A Stanislavski exercise: Emotional memory
Stanislavski had actors recall memories of experiencing similar emotions to those of a character they were to play. Use the following exercises to recall memories and play them.
- Prepare the class by stating that you will ask them to recall a strong emotion that they have felt in the past.
- Remind students that they are in control of what they choose to remember and what they choose to share with the group. If you wish to retain this control, you may choose to specify an emotion, such as joy or anticipation.
- Have the class lie on the floor with their eyes closed. Ask them to remember an experience that caused very strong emotion at the time. Ask them to recall smells, colours, and sounds that they associate with the memory.
- Ask the students to open their eyes and create a full body freeze that represents the emotion.
- Then ask them to relax and feel their emotions return to neutral.
- Repeat this process several times.