An Actor Prepares by Constantin Stanislavski is a book that teaches actors how to perform. It is an attempt to provide structure and framework to acting through instruction, thought processes and exercises. The book is part of a series of works, but due to publishing delays during the second world war, many are unaware it has companion pieces. This first book delves into the psychological aspects of creating a character. An Actor Prepares and its teachings have had a profound effect on many directors and actors.
Constantin Stanislavski was a Russian actor and director. He had reputation for remaining in character when not performing, presumably to rehearse for the role. This trait has been attributed to modern Method actors like James Woods. He co-founded what was to become the Moscow Art Theatre in 1897. This theatre and troupe gained acclaim performing the works of Checkov, who deliberately provided little insight to the characters. This allowed Stanislavski to apply his psychological techniques and flesh out the roles. The Moscow Art Theatre is where he taught and refined the "System". In 1906, the first formal version of his System began to take shape. An Actor Prepares was first published in 1936.



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