Peter Jones

E learning Task 3/4(TAA40104) Certificate IV Training and assessment

CAE

CREATING A CHARACTER!

Research Observe

Identify

You never know what you might see!

Cleaning the streets in Bangkok!

OR WHO YOU MIGHT MEET!

HOW DO YOU WORK?

From the outside in.

From the inside out.

OUTSIDE IN? INSIDE OUT?

Capturing the external aspects of the character first and then moving into the soul of the role. That’s outside in.

Many fine actors work from the outside in.

But what is “inside out”? Discuss.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Who am I? Fill in a complete biography, stick to first person, singular throughout.What do I want? Need is the heart beat of character work.Why do I want it? The answer will unleash your emotions. Do not play the emotion! Make sure your

why is connected to your need. Keep your emotions controlled by actions. Here are three outer connected questionsHow do I get what I want?Where am I? Know your stage environment.When is it? Understand the period, research it.

Some actors seem to transform. They are “different” in every role they play. Can you think of some?

Some actors frequently play the same roles all the time. They played these roles very well.

Your memories will help you Your memories will help you create roles.create roles.

Once at a theme park I spent the day Once at a theme park I spent the day in wet soaking clothes hoping the in wet soaking clothes hoping the Florida sun would eventually dry me Florida sun would eventually dry me out. How could I use that memory?out. How could I use that memory?

I remember what feeling WET is I remember what feeling WET is all about!all about!

Let’s have some fun. Read Let’s have some fun. Read this to the class as a this to the class as a

character!character!• Stanislavski talks a great deal of the ‘magic if’: Stanislavski talks a great deal of the ‘magic if’: • ‘‘From the moment of the appearance of the From the moment of the appearance of the

magic if the actor passes from the plane of magic if the actor passes from the plane of actual reality into the plane of another life, actual reality into the plane of another life, created and imagined by him. In order to be created and imagined by him. In order to be emotionally involved in the imaginary world emotionally involved in the imaginary world which the actor builds on the basis of the play, which the actor builds on the basis of the play, in order to be caught up in the action on the in order to be caught up in the action on the stage, he must believe in it. This does not stage, he must believe in it. This does not mean he should give himself up to anything mean he should give himself up to anything like hallucination, quite the contrary. He does like hallucination, quite the contrary. He does not forget stage scenery and props surround not forget stage scenery and props surround him. He asks himself ‘But if this were real, him. He asks himself ‘But if this were real, how would I react? What would I do?’how would I react? What would I do?’

• And normally, naturally this IF acts as a lever And normally, naturally this IF acts as a lever to lift him into a world of creativity. The secret to lift him into a world of creativity. The secret of the effect of IF is that it does not use fear or of the effect of IF is that it does not use fear or force. Another quality it arouses is an inner force. Another quality it arouses is an inner and real creativity, an instantaneous inner and real creativity, an instantaneous inner stimulus, this adds a whole series of stimulus, this adds a whole series of contingencies based on your own experience contingencies based on your own experience in life, and you will see how easy it will be for in life, and you will see how easy it will be for you to believe sincerely in the possibility of you to believe sincerely in the possibility of what you are called upon to do on the stage’ what you are called upon to do on the stage’ [1][1]

•[1][1] Stanislavski, Constantin Stanislavski, Constantin An Actors An Actors Handbook,Handbook, pp. 94, Elizabeth Hapgood Cox and pp. 94, Elizabeth Hapgood Cox and Wyman Ltd (Ed.),Wyman Ltd (Ed.),

• A Methuen Publication, 1963A Methuen Publication, 1963

• The magic if, and we are all of everything, opens The magic if, and we are all of everything, opens new doors. Do not forget that the If also implies IF new doors. Do not forget that the If also implies IF YOU WERE THAT CHARACTER. YOU WERE THAT CHARACTER.

• An actor researches a role and your greatest An actor researches a role and your greatest resource will be yourself. In life you cannot resource will be yourself. In life you cannot experience everything but you must experience as experience everything but you must experience as much as you can. In extreme cases I think if it much as you can. In extreme cases I think if it doesn't hurt do it! Broaden your experiences (within doesn't hurt do it! Broaden your experiences (within reason, don't do anything that can cause pain to reason, don't do anything that can cause pain to others or gets you in jail!). Previously I spoke of others or gets you in jail!). Previously I spoke of identification and it bears repeating that you must identification and it bears repeating that you must also accept that the character is very different from also accept that the character is very different from you. As you will never meet two persons precisely you. As you will never meet two persons precisely alike in life, so you will never find two identical parts alike in life, so you will never find two identical parts in plays. That which constitutes their difference in plays. That which constitutes their difference makes them characters. And it will be a good makes them characters. And it will be a good starting point for an actor, in order to grasp the starting point for an actor, in order to grasp the initial idea about the character he is going to initial idea about the character he is going to perform on the stage, to ask himself: ‘What is the perform on the stage, to ask himself: ‘What is the difference, however slight this difference may be, difference, however slight this difference may be, between myself and the character as it is described between myself and the character as it is described by the playwright?’ by the playwright?’ [1][1]

• Actors have frequently confused the idea of Actors have frequently confused the idea of identification, imposing their own values on the identification, imposing their own values on the character. Chekhov puts this better in a very biting character. Chekhov puts this better in a very biting description: ‘I once heard a prominent actor say, description: ‘I once heard a prominent actor say, “Hamlet was a guy just like myself”! In an instant he “Hamlet was a guy just like myself”! In an instant he had betrayed that inner laziness which failed to had betrayed that inner laziness which failed to enter more thoroughly into Hamlet’s personality, and enter more thoroughly into Hamlet’s personality, and his lack of interest in anything beyond the limits of his lack of interest in anything beyond the limits of his own psychology’ his own psychology’ [2][2]

•[1][1] Chekhov, Michael Chekhov, Michael To The Actor,To The Actor, pp. 86, Harper pp. 86, Harper and Row, New York 1953.and Row, New York 1953.

• [2] Ibid, pp. 5.[2] Ibid, pp. 5.

Movementsgestures

voice

Genre andstyle

The role Status Accent?

ClassicModern comedy

Drama

The Spine of the character.The Spine of the character.

P la yM a in Ide a

=T he m e o f the P la y

D o m ina tingIde a

C ha ra c te r

S pine o f theC ha ra c te r

Above all, observe and lookAbove all, observe and look

Remember look at life, watch people. Remember look at life, watch people. After all ..THEY ARE WATCHING YOU!After all ..THEY ARE WATCHING YOU!