53 Quotes by Konstantin Stanislavski

The person you are is a thousand times more interesting than the best actor you could ever hope to be.

When we are on stage, we are in the here and now.

In life we listen to other people. Listen with varying degrees of concentration and attention, right? Actors must learn to listen in a different way.

Create your own method. Don’t depend slavishly on mine. Make up something that will work for you! But keep breaking traditions, I beg you.

When you’re playing a character who’s cruel, look for the places where he’s kind. When you’re playing a character who is unhappy, look for the places where he has a glint of merriment.

When an actor is completely absorbed by some profoundly moving objective so that he throws his whole being passionately into its execution, he reaches a state we call inspiration.

What is important to me is not the truth outside myself, but the truth within myself.

Of course, if you have thought up to now that an actor relies merely on inspiration you will have to change your mind. Talent without work is nothing more than raw unfinished material.

At times of great stress it is especially necessary to achieve a complete freeing of the muscles.