are stanislavkys books on acting still held in high regard, or have they been superseded?

Answer 1

Some people still study the Stanislavski Method, but it's old and there are other options. Frankly, I don't like the Method -- sorry, but Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino always LOOK like they are acting.

Another answerer mentioned his "salad bar" accumulation, and that's what I have done as well -- Meisner, Adler, and Hagen, for the most part. Oh, and Michael Shurleff's book "Audition" has some terrific techniques that work in rehearsals as well as auditions [it also talks about not being an ego-driven diva, which I think should be required reading for everyone in the business].

But any technique is all about the approach to your craft. The old saying about acting being mostly REacting is utterly true -- the craft comes in making the reaction believable to the audience. Oy, the actors I've worked with who just "mark time" between their lines! What I mostly do is just decide what I'm going to do for each of my lines and for each of my reactions to others' lines. The words are just a roadmap to meaning -- a playwright is nothing without actors, and actors are nothing without playwrights. It's a very symbiotic relationship. Oh, and active listening is very important, too -- it's vitally important to make a scene maintain some buzz.

Gee, maybe I should patent MY technique! :-)

Answer 2

I know quite a few actors who studied the Stanislavsky method intensely while they attended school, however soon after they started working in the "real" world, they found many of the ideas outdated, too cumbersome or that they simply did not work. Many of the methods, not only from Stanislavsky but from others as well, apply to situations generally. I.E. when you need to be sad you can be melencholy etc... But what you have to decide as a performer is what works best for you.

In my case motion memory does very little for me, but certain sense memories work wonders. Several of us have taken a "salad bar" approach to techniques. We use what works for us and apply it to our projects. We're all consistantly working actors so some of it must be working out!

My best advice to you would be to study, on your own, several different methods and find what you really like. If you gravitate more towards one than another, dive deeper into that particular philosophy. If you don't identify with any one in particular, "salad bar" the whole thing, and refer to it as your own method. As long as you book gigs, it shouldn't matter what style you subscribe to... Best of luck!

Answer 3

My drama 1 teacher seemed to hold him in fairly high regard, but my drama 2 teacher, who is older and more seasoned, disagreed with a lot of stanislavksy's assessments. Still, he agreed that the man had some points, so he is not to be dismissed altogether.

Answer 4

I second the opinion about Meisner and Hagan. Their view of acting makes it more an art than a craft.