Unit 11 - Specialist Question Ideas

 My Specialist Question:

- An in depth study into Viola Spolin

- How has Viola Spolin changed theatre?

• She introduced the theatre world to spontaneity, where she showed actors that the art of acting can be fun and exciting, whilst also being raw and unfiltered where they can express their true emotions
• Viola Spolin was the inventor of theatrical improvisation. Her theory was that to improvise, is to perform spontaneously, and to create a scene with what surrounds you in the moment with wherever you are. 
• She believed that improvisation games should make an actor feel grounded in the present moment, and encouraged the freedom of expression whilst discouraging self-consciousness so that actors can be themselves unapologetically.
• Jacob L Moreno influenced Viola Spolin as she desired for her exercises to have a therapeutic impact on those that took part in them. She drew on Moreno’s idea of using audience suggestions as the point of the improvisation, alongside this she encouraged individuals to overcome “The Approval/Disapproval Syndrome” where a performer blocks their own creativity to please the audience and peers
• Viola’s teachings are accessible in her reknowned books ‘Improvisation for Theater’, ‘Theater Games for the Classroom’ and ‘Theater Games for the Lone Actor’ which are some of the best selling texts to date in theatre history.

- Is method acting an effective practice when developing an on screen role?

• Method actors tend to dominate the Oscars and award season highlighting the impact their technique has on audiences. 
• Method acting or ‘The Method’ is series of training and acting techniques, developed by Russian theatre practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski. This training consists of actors considering their own personal experiences to get an idea of how the character feels.
• Individual performances show this is an effective method.
• Christian Bale - extreme body transformation - The Machinist, The Batman series, The Vice, The Fighter.
• Robert De Niro - getting in the headspace - Taxi Driver
• Daniel Day Lewis - staying in character - My Left Room, There Will Be Blood, Lincoln.