Author: Dahee Lee

The Manifestation of an Identity

Stella Adler is the embodiment of the teachings themselves– the booklet of instructions that continues to impact the next generation of actors. The videos preserve her and continue her legacy in a tangible way. Her work often gets grouped in with Stanislavski, her other male counterpart. While both of their teachings were extensions of the principle of personal experiences, Adler focused on creating a character through observation rather than emotional recall on the actor’s part. By understanding her background and who she is, we are able to originate her emphasis on script analysis and class, contextualizing her work to a greater degree.

She is a very physical teacher. She will often use her body and head as a means to physically lead her students to the point that she is trying to make. In doing so, she places a major emphasis on the actor connecting with the audience and their cohort through action. When she teaches, she often employs the gestures that come follow the circular path of from her heart to the audience. For example, when discussing the method, she continues to make circular motions from her body to the external space. It’s almost as though she is giving the knowledge inside of her to the audience and the movements serve to emphasize the transaction. She repeats the phrase “where am I, is that you” twice in disparate ways, trying to explain that the ways in which one performs is dependent on not only delivery but intention.

A famous Adler quote that is still used when teaching her method is: “The play is not in the words, it’s in you.” She believes that the actor holds the responsibility to respect the script by understanding the character and their environment, and performing accordingly. She is the living proof that you don’t need to be so reliant on personal trauma as a means to have the actor come through. She believes that you create a character and through research, you bring that character to life. Adler is seen having her very distinctive quirks when she teaches. She’ll press her lips together and make a funny face when she knows that she made the audience laugh. She’ll pause and lick her lips as a transition into the next topic of conversation. When she discusses religion, or more specifically God, she’ll always look up and point, almost as if she is signaling him.

In the exploration of womanhood within the realm of acting, Stella Adler emerges as a pivotal figure, yet her significance often remains obscured amidst the more prominent male icons. Through this digital exhibit, we highlight and contextualize Adler’s profound influence on Hollywood as a means to rectify this oversight and restore due credit to her legacy. In today’s Method acting landscape, the spotlight frequently gravitates towards male actors like Austin Butler, Christian Bale, and Daniel Day Lewis, who are celebrated for their intense (and even borderline excessive) dedication to their craft. In doing so, we have begun to stray from the roots of Method acting, where Adler’s teachings serve as a cornerstone. Oftentimes, her male counterpart Strasburg, who has been nicknamed “the Father of method acting” receives all of the recognition when discussing method acting. However, Adler is the only one out of the trio (Lee Strasburg and Sanford Meisner) to have actually studied with Stanislavsky. By preserving Adler’s legacy, we are rejecting the undercurrents of misogyny that perpetrate the erasure of women’s achievements. Through the organization and annotations of Stella Adler’s digital collection, we were able to clarify her contributions to American Theater, allowing her the recognition that she rightfully deserves.