In the book, Mamet derides the practice of teaching drama students the system of Constantin Stanislavski or method acting of Lee Strasberg. In Mamet's opinion, time spent searching for emotion memory or considering character's biographies is time wasted, and he suspects that it is an academic bluff working to keep actors uncertain.
Mamet denounces the practice of instructing drama students in Stanislavski's system or Strasberg's method acting. Mamet believes that time spent searching for emotional memory or considering a character's biography is wasted, and he suspects it's an academic bluff intended to keep actors in doubt.