3:
Chapter Lecture 2
Quiz: 1.Name one tip the author gave you for becoming a better actor
2. Name four Actor Tools (the tions)
Acting happens in the people around you.
Much of your work as an actor is taken care of if you put your attention on the other
actors on stage. If you are attentive and open to being affected by them you can let go of
your concern for pleasing the audience with your performance. The most important
person on stage is the other actor.
Listening
You need to develop the ability to listen intently to the other characters on stage. If you
are listening you can then respond. (Clip of Clint Eastwood talked about this for his
character Joe in Fist Full of Dollars.)
Action and reaction
You will always be taking action toward another character; they will react. That reaction
will usually be an action toward you; you will react. That is fundamentally acting.
The audience
Invite the audiences gaze. Let their imagination provide the story.
Just stand/sit there Exercise
Even when the actor is doing absolutely nothing the audience will try to figure out what
they are doing. The audience is eager for a story. It is human to draw conclusions from
what we observe in other peoples behavior. So to begin with the student of acting needs
to know that they dont have to work hard to show the audience what is happening or
what they are feeling. Trust the audience to do the work for you.
Actor Tool s (the Tions)
Goals and Obstacles
Once you understand the simplicity of being on stage you can turn your
attention to telling the story. This is what gets the audience more interested.
- Everything has to do with what you want the other person/character to do.
What does your character need? The stronger the need the higher the stakes.
The the higher stake, the more you capture the audiences attention.
- How do you get the other character to do what you want them to do?
- What is in your way? It is usually the fact that the other character or
characters want something that conflicts with what you want.
Imagination, Intuition and inspiration, visualization
A vivid and active imagination will help you discover your actions, put
yourself into the imaginary circumstances of the play and create your
character. Much of what you will be doing in the small classes for the next
several sessions is developing your imagination. Learn to play and be playful.
Start observing everyone around your and get curious about why they do what
they do.
Sometimes we understand things intuitively, without conscious thought
solutions occur to us, ideas appear. Value your intuition but dont become
dependent on inspiration. Do the imaginative homework that will prepare you
for the acting work.
Visualization is a form of imagination and actors use it all of the time to
prepare for rehearsal or performance. Like an athlete imagining the basketball
court and the successful game of the slalom ski course before the race, the
actor often visualizes the whole performance or the scene before they begin
their work on their feet. This is one way in which you are expected to
rehearse.
The tools of the actor for rehearsal and performance
You will be working with all of the tools listed below as you start working in
the breakout groups over the next few weeks.
a. Attention
b. Competition
c. Concentration
d. Expectation
e. Imagination
f. Intuition and Inspiration
g. Observation
h. Personalization
i. Relaxation
j. Situation
k. Visualization
Assignment: Read Chapter 1 for Friday 1/22 (break out group)