An Exploratory Study of How the Actor Guides the Imagination in Depicting Non-tangible Experiences (Based on the Stanislavski’s ‘The Magic If’ Concept)

Abstract

This research is an investigative study of how the actor directs the imagination in depicting non-tangible situations. It is based on Stanislavski’s concept of ‘The Magic If’. The basic idea of the ‘The Magic If’ concept is how the actor responds to the ‘Given Circumstance’ in imagining a certain situation. The actor often has a ‘given circumstance in which to imagine through the space of his life experiences. However, the actor may have to imagine experiences that cannot be realised in the real world. The main purpose of this research is to identify the challenges faced by the actor in such cases if the actor in such cases if the actor consciously or unconsciously uses Stanislavski’s ‘The Magic If’ concept in depicting such non-tangible experiences. For that, the ghost in the play Hamlet, the witches in the play Macbeth, the devil in the play Maya Bandhan, the Mandolin in the play In the Republic of Happiness, Marasinghe in the play Mr. W, and the Moon in the play Death by the Sun, those are nontangible experiences are used for this study. This study is based on data collected using secondary sources, conducting interviews, and conducting questionnaires to a selected sample of actors and actresses who portrayed nontangible experiences.