戲劇界見證了許多傳奇,但沒有一位像康斯坦丁·史坦尼斯拉夫斯基這般具有影響力。在這個與藝術密不可分的名字背後,留傳著一個奉獻、堅韌和追求藝術自我的故事。
康斯坦丁·史坦尼斯拉夫斯基出生於沙俄最富有的家庭之一。他的家族不僅擁有工廠,父親作為商會成員,也是藝術和文化的贊助者。
史坦尼斯拉夫斯基自幼就著迷於馬戲團、芭蕾和木偶表演,對舞台產生了不可抑制的渴望。他想當演員參加演出,但卻困於當時的社會規範。那時的社會認為表演不適合貴族,只允許貴族手下的農奴參與表演。但他並未從此屈就,而是選擇了一條非傳統的路。為了隱藏他的貴族身份,他在做演員時採用了史坦尼斯拉夫斯基這個舞台名字,從而得以演出。不演出時,他參加不同老師的各種課程,探索不同的表演方法。
作為演員、導演和表演教育家的旅程中,一個轉折點是當命運讓他目睹了幾位意大利演員引人入勝的演出。艾蓮諾拉·杜賽的表演給他留下了深刻印象。她能夠充分展現情感並與觀眾建立深刻的聯繫,這讓他感到敬畏。與杜賽的相遇在他內心點燃了一朵火花,啟發他畢生追求、探索表演的本質,最終為戲劇界帶來了一場變革。

史坦尼斯拉夫斯基的表演體系

他尋找類似於杜賽所使用的表演方法,不僅是為了自己,也為了他的劇團——莫斯科藝術劇院的演員們。他嘗試了各種方法,無論是身體上的還是心理上的。他發展了許多概念和原則,一路上不斷地探索、去蕪存菁。對史坦尼斯拉夫斯基來說,這是一場持續性的探索。這場探索最終形成了他的表演體系。
當被問及如何解釋史坦尼斯拉夫斯基的表演體系時,他的一位同事回答說,史坦尼斯拉夫斯基經常改變主意;因為幾年沒見到本人,因此他不知道目前體系的細節情況。

「只有自然之道」

史坦尼斯拉夫斯基本人強調,他的表演體系僅應作為工具來使用。他說,
「『體系』只是參考工具,而並非某種哲學。它的盡頭才是哲學的開始。『體系』是在準備功課時使用的。不要在舞台上使用它,因為你無法表演『體系』。說到底,並沒有所為的『體系』,只有自然之道。」我一生中一直關注的是尋找方法,來更接近人們所說的『體系』——即更接近表演藝術的本質。自然法則是普遍的。孩子的誕生,樹木的成長——它們都遵循相同的自然秩序。之所以需要『體系』,因為表演是人為的,違背了自然法則。『體系』則能使演員恢復這些法則,將表演帶回自然的狀態。尷尬、舞台恐懼和虛假的習俗都破壞了這種自然。」

The Journey of Konstantin Stanislavski

 
The world of theater has seen many legends, but none as influential as Konstantin Stanislavski. Behind the name that became synonymous with the craft lies a tale of dedication, resilience, and the pursuit of artistic identity.
 
Konstantin Stanislavski hailed from one of the wealthiest families of Tsarist Russia. They owned factories, and his father, as a member of the Chamber of Commerce, was a patron of art and culture.
 
Stanislavski himself was fascinated by the circus, ballet, and puppetry from his childhood, which ignited an unquenchable thirst for the stage. He felt drawn to perform as an actor himself, but he struggled with the societal norms that deemed acting unsuitable for the aristocracy. Acting was only permitted for serfs of the nobility. Instead of conforming to societal expectations, he chose a less conventional path. To conceal his aristocratic identity as an actor, he adopted the stage name Stanislavski. He performed and, when not performing, he attended various classes with numerous teachers, exploring different approaches to acting.
 
A turning point in his journey as an actor, director, and acting pedagogue occurred when fate led him to witness the captivating performances of several Italian actors. Eleonora Duse’s performance impressed him the most. Her ability to embody raw emotions and connect with audiences on a profound level left him awe-struck. His encounter with Duse ignited a spark within him, inspiring a lifelong quest to comprehend the nature of acting. This pursuit would go on to revolutionise the world of theater.
 
Stanislavski’s System
He sought ways to approach acting like Duse did, not only for himself but also for the actors of his troupe, the Moscow Art Theatre. He experimented with various methods, both physical and psychological. He developed numerous concepts and principles, exploring and discarding them along the way. For Stanislavski, everything was part of a continuous quest. The culmination of this journey became known as the “system.”
 
When asked to explain Stanislavski’s system, a colleague responded that Stanislavski constantly changed his mind – because he hadn’t seen him for a few years, he didn’t know the current details of his system.
 
There is Just Nature
Stanislavski himself emphasised that the system is meant solely as a tool:
“The ‘system’ is a reference, not a philosophy. The ‘system’ ends where philosophy begins. Work with the ‘system’ in your homework. Don’t use it on stage, as you cannot perform the ‘system.’ Ultimately, there is no ‘system’; there is just nature. Throughout my life, my concern has been finding ways to get closer to what people call the ‘system’ – that is, getting closer to the essence of the art of acting. The laws of nature are the laws of nature. The birth of a child, the growth of a tree – they all follow a single order. The need for a ‘system’ arose because acting is artificial and goes against the laws of nature. The ‘system’ allows the actor to restore those laws and bring the actor back to its natural state. Embarrassment, stage fright, and false conventions disrupt this nature.”
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