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Mastering the Art of Acting: Techniques, Training, and Characterization

Discover the world of acting with insights from Shakespeare to modern techniques. Learn the craft through body, voice, and mind training. Dive into character creation, auditions, and the actor's working life.

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Mastering the Art of Acting: Techniques, Training, and Characterization

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  1. Chapter 7 The Art of Acting

  2. What Shakespeare says about Acting “All the world’s a stage / And all the men and women merely players.” --As You Like It

  3. Training to be an Actor The Body • Dance • Martial arts • Fencing • Stage combat • Circus techniques • Yoga • Tai Chi

  4. Training the Actor The Voice • Breathing techniques • Vocal technique in pitch, volume and resonance • Dialects • International Phonetic Alphabet • Singing

  5. Training the Actor The Mind • Memorization skills • Engaging with the imagination • Levels of empathy • Keen awareness of surroundings and others • Ability to analyze and synthesize information quickly

  6. Konstantin Stanislavsky and the Moscow Art Theatre MichaelChekhov Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler Sanford Meisner Gurus and Mentors

  7. Konstantin Stanislavsky1863 - 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.” --Konstantin Stanislavsky

  8. Tadashi Suzuki Suzuki’s training embodies the stamina and concentration 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.” www.rubenaranadowns.com

  9. Acting Techniques for Everyone • For expressing emotions • Outside/in • Technical approach • Inside/out • Emotional memory • For creating character • Use of costumes or props • Ability to visualize imaginatively the world of the play

  10. Acting Techniques for Everyone • Empathy • Substitution • Use of imagery • Recall • Given circumstances • Magic if • Through-line actions

  11. Characterization • Given circumstances • Their particular situation • Their specific problems • Their limitations • Their hopes • Superobjective • What is this character’s main driving force? • What does he or she want? • What is the most important thing to this character?

  12. Characterization • Public Image • Personal Image

  13. Inner conflict Character flaw Motivation stated in the positive Characterization

  14. The Actor’s Working Life • Actor’s Equity Association • Screen Actors Guild • American Federation of Television and Radio Artists

  15. Auditions • Open call – “cattle call” • Cold Readings • Improvisations • Callback list

  16. Rehearsal to Performance • Table work • Blocking rehearsals • General working rehearsals • Special rehearsals • Off-book rehearsals • Run-throughs • Tech rehearsals • Dress rehearsals • Preview • Performance

  17. 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.” --Philip Seymour Hoffman, actor • “Acting is simply my way of investigating human nature and having fun at the same time. --Meryl Streep, actor

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