Chapter 7Chapter 7

The Art of ActingThe Art of Acting

What Shakespeare says What Shakespeare says about Actingabout Acting

“All the world’s a stage,And all the men and women merely players.”

As You Like It

“Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue …. Nor do not say the air too much with your hand … Suit the action to the word, the word to the action …”

Hamlet

Training to be an ActorTraining to be an Actor

The BodyThe BodyDanceDanceMartial artsMartial artsFencingFencingStage combatStage combatCircus techniquesCircus techniquesYogaYogaTai ChiTai Chi

Training the ActorTraining the Actor

The VoiceThe VoiceBreathing techniquesBreathing techniquesVocal technique in pitch, volume and Vocal technique in pitch, volume and

resonanceresonanceDialectsDialectsInternational Phonetic AlphabetInternational Phonetic AlphabetSingingSinging

Training the ActorTraining the Actor

The MindThe MindMemorization skillsMemorization skillsEngaging with the imaginationEngaging with the imaginationLevels of empathyLevels of empathyKeen awareness of surroundings and Keen awareness of surroundings and

othersothersAbility to analyze and synthesize Ability to analyze and synthesize

information quicklyinformation quickly

Acting Methods/Acting Acting Methods/Acting TeachersTeachers

Konstantin Stanislavsky and the Moscow Art Theatre

Michael ChekhovLee Strasberg and

Stella Adler Sanford Meisner

Konstantin StanislavskyKonstantin Stanislavsky1863 - 19381863 - 1938

““The fundamental The fundamental aim of our art is the aim of our art is the creation of this inner creation of this inner life of a human spirit, life of a human spirit, and its expression in and its expression in an artistic form.”an artistic form.”

Stanislavsky in Stanislavsky in An An Actor PreparesActor Prepares

Tadashi Suzuki Tadashi Suzuki

““The desire to impart The desire to impart the significance and the significance and the reality of human the reality of human experience, from experience, from birth to death,… must birth to death,… must all be conveyed. One all be conveyed. One way to do so is way to do so is through the theatre through the theatre …”…”

Suzuki, Suzuki, The Way of The Way of ActingActing

Acting Techniques for Acting Techniques for EveryoneEveryone

For expressing emotionsFor expressing emotionsOutside/in

Technical approach Inside/out

Emotional memory

For creating characterFor creating characterUse of costumes or propsAbility to visualize imaginatively the world of

the play

Acting Techniques for Acting Techniques for EveryoneEveryone

EmpathyEmpathy SubstitutionSubstitution Use of imageryUse of imagery RecallRecall Given circumstancesGiven circumstances Magic Magic ifif Through-line actionsThrough-line actions

CharacterizationCharacterization

Given circumstancesTheir particular situationTheir specific problemsTheir limitationsTheir hopes

SuperobjectiveWhat is this character’s main driving force?What does he or she want?What is the most important thing to this

character?

CharacterizationCharacterization

Public ImagePublic Image

Personal ImagePersonal Image

CharacterizationCharacterization

Inner conflictInner conflictCharacter flawCharacter flaw

Motivation Motivation stated in the stated in the positivepositive

The Actor’s Working LifeThe Actor’s Working Life

Actor’s Equity AssociationActor’s Equity AssociationScreen Actors GuildScreen Actors GuildAmerican Federation of Television American Federation of Television

and Radio Artistsand Radio Artists

AuditionsAuditions

Open call – “cattle call” Open call – “cattle call” Cold ReadingsCold Readings ImprovisationsImprovisationsCallback listCallback list

Rehearsal to PerformanceRehearsal to Performance

Table workTable work Blocking rehearsalsBlocking rehearsals General working General working

rehearsalsrehearsals Special rehearsalsSpecial rehearsals Off-book rehearsalsOff-book rehearsals Run-throughsRun-throughs Tech rehearsalsTech rehearsals Dress rehearsalsDress rehearsals PreviewPreview PerformancePerformance

ActingActing

““With acting, you get to do things that are With acting, you get to do things that are normally illegal. There are no normally illegal. There are no repercussions and nobody doesn’t love repercussions and nobody doesn’t love you.”you.”David Duchovny, actorDavid Duchovny, actor

““When I found acting, I finally found a When I found acting, I finally found a place that accepted everybody and all place that accepted everybody and all their dreams.”their dreams.”Kevin Spacey, actorKevin Spacey, actor