By using “given circumstances” scenic truth can be created and therefore the acting becomes true and believable. They can also use emotional memory to recall experiences so the acting becomes real and believable. The actor must believe in the given circumstances; through this belief she or he will be able to function at a high level of involvement (INSPIRATION). The goal throughout is a quest for truth ‘. . . it is necessary for the actor to develop to the highest degree his imagination, a childlike naïveté and trustfulness, an artistic sensitivity to truth and to the truthful in his soul and body.’
Stanislavski wanted to create naturalistic theatre ‘A role which is built on truth will grow whereas one on stereotype will shrivel.’ He compared a character, a scene, an act or the whole play to a seed. The actors should ‘live’ the character by feeling and experience the moment rather than demonstrate it. By the acting being truthful the audience are able to feel empathy for the characters and form opinions making the play successful. For the actors to act truthfully they have to use psycho- techniques such as the magic if, this makes the actors prepare internally. It makes the actor place himself in the position of the character they are playing to make it believable. Through using these techniques the actor use logical consecutiveness justifying everything and therefore doesn’t overact, he then doesn’t force himself and will believe in what he is doing as it is the same as in the real life. These techniques make the actor believe in their own actions and their character and they become convincing.
It is simple to create truth in everyday life but it takes a talent to create truth on stage this is because actors without preparation over exaggerate roles and create stereotypes of characters that don’t exist in that extreme. Truth has to be created on stage to enable an audience to relate to the character as Stanislavski says ‘Theatre is the mirror in which we see ourselves.’
We are not concerned with the actual naturalistic existence of what surrounds us on the stage, the reality of the material world. This is of use to us only in so far as it supplies a general background for our feelings ‘. . . . What counts. . . is not the material out of which Othello's dagger is made, be it steel or cardboard, but the inner feeling of the actor.’
The actor also has to perform in a logical sequence so it displays continuity and the audience can see how the character gets from scene to scene. This also helps avoid cliché as the audience can see that the feelings of the character have come about from actions before. To portray ‘sense of truth’ it is essential for an actor to be in touch with their character and be sensitive to the feelings of that character.
Once an actor includes a ‘sense of truth’ and their acting through rehearsal it becomes the best stimulus for imagination and creativeness.
