An Actor Prepares

In reading An Actor Prepares, what surprised you, in terms of Stanislavski’s method? Do you think his method seems reasonable? What did you know about actor preparation? What did you learn? What might you implement if you are to become an actor?

Consider Stanislavski’s concept of circumstances, both imagined and given; then, think of a character in a work of fiction. What are the character’s given circumstances? Now, choose a blank spot in those circumstances and imagine how you might create the rest of the character’s circumstances.

What are some of the broader lessons from An Actor Prepares, outside of the description of the method and its use to an actor? What arguments does Stanislavski make about consciousness, what it means to be a person, and the human experience?