Acting and the Creative Classroom
by Dr. Maria Bakalis

In a creative classroom environment the spotlight is no longer on the instructor. Rather, the spotlight is focused on the learners. Learners begin to view themselves as creators of knowledge rather than remote recipients. Active participation takes the place of passive replication. Stanislavski’s System of Acting stimulates the learner to approach learning as an actor rather than a spectator. The learner’s life experiences, emotions and senses are all valued as a valuable resource. The imagination that accompanies Stanislavski’s Magic If frees the learner from rigid boundaries imposed by traditional paradigms. The significance of contextualization in learning is complemented by Stanislavski’s Given Circumstances, which teaches that a character cannot be understood out of context. An actor learns to empathize with a character. From such empathy comes an understanding of the character’s actions. The actor learns to see the character from a different perspective. The actor finds and gives voice to a character’s inner thoughts, feelings, fears and dreams. An actor portrays a character in conflict. An actor discovers means for the character to resolve the conflict. Dialogue, with its emphasis on listening, is a critical part of the acting process. By looking for the subtext in dialogue the actor learns to analyze the meaning beneath words. This analysis leads to the understanding of a character’s motivations, which in turn lead to actions. Improvisation stimulates creativity by stressing spontaneity. It encourages thinking that looks for alternatives.

Stanislavski’s System of Acting possesses elements that can transform stagnant and static elements into vibrant and vital classroom cultures. Role-playing is one effective means of bringing many of Stanislavski’s elements into the classroom. However, there are many other dramatic methods that can be incorporated into course content: playwrighting, puppetry, storytelling, autobiographical narratives, reader’s theatre, pantomime, improvisations, film, theatre games, story dance, newspaper plays, reenactments, popular and experiential theatre. Participatory learning is inherent to acting. Acting as a teaching methodology breaks the barrier of silence that so many times envelops the traditional classroom. Acting helps free the learner from the constraints of routine and the narrow boundaries of the ordinary. Acting, through the power of imagination, gives the learner the freedom to take risks, to experiment, to invent. The learner realizes that knowledge is a creative act.