Chapter 7: The Art of Acting Shakespeare on Acting •“All the world’s a stage / Andall the men and women merely players.” o-As You Like It Training to be an actor •the body oDance oMartial arts oFencing oStage combat oCircus techniques oYoga oTai Chi •The voice oBreathing techniques oVocal technique in pitch, volume and resonance oDialects oInternational Phonetic Alphabet oSinging
•The mind oMemorization skills oEngaging with the imagination oLevels of empathy oKeen awareness of surroundings and others oAbility to analyze and synthesize information quickly Konstantin Stanislavsky 1863–1938 •“An actor lives,weeps, laughs on the stage, but as he weeps and laughs he observes his own tears and mirth.It is this double existence, this balance between life and acting that makes for art.” Tadashi Suzuki •Suzuki’s training embodies the stamina andconcentration of traditional Japanese theatre. •This rigorous training is designed to temper and shape the body so the actor can bring to the stage a “brilliant liveliness” that takes into account the “tiniest details of movement.”
Acting Techniques We Can All Use •Changing How You Feel oOutside/in oInside/out oTechnical approach oEmotional memory •empathy •magicIF •substitution Understanding a Character •Given circumstances oTheir particular situation oTheir specific problems oTheir limitations oTheir hopes •Superobjective oWhat is this character’s main driving force? oWhat does he or she want? oWhat is the most important thing to this character? •Public image and personal image •Inner conflict •Character flaw •Motivation •Thinking in positives
The Actor’s Life •Actors’Equity Association •Screen Actors Guild •American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Auditions •Open call–“cattle call” •Cold Readings •Improvisations •Callback list Rehearsal to Performance •Table work •Blocking rehearsals •General working rehearsals •Special rehearsals •Off-book rehearsals •Run-throughs •Tech rehearsals •Dress rehearsals •Preview •Performance
Curtain Call •“Actors are responsible to the people we play.I don’t label or judge.I just play them as honestly and expressively and creatively as I can, in the hope that people who ordinarily turn their heads in disgust instead think, ‘What I thought I’d feel about that guy, I don’t totally feel right now.’” oPhilip Seymour Hoffman, actor •“Acting is simply my way of investigating humannature and having fun at the same time. oMeryl Streep, actor
Chapter 8: The Art of Directing The birth of directors •The worddirectorcomes from the Greekdidaskalos,or teacher. •The playwright or lead actor as director. •The actor-manager of the 19th century •George II, the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (1826-1914) oCredited as first modern director. oHis wealth allowed him to construct his own theatre and organize a resident company of actors and artists.
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