Acting And Acting: The Evolution Of Acting

Mel Brooks said, “Hope for the best. Expect the worst. The world’s a stage. We’re Unrehearsed.” Brooks was not wrong in pointing out that the world is a stage. Brooks did not say that the world is a film, or a painting, or a comic book strip. The world is a stage, and theatre – barring ozone depletion – is our best representation of the human race on this earth. The theatre – and subsequently acting – has existed and functioned as a societal common place dating as far back as to nearly the start of recorded history. The theatre is said to be the most realistic art form, serving as the closest thing to an accurate depiction of human life. The visceral stage is only feet away from the viewer and the art is happening in real-time, by living humans, in the flesh. Of course, the most effective and realistic aspect of the theatre is acting. Acting is an art, skill, and profession that has continuously progressed and evolved since the evolution of the theatre. It could be said that this progression took on an almost linear path of augmented development, or at least up until the advent of the twentieth century. This linear progression has exponentially developed, profoundly expanding over the last hundred years. Most of the “recent” growth in the acting field can be attributed to Lee Strasberg and the Actors Studio. At the helm of the Actors Studio, Strasberg revolutionized depth in acting and has had a lasting affect, forever changing actors’ training and their quality of work.

To fully understand how Lee Strasberg and the Actors Studio revolutionized actors’ training, methods, and practices, one must first look back and understand Strasberg’s source material and influences. In doing this, it is imperative to look at the wor...

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...e and not on the individual talents of one actor. Strasberg left the Group Theatre in 1937 for Hollywood, where he would try and make a name for himself; he permanently moved back to New York ten years later becoming the guiding force and artistic director of the Actors Studio – the organization formed by Crawford, Elia Kazan, and Robert Lewis after the Group Theatre was dissolved; this dissolution was partially due to the Group’s troubles with HUAC – the House Un-American Activities Committee.

It was in 1948 when Strasberg became the Artistic Director and brain trust of the Actors Studio; a position he would hold for 34 years until his death in 1982. The goal of the Actors Studio was – and still is – to provide a top-notch acting education, improving both the methods and abilities of both young actors and current, working professionals as well. The studio was