Method acting is the general approach to acting used by many modern American actors. This approach is based upon the idea that actors should achieve a detailed emotional identification with their characters. Actors try to think and feel what their characters would think and feel. Method acting tries to help actors create truthful and deeply felt performances.
The major features of Method acting are taken from the teachings of Russian stage director Konstantin Stanislavski. In 1931, the Group Theatre was organized in New York City by Harold Clurman, Lee Strasberg, and Cheryl Crawford. Using Stanislavski’s ideas, the Group developed acting techniques over 10 years marked by lively experimentation and passionate debate. In 1947, several former members of the Group founded the Actors Studio as a place where professional actors could continue to refine their skills. Under Strasberg’s direction, the Actors Studio became the most influential American home of Method acting.
Robert Lewis was a founder of the Actors Studio. His book Method–or Madness? (1958) describes many techniques and exercises of Method acting.
