Milton Justice teaches The Stella Adler Technique

A five-day intensive technique•analysis•performance

The Technique

Through her work with Stanislavsky, Stella Adler developed a definitive and now famous approach to acting, having trained such acting luminaries as Marlon Brando and Robert DiNiro. Her exercises demonstrate the accessible fundamentals of approaching a play and a screenplay. From deciphering the core idea of the text, to exploring character, action, circumstance and background, each exercise propels the actor experientially through the evolution of a part. Each class will begin with basic technique exercises.

Script Breakdown

One of the most illusive quests for the actor is the approach to text. Stella Adler was insistent that “your talent is in your choices,” but the question remained: how do you get to fresh, interesting and appropriate choices? Through a clear process of analyzing the script, the play is opened up and the character becomes clear, giving the actor full rein to fight the burden of clichés. A text will be chosen to explore, giving the actor key elements to access creative impulses.

Scene Study

The technique in action. A scene will be selected, the text broken down, character backgrounds discussed and built, improvisations around the text as a basis for the beginnings of rehearsal. An in-depth professional process taking the actor from first read through to a fully mounted performance of the scene.