IN MY ACTING CLASS YOU WILL DEVELOP YOUR CRAFT BY WORKING ON:
Being Believable.
I need to believe you/your character is actually going through the circumstances or event of the script. • Find and engage your emotions, thoughts and impulses. • Read the script/sides a number of times for ideas.
Being Present and “In The Moment.”
It’s an effective way to capture attention. We can tell when you’re in the moment. • Don’t worry about your lines, or anything else. • Don’t try to be anyone but you. • React without thought or plan. • Get out of your head and into what’s happening right in front of you.
Being Still and Listening.
Stillness is when you are not talking but revealing unexpressed feelings and thoughts. Listening and stillness reveal the inner truth about the character. You don’t need to think what the character is thinking, but you must be thinking.
Being Unpredictable.
It’s captivating when a character/actor surprises us. • Allow any impulses or raw private emotions to enter your scene without trying to choose the “right one.” • Don’t settle for comfortable choices. • Risk making a mistake. It could be a happy accident. If you’re afraid to try something, that’s a signal you should try it. • Don’t be afraid to fail, be afraid not to try. • Relish failure and mistakes.
Being Disciplined.
• We have class policy that needs to be adhered to. Policy guidelines make an efficient class. • One practice I insist on is for you to fully memorize your lines. Read over your lines at least 5 times, each time gaining more ideas for the character. Resist the urge to highlight your lines until you have read the script several times. • Each scene, ask yourself “What else can I do to tell this character’s story. • Don’t repeat, re-invent. • You should, when appropriate, present your scene at least once in costume, as you would for an audition. Your attitude, physical and mental, changes when dressed for a role. Without this preparation your character work is incomplete and you and your scene partner have less to work with in the scene.
