Stella Adler: Awake and Dream! from "American Masters"

Seeing Stella chew out a young Ruffalo is priceless. Unfortunately, a lot of today's acting teachers chew their students out without really giving them the tools to grow -- her approach was great for herself, but many of today's young actors are greatly damaged by teachers who think they're Stella Adler.

"You are NOT acting WORDS." Greatest lesson any actor can learn.

Studied with her, Sanford Meisner, Gene Frankle and Robert X Modica, and she taught me the most and made me the great teacher I've become.

Well said. Results are not where it is at. Fame is not the goal... touching down on your truth, you move people. If you are lucky, you are found and, if you are unlucky you are found. So do it for yourself, and the glory of expanding your reach within the world. One or many - art changes our perceptions. She was amazing. And changed my life!

I really don't like emotional memory, it digs some bad things on your brain, I'd rather use imagination, that's why her method is inspiring to me

Youtube brings so many interesting films I would not have ordinarily sought out

I studied with Stella Adler for four years she was "AMAZING , INTELLECTUAL and PASSIONATE" !!! Never again will anyone come to her caliber and she really loved " The Actor !!"""

I think it’s interesting that the actress she thought was “brilliant” around 45:00 is the one that was acting in a fashion most similar to Stella’s herself....

I love when Mrs Adler said you dont own the words they are not ur privilege and the play is about ideas NOT words... You dont READ you FEEL.. you express. I wish this was longer i could take her in ALL day..People like this tend to be rare. People who talk deeper but it's put in simpler terms. I wouldnt try to sound clever for the sake of being clever in front of her. She wud prob ridicule you. Maybe alot of people have an idea of what acting is instead of acting??

I am an actor based in South Africa and this just awaken me.

I read Stella Adler book on acting I believe it’s called it’s somewhere on my book shelf but I’m drinking wine right now and don’t care to get up because I have a broken foot and my crutches annoy me. Anyways her book literally changed my life and I’ve used one technique she describes vehemently in which she says to cast your voice as if before a great audience. There were many details in the book that opened my eyes in which she describes her experiences in Europe and how for example the doors and the door knobs seems timeless and or built for time where as in the US nothing is built to last. I strongly encourage you to read her book. I’m not an actor at least not in the sense of cinema however her words greatly influenced me. Cheers from Texas.

Having read Stella Adler's 'The Art of Acting', then see and hear her teach in this video was just grand. There is so much information to soak up in this, also loved seeing a young Mark Ruffalo as a student being criticized.

I am absolutely smitten by Stella Adler's approach to acting. It's so compelling and I wish I could have met her.

“Listen with your blood”. Listen until it hurts. Wowzers!

I think it's important for actors to hear what her true gripe with Strasberg was straight from the horse's mouth: emotional memory vs imagination. Honestly though, in seeing captivating performances onstage and in film, even as a studied actor, one cannot see the wheels turning and tell what their preparation was nor their technique, it comes out in the moment and we're mesmerized. It's one of the toughest things, to take all that preparation and make it look spontaneous.

I studied with Jeff Cory and George Shdanoff for years very similar classes. This brought back so many memories of those years. We were pushed to the limits and beyond but in a positive way that either made you or broke you. Not everyone is cut out to be an actor.Not every actor is cut out to be a teacher, words from Master teacher George Shdanoff. I am currently working to pass on that tradition.

A great doco. "Acting is not about the words"...and it's the same in Music...it's not the notes, it's the way you play them. Stella Adler = a tough teacher. Sometimes we need someone like that to wake us up from our self satisfied egos. Thanks for posting that.

Frank Langella's narration is music. Love his voice.

Absolutely Legendary...I wonder if I was to have a nervous breakdown If I had ever worked with Stella Adler

She is relentless ruthless fearless dynamic bold big and i think im in love with her