Explain Essay example -- Drama

Explain Explain the importance of the Magic If and Given Circumstances to Stanislavski’s psycho technique. Refer to any practical examples that will help explain this. MR GROGAN H/W In this essay I will be explaining the work we have been doing recently during this term and the relevance to our study of Stanislavski’s psycho technique. I will be outlining how his ideas of the ‘Magic If’ and ‘Given Circumstances’ contribute to the importance of this technique. Stanislavski had several ideas about how to achieve a sense of inner and outer truth in terms of his character, one being the magic if. If is a word which can transform our thoughts; through it we can imagine ourselves in virtually any situation. "If I suddenly became wealthy..." "If I were vacationing on the Caribbean Island..." "If I had great talent..." "If that person who insulted me comes near me again..." The word ‘if’ becomes a powerful lever for the mind; it has the ability to lift us out of ourselves a give us a sense of absolute certainty about imaginary circumstances. The answer to these simple questions can be a springboard to creativity and inspiration, because it allows the actor to realize the fact that, he is living out a fictional life, a figment of the writers imagination, with sets and props that are not real life homes and settings. When we first look at the ‘Magic If’, Stanislavski makes us aware that a performing actor must logically justify his actions in consistency with real life. Therefore he must act under his passions in character and not play with them, acting internally and externally with complete rationalization. By using the "Magic If" the actor is granting himself permission to "believe" in these imaginary objects, it allows the actor to transfer himself from the world of reality to the world in which dreative work can me done. Based on the idea of ‘The Magic If’ we used this idea to draw from our own experiences and imagination to get into character for a recent speech, that each of us had been given to learn. To get into my character, Puck from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, I used the idea of the ‘Magic If’ to arouse my imagination, consequently entering the soul of my character, allowing myself o from a creative belief within their mind's eye. Through asking myself questions, presenting myself with possible obstacles and... ... tree, describing in detail exactly what he saw. What was happening? This allowed the actor to awaken the senses, to be made aware of the circumstances he was in, the smell, the sights, the weather, and therefore open up the imagination to set the circumstances and reasons behind why the story is happening for example why they are having a picnic- because it is a hot day etc. The actor can imagine and convey to Stanislavski his account (as an oak tree) uninterrupted series of visual images, maintaining the idea of artistic stage reality though. The ‘given circumstances’ and ‘magic if’ of the psycho-technique inspire actors; they bring out emotions whilst training their artistic sense of belief. Both make them aware and surround them with the world created by the writer or director. It also provides imagination and the ability to explore the world with the ability to understand the reasons for the ‘given circumstances’. The ‘given circumstances’ are the set of boundaries you are given as an actor, the ‘magic if’ helping you develop an understanding for the role you are playing and maintain it, both inspiring the justified imagination and spirit of the character.