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| Sunday, 27 June 2004 |
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Going beyond the popular culture of acting by Kaminie Jayanthi Liyanage
The Russian theatre director, Constantin Stanislawski, is recognised as being the world's first to give a scholastic and realistic approach to acting, going beyond the popular culture of affected and showy acting prevalent in Russia in the 18th century. The method system or the grammer rules of the physiology of acting he created, ably helped by the diary he maintained from the age of 14 to analytically note down problems faced in acting, resulted in his book "Method Acting". This method was soon adopted by actors and actresses in America and Europe. Notably among them were Marlon Brando and Lawrence Olivier. "Acting is making fantasy, but a fantasy which needs a creative and learned approach." Questioning who is an actor, what is his role on stage and what acting methods he must follow, Stanislawski came to realise that the process of acting must have a system of grammer; that an actor should not be a mechanical operator as a rotting bark to a tree, or one who is moved by a sense of external techniques alone, without the passion of inner emotions; that the artiste called the actor and the artistry of acting are not elements of an art which must stagnate, but create frontiers for the society showing it where to go; and that a theatre is a place where seeds should be planted to elevate and develop a people's cultural insights. More important, Stanislowski believed that an actor must have three qualities to succeed in acting: honesty and meaningfulness in his role and charismatic power to put across that honesty.
Dharmajith Punarjeeva, who authored Roopana Vedaya, a Sinhala adaptation of Stanislawski's Method Acting for the benefit of local theatre artistes, is known for his crusade to highlight the importance of "education" required for acting. In Roopana Vedaya, he also methodically analyses the careers of international and local acting personalities such as Gamini Fonseka, Vijaya Cumaratunga, Malini Fonseka and Swarna Mallawarachchi. He has written and produced thirteen originals, translations and adaptations for the local theatre, among which Lihini , Yerma and Polina are familiar to our audiences. Among the theatre literature he has published is a another analysis of acting methods, used by Brescht. The following is an extract of an interview the Sunday Observer had with Punarjeeva, on his views as to how he believed the Roopana Vedaya could help to transform the local acting. Q: Why did you write this book? A: Because of the lack of written material on the technical rules of acting. One who is interested in acting or any other art form, search for places or experts for knowledge. But there is no proper method system available for actors in Sri Lanka. Actors usually say that they act through "iva" (intuition). Q: What is the difference between an actor with in-born talent and an actor who is trained with such a method system? A: A huge difference. The difference of one who has been to school and the one who has not. The possession of education on acting. Q: How did Stanislowski recognise this method to be a universally applicable art medium? A: In the 18th century, the impact of the second world war made people think twice about their role as scientists, engineers, citizens, etc. and the resulting change for naturalism and realistic form was reflected in all fields. In Russian literature, this change began with Maxim Gorky, Gogol, Amton Chekhov and Pushkin. Previously, acting was artificial and traditional, with dialogue being read at the top of one's voice. It was just a show of entertainment and only dallied with the surface of life, without revealing inner life. Stanislowski, influenced by his mentor Mikhail Shepkin, was spurred on to discover, by experimenting, the technical background to realism in acting. Acting which existed before, carried no substance. He promoted his new method of acting in Moscow Art Theatre, a joint venture of investor, Vladimir N. Dunchenkow, naturalist scriptwriter Anton Chekhov and producer Stanislowski. Q: How did this change in the 18th century influence Sri Lanka? A: Stanislowski took his method acting to the Broadway Theatre in America and it became popular among actors such as Marlon Brando and Laurence Olivier. The best example is Marlon's acting in God Father. Theatre proper started in Sri Lanka in 1930s and theatre of the modern format began with Prof. Ediriweera Sarathchandra's Maname in 1956. One could say that in early 1960s Gunasena Galappaththi, Dhamma Jagoda and Dr. Solomon Fonseka experimented with Stanislowski methods for the first time in Sri Lanka. Q: How can we apply this method to our theatre? A: Our present theatre is for the large part, feeble. It is the actor who can enrich acting methodology as acting is a human science. What we now have is a commercial art in which bargaining is foremost. If a country's economic pattern places money-making on top, how can art escape that reality? If one's art is not sellable, it cannot survive and within that reality, people cannot search for knowledge. What the industry demands then are "instant" products which satisfy requirements. In this scenario, actors emerge and then recede. They do not act but reflect their own instincts. This is what happens in art in all the capital cities. Q: How can we exercise a value system for acting within this commercial framework? A: Even in this open economy system, good art can obtain good value, if the actors are knowledgable. Art by Van Gogh, who was penniless when he was alive, is now sold for millions. Try to spare a few hours to practise physical and mental exercises and games, designed for actors. The pattern, in which our actors only aspire for swift popularity and accompanying success in material life, must change. Responsibility will make us professional actors. Q: Are you saying we are in a cultural vacuum? A: In the Middle Ages, people became cultured through religion. An ideology can create a culture, but if there is rootlessness, one's spiritual life becomes dead. If we live in an environment without a religion, logic or philosophy, we cannot become human. In this uncultured vacuum, how can cultured beings create? But, art can change this situation. For this, the commitment of those with social responsibility is needed. |
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