An Actor Prepares

At long last, rehearsals for my show are finally underway.  Do you remember that I auditioned back in June?  Holy Moley that seems like a long time ago!  For one thing, we weren't covered in a mountain of snow.  [Public Service Announcement:  Shovel your @#$% sidewalks!  You know who you are.  Don't make me come after you with this big chip on my shoulder.  But I digress...]

I've had a lot of people ask me in amazed tones just how I do it - get up on stage in front of so many people, memorize all those lines, produce tears, etc.  These questions always kind of take me aback, because I don't see it as any special talent - it's just what I do.  I have always maintained that acting is 5% talent and 95% hard work.

So in order to de-mystify the process, I thought I'd give some insight into how the magic actually happens - thereby making you all so involved that OF COURSE you feel you simply MUST see the show (running February 19th to March 7th - hint, hint).  Everybody's process is different.  Here's some of the things I do:

Prepare the script:  The first step for me is very un-ecologically-friendly but an absolute must.  I photocopy the script.  I then cut and paste the pages on every other page of a wirebound notebook (for the character of ultra-organized Claire, I chose a simple but elegant daily planner).  This gives me room to write down stage directions, character notes, glue in inspirational pictures.  A script should be the jumping off for all creativity, a work of art.  I feel more connected if the script is very personal.

Tablework:  Directors have different approaches.  Some prefer just to jump in and get the actors up on their feet going through the scene and seeing where it takes them.  Some directors have the entire show blocked before the first rehearsal.  Some directors - mostly professional - insist that all lines are learnt before the first rehearsal so actors aren't inhibited by the scripts. 

The director for our show is approaching it from an actor's perspective, and painstakingly took us through each scene to determine the beats.  Beats are sections within a scene - every time there is a change in dynamic, emotion or purpose.  I prefer to think of it in terms of "wins".  Every time you engage someone in conversation, you hope to gain something.  It sounds unfriendly, but it's true.  The win can be small (You say "hi!".  If the person anwers "Hi!" back, you've won.  If they ignore you, they've won) or big (You want someone to sleep with you.  If they do, you've won.  If they don't...).  Each section of conversation is a series of wins or losses in the pursuit of your ultimate goal.  I'm more than happy to go through the beats - some directors overlook this simple, yet effective, step -  because they're essentially the same thing as "wins", but I find that thinking in terms of wins is a more dynamic choice.

Work on character:  This can be a very tricky part of the process.  I had trouble with this aspect for years until I was introduced to the person who explained it all in terms I could understand:  Robert Cohen.  Up until that point, I had been instructed to "don't think, just 'be'", "be in the character", "be in the moment", all of which is lovely, but it doesn't help me personally.  I'm a very concrete person.  I need to "do", not "be".  I think creativity - moments of brilliance - stem from a solid foundation:

Who:  Who am I?  What do I do?  Where do I live?  How old am I? etc.  These are common to almost any acting textbook, and as much as I loathe doing this, it's important.
GOTE:  Stands for Goals, Obstacles, Tactics, Expectations.  Ask yourself...What do I want?  What is in my way?  What do I do to get what I want?  What does my perfect outcome look like (i.e. how will I know I've "won".)
Viewpoint:  People are, in essence, egocentric.  Experts did a study asking people to characterize how they, and people they know, would act in given situations.  People invariably responded that the people they knew would act in a certain, defined way, but that they themselves would act "depending on the situation".  So in order to create my character, I have to characterize the people around me.  How do I see them?  Also, f I want to portray a specific trait, like "paranoid", I can do this by imagining all the people around me are hiding knives in their pocket and want to kill me.
Ultimate goal:  I touched on this briefly before, but it deserves further exploration.  Everybody wants something that stems from one of the five basic human instincts: love, happiness, survival, validation and power.  I figure out which one my character leans to, and envision what my end goal, my "ideal world", looks like.

There's a lot more to do, but this is the starting point for me.  I'll stop now, though, because it's getting a bit didactic and I have enough of a nerd-complex as it is.  I find the process fascinating, though, and sometimes don't realize exactly how much I do until I set it down on paper.

Got any questions about the acting process?  The steps to put on a play?  Let me know.

Comments

[kgirl]

Acting is definitely not my thing, but I can totally dig your methods. I started imagining what mine might be, and, like you, I think they would start with the perfect folder for my script, upon which I would definitely write copious cues and notes.

Can't wait to see the show!

[Woman in a window]

Now, I knew there was a reason why I don't act. That's just the beginning? Fur real?

I get the characterization thing. I imagine that it would be like writing a book. You could simply write what makes sense or you could dive into a character and really be.

Wish we were closer to check your play out.

[crazymumma@gmail.com]

I will come for shure!

So very proud of you.

[Painted Maypole]

I think you and i would work well together. Except that I just highlight whatever script it is they give me. I do often make notes and paste picutres and stuff into a separate journal.

My process revolves mostly around "Actions" as laid out in "A practical handbook for the actor" - which is right in line iwth all your beats/wins and ulitmate goal stuff.

I find I do different approaches for different plays, and am always willing to play around with something someone else suggests. It's so fun!

I'm not familiar with Robert Cohen - is there a particular book you recommend?

(can you tell I loved this geeky theatre post?)