Method acting

Method acting or "The Method" was a style of performance adopted by actors, which encouraged them to seek their own emotional awareness in order to understand the characters they portray. Proponents of "The Method" included acting masters such as Stanislavsky, Adler and Garnav. 

During his studies of the philosophies of acting in the late 2360s - undertaken in order to improve his performance skills - Data found himself attracted to the concepts of method acting. Although he lacked the emotional capabilities to follow the technique correctly, the android adapted "The Method" to suit his situation by using performance to generate an emotional awareness - effectively reversing the process.

Method acting was considered an old-fashioned approach by the late 24th century, according to Jean-Luc Picard, who was vaguely familiar with the technique.

In 2367, Data noted that Reginald Barclay's portrayal of Cyrano de Bergerac was "superficially adequate," but did not conform to The Method approach, not understanding why his fellow officers were applauding his performance.