Stanislavski's system in the light of the Sanskrit analysis of action and speech

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to understand Stanislavski's insight into the science of action by comparing it to the Indian system of action and speech. Whereas the latter originated in the Vedic period, dating from at least 1000BC, Stanislavski's system finds its full blossoming in the early 20th century. One should note that Stanislavski's system developed within the discipline of theatre. On the other hand the Sanskrit system arose from a philosophical context and developed within a philosophical tradition known as Advaita, meaning the philosophy of non-duality. In spite of the wide time span and the different cultural frameworks within which these two systems emerge, their common vision is most remarkable. In scena si deve sempre agire. Interiormente ed esteriormente. Stanislavski 's research aimed at understanding the real dynamics of action. He was less interested in the action's formal qualities than in the entire process of action, encompassing the mental, emotional and physical aspects. As can be seen from the first chapters in My Life in Art, Stanislavski was always haunted by the duality he felt as an actor, between what he did and what he wanted to do, between the intention and the physical result. It is the recognition of such a disparity which spurred him to dig deeply into the real process of action, to analyze how it emerges in the human being, and how it can be expressed according to one's will. His thorough and precise studies have led him to research certain fundamental ideas, such as the actor's search for 'truth in action'. Stanislavski writes: It is necessary to constantly feel this truth, to know how to find it, for this it is imperative to develop one's artistic perception of truth.