An Actor Prepares : Chapter One

Chapter One : The First Test

The writer ( Stanislavski ? ), Paul Shustov and Leo Pushchin had to prepare for a stage performance.  Stanislavski wrote about his preparation for the role of Othello.
Although he was satisfied with his practice at home, he sometimes could not do well in the rehearsal. At home, Iago was not present. At each rehearsal, the stage seemed not exactly the same as the last time.
During the performance, he was most pleased with the part where he flung out the famous line "Blood, Iago, blood !"  He felt approval from the audience, and a sort of energy boiled up in him. Paul seemed to be affected by it, and acted with abandon too.
The chapter ended with a description of another student's performance. She fell and cried "Oh, help me!" in a way that chilled the heart.