Improvisational self-feeling in the upbringing of actor’s and stage directing mastery
Authors: Arkadin-Shkolnik Oleksandr 
Published: May 2019

Formulation of the problem. Relevance of the theme, the aim and material of research. The article deals with the related concepts of improvisation and improvisational self-feeling, state of health that is a special internal state that allows the actor to fully demonstrate his talent, to get rid of stamps, physical and psychological clamps and mechanistic “playing on cothurni”. The theme of improvisation in artistic creativity in general and in stage art in particular, undoubtedly, can be attributed to the circle of “eternal” ones, which over the time not lose their relevance and can acquire new sounding and coloring. Since improvisation is the basis and an integral part of a theater and scenic playing. This clearly demonstrates, for example, the existence from the very origins of the stage art of its separate branch – the theater of improvisation – which has experienced a number of transformations from the Antiquity to our time, ups (such as the Renaissance comedy dell arte) and downs, and reviving today in the new experimental forms. Or the modern flourishing of the “directorial” theater, where improvisation often becomes a full-fledged component of stage action. Anyway, in the works of almost all theatrical geniuses of the world, the greatest experimenters and reformers of the scene we can see the idea of finding the perfect actor, free, independent-minded, an ideal “actor-creator”. In the field of our attention – the theoretical works of theatrical luminaries of the twentieth century, the time of the formation of a free theater – K. Stanislavsky, B. Brecht, E. Vakhtangov and others. Based on this heritage, modern masters of the scene find their own motives and develop them in their work and pedagogy. The study aims to summarize the main methods of developing improvisational skills and conditions for achieving the state of improvisational well-being in the practice of an actor and stage director. Results of the study. In the domestic theater of the new generation, the improvisational method was actively developed and promoted by K. S. Stanislavsky and his follower E. B. Vakhtangov. They relied on the principles and mechanisms operating in the Italian comedy dell’arte; however, the transfer to the new ground and reality has fundamentally changed the principles of improvisation, which resulted in the unique phenomenon – the synthesis of the psychological theater with improvisational one. Rejecting the outdated kind of improvisation, Stanislavsky brought up this method to technical perfection in tandem with the inner spiritual fullness of the actor. Stanislavsky’s new interpretation of this idea was based on the fact that a person (and, therefore, the actor on the stage) cannot repeat any actions twice exactly the same. Thus, if an actor performs his actions on the stage absolutely truthfully, then each rehearsal and performance will be held in free improvisation or, as they say, in “improvisational well-being”. E. Vakhtangov, the successor of the great master, considered the same. The best proof of his ideas judgments is the play “Princess Turandot”, which from the beginning to the end was created in the form of an improvisational theatrical performance. For successful improvisation work it is necessary the actor need to not expect what is happening. For example, actor’s etudes educate the unexpected reaction of the actor in the perception of the current event, which inevitably leads to the transparency and truthfulness of the role picture. The methodological application of B. Brecht’s formula, entitled “not A”, is directed at this: the actor, showing what he does, in all-important places should make the viewer understand, what he does not. He plays so that we could see the alternative as clearly as possible, hinting on the other plot possibilities when the piece gives only one of the possible options. For the successful upbringing of the “ideal” type of actor mentioned above, it is first and foremost important to apply game, training methods of development not only to the physical form, but also to the imagination, the flexibility of the mind and the wit of an actor. Therefore, only an integrated approach in teaching methods and the rehearsal process is able to develop the creative potential of an actor and direct it to the necessary course. It was this approach that was used during this study in practice, which resulted in the birth of such a methodological technique as “blind rehearsals”. Before the rehearsals of the performance were started, a long preparatory period was held on the Stanislavsky system, and after a deep “intelligence research” and mastering the text, the actors began to work, being “blind» absolutely. For almost a month, the actors worked at the rehearsals with a blindfold, which sharpened their perception of the text, the scene and the partner. Left alone in the dark with the material, the actors showed a brilliant result in studying of it. Conclusions. The ability to improvise or “improvisational abilities” should be attributed to the general abilities of the person, which complement the special creative abilities, are subject to improvement and are mandatory for the development of future actor and director. Making use of the innovation in the psychology of creativity, actors-masters permanently update a system of exercises, always bringing in these game images and associations. This helps to avoid of mechanistic and artificial methods. In addition, it is necessary to introduce a set of plastic musical exercises that are the beginning of a lesson for students and develop in such important forms of theater education as a musical-plastic sketches, fragments, and so on. Thus, an integrated approach to work on improvisation-being of students prepares them for the next step in the mastery of acting and future work in the theater. The developed sense of improvisation, in our opinion, is the basis upon which all other features of actor’s personality will put on. That is why we consider the most difficult task of theater pedagogy to see, discover and apply the student’s creative abilities. Modern theatrical practice implies that the actor is free within the overall outline of the role that the director offers him. Modern stage direction encourages actors to mobility, a variety of creative solutions, independent thinking – that is, to improvise. It is that opens wide research prospects within the chosen theme.