In our knowledge of personality there is still a lot of unclear, controversial. And yet, let us try to outline the main stages of building on the stage of the most complex psychological system, consisting of mutually subordinated properties and qualities that define a living personality.
Personality is formed and manifested only in activity. In the process of stage action and only in it is realized all the special and typical, which is a stage creation of the actor. A.A. Bodalev showed that in personality two groups of properties are clearly distinguished: the first is connected with the motivational (motivational) side of personality, and the second – with the organizational-executive side of mental regulation of activity. “The inner psychological content of a person (his beliefs, needs, interests, feelings, character, abilities) are necessarily expressed in him in movements, actions, deeds. Perceiving the movements, actions, deeds, activities of a person, people penetrate into his inner psychological state, cognize his beliefs, character, abilities”.
The ability to vividly and accurately express the “life of the human spirit” is an essential ability of the actor. How do the actor’s actions in the role and what do they depend on? After all, it is in them formed and most fully disclosed the psychological content of the image. Therefore, the analysis of stage action seems to be the most convenient technique for studying those changes in the personality of the actor, which are made in the process of reincarnation.
Motivation of stage action
Let us recall that “every action, including thought action, begins with the perception of a violation of the balance between the individual and the external environment, leading to the need to restore this balance” (T. Shibutani). So, the initial stage of life action is connected with the emergence of a need and with the assessment of the situation that corresponds or does not correspond to this actual need. Thus, orientation in a new situation depends on the needs of the individual. Desires and aspirations are stages of need realization, and they push a person to a certain sequence of actions. He masters the circumstances if he knows what his interests are, and if he has the means to achieve the goal. The strength of his motives to a large extent determines the volitional intensity of action.
As already mentioned, not always the needs of man are not fully realized, as well as unconscious and many actions – skills, habits, instincts, involuntary movements and so on. Nevertheless, behind every action there is a quite definite need or motive.
On the basis of a vital need the purpose of action is formed. In connection with the assessment of the situation determine the means by which it is achieved.
Stage action, like life action, has a greater or lesser volitional intensity and, like life action, has certain goals (“tasks”, “wants”, “volitional message” – according to the terminology of Stanislavsky’s school in its different variants).
Ultimately, all human activity is aimed at achieving a certain goal. The principle of expediency is clearly manifested in the higher nervous activity of man. How much importance I.P. Pavlov attached to the purpose of action is evident from the fact that he introduced the concept of “reflex of purpose” into scientific usage.
With the realization of the purpose of action and the means by which the action can be realized, the motive – the motivating force of the act is formed. Scenic act to the same extent as life, is dictated by one or another motive. At the same time, motives largely determine the identity of the individual. After all, to recognize a person, you need to understand the reasons for which he commits exactly such actions, pursues these goals, acts in this and not in another way.
It is safe to say that stage behavior could serve as an excellent model for studying the motives of behavior and dynamic manifestations of personality in its activities.