Beyond Stanislavsky: The Psycho-Physical Approach to Actor Training

A guide to Psycho-Physical Acting, complete with games and exercises. When Stanislavsky died, he was working on a new system, Psycho-Physical Acting. Previously he had taught that truthful performance can only spring from the actor's imagination (the Method). Late in life, Stanislavsky realised that physical actions can induce emotions just as much as the other way round. Though well-known - and much taught - in Russia, Psycho-Physical Acting is in its infancy in the West. Bella Merlin has studied under three of the best teachers in Russia; this book is the fruit of her time there. 'This is a book which is vital both to practitioners and to all serious students of the theatre' Max Stafford-Clark 'A seminal book for today... an outstandingly lucid account... essential reading' Simon Callow Chapter 1: Putting You in the Picture. A resume of Stanislavsky's various work methods, with glances at Michael Chekhov and Grotowski. Chapter 2: Working on Your Self. Fine-tuning both body and psychology to yield vitality and spontaneity on stage. Chapter 3: Working in the Ensemble. Building a powerful and trusting environment within an ensemble. Chapter 4: Working on Your Role. The Method of Physical Actions and Active Analysis in the rehearsal room - with application to texts from Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, Pinter and Dostoyevsky. Chapter 5: Putting it into Practice. Implementing the new techniques as (a) a professional actor; (b) a workshop leader; and (c) a director.

Bella Merlin has successfully combined a professional career in acting (notably in Max Stafford-Clark's Out of Joint Theatre Company) with teaching at university drama departments in the UK and in the US. She has written several books about Stanislavsky and the application of his ideas to work in the theatre.

Max Stafford-Clark is one of the UK's most influential theatre directors. He established Joint Stock in 1974, ran the Royal Court Theatre from 1979 to 1993, and then set up the extremely successful touring theatre company, Out of Joint, premiering plays from leading writers including April De Angelis, Sebastian Barry, Richard Bean, Alistair Beaton, Caryl Churchill, David Edgar, David Hare, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Robin Soans and Timberlake Wertenbaker. He remained Out of Joint's Artistic Director until 2017.