination, I
think that I have learned new tools to help guide me through structured imagination built to help
train myself to become immersed in the imagination in a different way that is conducive of
performance onstage. Rather than just letting my mind wander freely on the extraneous details
of my character, I can craft detailed images that support the scenarios my character finds himself
in that remain deeply personal and effective.
Overall, reading An Actor Prepares has offered some incredible insights into the
foundational techniques that Stanislavski has laid for modern actors. Having concrete, in depth
examples presented in the format of a real acting class has helped to clarify some things that I
was not entirely sure of, and I was also introduced to many new techniques to supplement those
that Ive already learned, leading to a greater performance. The sections that I found most useful
were those on actor decorum, relaxation, objective work, and imagination. While none of these
were perfect, each of them challenged my preconceived notions in these areas and helped me to
grow my understanding of the work that needs to be done as an actor in each of these areas.

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Going back to this primary source material has invigorated me as an actor, and opened me up to
many wonderful new ways of working that I am incredibly excited to start using.