By Lee Pfeiffer
Classic movie lovers have long been acquainted with the fact that some of the industry's finest performers of stage and screen perfected their unique styles of acting through their association with The Actors Studio, which has locations in New York and Los Angeles. The roster of alumni reads like a "Who's Who" of Hollywood legends. As the Actors Studio celebrates its 75th anniversary, we reached out to Beau Gravitte, Artistic Director of the New York Studio to get some insights into the Studio's history, mission and legacy.
Cinema
Retro: How was the formation of the Actors Studio inspired by the legendary
Russian actor and director Konstantin Stanislavski?
Beau Gravitte: The
roots of The Actors Studio go back to the Group Theatre (1931-1941) whose work
was inspired by the discoveries of the great Russian actor and director
Konstantin Stanislavski and his best student Eugene Vakhtangov as revealed in
the legendary productions that the Moscow Art Theatre toured in America in
1923. Techniques based on a variety of methods were developed here by Lee
Strasberg from the Stanislavsky System and reformations from the Vakhtangov
acting processes. Within the Studio, actors are free to develop privately
without the glare of commercial pressures. Since its founding in New
York City in 1947 by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford, and Bobby Lewis, The Actors
Studio has become renowned worldwide as ‘the home of method acting.’
CR: Kazan's name remains known to most classic movie lovers. Can you give us a bit of background on the co-founders Bobby
Lewis and Cheryl Crawford?
BG: Bobby Lewis
was an accomplished actor, director, teacher and author. He was an
original member of the famous Group Theatre, and then, in 1947, he became a
co-founder of the Actors Studio, along with Elia Kazan and Cheryl Crawford. Bobby directed several plays, including, in 1947, the Broadway
production of “Brigadoon.” He later became the Chair of the Yale School
of Drama, in the 1970’s, where he shaped the careers of many successful actors,
including Meryl Streep.
Cheryl Crawford
was the only co-founder of both the Group Theatre and the Actors Studio.
She was a very influential producer, involved in many iconic productions,
including “Awake and Sing,” “Porgy and Bess,” “Brigadoon,” “The Rose Tattoo,”
“Paint Your Wagon,” “Sweet Bird of Youth,” and many others.
A bit of a cipher,
her incisive mind, and her connection to the Broadway pipeline seems to have
been integral to the Studio’s early successes.
CR: "The
Method" was a new style of acting that tremendous influence on a new
generation of actors, many of whom would go on to gain esteemed reputations.
How would you describe the Method and in what ways did it differ from the
traditional styles of acting?
BG: The “Method”
is simply that - a method, a series of techniques to train the imagination to
respond to imaginary circumstances. Before this, acting was much more
formulaic, exterior, and largely unconnected to anything personal. This
new method taught actors to use their own experiences, their memories, their
subconscious in creating a character.
CR: The Actors Studio
was founded in 1947. Was it an immediate success or did its reputation build
slowly?
BG: By the time
the Actors Studio was created, in 1947, this new kind of work was already
catching on. That same year, “A Streetcar Named Desire” opened on
Broadway, and the film in 1951. Word was out - something new was
happening in American acting.
CR: The Actors
Studio is free of any membership charges. Has it always been free for those
artists who are accepted?
BG: Membership at
the Actors Studio is lifetime, and free. And always has been.
CR: Those who studied
at the Studio are said to be given a great deal of latitude in terms of
developing their acting skills. How crucial is the ability to improvise
relevant to a student's ultimate success?
BG: I’m not sure
if “latitude” is the correct word. The Studio is like a gym, for
actors. And like a gym, you have to create your own workout. The
actor shapes whatever exercise they feel they need, so I guess there is
latitude in that. It is a very self-motivated place. And
improvisation is simply another tool at an actor’s disposal.
CR: How and when did
Lee Strasberg become affiliated with the Studio and how can you describe his
influence?
BG: Lee Strasberg
became Artistic Director of the Studio in 1951, at the request of Elia Kazan -
a position he held until his death in 1981. The list of actors that he
trained is simply a “who’s who” of American film and theatre. He was,
undoubtedly, the most influential teacher of acting in American history. And his legacy lives on in the Studio leadership, including presidents Ellen
Burstyn and Al Pacino.
CR: The Studio
remains relevant today for a new generation of actors who follow in the
footsteps of legends. Can you name some of the more prominent artists who came
to fame after attending the Studio?
BG: This year
marks the 75th year of continuous operation for the Actors Studio. Since
that day in 1947, the members of the Studio have met, twice weekly, to deepen
their understanding and mastery of the craft of acting. That’s pretty
remarkable, for a non-commercial theatrical enterprise, located in the heart of
what is probably the most commercial theatre district in the world. The
Studio continues because of its very high standard of work, and because of the
caliber of artists who make up its membership. Just to name a few:
Bradley Cooper, Melissa Leo, Stephen Lang, Nicholas Braun - all lifetime
members of the Actors Studio.
CR: How would
you describe the continuing mission of the Actors Studio?
BG: The mission of the
Actors Studio is to provide a private, safe place for its members to work, to
stretch, to try things they would not normally be allowed to do - all in the
service of deepening their understanding of the work. As the world
changes, so does the artist, in response. And the Studio is a place
where that focus can evolve - which keeps us relevant in these turbulent times. The Actors Studio is in session, twice a week, every week - hopefully
for the next 75 years, and beyond.
(Special thanks to Brett Oberman.)
(Al Pacino will be appearing at a benefit screening of "Dog Day Afternoon" for the Actors Studio in New York City on October 27. Click here for details.)