(in Polish) Gra aktorska WR/R/PR/GrAkt
The guiding theme of the course is the application of the concept of the “acting task” – understood as a creative directive that engages sensitivity and imagination in director–actor communication – across various stage situations and acting conventions. Beginning with the method of K. Stanislavski and its derivatives (M. Chekhov, L. Strasberg, etc.), students carry out fundamental acting tasks on stage, learning how to formulate and develop them. This work takes place both through the semester-long preparation of an acting étude and through individual and group workshop exercises.
The course raises students’ awareness of the delicacy and complexity of acting work. The division between “visible” and “invisible” work within the structure of Acting Practice highlights the multifaceted nature of theatre and encourages students to seek out their own working methods. Experiencing, in their own bodies, the changes that can occur on stage as a result of exercises or diverse acting tasks broadens the director’s perspective by offering insight into “the other side of the stage lights.”
Through acting exercises drawn from different traditions and methods, directing students learn how to inspire and energize with their ideas, rather than simply demanding specific results on stage. The workshops follow a conventional line: K. Stanislavski → M. Chekhov → Meyerhold → Brecht → Grotowski/Terzopoulos/Suzuki/Barba and others. The diversity of methods is intended to broaden theatrical horizons, draw attention to shared elements, and encourage students’ own explorations of theatrical practices.
Key issues in acting work addressed during the course include: working with text, mindfulness, stage movement, character psychology, character motivation/goal, relationships between characters, theatrical convention, stage presence, performing, stage emotions, working with breath, and the dynamics of stage truth and falsehood.
|
Term 2025/26-Z:
The central theme of the course is the application of the concept of the “acting task” – understood as a creative directive that stimulates sensitivity and imagination in director–actor communication – across different stage situations and acting conventions. Beginning with the method of K. Stanislavski and its derivatives (M. Chekhov, L. Strasberg, etc.), students carry out basic acting tasks on stage, learning how to set and develop them. This is explored both through individual and group workshop exercises, as well as through the semester-long preparation of a short performance piece based on the participants’ improvisations and their scenes from the first Directing Seminar. The classes cultivate an awareness of the subtlety and complexity of acting work. The division between “visible” and “invisible” work within the structure of the Acting Practice course highlights the multifaceted nature of theatre, encouraging students to explore their own working methods. Experiencing, in their own bodies, the transformations that may occur on stage through exercises and diverse acting tasks broadens a director’s perspective by offering insight into “the other side of the footlights.” Through exercises drawn from various traditions and methods, directing students learn how to inspire and energize with their ideas, as opposed to simply demanding concrete results on stage. The workshops follow a conventional line: K. Stanislavski → M. Chekhov → Meyerhold → Brecht → Grotowski/Terzopoulos/Suzuki/Barba and others. This diversity of methods aims to expand theatrical horizons, draw attention to shared elements, and encourage students’ own explorations of theatrical practices. Key areas of acting work addressed in the course include: working with text, mindfulness, stage movement, character psychology, the character’s motive/goal, relationships between characters, theatrical convention, stage presence, performing, stage emotions, working with breath, and the dynamics of truth and falsehood on stage. |
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
K_U08 – use methods of theatrical improvisation and apply them both in working with actors and in one’s own creative process.
K_U09 – clearly formulate and set artistic tasks for collaborators and the technical team; evaluate individual stages of the work in order to guide them in the planned artistic direction.
K_U10 – construct a theatrical event, a non-verbal structure of conflict; define a character’s actions; apply knowledge of role construction to effectively build interpersonal relationships and dramatic tension; tell a story; employ clear stage signs.
K_U15 – precisely formulate and set acting tasks, making use of knowledge about actor direction; apply the methods of K. Stanislavski, M. Chekhov, L. Strasberg, etc. across various genres and types of theatre.
K_U16 – apply effective techniques for practicing workshop skills, enabling their continuous development through independent work.
Assessment criteria
The final grade is based on regular work on the acting work-in-progress presentation. The overall contribution and engagement throughout the classes are also subject to evaluation.
Bibliography
Supplementary Reading:
An Actor’s Work, K. Stanislavski
The Actor and the Target, D. Donnellan
The Return of Dionysus, T. Terzopoulos
On the Technique of Acting, M. Chekhov
The Method of Lee Strasberg, L. Cohen
Games for Actors and Non-Actors, A. Boal
The Art of the Actor, J. Benedetti
|
Term 2025/26-Z:
Supplementary Reading: An Actor’s Work, K. Stanislavski The Actor and the Target, D. Donnellan The Return of Dionysus, T. Terzopoulos On the Technique of Acting, M. Chekhov The Method of Lee Strasberg, L. Cohen Games for Actors and Non-Actors, A. Boal The Art of the Actor, J. Benedetti |