Anatomy of a Suicide - The Stanislavski Method

The use of Stanislavski within the piece 

In order for me to explain how we used The Stanislavski Method within Anatomy of a Suicide, I must first recap Stanislavski and how he said a performer must prepare for a character/role.

Three Core Elements

The three core elements for acting, Stanislavski said, were to 1) read the script to 2) find out the character's motivation and 3) to find the given circumstance of each scene using the subtext within. I think that throughout this process, I have attempted to do each of these things. As soon as I got the script, I read through each timeline separately to understand the play and how each character related to the other, hence why I drew the family tree as shown the blog Anatomy of a Suicide - Part 7. I have shown Anna's motivation in Anatomy of a Suicide - Part 29 where her objectives and aims are given - her motivation throughout the play is to understand the reasons for Carol to leave her. I have shown the given circumstances in Anatomy of a Suicide - Part 7 where I created timelines for each of the three main women.

Circles of Attention

This was where an actor would create a 'circle' in his or her own performance where they would devote their entire attention. Anything outside the circle would cease to exist. This would mean the performance would be totally dedicated, without any disruption from anything else, like a noise from the audience, or anything out of the ordinary. When playing Anna, my circle of attention would be confined to the middle of the stage, however, when completing transitions, my circle of attention would be confined to the stage and the backstage areas - at any time, my circle of attention should not have been focused on the audience. It could be said that I broke this Stanislavski rule during Wednesday's performance of Scene 5 where I visibly looked out into the audience, slightly breaking character and therefore breaking my circle of attention. However, it could be said that my personal circle of attention separate to Anna's would be the whole stage in order to listen out to cues from other actors on stage - Anna's character would remain oblivious to this, but I as the actor would have to be hyper aware of this.

Moment of Orientation

Stanislavski described this as the moment on stage where the audience understands the relationships and history between the two characters, normally at the start of the scene and often (not always) before anyone speaks. The audience can usually gather this through subtext and body language.

Magic "If"

The Magic If enables actors to get in the mindset of their character at a point within the script which enables an actor to ask "What if this situation happened to me?". This enables an actor to think like their character. I think that I managed to do this in some instances - for example, in Scene 14 when John tells a younger Anna about Carol's death, I allowed myself to try and think about what I'd do in that situation as that scene appears to be the catalyst for Anna's timeline. This enabled me to understand Anna's super-objective more.

Observation 

Stanislavski encouraged his students to people watch in order to adopt physical traits for their character as well as their personality. He said that every person is unique so therefore every character should exhibit unique traits. I think that I managed to do this to some extent with Anna - in order for me to portray smoking in a believable and naturalistic way, I took to watching people smoke when outside which allowed me to some extent to be able to copy this. However, I don't think that I managed to smoke completely believable. I did, however, develop a unique character trait that Bella didn't have in her version of Anna - every so often I'd rub my nose with my right hand. I didn't notice that I did this until after the Wednesday performance when an audience member commented that I did this a lot as Anna. Therefore, I think that I managed to complete this section of the Stanislavski method.

Motivation and Super-Objective 

As mentioned previously, the motivation and therefore the main thing that I believe Anna wanted to achieve was to understand why Carol left. A better explanation of this can be found in the blog Anatomy of a Suicide - Part 29. 

Given Circumstances

The given circumstances are plot points and character history that an actor knows about the character before the scene starts which influences their actions throughout the scene. In some instances, the actor may have to read ahead in the script to understand the given circumstances for a previous scene. This can be seen in Scene 4 where John tells Anna that he hasn't heard her call him Dad since she was 16 which would be Carol's Scene 14. In order to understand the given circumstances of the three women, I created a timeline which can be seen in the blog Anatomy of a Suicide - Part 7 which would, therefore, give the given circumstances for each scene, dependent on where they fall on the timeline. I think that throughout the play, the given circumstances are different for the audience than they are for the actor playing the character - for example, I read the script which means that I know Anna's background and how she is influenced by Anna, however, the audience has different given experiences as they don't know (for example) how John told Anna that Carol had died which would have a severe impact on Anna for Scene 2 but this wouldn't be fully realised by the audinece until Scene 14 or by Scene 5 when Anna reveals Carol died.

Internal Monologue

Stanislavski said that people have a semi-constant flow of thoughts which would mean that the character and therefore the actor would have a stream of thoughts. This helps the actor as it makes them believe that each action is happening spontaneously. This also prevents the scene from becoming dull after a while. As shown in previous blogs, I did have an internal monologue in some of the scenes where my dialogue was limited which allowed me to act throughout the scene rather than just when speaking my lines and reacting to other people within my scene.

Objectives 

This is what a character wants to achieve in a scene or through an action. As shown in previous blogs, I and Bella chose three objectives that Anna wants to achieve throughout the play which coincides with the super-objective, regardless of Anna manages to achieve them or not. The objectives are as follows:
1) To stop being dependent on drugs.
2) To have steadiness.
3) To be a good mother.
Again, these are explained in more detail in a previous blog - Anatomy of a Suicide - Part 29. 

For each scene that Anna is present (in the timeline that I presented), I will aim to discuss how the Super-objective and Objectives relate to the scene, what the Moment of Orientation is, and what her motivation is.

Scene 2

In this scene, Anna is attempting to get an IV from her "mate Dan to take the edge off her (your) come down". This would, therefore, relate to her motivation as her motivation in this scene is to simply get the IV whilst simultaneously trying act less drunk and high than she is - she fails in both her motivations dramatically as Dan doesn't give her the IV and she certainly seems very drunk and high. At this point, Anna is somewhat invested in her super-objective because the cause of her drug/alcohol addiction could be attributed to her trying to figure out why Carol committed suicide as she may not have found a reason or blamed herself for her mother's suicide - as shown by her Scene 5 monologue; "if my Mother couldn't, well then, I must be an almighty piece of Shit". It doesn't appear that any of Anna's smaller objectives fit into this scene.

The Moment of Orientation (MoO) in this scene I think occurs within the first few lines in the scene where it is clear that Anna is drunk and/or high shown through my stance and the word choices given to Anna - this allows the audience to understand that Anna is drunk/high but is trying to show that she understands the situation when she clearly doesn't. Another MoO within the scene is when Dan says "You came in and asked for an IV off your Mate Dan to take the edge off your come down" - this would clearly identify to the audience that Anna is high and is becoming a problem for Dan in this situation. This line also identifies the audience what Anna's motivation is in this scene which is to get an IV so that her come down isn't as bad as it would be without it.

Scene 3

In this scene, Anna is taking heroin which would, therefore, go against one of her objectives; to stop being so dependent on drugs - this objective is realised after this scene. It could also relate to her Super-Objective for the same reason as I outlined in the previous scene - she felt as though Carol committed suicide because she had done something wrong as a child. Anna's motivation is simple in this scene: she wants to get high, potentially in order to forget what Carol had done but also to fulfil her own needs as she is dependent on drugs at this point. The MoO in this scene occurs when Anna takes out heroin from her bag - that is for the members of the audience who can see this as the position of Anna on the ground near the front of the stage caused some sight lines to not be able to see her do this. For those who did not see this immediately, the MoO would, therefore, be when the 'heroin' (sugar) begins to smoke.

Scene 4

In this scene, Anna is in rehab which directly links to one of her objectives to stop her dependence on drugs. It would also link to the objective of trying to find stability as once she's off drugs, she tries to find it which can be seen in this scene as she's trying to reconcile with John. The super-objective is also present here due to the mention of "she" (Carol) within the scene which shows that Anna has been thinking about Carol and about how Carol left. The MoO in this scene happens when Anna says "Dad" which allows the audience to understand the relationship between the two characters. This links to the motivation for Anna which in this scene is to try and re-establish a healthy relationship with John which further links to the objective of Anna trying to achieve stability - she knows she cannot achieve full stability through John but it appears as though she could achieve some small amount of stability by allowing John back into her life.

Scene 5

In this scene, Anna speaks to her future husband, Jamie, about how she got to the commune she is staying in. Certainly, the Super-objective is present in this scene as Anna mentions her mother directly and indirectly within the scene - "The Shock and something else" "my mother, she was, she was Dead by this point" "If my Mother couldn't" "My mother's name was Carol" - which would, therefore, show that Anna has been constantly trying to understand why Carol left, something which is acutely obvious in the Scene 5 monologue. The audience is given two MoOs within the scene - the first MoO is at the start of the scene where it is clearly obvious that Anna and Jamie are attracted to each other. However, at this point, their relationship isn't made quite clear as it is suggested by the camera that the two are about to engage in sexual activities for a film. The relationship is identified when Jamie asks Anna "I'm just sort of asking everyone how they came to be here" which shows that the two are just filmmaker and speaker, rather than the aforementioned idea. The motivation for this scene for Anna is to speak to Jamie and the camera about her experiences - I don't think she expects for the splurge of detail about Carol to come out as it did, rather she wanted to keep that section of the story closed but once she starts speaking she can't stop as she seriously wants to tell someone who won't judge her. Or maybe she does want someone to judge her, especially someone whom she clearly has an attraction to so that she can warn them away. Although, this would directly contradict with the stability objective but I don't think she expects to find stability with Jamie in the way that she eventually does.

Scene 6

In this scene, Anna meets Jamie to discuss and watch the film but this turns into an argument about how Jamie sees her - "Radiant". At the beginning of the scene, Anna is smoking which links to her objective of trying to quit smoking - studies have shown that people who have recovered from drug abuse are more likely to take up smoking in order to curb their addiction to the more destructive drug. Moreover, it is increasingly hard for smokers and drug users to quit both at the same time. This would suggest that Anna is trying to curb her dependence on drugs by smoking. It may also relate to the Super-objective of trying to feel closer to Carol as it is shown that Carol smoked throughout Anna's childhood. Moreover, the objective of Anna trying to find stability without actively seeking it is shown when she responds to Jamie's words about how he "wants to hold (her). Very close. Just here" which is exactly what Anna wants in her stability. The MoO for this scene is when Jamie walks in with the flowers which allow the audience to understand that Jamie believes that this is a date - further on in the scene, the audience understand that Anna doesn't want this to be a date as her motivation is to watch the film. However, it could be argued that part of Anna's motivation is to start a relationship with Jamie as shown by her buying a tea and coffee and her response to Jamie's monologue at the end of this scene.

Scene 7

In this scene, Anna and Jamie are preparing for their new life together in the family house. This can immediately be seen in the MoO when Anna is painting and Jamie is putting boxes at the front of the stage. this sets up their relationship nicely for the audience as the audience are now aware that Anna and Jamie have started a serious relationship and it must be serious as Anna has moved into the house that she told John in Scene 4 that she didn't want/couldn't move back into. This links to one of Anna's objectives of finding stability because if she feels safe enough with Jamie to move into the house her mother bought, then she must have found something secure and stable within him. It may also link to the Super-objective because as Anna feels stable with Jamie, she is allowed to explore why Carol left - I think that because she's with Jamie, she is no longer afraid to search harder for her mother within the house which is why Anna says that this is "a Good Thing". Anna's motivation at the start of the scene is to paint the house but this changes when she becomes scared later in the scene with her motivation turning to the Super-objective.

Scene 8

In scene 8, Anna is getting ready for her wedding. The MoO is obvious straight away - that Anna is getting ready for her wedding. This is due to the wedding dress that she puts on in the scene - the audience can recognise what may happen in the scene from the transition when the wedding dress is being put on stage. Anna's motivation is therefore easily recognisable as to get ready for her wedding. I think that Anna finally achieves one of her objectives within the play in this scene which is further consolidated in the following scene - she has found stability through Jamie and their relationship.

Scene 9

In this scene, Anna tells her cousin Daisy that she's pregnant something which is identified by the MoO when Daisy says "Collection of cells ... sitting in your wife's uterus that you helped put there with your wonderful almighty penis". This further links to Anna's objective of stability because she is certainly grounded by Jamie (now her husband) and the baby Bonnie to be. This is also the first scene in which Anna uses the objective of wanting to become a good mother as shown by the line "I think I might be good at it. Being a mother. I think I might be okay". This quote also links to the Super-objective in some way because she has somewhat identified (or feels as though she has identified) one of the reasons why Carol committed suicide. She may also feel closer to Carol as she may finally get to understand why Carol began to unravel more after Anna's birth. Anna's motivation is simple in this scene - to tell Daisy about the pregnancy and host a dinner party successfully where she succeeds in both.

Scene 10

In this scene, Anna is shown mid-labour giving birth to Bonnie. Anna's motivation in this scene is to, therefore, give birth. The MoO in this scene is shown straight away, in fact, as soon as the pilates ball is brought onstage as the audience - after being shown the given circumstance of Anna's pregnancy - will most likely know that pilates balls are used to help in labour. This MoO is enhanced as soon as the scene starts as Anna begins to breathe heavily, appears to be in pain, and is sitting on the pilates ball with her legs outstretched slightly - all things which happen during labour. The main objective in this scene is to be a good mother despite the harsh words that are said by Anna to Jamie - "How Dare you try to get Anywhere near my Fucking Vagina when I'm trying to Shit a Fucking Baby out of it!" - which is certainly called for as Jamie does try to "move things along" in a sexual way. Despite this, she is trying to be a good mother, it's just that under the strain of labour, she is finding it increasingly hard to put up with Jamie's antics.

Scene 11

In this scene, Anna is shown to be deeply disturbed after Bonnie's birth and tells a nurse, Lola, about the nightmare that she had about a baby boy. She is certainly beginning to realise her Super-objective even more as she will be acutely aware that Carol most probably felt like this after Anna's birth as is shown in Scene 5. This allows Anna to understand clearly why Carol left due to severe post-natal depression. Another objective that Anna clearly wants to achieve in this scene is to be a good mother. Although this is not entirely obvious, I think that she is trying to look after Bonnie as shown by her concerned "She doesn't eat". Although, she could be trying to fault herself for not providing for Bonnie properly as shown by her line "There's no milk". The motivation for Anna in this scene would, therefore, fall towards concern for Bonnie but to also tell Lola about the nightmare that she had as well as to tell Lola about the things she is already doing 'wrong' as a mother. The MoO is shown straight away as Anna seems severely affected by the birth hence why she is standing there. This, coupled with the given circumstances from Carol's side of the stage - such as the anxiety Carol showed after giving birth to Anna - underpins the audience's view that Anna is suffering from post-natal depression.

Scene 12

In this scene, Anna has been walking and returns to her hospital room to find John waiting for her which sparks her motivation in this scene which is to tell John about her walk and to reveal how she feels about herself, Bonnie, and Carol. This would show that the Super-objective is used in this scene as Anna is evaluating the impact Carol made on her and on John. She uses the line "Live very big. She said" which I think is revealing how Anna finally understands why Carol said that to her - to give Anna an idea of something to live for that Carol couldn't achieve herself. The MoO is shown immediately when John is sat onstage as the audience recognise that he is Anna's father from Scene 4. The relationship between them is further shown when Anna walks onstage and tells him about her 'walk' to which John visibly sinks in his chair showing that Anna has become detached from him and the reality around her.

Scene 13

In this scene, Anna is given ECT. Her motivation in this scene, possibly influenced by Jamie and John, is to have ECT to 'get better' however, this motivation doesn't follow through as she seems more mentally affected the next time the audience see Anna in the following scenes. As the audience has already been open to the idea of ECT from Carol's side of the stage, the MoO is much easier for them to identify - when they see the hospital bed being brought onstage and the shocking that follows in the scene, they understand the treatment that Anna is being given. The objective for Anna in this scene is to become a good mother as she enquires about Bonnie in the scene. This would show that she still wants to be a good mother and is prepared to have ECT in order to return to normality which never happens in the play.

Scene 14

In this scene, Anna is staring at a Moses Basket which Bonnie is inside and wants to pick her up (the motivation for the scene) but can't. The MoO is established throughout the scene as Anna becomes increasingly distressed that she can't pick up the baby which is identified by the audience the more distressed Anna becomes.

Scene 15

In this scene, Anna is shown rocking Bonnie and then shown walking offstage in order to kill herself which is the motivation for this scene. The motivation for the scene could also be to stop what she is feeling in order to return to normality - when this doesn't happen, she resorts to suicide.  

In my opinion, I think that Anna does achieve her Super-objective because she manages to come up with her own reasons for her mother's suicide - Anna's influence on Carol's life - which I think she fully believes certainly at the start of the play and towards the end of the play. Moreover, she does succeed in quitting drugs and finding stability, although this doesn't last. She is also partially successful in being a good mother, particularly in Scene 9, however, after the birth, this declines and ultimately spirals out of control.