ABSTRACT
Editor’s note: Lee Strasberg’s work is geared towards fulfi lling the intentions and values expressed by the playwright. To accomplish this, Lee tells his students, the actor’s ability to create characters and to inhabit those characters believably and honestly conveying a sense of truth is the most essential element of the craft of acting. During the second two hours of class, Lee has students working on characters and scenes. He guides his students to create imaginary realities and deliver the lines truthfully. The importance of acting out the given circumstances kinetically, logically, and “sensorially” – a word he often used even though it’s not in the dictionary – is central to the work. He focuses on the problem of anticipation which removes the actor from the reality of the moment. As he explains, “improvisation” is the key to fi nding the logical real behavior of the character. The procedure of “speaking out” to help the actor deal with diffi culties in scenes is also recorded in these segments. Lee’s invaluable insights on how actors should deal with directors are also included.
