Professor Zubova's Notes

When things aren’t going well, that’s exactly when you need a cheat sheet: just glance at a single line—and off you go. This is precisely the kind of collection of “folk” acting proverbs and sayings that lies before you. Many masters of the craft, acting teachers, and directors have their own set of phrases, “jokes,” and “catchphrases” that succinctly convey a great deal. A classic example is Konstantin Sergeyevich’s formidable “I don’t believe it! ” by Konstantin Sergeyevich. By the way, students don’t remember the hours-long lectures we teachers are so guilty of giving—they remember just a dozen or so phrases. And strange as it may seem, those are enough for most situations on stage! There’s a well-known theater anecdote: a young director is rehearsing with an actor, spending forty minutes explaining the overarching goal, tempo and rhythm, and the overall arc, citing Brecht, Knebel, and Grotowski. An experienced actor listens from backstage—listens and listens—then calls the actor over and says, “Vasya, twice as loud and three times as fast!” And everything falls into place.