Stage One – The Art of Inexact (Creative) Repetition – The nature of acting is that we repeat, whether in rehearsal, audition, performing a play or filming many takes of a scene in a film. It is impossible to repeat something exactly the same way twice. So how do we repeat an etude, a scene or an entire play, so that it is not a carbon copy, a mechanical repetition of what we did last time? Here we learn the fundamental principles that lie behind Demidov’s art of inexact or creative repetition. We discover the inner life of a given text and the ways to embody it. It frees us from any obligation to repeat exactly what we did last time (our behaviour, actions, what we felt, etc.), and it teaches us how to trust our creative intuition and surrender to the truth of the moment, without considerations of right and wrong.

Stage Two – Circumstances – How many times have we felt helpless during our work on a scene or a play, while rehearsing? We try to find a drastic solution, to become more active, to strengthen our tasks, objectives and “choices”, but the only thing we feel is that we derail even more. We deviate from truth and inspiration, from the organic flow of our character’s life. But if we learn how to place ourselves under the correct circumstances and how to perceive them, then everything flows naturally and uninterruptedly. Here we will learn how to orient ourselves in the circumstances and how to surrender to them fully. We will work more deeply on:

• Repeating a single etude to explore how circumstances originate and become “given”
• Discovering how circumstances are kept
• Experiencing how circumstances evolve and deepen with each repetition.
  
  

Stage Three – Character – Actors in rehearsal often make the mistake of ‘playing’ character from the very start and so kill off its living essence. We then have no other choice but to resort to intellectual inventions, forcing and imitation. Demidov’s approach allows us to let go of any effort of this kind.

According to Demidov, character is born in us, not ‘built’ or ‘made’. It is a living being that continues to develop and mature for as long as we are active in a role. Demidov says the origin of character is connected with subtle energy, with what he calls ‘weak currents’. In this stage of the program, through our work on etudes, we will practise surrendering to these ‚weak currents‘, to the first subtle manifestation of a character’s being, to what Demidov calls the ‘embryo’ of the character. We will learn how to allow this ‚embryo‘ to grow and develop on its own. We will use specific character facilitation and accumulation exercises unique to the Demidov School, exercises precious for the actor’s creative homework.

Stage Four – Scene Study – This course is dedicated to the Demidov School’s approach to working with circumstances and character given by an author. It will further develop the technique of “inexact” or “creative repetition,” enriching characters, deepening relationships and working with more heightened circumstances by utilizing the organic approach. During this course, we take new steps toward mastering the art of creative transformation (embodiment), as we approach character via scenes from Contemporary Realist plays, chosen by you and agreed between you, your scene partner and the facilitator.

On this course you will be introduced to sophisticated approaches to working with the text. These new methods will further develop the basic skill of “assigning” the role’s text. We will also work with:

• Uncovering our character’s past
• Assigning and ‘magnetising’ the circumstances
• Yielding to physical sensations
• Character Accumulation and Facilitation
• The art of letting go
• Preparation for rehearsal