In the NYC Vazquez Acting School we use the Strasberg method. Strasberg used the term “Method” to describe his philosophy of acting and his techniques of training actors, which built upon some of Stanislavski’s early ideas. Strasberg’s method is based upon the idea that in order to develop an emotional and cognitive understanding of their roles, actors should use their own experiences to identify personally with their characters. The method uses techniques to reproduce the character’s emotional state by recalling emotions or sensations from the actor’s own life. Among the concepts and techniques of method acting are substitution, “as if”, sense memory, affective memory, animal work, and archetype work. Strasberg uses the question, “What would motivate me, the actor, to behave in the way the character does?” Strasberg asks the actor to replace the play’s circumstances with his or her own, the substitution.[1]
Given method acting’s reliance on the personal experiences of the actor, method actors often replicate external conditions of a role to create experiences they can call upon when acting. This practice can become so extreme as to be potentially dangerous, and it is not unheard of actors abstaining from food, sleep, or social interaction in an effort to better their performance. Contemporary method actors sometimes seek help from psychologists.
Strasberg’s students included many prominent American actors of the latter half of the 20th century, including Paul Newman, Al Pacino, George Peppard, Dustin Hoffman, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Jane Fonda, Jack Nicholson, Mickey Rourke, and many others. (www.vazquezactingclasses.com)
