Chapter Four-Acting

1. Chapter Four-Acting Chapter Summary

2. Subjective/Emotional Acting Actor tries to really live the part and feel the emotions of the character internally as much as possible. The Actor works for emotional honesty for every moment of the play

3. Objective/Technical Acting Actor uses his learned technique and great attention to the text to create a character that appears to be as real as possible, but does not really emotionally try to recreate the character internally

4. Constantine Stanislavski Russian theatre director and innovator who developed a new style of approaching acting by creating a “method” approach to playing a character. This involved “emotional memory” recalling emotions you have felt and applying them to a moment and “the magic if” – How would you react if this happended to you

5. Questions and actor should Ask What is the immediate environment/ What are my objectives/ What are my relationships and how do others relate to me? What are the emotional signposts for my character? How smart is my character What is my character’s origins geographically What are my character’s problems, strengths, weaknesses and strategies

6. The Sixteen Keys to Characterization Internalizing- a deep personal understanding of character Externalizing- Making that visible to audience Concentration- focusing on the moment in the play Observing- watching others to learn character traits Emotional memory- using past experience to find emotion in play Projecting- Not only volume but your character’s life projected Motivating- the why of characterization

7. 16 keys continued 8. Stretching a character- making a character unique and interesting 9.Consistant inconsistancy – a trait that identifies you character 10. Playing the conditions- focusing on the environmental and psychological elements of the play 11.Playing the objectives- Playing your character’s goals and ways and means of getting what they want 12. Playing the obstacles- Playing with the things that prevent the character from getting what they want 13. Playing the object- Using props or stage objects to identify character moments

8. Keys continued 14. Energy – the fuel that drives the character. 15. Focus – the ability to direct your energy to specific targes 16. Uniqueness - Making the part an original and not copying or imitatin other interpretations of the role

9. Some Terms Master Gesture – a signature gesture a character does that helps identify them. Leading Center- the part of you body that leads and demonstrates physical characterization Cross and counter-cross- a cross is an actor moving in front of another…a counter cross is the other actor adjusting to the cross of the first actor Stage business- the way you deal with props on stage Subtext- The meaning behind what you say

10. Do’s of Stage Movement Use hand nearest hinges to open a door Enter the stage with upstage foot and and stand with upstage foot ahead of downstage foot, Move forward on upstage foot Cross upstage of seated characters Make gestures with upstage hand Sit with feet and knees together Stay in character before and after entrance until out of view of all of the audience

11. Don’t of stage movement Stand in an exit or in front of lighting Don’t move during another’s lines unless directed to do so Don’t cover you face with you hands or a prop Don’t stand with your legs crossed or knees together unless your character would do that Don’t grab to arms of a chair to rise unless you are old or you character would do that

12. Stage Positions Cheat out- Turning you body ¾ to audience to share the scene Giving the scene – Crossing downstage to give focus to someone else. Turning the scene in- a group of actors turning bodies to a focused player or moment Taking yourself out of a scene- Turning you back to the audience

13. Stage Combat/Kiss • Should be rehearsed constantly and frequently • The three stages of most combat are • The preparation • The Blow • The reaction • The Stage Kiss stages • Foot position • Correct body position • Exact time count • A smooth break

14. Inflection Rising inflection- shows questioning, surprise and shock Falling inflection- end of statement, depression, finality, firmness Sustained inflection – command, calmness, decisiveness Circumflex inflection- emphasizing vowels to give a special or double meaning or subtextrual meaning to the expression

15. Memorization Whole/part – An actor becomes very familiar with the play and its meaning and learns lines by analying why he says what he says and focusing on the word to word accuracy later. Part/whole- Learning lines by memorizing little segments at a time by rote memorization.

16. Playing Comedy • Comedy relies on timing and physical detail • Some techniques include • Lift end of punch line, • Clutch the punchline with a facial or physical marker • Play off the lead of your partners • Don’t cut off the audience laughter..use the laugh curve to know when to come in with the next line

17. Accents Learning a regional accent is a challenge that you can accomplish by ear training or by phonetically breaking down your lines Phonetics is a way of defining pronunciation with markers It is useful to get recordings of the accent you need to use

18. Stages Proscenium- The picture window with the stage behind the “fourth wall” Thrust – Audience is on three sides of stage Arena and Round- Audience is on all sides of the stage Non-conventional- Stage is placed in unusual areas so audience may have to turn look in corners for the action.