Customer Reviews
Incomplete, Innacurate, Problematic Translation 
2008-10-01
Stanislavski is a familiar name in theatre circles. The legendary director of the Moscow Art Theatre wrote perhaps some of the most influential books on acting in the last century. I could list the big names who cite his influence (most famously, Marlon Brando and Sir John Gielgud), but the fact is his teachings have become so much a part of the way we approach theatre, that almost any actor in the English-speaking world (and abroad) can claim at least some influence.
Elizabeth Hapgood's translation of Stanislavski's work (featured on this page) remains the most widely circulated among English speakers. Unfortunately, it is also highly problematic. By publishing her translations as two separate books "An Actor Prepares" and "Building a Character", Hapgood unintentionally misrepresented Stanislavski's original intentions. In actuality, "An Actor Prepares" and "Building a Character" were both written as two parts of a single book, called "An Actor's Work on Himself."
Hapgood had worked with Stanislavski on an early version of Part One. However, Stanislavski continued to revise his manuscript even after Hapgood had returned home to America. What would eventually be published as "An Actor Prepares" was actually a much-abridged version of what she received from Stanislavski. Not only that, but it is missing Stanislavski's subsequent revisions.
The translation itself is especially difficult to get through. The diction is quaint and Victorian and brings to mind Constance Garrett's dowdy translations of Dostoevsky. What's more is that Stanislavski's sense of humor is largely censored, in favor of contriving a more flowing narrative. While this is understandable, this drastically alters the reader's understanding of Stanislavski's system. The original featured more dialogue among the students to flesh out the concepts in better detail.
To read a modern translation of Stanislavski's work in its complete form, check out Jean Benedetti's excellent An Actor's Work. Up until the publication of Benedetti's book, I would have been perfectly content to recommend the Hapgood version. But the release of the new translation, which is both more readable and truer to Stanislavski's intentions, now fully highlights how impoverished this edition actually is.
Very Informative 
2007-03-16
This book is very informative and resourceful. It teaches you the true method of acting.
any performing artist should read this book... 2007-03-06
the magic 'if' can transform worlds for you...the grand Master Stanislavski in a rough interpretation brings you his mystery of acting..has any acting technique been more misrepresented then 'the method'? ..read how MR S wanted to reach actors, how they went about rehearsing...how they realized their most important job was being true to the playwrights words..much to Anton Chekov's delight..how they built layer upon layer of developing a character..I think this book will enhance any artist, hold magic over them and let them develop their own magic 'if'..what if I was a king? what if I was a world famous dancer? what if I can make any dream come true? what if?
Definitely The Bible for actors. 2006-02-21
I had to buy this book for an acting class I am currently taking in college. If you were to open my book, you'll notice the bright color of my highlighter. It is highly informative and intellectually stimulating for those who want to be actors, or people who are simply interested in acting.
Absolutely essential read 2005-10-12
This book is an absolute MUST READ for all actors. I am convinced that no-one should be allowed on stage until they have read this book.
Stanislavski's ideas form the basis of most modern acting techniques, as well they should. Before I studied Stanislavski, I had always felt there was something lacking in my acting and could never quite figure out what; I discovered it when I studied Stanislavski.
My one complaint is that the translation is bad. The translator was NOT an actor, and many cuts were made to the original text. This has resulted in many confusions about what Stanislavski actually said.
Excellent not only for actors but for any performing artist! 2004-12-04
An Actor Prepares is the first volume of Stanislavski's enduring trilogy on the art of acting. Fusing psychological realism and expressionism, his exploratory exercises teach actors to evoke past emotions that draw out their vulnerability. Stanislavski here introduces such concepts as the "magic if," "emotion memory," the "unbroken line" and many more now famous rehearsal aids. This classic manual is written from the viewpoint of fictional actors taking lessons from a director (based on Stanislavski). Through the student's mistakes, questions, revelations, and struggles, Stanislavski teaches the actor about the stage, truth, and life itself.
An Actor Prepares to teach us well. 2004-11-25
An Actor Prepares by Constantine Stanislavski is a great read. This reading in my opinion is the "bible" for all begining actor/actress who wants to learn and understand acting. The book shows the reader the "Stanislavski codes" without the 'how to do' or essay form. The book is more like a journal, filled with stories that teach us, and methods that help us. The book expresses issues such as overacting and mechanical to the heart and real-ness we must put into our characters, to become them, to live them in order to believe them.
Very Informative 
2004-06-26
This book really backgrounds & outlines the actor's process. It is a must-have for aspiring artists. Don't let the wordy, overly detailed prose discourage. For the valuable info if provides, it is worth it.
the fog lifted from my eyes 2002-08-25
The first in a series of three, an Actor Prepares deals with the inner process/preparation an actor must explore in order to prepare for a role, how to control and stimulate your mind in order to convey the truth of your character. The story is told through the eyes of Kostya, the ex-stenographer who know shorthand, thus enabling him to take notes of the class. The instructor, Tortsov, is Stanislavski in disguise.
The book takes you on a journey of the art - acting. From learning about the magic "IF" to learning how to find your super-objective there is something for all in this book. Everything interrelates forming a web of knowledge and tools that you can take with you forever.
When you read it, however, keep in mind what the author said about his books:
"It is not a hand-me-down suit that you can put on and walk off in; or a cook book where all you need to find is the page and there is your recipe. No, it is a whole way of life."
Stanislavski's Blueprint Pulses With Life and Passion 2002-03-01
I found "An Actor Prepares" to be a deeply rewarding read, and I found its message applicable to all of the arts. Opening a window to a time and place where great strides were made in the modern theater, we join a fictionalized group of students awaiting their first lesson with the great master "Tortsov" (really Stanislavski.) I simply drank in Constantin Stanislavski's wisdom, enjoyed his consummate readability, and shivered in amazement that he was able to advance the philosophy and praxis of acting to such heights at the time that he wrote - he lived from 1863 to 1938. I'm currently inhaling the second volume in this series: "Building A Character." I fully intend round out my reading with some Strasberg, Meisner etc. after I finish Stanislavski's trilogy, but at this moment I am quite content to be able to gaze back in time to the Moscow Art Company, and imagine that I'm there amid the heady acting sessions of these books. Although trailblazers and pioneers in any art or science rarely leave a perfectly polished jewel as their legacy, it is a great mistake to pass over their immense contributions. Read Stanislavski as the great building block he was in the technique of acting.
