ars incognita

Today's actors must be able to perform as soloists in the worlds of theatre and film. The technique of the 'Vertical of the Role' enables actors to develop their independence and autonomy when analyzing their roles, leading them to become authors of their own art in their own right. It offers the basis for all manner of successful auditions, but also for artistic interaction within an ensemble and with a director. Generations of actors have grown up with Stanislavsky's classic, 'The Actor's Work on Himself', but the theatre of the 21st century with its own framework of production demands new forms of independent work from the actor. Jurij Alschitz has developed the method of the 'Vertical of the Role' during his years of detailed research into theatre practice. The research was carried out in European Theater Centers which Jurij Alschitz himself established in Germany, Italy, and Scandinavia and the results of this research have been tested and successfully applied on stage in theatre practice all over the world. In this book, Jurij Alschitz offers his thoughts on the ethics of the acting profession. He views the actor as the author, creator, and center of the dramatic performance, who must consequently be equipped with the appropriate technical skills to fulfill this wide range of tasks. The successive phases of the actor's work on the 'Vertical of the Role' are explained in detail, ready to be used by the actor, or to form a basis for teachers and directors who wish to apply this method. A separate chapter describes daily training for the actor on the basis of practical exercises.

The Art of Dialogue The actor's profession is, first and foremost, an open system of communication in an endless dialogue with his character, with his partner, with the director, with the spectators, with the playwright, with the role - but at the end of this list we should say — the actor also has an infi nite dialogue with himself. When the actor himself is open, then he knows how to open others, and then they open up to him. The opening of another system, and of another view, allows the actor to learn something new, to go beyond the boundaries of his familiar knowledge of the world and himself. In Theatre, dialogue is the art of creating with others. And for this, you need not only the talent of a Person but also the skills and mastership of an Artist. In this book, you will be introduced to my research about dialogue on stage, sketches of working methods and, of course, practical exercises. It's important to me that you fi nd something useful here, something questionable and even something which you don't need at all. I hope you will fall in love with dialogue on stage, and open up its artistic beauty for yourself.

A method of questions? A question of method. Alongside any method proposed in this book, the whole system of theatre only makes sense if it is understood creatively, not dogmatically. You can expect to find questions, but not necessarily complete or ready-made answers. Questions should serve as the fundamental key to unlocking potential. The technique to ask questions about a role will enrich actors and directors, leading them to discover the rare, living quality of role, challenging their initial ideas and even causing one's own Perestroika. Take a chance and you will discover an amazing world within the role, full of different puzzles and mysteries, which carry thousands of answers in themselves — sometimes we grasp them in the first few seconds, sometimes never. For author, director and acting pedagogue, Prof. Dr. Jurij Alschitz, the independent prerogative of the actor as the protagonist of a modern, living, theatre stands in the foreground. 40 Questions of one Role promotes autonomy in the process of creation and within this book, directors and pedagogues alike will find inspiration and support for their own preparation, as well as the rehearsal and teaching process as a whole.