Many styles and techniques exist from which modern actors can choose. Method acting, improvisation, realism, ensemble, pantomime, Shakespearean, classical Greek, Japanese Noh and Kabuki are just a few of the variables that influence the theatre arts. From the Actor's Studio, to Kristin Linklater's "Freeing Voice" lessons, to Michael Chekhov's master class on CD, a serious actor can select from an array of talent toward building his or her future in the field. Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, among others, have a wide range of outstanding programs. Whether you plan a career on stage or screen, master any one of these techniques and you'll be on your way.
Lee Strasberg was born in the Ukraine in 1901 and co-founded the Group Theater in 1931. Strasberg is known for his method acting approach, which uses memory and sense recall to create realistic performances. He served as Artistic Director of New York's Actor's Studio from 1951 until his death in 1982. Constantine Stanislavsky was born in Moscow in 1863. He developed techniques for physical acting, which he felt were the foundation of an actor's creativity and spontaneity. Sanford Meisner was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1905. His focus was the actor's instinct, and the "reality of doing" in performance.
Michael Chekhov was a respected actor in Russia. Nephew of the famous playwright, Anton Chekhov -- author of "The Three Sisters" and "The Cherry Orchard" -- whose plays were directed by Stanislavksi. Michael became head of the Second Moscow Art Theatre, but fled the country for Europe. From the 1930s, he trained actors in New York and Los Angeles. He felt the human body and mind were inseparable and taught actors how to find the imaginary "body" and "center" of each character.
Stella Adler (1901-1992) taught actors how to knock down divisive barriers and disengage from outside opinion. Uta Hagen (1919-2004) stressed that actors should become self-aware by paying attention to their bodily senses. The work of these great women is still deeply respected.
Vsevolod Meyerhold was born in 1874 in Penza, Russia. He staged plays and operas in St. Petersburg in the early 1900s and developed his own method acting techniques, focusing on gestures, poses, and movement to express outward emotions, also known as biomechanics.