2. Group Discussion.

Give your own views on the problem and speak against your opponent.

Topic 1. Is the ability to perform an inborn gift or is it an acquired skill?

TALKING POINTS:

1. The artistic potential of a person, his timing.

2. Skilful directors, modern techniques, the possibilities of the camera to accentuate.

3. The value of experience, necessity to acquire technique.

Topic 2. Should the actor live the part or should he just perform?

Note: The first would mean that the actor tries to sympathize with his character, to fully understand and share his feelings - despairing with him, loving and hating with him, shedding real tears. The second implies just going through the motions of the role with a cool head. The first school (e.g. K. S. Stanislavsky's method) relies on both feeling and technique, the second, entirely on technique.

TALKING POINTS:

1. Necessity to look at the character from a distance, to sympathize and critisize, to understand him.

2. Practice in reproduction of the character before the audience.

3. Effect achieved: the less actors feel, the firmer their hold upon their facial and bodily expression.

4. A possibility of reaching such a state of mechanical perfection that one's body is absolutely the slave of one's mind.

5. Necessity for actors to work with their own tools. (Each actor should choose the method he feels is best for him.)

Read Sir Laurence Olivier's answers given by him in a newspaper interview:

- Is there a particular hobby-horse that you ride in your work as actor and director?

- I rely greatly on rhythm. I think that is one thing I understand - the exploitation of rhythm, change of speed of speech, change of time, change of expression, change of pace in crossing the stage. Keep the audience surprised, shout when they're not expecting it, keep them on their toes - change from minute to minute.

- What is the main problem of the actor?

- It is to keep the audience awake.

- How true is it that an actor should identify with a role?

- I don't know. I can only speak for myself. And in my case it's not 'should' but 'must'. I just do. I can't help it. In my case I feel who I am playing. And I think, though I speak only from my own experience, that the actor must identify to some extent with his part.

Consider this actor's opinion while speaking on Topic 2.

3. Discuss the following:

1) In which sphere of performing art is it easier for the actor to play, in the film or on the theatre stage? Some believe it is in the cinema, some say at the theatre. The latter prove it by at least two things: firstly, the actor on the stage has a permanent contact with the audience which helps a great deal. Secondly, the feelings that the actor is to display on the stage are not so difficult to evoke because of the natural development of action which takes place in the course of the play. In the cinema, on the contrary, short episodes are shot separately.

What is your point of view?

2) Can you make out what Jimmie Langton meant telling his company: “Don't be natural. The stage isn't the place for that. The stage is make-believe. But seem natural.”