5 Ways to Use the Stanislavsky Method in Auditions

When Stanislavsky developed his method, his primary goal was to give actors the tools they could use to deliver the most realistic performance possible. Breaking with the standing rule of bodywork and voice projection as the most important work an actor could do, he wanted to instill emotion in the audience through naturalism and empathy.

In other words, actors were trained to memorize their lines, speak them loudly and clearly, and move on the stage precisely. Stanislavsky observed that some actors delivered a great performance, making the audience enjoy the story whereas others seemed to act robotically and were not as entertaining to watch.

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He started his experimental lab with improvisation and trial-and-error exercises. His goal was to create every scene with meaning: a person does not just leave their house through the front door; the scene starts a moment before that — when they mentally set their goal to “go out” and proceed to get ready, grab their keys, make sure they locked everything, etc.

With this new approach to acting, where an actor fills the shows of a character with their senses and emotions, performances reached a new level of excellence. To this day, actors all over the world aim for that naturalism when performing. That creates more compelling stories to watch.

With that in mind, we compiled 5 quick and easy ways you can use the Stanislavsky method techniques when you are at your audition.

1. Stage Directions in the Stanislavsky Method

When you are given your script, look first at what is in the heading of a scene and parenthesis. Writers often place little hidden gems there that may go unnoticed when the actor is only worried about their lines. The intention a character has is not always verbalized. That means we don’t always say what we are feeling or thinking and neither does our character. That is why stage directions are important. They may give you a good clue about the character’s intentions and demeanor. Demeanor is an important part of someone’s personality and is not always associated with what they say.

What Stanislavsky said

Stanislavsky taught us that we need to be aware of what our character wants at all times. Stage directions can give us clues we may not have without reading the entire play. For example: In “Doubt: A Parable,” Sister Aloysius says, “Sit down.” In parentheses, though, you see that Father Flynn takes her chair at her desk. Also in parenthesis, the playwright wrote: “She reacts but says nothing.” What a clue! So, first and foremost, find and follow your stage directions.

2. Word Stress in the Method

The Stanislavsky method approaches words as secondary to their meaning. Therefore, only a few must be stressed and even properly heard. Once you know your character’s intention and establish their demeanor, explore the actual words they say. Every character has a personality and a demeanor, as we just talked about. Now take it to the next level: find out what the most important words are said in every line. Highlight that word or those words and give them special color and musicality. Make sure your audience does not only hear those words but fully embody their meaning in the context. Some words need stress. Other words are there to support that. Remember: Words are important. Stress them accordingly.

3. Silence in the Method

Now, just the opposite: when not to speak. There are moments of silence in almost every dialogue and even in monologues. Silence means that nothing else is being said. If you can place a period at the end of a sentence using only your demeanor, that is a powerful performance. Discover moments when your character is silent and make them come alive with a subtle but powerful presence at that moment. That can be challenging but it is worth it. Silence is gold!

4. Pauses in the Stanislavsky Method

[Read also: 5 Awesome Acting Training Tips]

Well, we already talked about silence. So, why are we talking about pauses now? Are they the same thing? They are not. A pause gives continuity to a thought, keeping it on track or even steering it in a different direction. Sometimes a playwright will write your pauses for you in parentheses but sometimes they won’t. In that case, discover where to place them. Pauses can be used in combination with word stress or between sentences and they do not need to be very long to be powerful.

And finally, our 5th tip…

5. Subtext in the Stanislavsky Method

Demeanor goes hand in hand with subtext. For the most part, people do not constantly say what they are thinking. The subtext is what your character is thinking or feeling when they say what they say. It is your job to express that to the audience. Very likely, you will have to do it subtly and naturally to avoid over-acting. Still, be aware of your subtext at all times. That will make you move in the scene more realistically. It will also make your journey in the story rich. So, when you have that audition script, establish what your character wants, thinks, and feels, when they say what they say. It will even help you memorize those lines, I promise.

Conclusion

The Stanislavsky Method can be a great tool to enhance the quality of your auditions. Especially because you only get a snippet of the story and the character at that step. The method utilizes imagination and language skills and can make your audition stand out, helping you book the job.

I hope you enjoyed these tips and write them down to remember them when preparing to get in character, especially in auditions.

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