A LITTLE BOOK ON ACTING - …burrburtondrama.wikispaces.com/file/view/A+Litttle+Acting+Book.pdfFreytag’s Pyramid Diagram Stage Diagram 5 W’s Character Worksheet Scoring A Scene

Actors Process/Advanced Acting �1

A LITTLE BOOK ON ACTING

By Jim Raposa


Table of Contents

Preface 3

Class Description 4

Topic OneRelaxation 10

Topic TwoCharacteristics of Success 12

Topic ThreeImagination is the Key 14

Topic FourUsing the Script 16

Topic FiveDiving Deep Into the Script 19

Topic SixScoring A Scene 26

Topic SevenStage Directions, Blocking, Body Positions 30

Topic EightPutting It Together 33

Topic NineFilm Information 36

Topic TenHistory of Theater 38

Topic ElevenCareer Information 40

Glossary of Terms 44


Letter to My Students

Hi Everyone,This book is designed to assist you in understanding the techniques needed to become an actor and an artist within the world. Cool? Yeah! Scary? Maybe… Hard work? Depends on you. You see, learning acting, like anything else requires dedication, determination, and discipline. Put that together with the understanding that your improvement is directly connected to the amount of work you put into your personal process and you may see that how you learn and implement those lessons is totally up to you.

The site is broken down into Topics and each Topic shares concepts that will be investigated. The Topics share possible ways to measure the understanding of that knowledge through rubrics, written papers, quizzes, tests or interactive dialogue, etc. During your time in class you will also take a mid-term and a final exam and you will illustrate your understanding of acting through a final performance within a showcase. Please, do not stress about these different ways of sharing information. View them as ways to check in and see how you are doing.

This class is also about getting to know yourself through the art of acting. What I mean by that is, when was the last time that you consciously made a choice to listen to a conversation you were having…in person….no smartphone, no texting. I mean, simply a face to face conversation. You see, the ability to listen and respond honestly and in the moment is becoming a lost art. Throughout life you will find yourself in job and college interviews, dealing with people on a daily basis within your jobs and your families, so the ability to communicate honestly and efficiently is a great perk from taking acting class.

There are many acting techniques and styles out there in the world, ranging from Stanislavkski, to Meisner, to Hagen to Cohen and many others. This class is no means a comprehensive study of each one. Think of it more as a taste test of a few specific techniques to wet your appetite for further study. The thing to remember is that each of these techniques offer many of the same thoughts and techniques, but have them listed under different names. We will explore many of these techniques with the goal that you will understand how similar they are and that you can pick and choose what works for you and ultimately create your own technique.

The thoughts that I have shared with you are from my experiences in acting classes and in the professional world. I have also tried to expand my knowledge of acting techniques to better explain the process of acting. As I said before, I personally believe that most acting techniques explain the process of acting in the same manner, just with different vocabulary.

So, understand that we are going on a journey that is different for everyone. I understand that some of you are motivated to become professional actors, while others are curious about acting and others are in the class because there was nothing else available. No worries, that’s ok. During our time together we will create a safe place to learn, share and create.

Good luck and enjoy the ride,

Jim


Class Description

Through a studio atmosphere, students in this open level performance class will be exposed to various acting techniques and physical and vocal warmups. Students will understand how to apply these techniques to enhance the creation of character(s) for performances of comedy and drama on the stage and in film. The relationship between theater and cultural will be explored through scene work, investigation of multiple historical eras of theater, specific acting techniques and will culminate with a presentation to enhance peer learning. In addition, students will share their proof of knowledge through written assignments, interactive dialogue and application of techniques.

Note:Advanced student performance pieces may include, but are not limited to monologues and scenes. It is expected that advanced students may focus on a specific area of study, will take on leadership roles in class, be self motivated to find a minimum of 4 monologues to be worked on throughout the semester, in addition to their normal class responsibilities. Advanced students will also learn the fundamentals of producing, directing and writing (researching a play or scene, casting and staging the performance) with the possibility that the project they are working on may be performed for the public.


What you are going to learn overall.

Essential Questions

Creation

How does the actor apply theatrical elements to create a three dimensional character for performance?

How does the actor apply theatrical elements to create an original scene or monologue?

Application

How does a student interpret and apply technical theatrical elements when creating a character?

How does a student interpret and apply theatrical elements when directing?

Explanation

How does a student explain the theatrical elements for critiques of theater,TV,movies, scene work and the creation of characters and original scenes and monologues?

How does a student explain how history of theater reflects, influences and is influenced by different time era’s of society?

Connection

How can a student use theatrical elements throughout their daily life a such as preparing for job and college interviews, writing resumes, etc.


Content and Skill Learning Target

By the end of this class students should know: By the end of this class students should be able to do:

Actor Preparation:

Classroom Norms - understand the requirements that are expected to work in a class as part of a ground as an individual

Demonstrate and explain classroom an norms and habits of mind.

Physical /Mental Warm Up-understand the importance of a warmed up body to wake up the body, focus the mind and to help foster life long healthy choices.

Demonstrate various warm up options when asked to run a physical warm up.

Vocal Warm Up -understand the importance of a warmed up voice, the proper usage of breathing to project and the ability to use articulation to speak clearly.

Demonstrate various warm up options when asked to run a vocal warm up.

Character Preparation

Script Analysis - the importance of analyzing a scene, script or monologue

Analyze a script including the following, highlighting of lines, underline the facts, use the 5 W’s, identify; objective, obstacles, moment before, activity, tactics, dramatic structure.

Dramatic Structure- understand Freytag’s Pyramid of Exposition, Rising Acting, Climax, Falling Action, Curtain.

Analyze a script for Dramatic structure.

Research-understand the importance of research regarding history of theater, character study, script analysis and to foster a lifelong curiosity.

Present a written or oral report upon history of theater, character analysis, script analysis to illustrate the importance of research.

Character Analysis-create internal and external character traits using the 5 W’s

Develop a three dimensional character using information from the script and from imagination and apply with 5 W’s.

Given Circumstances-find facts about character within the script.

Analyze a script for given circumstances.

Objective/Super Objective-what does the character want in a scene and in the play.

Clarify and explain what the objective and super objective is.

Moment Before - what is happening immediately before the scene starts or entering into a scene.

Clarify and present what the moment before is.


Obstacles-what gets in the way of a character accomplishing their objective(s).

Clarify and explain what obstacles are.

Tactics/Beats-how does the character get what they want.

Clarify and explain what tactics are.

Subtext - what is the unspoken motivation beneath the words and action what the character really thinks and feels.

Clarify and explain subtext for monologue or scene.

Endowment - is the ability to give physical objects the characteristics they would have in real life.

Clarify and present endowment of objects.

Activity - what is the character doing in the scene.

Clarify and present activity.

Performance Preparation:

Rehearsal and Performance Expectations- present multiple scenes and monologue.

Present a scenes, monologues to class for critique.

Stage Blocking Movement /Body Positions- understand cheating out, counter cross, crossing US and DS, significance of 3/4, profile, face full DS and full US.

Demonstrate blocking movement and body positions and use that information effectively when blocking a scene.

Film Blocking - understand the importance of matching, marks and shot’s such as extreme close up- extreme long shot.

Demonstrate understanding of marks, matching and shots.

Stage Directions-understand the nine areas of the stage.

Demonstrate stage directions and areas of the stage and use that information effectively when blocking a scene.

Memorization: understand the importance of memorization and the different ways one can memorize.

Demonstrate memorization when presenting a monologue or scene.

Active Listening in the Moment- how active listening can effect the interacting between characters.

Listen and react in the moment with concentration and commitment

Technical Importance of Technical Theater - how this information can effect choices of the actor.

Take a scene, analyze it for props, costumes and create a costume, prop list and a plan for using them.



Adjustment- how to take direction and apply it.

Take adjustments from a director or peer in a positive manner and repeat for clarification

Writing Investigation

Write an Original Scene or Monologue - how to use all aspects of acting to create a scene/monologue.

Present a written scene/monologue for class performance and critique.

Critique - how to offer up an informed critique of a play, movie or scene

Either in writing or verbally and with respect use knowledge of acting and technical theater elements to analyze a performance and evaluate it.

Resume - how to write a theatrical resume and how that differs from a business resume

Create a theatrical resume and explain the importance of a headshot and resume both digitally and on paper



How do you know what you have learned:Proof of Knowledge Materials to include but not limited to:

Classroom Norms

Habits of Mind Rubric

Performance and Rehearsal

Peer and Self Assessment Rubric

Listening Rubric

Freytag’s Pyramid Diagram

Stage Diagram

5 W’s Character Worksheet

Scoring A Scene Diagram

Beat, Tactic, Objective Worksheet

Various Quizzes, Wordbanks and Tests

Film Shot Diagram

Research

Oral Report Rubric

Collaboration Rubric

Resume Presentation

General

Daily Journal Entries

Taking Part in Interactive Dialogue with teacher and peers.


TOPIC ONE:

RELAXATION AND ITS IMPORTANCE

Relaxation is an important function of acting. You cannot act from a tense body or a mind that is filled with jumbled thoughts of the day. Just as a gymnast must clear their mind before a tumbling pass, or a martial artist focuses their chi before they break a board, so must an actor clear their mind for the process of class, rehearsal and performance.

This can be done in many ways, each of which are up to personal choice. Relaxation is important for both mind and the body. Relaxing the mind can be as simple as lying down on the floor with you knees up, your feet flat on the floor, arms out to the side and breathing. When breathing, think about pleasant images, or thoughts and leave behind negative or outside influences that may intrude.

Warming up of the body

Warming up the body allows a relaxed instrument to work with. There can be many different ways to achieve this. One person may like to do calisthenics, while another may go through some yoga poses. Again, this is up to individual after they have learned some basic warmups.

Simple physical warmups for most acting classes include the following:Head RollsShoulder RollsSide StretchesHip RotationsFront Roll Downs and Roll UpsShaking out the arms, hands, legs and feetBalancingFloor StretchesLower Back StretchesBasic Crunches, Pushups

Warming up the voice

An actors job is to be heard in whatever theater or film they are performing in. Many people do not speak with a supported voice. Therefore, the ability to warm up and understand the mechanics of vocal production is important.

Breathing is the basis of all good vocal production. Breathing happens so naturally, that many people forget that it can be learned and enhanced. For acting, the actors focus should be to breathe naturally while performing.

A simple way to connect your body back with correct breathing is to start yawning. Yawning characterizes a relaxed body, an open throat and raised soft palette. The soft palette is directly located behind the hard palette. The hard palette is at the roof of the


mouth. There is an easy way too connect to what it is like to take a breath in fully with the diaphragm. Lie down on the floor, bend your knees with the bottom of your feet on the floor and allow yourself to relax. Place your hands on your belly button and notice how it rises to the ceiling when you inhale. When you exhale, they should lower. This is called diaphragmatic breathing and is the cornerstone to creating and supporting your voice.

The air that you inhale, is then exhaled out over your vocal fold, the chords vibrate and sound is produced. Just like any other muscle in the body, daily workouts can enhance, as well as strengthen your ability to create sound.

Some vocal warmups for most acting classes include the following:Do some deep breathing while standing.Drop the jaw and say the AH on a long sustained tone for four counts. Repeat this and work on sustaining the tone for up to sixteen counts. Then repeat on the vowels:AY, EE, IE, OH, OOORepeat the above using the consonants P, T, K, B, D, etc.Explore your pitch, going up and down the scale on the vowels.Explore how loud you can make your sound by exhaling your air faster.Motorboat, lip trills

Diction is another important ability used by an actor to be understood. Articulation is the creation of vocal sounds that are recognized as units of language.

Check out the following website for the key sounds to the English language:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiqUVnXExTQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiqUVnXExTQ


TOPIC TWO

CHARACTERISTICS OF A SUCCESSFUL ACTOR:

Energy, Discipline, Playing, Preparation, Trust, Critique, Focus

At this point, there needs to be some conversation about what an actor can bring to the table to be successful. The meaning of success for our purpose, is success in class. What does one need to be able to support the process of creating, acting and working with your peers?

The actors that I have worked with, who constantly work and are sought after by directors, choreographers, etc., all seem to have some common attributes. They are the following; energy, discipline, the ability to take critique, self motivation, continued education, etc.

Energy is a big factor for an actor. I understand energy can have different meanings for everyone. To clarify, think of energy as the ability to be excited, happy and exuberant for the process of creating. Acting, in my opinion, is story telling and an energized story teller can be magnetic.

In addition to being energized about the process, an actor has to be disciplined and self motivated. These two attributes seem to go hand in hand. Showing up on time, so that your scene partner is not waiting around. Making sure you are focused during rehearsal and performance and working on your lines and music at home, so that you do not hold back the process of your scene partners, are all basic to the success of a production.

Self discipline, in our world, also means doing the work that is difficult. Working outside of ones comfort zone and discovering new talents and techniques, require a disciplined actor to show up to class, to continue studying and working when one goes home. The norm in the professional world is, if you block a scene, learn music or choreography on one day, the next day when you come back to work it, the scene, lines, music and the dance are memorized. That does not mean that it won’t change, but an actor has to start somewhere.

Focus is another incredibly important attribute. Focus in today's world of the internet, TV, smart phones, etc., is difficult. Multi-tasking has become the norm in our lives. How many times have you seen people eating at a restaurant, talking with their friends, texting on their phones, all while handling email. In acting, the ability to focus on one's partner, your intention and tactics, not to mention the audience and the sets coming in and going out is paramount. Many an actor has been able to pick up a dropped line, or prop, or help their acting partner out of a situation because of their focus and awareness.

One of the most basic collaborative processes known to actors, is the ability to take critiques and notes. Think about it, the actor comes into the first day of rehearsal, listens to the directors vision on the production and then the process starts. The director blocks the scene, the actor makes choices and the director gives feedback. Collaboration happens when the actor can accept the feedback or critique without any ego and enter into the creative process with the director. Is this easy? Personally, I find it to be a very difficult part of the process. I find that I have to put my ego aside and really listen to what is being shared with me. As one of my directors has said in the past, “As your director, I am on the outside looking into your creation. I am a mirror of sorts and because I am not as focused as you are on your acting, I can see and


hear things that you are not aware of. Remember, you were hired to help tell the story that is my vision. Trust me.” So, being able to take notes, quick, efficiently and apply them happily is a huge part of the creative process and one that can ultimately help an actor improve.

The final characteristic that is important for an actor, is the ability to play…that’s right you heard me. Playing is very important for the creativity of an actor. Think of little kids playing cops and robbers, they commit to the game. A robber rears up from behind a bush and yells, “You’ll never take me alive copper.” The “copper” points their finger at the robber and shoots them with a ‘bang’ exploding out of their mouth. The robber dies a death that would garner an Oscar, if only Coppola had filmed it. This ability to play, not pass judgement and be in the moment, is very important for an actor to discover and keep at their fingertips. If you can’t have fun while working, why work?


TOPIC THREE:

IMAGINATION IS THE KEY

In the previous unit, I stated that the ability to play was in important characteristic for an actor to have. What fuels play? What allows us to commit so totally as children in the world of make believe? What scares us when we see a horror movie? The music swells to a crescendo, as a knife descends down, and out of screen the hero/heroine screams because of something that happened off camera. Our imagination.

Imagination is just another word for creativity or inspiration and is an important tool for an actor. It cannot be stressed how important these words are to an actors ability to create a three dimensional character. The ability to understand that, anything is possible in the world created either on stage or in film, opens up amazing opportunities for the actor to experiment and explore how they are going to tell the story and create their characters. Think about the acting that is now done in front of a green screen. The actors must use their imagination to fulfill their characters response to any given situation contained within a scene.

Now, improvisation is a way to nurture an actors imagination and the most important lesson an actor can learn is, to always say yes to inspiration. In addition, another way that an actor can help infuse their imaginations is to use “Contentless Scenes.”

A “Contentless Scene”, gives the actor an outline to start discovering their imagination. To fire up your imagination, you may want to think about the following:

Goals/Wants/NeedsOthers/ObstaclesDoing vs. BeingTacticsExpectations

Goal/Want/Need

At the base of all acting is a characters journey towards a want or need. Depending upon different acting techniques, wants or needs may also be identified as goals, objectives, intention, pursuits or purpose. This can be found within the script or created within the actors imagination. For the contentless scene, use your imagination.

Others/Obstacles

The other is simply understood as, with whom, from whom or for whom you seek your goal.

Obstacles are what stands in the way of an actor achieving their goal/want/need. This is what makes a scene, play or film interesting. Obstacles can be emotional and physical. The more intense the need to get over the obstacle to achieve


ones objective, allows an actor to have richer acting moments. As always, an actors imagination becomes extremely important in the process of creativity.

Doing vs. Being

Another important aspect of creating a realistic life as an actor, is when you are in a scene, you have an activity. In other words, what are you doing in the scene. This allows you to take the focus off yourself and make sure that you are serving the scene.

Tactics

How you achieve your goal/want/need, is what brings the fire to a dramatic scene or the laughs to comedy. An easy way to think of this is, what are you going to do to get what you want? Tactics can range from extreme to subtle and mixing it up can really bring a scene to life.

Expectations

Finally, the expectation that you will succeed at attaining your goal/want/need, will energize your scene and bring it to life. Think about certain times in your life when you expected to get what you wanted. You’re dusting the living room (doing) as you try to schmooze the car keys (goal/want/need) from your Mom and Dad (others) and they say that you are only allowed to use the car on the weekends (obstacle). You shoot back saying, you understand(tactic-being reasonable), but that you have done all of these chores without being asked, so how about they let you take the car (tactic-negotiate). However, Mom and Dad still won’t let you, so you start complaining how they hate you (tactic-guilt) and it’s not fair. Soon, you’re yelling how they despise you and they are horrible parents (tactic-accusation) and finally, to just shut you up, they relent and give you the keys. Victory is yours!!! You got the keys, you achieved your goal/want/need, by using different tactics as your parents threw obstacles at you. If you did not have the expectation that you would have succeeded and gotten what you wanted, why even ask for the keys. Whenever you enter into a scene, there always has to be the possibility that you can win.


TOPIC FOUR

USING THE SCRIPTImagination, Character Analysis-The Next Step

The next step in an actors journey is taking a written scene and using your imagination, which goes hand in hand with scene work and character analysis. If fact, I don't think one can discover their character, or delve into their scene work, without reading the scene and allowing the information and the given circumstances contained within it, to inform the actors choices.

So again, as many people as there who teach acting class, there are as many opinions as to what should be done first. Actors themselves approach the process in a very personal way. There is no right or wrong answer, the only thing that is important is the process of learning and creating

When I first get a scene, I like to read it several times. I casually will read a scene, or a script to get the feel of it. Then, as I continue becoming familiar with it, I tend to look deeper. I look at the information that the playwright has given me, what can I learn about my character from what I say about myself and what others say about me.

As I delve deeper into the process of scene work and character analysis, there are some questions that should be asked. I studied the Hagen method in college and Uta Hagens nine (pg.81-94 Respect for Acting) questions can start an actor down the road of creating a character. They are:

1. WHO AM I? (All the details about your character including name, age, address, relatives, likes, dislikes, hobbies, career, description of physical traits, opinions, beliefs, religion, education, origins, enemies, loved ones, sociological influences, etc.)

2. WHAT TIME IS IT? (Century, season, year, day, minute, significance of time)

3. WHERE AM I? (Country, city, neighborhood, home, room, area of room)

4. WHAT SURROUNDS ME? (Animate and inanimate objects-complete details of environment)

5. WHAT ARE THE GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES? (Past, present, future and all of the events)

6. WHAT IS MY RELATIONSHIP? (Relation to total events, other characters, and to things)

7. WHAT DO I WANT? (Character's need. The immediate and main objective)

8. WHAT IS IN MY WAY?


(The obstacles which prevent character from getting his/her need)

9. WHAT DO I DO TO GET WHAT I WANT? (The action: physical and verbal, also-action verbs)

Using these nine questions allows the actor to clarify their character, their wants/needs and how they are going to achieve their objective.

OTHER METHODS

Another way to create a character is by answering Stanislavski’s 7 questions. See how similar these are to Hagen’s.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

I also studied Stanislavski when I worked out in LA. These are his 7 questions that we as actors needed to answer to create our characters. The more in depth an actor goes into answering these questions, the richer the characters life. The 7 questions taken from: ( filmmakerutopia.blogspot.com/2008/05/stanislavskys-7-questions-for-actors.html )are:

1. Who am I?

Here you think of 3 aspects of your character, physically, sociologically and psychologically. Think of the current state of being of this character. For instance, how would the character be feeling if they found out their mother had just been in a car accident? How would this information inform a characters response.

2. Where am I?

What is the relation of the character to this place? Is it a familiar place? Is it the first time I am there?

3. When is it?

Day, year, weather. Why now? What happened before? The time of the scene creates the specific state of our character. For instance, a character will act very differently if they are out in the winter in a coat or t-shirt.

4. What do I want?

This changes from scene to scene and even, inside the scene. Each unit in the scene has its goals and actions of the characters inside it. Say, I want to kill a spider. But, then I look up closely and I'm amazed by its beauty. Now, I don't want to kill it, I just want to catch it. I do what needs to be done, get a nice jar and all, only to find out the spider is not so beautiful from inside the jar. So, I want to let it go, but not in my house. So, I go downstairs and let it free in the garden. Then I see this really cute girl. And again, I have a new goal...you get the point.

http://filmmakerutopia.blogspot.com/2008/05/stanislavskys-7-questions-for-actors.html


5. Why do I want this?

You always need to know the Why, which is by far more important than the What of the action. It gives the action the life it needs. Say your character needs a coffee in the morning. She needs it real bad, because she hasn't been sleeping for weeks and she has a very important meeting in an hour. Now, she finds out the coffee shop she always goes to is closed. She doesn’t get her morning fix. She reacts differently than a person who just likes to drink coffee in the morning.

6. How will I achieve my goal?

Simply put, the actions I need to perform, to get what I want. My character now has to walk an extra five blocks out of the way to get a coffee. That means I have to go uptown and my meeting is downtown.

7. What must I overcome?

If I go uptown, there is a possibility I am going to be late. I must hurry, because if I cannot make my presentation, I will be fired.


TOPIC FIVE

DIVING DEEP INTO THE SCRIPT

Structure of Drama, Scoring a Scene, Script Analysis, Given Circumstances, Objectives, Super Objectives

Dramatic Structure

Many of you are familiar with this structure from English class. I have found it invaluable, especially when working on a play or musical. It is called Freytag’s Pyramid and can be used to help understand the structure of a play. It also helps me understand the structure of individual scenes within a play and enriches my performance. To use the pyramid, one needs to be familiar with the words associated with it. Look at the illustration below, put the question “What is the…?” before each word. Being able to investigate and answer these questions in concert with script analysis and character work, will help an actor create a fully realized three dimensional character.

Exposition: the beginning of a narrative, the author provides some background information about the plot, characters' histories, setting, and theme.

Rising Action: conflict and tension start to rise in the story.


Climax: most exciting point of the story; also the turning point, which marks a change for better or worse, in the main character’s affairs.

Falling Action: what events occur after the climax; the "fall out"; the unraveling.

Denouement/Curtain: the conclusion of the plot.

Depending on the acting technique an actor subscribes to, some may delve into script analysis before character analysis or vis a verse. In my opinion, it is not important, as long as the actor gets the work done. You will see that many of the questions ring similar, regardless of how an actor has been trained.

Who am I?Think about what your character is like in terms of personality.

What are my given circumstances?Think about your recent past and how this has affected you and brought you to where you are.

What are my relationships?Think about your relationship with other characters, events and things that surround you.

What is my objective? Why?This is what you want, your motivation or reason for action.

What must I overcome?This is the problem stopping you from getting your objective; this is what you need to overcome to reach your goal.

What is my action?This is what you do to overcome your obstacle and attempt to reach your goal.

What is my super objective?This is your main or overall goal throughout the whole play.

What is my through line of action?This is the link in all of your objectives, that drive it to the super objective.

Now we get to the exciting part of being an actor. We delve into the script and get to interpret the words and actions the writer has put down on the page. This is one of the most creative processes for the actor. Now, you can roll up your sleeves and create a character and theatrical experience that is unique to you. Even if you are replacing someone in a show, recreating the same blocking, speaking the same words and singing the same notes and lyrics, the creation of the character is uniquely yours. Don’t short change the process. Dig deep and investigate.


In fact, that word, investigate, is the perfect “action/tactic” for an actor to achieve their “objective/want /need” creating a three dimensional character, within a fully realized scene, play, movie, TV show, etc. Enjoy the process of investigation. Use the internet to discover information you may not know. I challenge you to bellow the fire under the flame of your curiosity, to learn. Each time you delve into areas of study you are not familiar with, you add to your knowledge of the world around you.

In closing, you can see there is some repetition in analyzing and scoring a scene. You have undoubtedly found some common words being used over and over again, such as: tactics, objectives, beats, super objective, obstacles, etc. Think how important it is to explore these words as you create. Below is an article that speaks to scoring your scene.

SCORING YOUR SCENE

Scoring Your Script: An Actor’s ManualBY Rachel | PUBLISHED: MAY 28, 2014Essentially, scoring a script helps actors to clarify motivations, organize dramatic structure, and get specific with the nuances of the characters and the story. If scene partners score a script together, it can help get everyone on the same page. Largely it is a tool to help individual actors craft and focus their performances. There are many ways to score a script. Most modern American acting courses use a vernacular that breaks scripts into “beats and units” and describes a character’s arc in terms of “objectives, tactics and obstacles.” Even if this isn’t your speed when it comes to actor homework, it is helpful to know the basics of scoring a script. If nothing else, it is likely your director and scene partners will, and you don’t want to be left in the dust. Here is a quick rundown of terms and concepts it is helpful to know when scoring scripts.

Units

Think of units as “chunks” that break up and define a scene. Units change when there is a very clear shift in the scene, such as a change of topic, or the entrance of a new character. When marking my script, I usually pencil in a bracket in the left margin of the script spanning the unit. If you want to take it to the next level, number and name the units, using concise, active words.

Beats

Beats break up units. A beat is the smallest structural division of your script. Generally, I notate them as a little tick, like so: / It can be loosely thought of as an exchange of action and reaction, but I like to think of beats in terms of when they change. Beats can shift when there is a change in subject, which is slightly different than when there is a change of topic, and therefore a unit change. (Although every time there is a unit change, there is also a beat change. The reverse does not necessarily apply). So for example, if a couple is fighting about the possibility of the wife’s father moving in, a shift of subject from the father’s grouchy personality to the lack of available space might signal a beat change. It is still part of the fight about the father, so the topic is still the same. If, however, the argument suddenly exposed the husband’s secret affair, that would probably be a unit change.

An easy way to test if there should be a beat change is to ask whether someone’s tactics have changed (more on tactics below). If the answer is yes, it is probably a beat change. In the


example above, the shift in subject could actually be described as a tactic shift: the husband stopped complaining about the father’s personality and appealed to his wife’s practical understanding of living space.

Objectives and Super-objectives

This is, to put it simply, what the character wants. It is important to be clear about these because you will be fighting for them in some way or another every moment you are on stage or film. Objectives generally refer to a character’s desire within the scene. If you are looking for the big picture, a super-objective describes the character’s core desire that carries him or her through the script (and presumably beyond). A super-objective can be structured as “I need _______ by/through ________” When choosing the language of a super-objective, I always think in terms of simplifying fractions, because even math can relate to theatre if you want it hard enough. Keep asking what is underneath until you find the most basic human desire that drives your character (acceptance, control, and safety are common examples). The second half of the equation is your character’s modus operandi. Again, choose strong, active language. “I need control through alienation.”

While a super-objective rarely changes through the script, objectives change all the time. Often, an objective will carry through a scene, unless something drastic happens to change it. Strong objectives relate to the other person in the scene. “I want him to admit he’s wrong” is not as actable as “I want to wring a confession from him.”

Tactics

Tactics are the strategies a character uses to achieve his or her objective. As with objectives, tactics should relate directly to the other person, and be extremely specific. “I want to wring a confession from him by accusing him of murder.” Make a challenge of it. “Accusing” is active and direct, but is there a more evocative word, or one more specific to your action? What about denounce, slander or impeach? Make it personal.

Obstacles

Obstacles are pretty self-explanatory: they are the roadblocks. They get in the way of the character achieving his or her objective. Obstacles can be external or internal. An external obstacle comes from the environment—other characters, circumstances, or material impediments. Internal obstacles stem from the character’s own shortcomings, insecurities and psyche.

Alternatives

There are many, many ways to score a script. These are just the basics. What’s really important is to find out what speaks to you. The goal of scoring your script is to help you. If alternate methods get the job done, have at it! I once had a class where instead of scoring our scripts with objectives, tactics, and obstacles, we assigned each line the emotion we were trying to elicit in our scene partner. Some people like to color code or use imagery. The important thing isn’t to do it “right.” This is all in service of interpreting each moment of the story, so we can tell it clearly. Follow your instincts and let your technique evolve as you do.


Another Thought upon this from Dawson’s Handy Guidelines for Scene Analysis or Scoring

When performing a piece of music a musician first reads from a musical score and learns the notes, the pauses, the rhythms and other qualities that the performed music is to have. Similarly, an actor works from a script. The difference is that a script is tremendously underdetermined. That is, scripts do not give all the information an actor needs to know. The words are there, but the playwright gives very little indication as to the tempo, the rhythm, the style, etc. This is why actors must score their scripts.

Before we begin this process it needs to be emphasized that in scoring a script an actor is not trying to get the scene ‘right;’ this is not puzzle solving and the actor should not believe that she must slavishly perform the scoring that she has prepared prior to rehearsal. In performance, being alive to the moment is paramount, and this means that the actor must be flexible and able to respond authentically to what is happening on the stage. Still, it is important to have some idea as to how the scene works – to give ourselves guidelines – and this is why we score scenes.

When scoring a scene or play it is important to first orient yourself to the overall work, so before you begin breaking down your scene you should read the play through first. After you have read the play you should know the basics: who wrote it and when, what are the main dramatic actions and themes, what is the genre. Once these basics are understood you are in a position to understand your scene as it fits into the larger work. Reading the scene through another time is a good idea – just to make sure you understand it.

Now you are ready to score your scene. Your first task is to

Identify your character’s initial OBJECTIVE

Figure out what your character wants at the beginning of the scene. Write this at the top of the page. If your scene has more than one page, write the objective at the top of each page. ‘Gerald wants to _______.’ Write it in the third person, but remember that as an actor you will want to think of objectives in the first person. ‘I want to ______.’

Because objectives are pivotal to what you do on stage as an actor, take time to make sure that your objective is clear and strong. Good objectives have a few common characteristics:

Objectives are intense, immediate desires. Don’t be abstract or philosophical, even if you think your character is. To be effective on stage, objectives must be concrete and present. ‘My character wants to be thought of as a good person’ is a weak objective because it doesn’t imply immediate need. ‘I want to impress her’ is much better because it is immediate and implies a need for action.

Always write your objective as an active, infinitive verb. Doing this will give your character – and you – something to do. An actor who says ‘My character wants someone to love’ hasn’t given herself an action to play. The character could be hanging out, despondent, forlorn, inactive and boring. That’s not what we want to see on the stage. An actor who rather says ‘I want to find someone to love’ has activity on stage. Looking, searching, finding. By making the objective an active verb the actor has given herself a character that will be fun to play and interesting to watch.

Objectives are always positive from the character’s point of view. This allows you to play the scene without thinking poorly of your character. ‘My character wants to be a jerk to him’ is not a good objective because it puts the character in a negative light. (It’s also a passive


verb, which is a no-no.) ‘I want to get him to leave me alone’ is better because it is positive and implies action.

Objectives are not small actions or activities. Don’t mistake small actions for objectives. If your character is trying to get a pencil, there is probably some reason for this. The objective is not to get the pencil, getting the pencil will help your character do something more important to them. A rule of thumb is to ask ‘what for?’ What does your character want to do this thing for? In this instance the character may want the pencil in order to fill out a job application. The real objective here is to get a job, not a pencil.

Identify the OBSTACLE

In order for drama to take place, there has to be some reason that your character cannot readily get what s/he wants. Identify this and write it at the top of the page, just beneath the objective. Again, if there is more than one page, write it at the top of each page. ‘Obstacle:_____.’ Remember that this is written from your character’s point of view – this is the thing your character is struggling to overcome.

Identify your character’s first TACTIC

People pursue their objectives – try to overcome their obstacles – in some way. These are called tactics – the things a character does to achieve her/his objective. Identify this first tactic and write it just beneath the objective and obstacle. This should be written with an active infinitive verb: ‘to question, to stab, to insult.’ Now you are ready to start the scene: you know what you want, what’s getting in the way, and what you are doing about it. You can now be an active actor on the stage.

Mark BEAT CHANGES

Of course, things will change. As they change you will need to try different tactics, and you want to mark these places in your script. Usually this happens when character perceives that a tactic isn’t working – for whatever reason – and s/he changes tactics. Sometimes the circumstances of the scene change for another reason that forces a change in tactic. Either way, your character has shifted tactics, so this moment is called a beat change.

At every beat change in the scene you should make a horizontal line in the margin. This is an art, not a science, and actors will differ on how beats in a scene should be broken down. That’s okay – consistency is overrated. However, there are a few pitfalls to avoid. Too many beat changes (marked for frivolous and inconsequential changes in the script) will render the scene unplayable. Too few beat changes will render the scene boring. Use your aesthetic judgment.

Note that your beat changes reflect your character’s tactical changes in the scene. You should only mark another character’s tactical changes if you believe 1, that your character notices this in the scene and, 2, your character responds to this change. It is inevitable that different characters will have different beat breakdowns for the same scene. As in life, we interpret things differently, and if each actor has done this work conscientiously then the misunderstandings and miscommunications in the scene (great fuel for conflict and drama) will be obvious.


Explain the beat changeAbove the beat change line you should write a few words that explain why you think the

beat change occurs there. A few words should suffice. “I see that she’s crying.”

Identify your character’s tactic in the new beat

Remember, a tactic is something a character does to try to achieve her objective. Tactics are always active and are indicated by simple infinitives (“to shame, to bribe, to convince,” etc.). Write the new tactic below the beat change line.

Identify changes in objective

Occasionally your character will get what s/he wants. Unless this is the end of the play, it means that your character will immediately move on to a new objective. When this happens, write a line through the text at the moment this change occurs and identify the new objective, the new obstacle, and the new tactic. Be sure that you are not mistaking a smaller change for a change in objective. If a character is denied sugar cookies and then asks for chocolate chip cookies, this is not a change in objective.

Once you have identified your character’s initial objective, obstacle, and tactic; identified and explained the Beat Changes; and identified your character’s different Tactics, you have completed a basic scene scoring. This is an essential step in preparing a scene for presentation, and it makes you ready to enter rehearsal. Know that in the context of rehearsal your scoring would inevitably change, as you incorporate other people’s ideas about beat changes and tactics and as you incorporate more sophisticated scoring elements such as rhythm, pace, style, etc.


TOPIC SIX

ONE WAY TO SCORE A SCENE

There are as many ways to score a scene as there are actors. Each person has their own way of notating what is important. For our purposes, when scoring a scene, think of it as a road map of what your character wants and how they are going to achieve it. Also, your scene should contain blocking notes and other important information from your director, that should be written down. Below, you can see how an actor has written down emotional beats and blocking info.

As I said before, writing down blocking and notating a directors input and the characters intention, etc., is personal. I urge each actor to find what works for them and use it. Colored pencils, highlighters and in depth blocking notes, are all ways an actor can create a working script, that will help the process of rehearsal and performance.


UNIT SEVEN

ENDOWMENTS, SUBTEXT, MOMENT BEFORE

As the work on a scene continues, actors can and should continuously work on applying more techniques to delve deeper into their work. By layering on more information and applying a deeper understanding of techniques, an actor creates a richer experience for themselves and the audience. Think about it this way. Let’s say I wanted to cook a pasta dinner for some friends. I can cook up pasta, toss it in olive oil, slap cheese on top and eat it. But, what happens if I were to cut down some garlic and sauté it in olive oil, rip up some freshly washed basil, add that to the freshly cooked, slightly salted spinach angel hair pasta and top that off with fresh Romano and Pecorino cheese, that has just been shredded? Instead of just eating a meal, I would hope that my friends and I would enjoy the experience of the preparation. OK, now I’m hungry. Here are some important techniques that can add zest and spice to your performance.

EndowmentsEndowments use the physical objects your character is acting with, and gives them the same characteristics they would have in real life, or in the scene. For example, an actor may have to “fire” a gun onstage. The gun was checked prior to the show, and it is a known fact there are no real bullets in the gun, only blanks. However, endowment allows the actor to give that gun real attributes of having bullets and being able to kill. Endowment is what gives truth to the objects the actor uses, so they become real to the characters and audience. An actor cannot feel the heat from a cup of coffee, if the cup is filled with cold water. However, they can use endowment to act as if the water is coffee and perhaps drink it carefully, blow on it, and be cautious with it when walking. In order to use endowment correctly, you must react emotionally to the object being endowed, ex. (an actor holds a fake gun to his head, but has endowed that it is real, they should be nervous, feel threatened,) and physically (the gun may need to be shown as heavy, if it is fake and weighs nothing.) An actor will have to carry endowment through every performance.

From-http://actorsnook.blogspot.com/2011/12/substitution-endowment.html

HomeworkPractice picking up a cup and endowing it with the weight, heat, smell and bitterness of a cup of black coffee. Experiment with this more then once. How do you react when you have a molten hot cup of coffee in your hand, compared to a lukewarm one?

Subtext

It’s essential that actors understand subtext, including what it is, how it works and how to identify and analyze it. Here is an exercise designed to do just that:

What is Subtext?Subtext is found in modern plays that use realistic dialogue. The idea of subtext is based on modern psychology, that often looks for deeper meaning in things we say. As an example, if someone longingly says,


“What a beautiful sunset!,” the subtext might be. “I wish my life was filled with these” or “I want this moment to last forever.”

Subtext is an important tool playwrights use frequently, it enriches a play on numerous levels, making for more complex characters, more twists and turns in the plot, and more interesting dialogue.

Identifying SubtextHere are steps, play readers, actors and others use in discovering and analyzing subtext.

HomeworkRead a play thoroughly.

After reading the play, determine what your character wants. This is their “objective,” which is the goal they are pursuing.

Write down each character’s objective in one sentence. Make it active. As in, Joe wants to be loved; Sally wants to be in charge; Nancy wants to be safe from danger.

Find at least five examples of subtext in a scene. What does the character mean, when they are saying a line. Try to inform each line or thought you have, with subtext for a richer presentation, but be aware, sometimes a character may just want a cup of coffee because they want a cup of coffee.

Rehearse the scene to bring the subtext to the surface.

From: http://broadwayeducators.com/?p=1321

Moment BeforeThe moment before, is exactly what it says. What is going on in the characters life before they enter a scene. This can contain information of what the character has gone through days, hours, minutes and seconds before they walk into a scene. The moment before requires the actor to focus while waiting off camera or in the wings. By doing so, an actor can enter wilth a fully realized life going on.

HomeworkFigure out five moments before, that support the context of a scene. Use your imagination.

StatusWe are social animals, in that vein, we are acting in some way related to status. Status can effect how someone may talk, listen, enter a room, etc. Everyday, you as students are effected by status. The teacher student relationship hold many examples of status. If you are sitting down while the teacher presents, physically that teacher has status. When both people are at eye level, then status can be shared. When you as a student are explaining something to help a teacher, you


then may have higher status because you are sharing information. There are may ways to show status.

HomeworkThink back in your life when you had high status, the moment you scored a goal or won an argument. Then think about when you had low status, you did something wrong or were mean. How did it change how you acted, listened, talked etc?

The techniques you have just read, help you to create rich three dimensional characters. Once you understand and practice them, they can become second nature. That is why rehearsal and the application of these techniques are so important. Think of yourself as an athlete. Athletes practice specific muscle memory exercises, so when they are on the field, in the heat of competition, they can react instinctively to what is happening in the game. The decisions, that ultimately you and your director make, using your techniques and applying them, will allow an audience to experience the life and story that is put before them in film, TV or on stage.


TOPIC SEVEN

STAGE DIRECTIONS, BLOCKING, BODY POSITIONS

Stage directions are basic and an important part of being able to know and recreate your blocking in a show consistently. Directors, actors, stage managers, choreographers, etc., all have to have a unified understanding of this. As you review the diagram above, remember the directions are from the actors prospective, looking at the audience. Blocking and stage business are created to help support the story the actor is telling. The ability to recreate the blocking night after night, is imperative, as lighting and set moves also enhance and support the play.


Body Positioning

The body positions illustrated above, are standard positions you need to become familiar with. • One Quarter - the body is a quarter turn away from the audience. This position is

frequently used when two actors ‘share’ a scene. It places each of their bodies so the audience can easily see them. Positioning of the actor’s feet defines the turn - the upstage foot is parallel to the stage and the downstage foot is turned toward the audience at a 45 degree angle. The upstage shoulder is turned slightly toward stage center.

• Full front - the actor directly faces the audience.

• Profile or Half - two actors face each other with the upstage foot slightly facing centerstage. This position is used for intense scenes (quarreling, accusatory).

• Three Quarter - the actor turns away from the audience to see three-quarters of his back;only one-quarter of the actor’s face. This position is used for an actor to ‘give’ a scene(become less important to the flow of the scene), or turn all attention to another actorupstage who ‘takes’ the scene (become more important to the flow of the scene.)


• Full Back - the actor stands with his back to the audience. This position is used only onspecial occasions.

• Notes:The one quarter, three quarter, and profile positions can be turned toward the right or left. In all positions, the body and head should follow the angle of the feet.


TOPIC EIGHT PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

So, we are at a point where you have done your character work, script analysis, written down blocking, hopefully memorized your scene, etc. So, now what? Now, you need to rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. All of your work on the scene, needs to become second nature. The audience needs to hear and see you, you need to recreate your blocking and stage movement consistently every night, so you are in your light, etc. You need to actively listen, focus on the task at hand and most importantly, to leave everything that happens in your life outside the stage door and tell the story.

Please read the following for rehearsal etiquette taken from: http://theatre.appstate.edu/student-handbook/rehearsal-conduct

Rehearsal DisciplineAttendance

A rehearsal requires the active participation of many individuals. The absence of anyone can waste the time of all the others. If an emergency requires an absence, it is the responsibility of the actor or crew member to notify the director or stage manager as soon as possible. No one should leave a rehearsal until dismissed by the stage manager.

PromptnessIt is expected that everyone involved in the rehearsal or performance will be on time and ready to begin the activity at the scheduled time. It is important not to waste the time of others. Respect.

Use of TimeAlthough there is a social aspect to participation in theatre, rehearsals and work calls are not the proper time for it. If an individual's participation is not required for a while, the time should be used for line study or other useful activities.

Meeting DeadlinesWhen the cast is scheduled to be off-book, it is expected that each cast member will know his/her lines.

QuietThere is seldom any excuse for talking (or other noise) in the rehearsal area by those not involved in the scene. Any unnecessary noise adversely affects an individual's concentration and, therefore, the rehearsal or performance.

Guests Individuals not connected with the rehearsal, should not attend rehearsals, unless it is arranged through the director or stage manager. Students interested in observing rehearsal, as a learning experience, may often obtain permission from the director.

Rehearsal Props and Performance PropsRehearsal props and performance props are there for one reason only–to be used in rehearsal or performance by the actor to whom they are assigned. Props


are often borrowed and/or irreplaceable and should not be used by anyone other than the designated actor.

PromptingWhen actors require assistance with a line in rehearsal, they should remain in character and say "line." They should not show their frustration, since this could interfere with the performances of the other actors.

Direction It is not unusual for fellow cast members or friends to offer advice about how an actor should play a role. This is part of the collaborative process. However, an actor has to be sensitive, if giving advice is warranted. When working scenes for class, the sharing of ideas is paramount. During a process under a director, don't give unsolicited advice to others. Remember, only the director is responsible for orchestrating the ensemble effort. Actors should not hesitate to discuss questions of interpretation with the director.

Technical RehearsalThis is often the longest rehearsal of the entire process, and the most important. It is the first time most of the technical elements are joined with the production. Patience is required of all involved. Actors are normally asked to wear rehearsal clothing similar in color to their costumes. Remember, the technical crew has only a few hours to perfect their part of the production, while the cast has been working for five to six weeks.

Dress Rehearsals and Performances These final rehearsals require the total concentration of performers and crew, but new elements must still be integrated into the production.

Costume Usually many hours have gone into the creation of each costume for the production. The director and the costume designer have determined the proper costumes for each character for this production. It is the responsibility of the actor to care for the costume and wear it appropriately. Jokes or complaints about the appearance of oneself or other actors are inappropriate and not constructive. Eating or drinking in costume shows a lack of respect of the work of others and is not permitted. No actor should go to the front of house areas or leave the theatre in costume or makeup. Crew members should not go into the auditorium/ front of house areas.

MakeupActors are responsible for their own makeup. During the dress rehearsal period, assistance in the design and technique appropriate to each character will be provided, but normally each actor should be able to apply their own makeup following the final dress rehearsal. Assistance will be provided for special makeup applications.


Green Room ConductDuring final rehearsals and performances the Green Room is a place for the participants in the production to wait and prepare for their entrance or activity. It is necessary for those involved to concentrate, other activities should be avoided. Keeping the Green Room clean is a responsibility of those using the Green Room. No food or drinks are allowed during dress rehearsals or performances.

The process of putting it all together is such an important part, of what I call, the artistic process of acting. It is where collaboration happens. It is where an actor makes choices and sees if those choices work with the directors vision. It is where the director can adapt because of what the actor brings to the table. Putting it together is where the magic happens, it is the rehearsal process.

The rehearsal process can be a wonderful time of discovery. Some actors enjoy the rehearsal more then the performance process. Personally, I think there is a time when one must get out of the rehearsal hall, which is void of a living, breathing audience and get out on stage, under the lights and tell the story. When this happens, the actors adapt and change the telling of the story for how an audience responds. Remember, the audience is the final character in the show, whose responses can change the way a show is presented. If an audience laughs at a joke, the players on stage must wait to continue. If their applause turns into an ovation you must stay in character until you can continue. Performing without an audience, is performing in a vacuum.


TOPIC NINE

FILM INFORMATIONCamera Shots, Marks and Matching

Actors work in a multitude of mediums from stage, to TV, film, live action sequences, etc. To help with the process of working in film and TV, it is helpful for an actor to be aware of different types of camera shots and the importance of marks and matching. Below you will find an illustration of camera shots.

Marks and Matching/Continuity

Hitting your marks is one of the first things that happens when you show up on set to film a scene, after you have rehearsed. The crew has placed tape on the floor to mark the positions you will move to or from during filming. This makes sure you are in focus and always matching your traffic pattern. If you do the following, you will ruin the shot:

Glance down at your mark.Not hit your mark.Look at the director to see if you did it right.

Matching your actions in shots on the film set, is essential to making sure you end up in the film. Just like being on stage, a tv/film actor must match each action, position and movement throughout multiple takes. If not, your footage can not be cut together and you may end up on the cutting room floor. Matching is also know as continuity.


TOPIC TEN

HISTORY OF THEATER.How has the past influenced the future.

Regardless if you are a beginning, intermediate or advanced actor, at some point you are going to be cast in a show that has it’s roots in the past. When taking a Greek or Shakespearean piece or even a musical based on an original book, a prepared actor should investigate the origin of the original production and any other writings or information that pertain to the piece. Doing so allows the actor to have a richer creative process.

How does one do that? It’s not hard, as you already understand the importance of exploration when researching papers for many of your classes. The internet, at your fingertips, is a treasure trove of knowledge. Doing searches, reading articles and seeing other productions that have been done, help enrich your rehearsal and performance processes.

Think about the process as a detective, trying to gain as much information as you can to understand the character you will portray. The more info you have, the more grounded in reality you will be. It is important to understand different cultural ideas, ways of speaking, moving and relating to the environment of different era’s of time. The more information, the richer your character will become.

Below is a breakdown of Western Theatrical History. This is by no means a complete list. All areas of the world have a rich history of theater, dance, music, performance, etc.

History of Western Traditional Theater:600 BC - 600 AD Classical Period600 - 1500 AD Medieval Period1500 - 1650 AD Renaissance Period1650 - 1800 AD Restoration & Baroque1800 - 1850 AD Romanticism20th Century and Beyond

Styles:Realism and NaturalismSymbolismExpressionismSurrealismTheater of the AbsurdPinteresqueEpicPoliticalDocudrama/VerbatimPhysicalFeministIn Yer FaceIrish Drama


Kitchen SinkBlack ComedyHigh ComedyFarceAmerican DramaTotal Theater


TOPIC ELEVENCAREER INFO

As you continue down the path of becoming a working actor, it is imperative you continue your education. One question asked over and over is, does a person need to go to college to study theater or are they better off going directly to the city. By city, I primarily mean NY and LA, but it could also be Boston, Chicago, San Francisco…you get the idea.

Anyone going into the field of acting, dance or art of any kind, should seriously consider going to college, unless you have been training since you were young. Studying in a college, university or professional training institute allows the ability to see if you are ready to make the commitment to the art form. You are going to be working with a group of like minded individuals, who will hopefully push you out of your comfort zone, support you when you need help and be there for you when you make mistakes. You will make mistakes. Making mistakes is about learning and easier to make in a structured environment of classes and school then out in the “real” world. Again, that’s only my opinion.

With all that said, how do you get into a college or university. The process is as varied as the colleges, universities and training programs out there. Start searching for multiple programs, contact the admissions office and educate yourself on what is needed to apply to the school. Some schools will need you to audition, others may not. Some schools will ask for a photo, resume and some may even ask for a reel. Make sure you start looking early for schools, so you know what is expected.

Some schools will have you audition, but will not make a decision on accepting you until they have your grades. It is your job to know what the audition requirements are and how best to present yourself in the audition. Make sure you ask questions, check, double check and triple check your requirements. It’s important to remember it’s a competitive business, so the earlier you arrive, the more professional you present yourself and the more focused you are on your audition process will make a better impression on the people you are auditioning for.

There is a school for everyone, but the process of finding that school may be difficult. You may face rejection…a lot of rejection. Rejection is a part of the business and unless you can handle being rejected, you may need to readjust you mindset. Think of rejection as a way to experience another opportunity that may be in my future.

Competition is the hard truth of any working actor, singer or dancer. For every job, every ensemble member, every lead, every supporting lead, etc., there are probably 100 people auditioning for those specific roles. Competition is a part of life as a performer. The earlier you understand that, embrace that part of the process and handle it in a positive manner, the easier life will be.

Below you will find some links to info about colleges and universitiesCollege and University Options

http://education-portal.com/performing_arts_colleges.htmlhttp://www.browsecolleges.com/colleges-by-degree/visual-and-performing-arts.htmlhttp://www.uscollegesearch.org/visual-and-performing-arts-colleges.htmlhttp://www.findyourartschool.com/ep/performing-arts-schools.php


Jobs in the Industry

There are jobs available in theatre, tv, film, dance, opera, etc. How do you get the job? Some ways are going to an open call, or getting an agent and being submitted. Before you are able to do this, you need to have a few basic tools. You need a photo, a resume, a reel (if applicable).

A photo is your first impression when doing submissions and is also imperative for casting directors and production teams to have when casting you in a project.

A quality photo that represents who you are, can help you get called in by casting people, agents and managers who may not know you. It is important that your photo looks like you and represents who you are a person. It is not a picture of you as a character. It is a picture of you, the person.

Before you go out and take a selfie or have someone take your photo, think about what you are doing. The photo is your calling card, a first impression. The photo should be taken by a professional photographer. Set up a few meetings with different photographers who are well educated in what the industry expects. After you have found a photographer, get what you need for your shoot.

For more information check out this website: http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/7-tips-better-headshot/

A resume shares your projects, training and contact information. Standard acting resumes are one sided and cut down to 8’” x 10”. This allows the resume to be attached to the back of the headshot with staples, placed into an envelope and delivered or mailed.

It is suggested that actors have a web presence, with a website dedicated to their career. The website can and should contain photos, resumes, reels, agency, management and contact information. Websites vary as much as the actors that create them. Make sure they are easy to navigate and professional looking.

An interview is simply what it implies. It is a meeting where you sit down with an agent, manager, casting director, etc. and have a conversation. This conversation is about representation, interest in an audition and the all important callback. Do your home work before you go in. Find out anything about the person you are sitting down with, that can give you something to talk about. Maybe the agent rides a motorcycle and you do too. That can give you commonality when talking. During your interview, you want to give the interviewee the feeling you are professional and they should invest their time working with you. The more professional, honest and pleasant you can be, the easier it will be in the interview.

Below you will find some links on becoming an actor.http://www.actingcareerstartup.com/acting_articles.htmlhttp://www.howtoguides365.com/how-to/become-actor/http://www.entertainmentcareers.net/acting/wannabe.asp


Trade Papers

A trade paper is a publication created for a specific trade that shares in depth information about the trade. There a many types of trade magazines and newspapers ranging from fashion to construction and beyond. For an actor, these publications can be subscribed to online and are a great source of information for acting auditions, open calls for agents and for technicians, choreographers, directors, etc. An actor needs to be proactive in finding their own work and submitting themselves for representation, etc.

Academy Players Directorywww.playersdirectory.com

American Theatre Magazinewww.tcg.org

Backstage Westwww.backstage.com

Film & Video Production Magazinewww.filmandvideomagazine.com

Hollywood Reporterwww.hollywoodreporter.com

Regional Theatre Directorywww.theatredirectories.com

Varietywww.variety.com

What is an interview, photo, resume, reel and cover letter?What is a trade paper?What type of monologues are needed?Special skills to get the job.What is a union card?

Instructor Projects and ToolsHave an interactive dialogue to help students understand the profession and what is expected of them when looking for work.Show them examples of proper photos, resumes, and interview techniques.Share the following links for information:

Trade papershttp://www.backstage.com/bso/index.jsphttp://backstagejobs.com/

What is a union and a list of them?http://open-site.org/Arts/Performing_Arts/Acting/Unions


http://www.sag.org/http://www.actorsequity.org/http://www.agvausa.com/http://www.aftra.org/home.htmhttp://www.musicalartists.org/http://technicaltheater.com/Frames/Online_Information_Links.htm

How to handle an interview.http://www.ehow.com/video_2374158_give-professional-acting-audition.html

Photo and resume.http://www.lowt.org/audition/resumes.htmlhttp://www.actorspages.us/headshots.htm

Monologueshttp://www.stageagent.com/Shows/Monologues/http://www.ehow.com/how_4789782_choose-monologues-auditions.html


Glossary of Terms:

Actions/Intentions: The action verbs the actor uses to fulfill the Objective/Driving Question. i.e. to possess.

Activity: A specific physical task that may or may not be connected to an action, such as a character loading a gun or packing a suitcase.

Ad-Lib: Spoken words (sometimes witty comments) said out loud that are not in the script. They can also be given “off the cuff” when another actor forgets a line.

Adjustment: A direction or modification an actor makes in the playing of material. They are often instructions given by the director.

Affective memory: (Or “Remembered emotion”) Memory that involves the actor personally, so that deeply rooted emotional experiences begin to respond. His instrument begins to awaken and he becomes capable of the kind of living on stage which is essentially reliving.

Animal work: Sensory and body work based on the observation of animals, birds and reptiles.

Apron: The area of the stage in front of the proscenium arch.

Arena: A type of stage where the audience is seated on three sides (also referred to as Thrust).

Aside: A character’s comment or observation, often delivered directly to the audience or themselves.

Beat: 1. A component of spoken material with a single action. A new beat occurs when the character changes what he is doing to attain his objective. 2. In blocking, holding for 1 second=1 beat.

Blocking: To set the movements of actors on a stage or set. Also, any given movement that enhances the scene, such as a specific character gesture.

Central conflict: The oppositional force between characters that directly affects or motivates the action of the plot.

Characterization: The actor using their craft to explore and develop the specific qualities of a character.

Cheating or Opening Out: Angling or squaring the body out toward the audience or camera, while still partly facing the other actor/character.

Cold Reading: Unfamiliar material, such as a scene or audition sides. An audition in which you are asked to read from copy you are not familiar with, generally with little or no time to prepare.

Composition: The arrangement of the staging and design elements to create a visual picture.


Conflict: An essential and vital element of acting that involves the obstacles and struggles (inner and outer) that a character must overcome to reach their objective.

Countering: A blocking movement by an actor to rebalance the stage in reaction to another actor’s movement, or change of position.

Cue: The action, line, or phrase of dialogue that signals your character to move or speak.

Cue-to-Cue: A tech rehearsal where to save time, action and text is cut out between cues.

Dialogue: The written words spoken by the actors/characters.

Downstage: The front of the stage or the part closest to the audience.

Dramaturge: A profession in theatre that deals mainly with the research and development of plays. The dramaturge often assists the director in the preparation of a production.

Driving Question: Always beginning with “How can I…?” It is the rephrasing of the actor’s objective in the active and very specific form of a question that needs to be answered in the scene, i.e. “How can I rip the blinders from her eyes?”

Dry tech: The rehearsal and setting of lighting, scenery, and sound cues, in preparation for the full technical rehearsal with actors.

Emotion: The agitation of feelings such as: sadness, power, fear, love, hate and joy. These can be followed by responses such as: rapid heartbeat, crying or shaking.

Emotional Recall: (or Emotional Memory) The emotions from an actor’s memory (long or short term) of personal experiences that are used to connect the actor to the character, and meet the emotional needs of the situation in the play or film.

Endowment: To give physical or emotional attributes to your character, to create more reality and meaning to further the needs of the story. Objects can also be endowed with physical, emotional or historical attributes: shaving without a blade, removing wet clothing when it’s not wet, drinking water as if it’s vodka.

Fourth wall: The imaginary wall which separates the actors from the audience, and the audience from the stage. The actor uses it to create the reality in the scene, and keep one’s mind in the world of the film or play.

Framing: Crafting and sculpting individual moments for the purpose of highlighting them.

Given circumstances: The background and current circumstances of a character, ranging from who you are, where you are, and why you are doing it. The costumes, sets and lighting—all the circumstances that are given to the actor to take into account as they create their role.

Group Theatre: Founded by Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford and Lee Strasberg in the 1930’s, the Group Theatre based its acting on the innovative teachings of Constantin Stanislavsky. A renowned American theatrical company whose members included: Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler,


Bobby Lewis, Sandford Meisner and Harold Clurman. The company was based on an ensemble approach to acting as first seen in the Moscow Art Theater, and changed the course of American theatre forever. They created new American plays with a vision that spoke to and reflected the common man and to change the troubled times. The traditions of the Group Theatre are continued to this day.

Happiness: (also called The Super Objective) The character’s long term objective or “big dream” in life. The “happiness” does not necessarily apply directly to any single scene but has an effect on every scene. It also helps in providing conflict and dimension to every scene.

Improvisation: Setting out to do a scene with no pre-planned or written idea. A process leading to spontaneous discovery that allows the actor to find real, organic impulses within themselves.

Impulse: A natural response that an actor responds to in the moment.

Indicating: Showing what your character is feeling or doing without really feeling or doing, leading to a false and shallow performance.

Inner Action: A physical action verb chosen by the actor in the pursuit of an objective. It always begins with the word “to” i.e. to attack, to soothe, to tickle.

Inner Life/Inner Monologue: A character’s active, imaginative inner thoughts while the actor is playing a role.

Instinct: A compelling or powerful impulse.

Instrument: The actor’s collective working of the body, voice, mind, and imagination.

Intention: Another word for an acting objective, or action, that an actor pursues while onstage.

Line Cue: The last portion of the last line before your cue begins.

Magic if/What if ? : Created by Stanislavsky, the actor tries to answer the question, “If this were real, how would I react?”

Meisner Technique: An acting program that uses (among other things) repetitive and in-the-moment exercises first devised by Sanford Meisner of the Group Theatre. The technique emphasizes “moment-to-moment” spontaneity through communication with other actors to generate behavior that is “truthful under imaginary circumstances.” Meisner also emphasized using the actor’s imagination to create emotional reality—the creative “as-if”— over the personal, emotional experience philosophy championed by fellow Group Theatre member Lee Strasberg.

Method, The: A generic term used to describe the acting philosophy of using personal emotional experiences in acting, as first introduced to the Western world by Stanislavsky and furthered by members of America’s Group Theatre in the 1930’s. When used today, “The Method” most often refers to the deeply personal emotional work taught by followers of Lee Strasberg, one of the Group Theatre members, and can be summed up as: “Training the subconscious to behave spontaneously.”


Moment-to-moment: The acting process concentrating on the present, not what’s going to happen in the future.

Monologue: An uninterrupted speech by a character in a performance. The monologue may be to another character or the audience.

Moscow Art Theatre: Co-founded in 1897 by Constantin Stanislavsky with Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. The theatre was conceived as a venue for naturalistic theatre, as opposed to the melodramatic style which was popular in Russia at the time.

Motivation: The Why? The reason a character pursues a particular objective or super objective.

Objects: Physical items used by the actor to enhance and give more reality to a character.

Objective: A character’s pursuit of a specific goal in a scene. Also referred to as the intention or driving question.

Obstacle: The conflict and stumbling blocks to a character’s struggle in pursuit of an action or objective.

Organic: A natural response that comes (organically) from deep within the character/actor.

Outer Tactics: The method or “how” an actor/character goes about doing their action in a beat. An active verb form preceded with “by” always ending in “ing.” Each beat has both an Inner Action and an Outer Tactic: To gain entry (Inner Action)/By honeying (Outer Tactic.)

Pace: The speed at which you pick up your cue and deliver the next line of your dialogue. Pace can also be the speed that creates a style for the piece.

Pantomime: An art form related to the dance; not to be confused with “silent scenes” or a “scene without words.”

Physical gesture: A specific movement or physical action of a character that expresses the psychology, feelings and desires incorporated into one gesture. It is often used by the actor to awaken the essence of his character.

Particularization: The process Uta Hagen taught, making each event, person and place (down to the smallest physical object) as exact as possible. These details are explored in great detail to discover how they are relevant to the character.

Physicalization: To express with the body. Showing as opposed to telling. Externals of a character, such as how they eat, walk and talk.

Presentational: An actor’s awareness of the audience through direct address to the audience, by looks, signs or gestures.

Private Moment: A well-known technique developed by Lee Strasberg, based on Stanislavsky’s theory that the challenge of the actor is to “act privately in public.” An individual acting exercise


(performed in front of others) in which the actor does an intensely personal activity while alone, while giving the effect of “being private in public.”

Psychological gesture: If we define gesture to mean a movement that has intention, we could say that the Psychological Gesture is a movement that expresses the psychology of the character.

Props: All objects on a theatrical or film set, used by the actors. Hand Props: often small and hand-carried objects used by actors during performance, i.e. glasses, wallet, handkerchief. Practical Props: props that actually have to work during performance, i.e. cigarette lighter, flashlight.

Representational: Represents “realism.” Characters in their real lives that are not aware the audience is there.

Run: 1. A series of brief lines building to a speech or key moment. 2. The number of performances a show does.

Script Analysis: The close study of a play or screenplay. This incorporates all of the dialogue and stage directions to find the answers necessary to create a full and rich character and to craft a performance that serves the script. The exploration of the script may include the questions of theme, story, character, and overall elements of the play and characters.

Sensory: Connecting the character to the body and mind through the senses; to taste, hear, feel, see, think, perceive; to know through the physical inner self, as opposed to the instinctive.

Sense memory: (emotional recall) The basis for Lee Strasberg’s Method Acting. “Sense memory” is used to refer to the recall of physical sensations: sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound. These physical sensations surround an emotional event, instead of the emotions themselves.

Sides: A portion of a script (pages) selected for an audition that highlights a specific character.

Soliloquy: A speech given directly to the audience, ordinarily with no one else on stage. Usually played as a direct address to the audience, sometimes played as a character thinking aloud in the audience’s presence.

Speed-through: A rehearsal with actors going through the lines of the play as quickly as possible, picking up the cues. Sometimes called a “glib thru.”

Spontaneity: A free unplanned impulsive moment.

Stage Business: A stage activity used to accent, intensify, or heighten the manner in which one uses an object on stage.

Stage Directions: The writer’s insertions of blocking, reactions, gestures, or use of props to clarify the action.

Staging: The final results of blocking—Alternatively called blocking.


Stage Left: In a proscenium theatre, the actor’s left, while facing the audience.

Stage Right: In a proscenium theatre, the actor’s right, while facing the audience.

Stakes: The heightened consequences for each character of achieving or failing to achieve their objectives.

Stanislavsky, Constantin (1863-1938): Russian theatre director, actor, and teacher most responsible for the manner and technique in which the craft of acting is taught. Co-founder/director of the Moscow Art Theatre in 1897 with Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. He developed a “system” or “method” by which actors could consistently produce superior work by tapping into themselves and their real feelings, to create naturalistic acting as opposed to the representational acting style popular at the time.

Strasberg, Lee (1901-1982): Acting teacher, artistic director of the Actor’s Studio, and developer of what came to be known as “Method Acting,” an approach based on early writings of Stanislavsky. His teaching method was based on Stanislavsky; but, among other things, Strasberg intensely focused on actors exploring past memories to use real emotions to connect them to their character.

Subtext: The character’s complex thoughts, feelings, motives, etc. created and layered under the actual words and actions of the character by the actor.

Substitution: The recasting of people, objects, and events in the script that the character must react act to, with real people, objects and events that the actor has known or experienced in their own life.

Super objective: Stanislavsky developed the concept of the super- objective (referred to here as The Happiness) that would carry the ‘through line of action,’ mapped out for the character through the entire play.

Tactics: “How” a character goes about achieving their goal. Also, specifically the way a character “masks” their inner action or intention, on the outside: i.e. to alarm (inner action) by freaking out (outer tactic).

Tasks: Pieces of work or functions that need to be done, the total of which comprises an overall activity.

Tempo; pace; rhythm: The level of speed with which the scene or play is acted out. The general effect creates a specific mood or tone to the work.

Three-Quarters (Actually ¼): A stage position in a proscenium theatre, where the actor is facing half-way toward the actor to their side and half-way toward the audience. Thus the audience is essentially seeing a three-quarter view of the actor.

Through line of action or continuity: Stanislavsky’s concept of the inner line of effort that guides the actors from the beginning to the end of the play. (An Actor Prepares)


Transference: Uta Hagen’s term for the actor’s process of making transferences from their own experiences to those in the play until they become synonymous with them.

Trigger: An emotional or physical signal that signals or sparks a bonfire of emotion to break through to the surface.

Upstage: The opposite of downstage; the back part of stage in a proscenium theatre; the farthest part from the audience. Derives from the eighteenth century, when the stage was slanted, or “raked” toward the audience, with the rear of the stage higher than the front.

Upstaging: To go upstage of an actor with whom you are sharing a scene. This causes the other actor to be in the downstage, weakened position of having to face upstage to maintain the illusion of eye contact.

Upping the stakes: Increasing and upping the importance on a scene or moment to heighten the dramatic tension of the character or scene.

World of the play: What happens. Where it happens. When it happens. The circumstances affected by the society, economics, culture and politics of the time. What we learn from the setting of the play.

Film & Television

ADR: (Automatic Dialogue Replacement) see looping.

Cinematographer: The expert responsible for capturing, recording or photographing images for a film, through the selection of visual recording devices, camera angles, film stock, lenses, framing, and arrangement of lighting.

CU: Close up.

Double: A person doubling for a principal actor usually for stunts (dangerous shots).

DP: Director of photography, the head cinematographer.

Eye Line: Eye line is the direction an actor should look off-screen to match a reverse angle or a P.O.V. (point of view) shot. It is best to give the actor an actual thing or spot to look at rather than a blank spot on an empty wall or an empty space in mid air.

Extras: Actors hired for non-specific, non-speaking roles, to add background atmosphere and reality.

First AD: The First Assistant Director. This is the director’s right hand man, who basically stage manages the entire set.

Holding: The area or bus set aside for extras to wait between scenes.

Key 2nd AD: The senior 2nd AD is responsible for having extras on set at the right time, blocking extras into crowd scenes, cueing of extras etc.


Looping: The recording or re-recording of dialogue for a previously for filmed scene.

M.O.S: A shot, a sequence, or a film that is shot without sound, which is added later. M.O.S. stands for “With Out Sound,” and derives from German director (Otto Preminger) asking for a shot to be filmed “Mit out sound,” which was written “M.O.S.” on the slate.

OC: Off camera.

Off: 1. A scene starting with a shot of one actor and opening to the scene. 2. A cue to an actor to take their cue off of the reaction of another actor. (see reaction shot)

OS: Off stage.

Over the Shoulder: A camera shot of the scene shot from behind or “over the shoulder” of a principal actor, revealing what they are seeing from their point of view.

Pick Up: Reshooting a section of a scene from a specific point. i.e. “We’ll pick it up from here.”

Piggy Back: A camera shot with both actors involved, facing the camera one behind the other. The “piggyback” allows both characters to have their private thoughts about each other, while allowing the audience to see what both characters are thinking.

POV: A shot that shows the scene through the character’s eyes. We see the world from their point of view.

Reaction Shot: The camera shooting a character’s emotional or physical response or reaction to something that is happening in the scene.

Reverse: A camera shot set up to shoot the reverse 180° view of the previous shot.

Second AD: Second Assistant Director. On most sets there are many 2nd AD’s responsible for everything from crowd control, extras, parking, traffic control, security, cuing, and actors on camera.

Second Team: Stand-ins for the principals involved in a specific scene. You will hear an AD yell “Second Team!” calling stand-ins on set to stand where the principals were, while the DP lights the scene and the camera operators rehearse their moves and focus.

Spreading the Shot: One actor stands too far from the other, which “spreads the shot out.”

Stand-in: An extra hired for size and coloring to double for a principal actor for lighting and camera set ups.

Take: A reaction shot of an actor. i.e. “take Stabler.”

Video Village: The area where all of the camera shots are fed into video monitors, allowing the director to get an accurate view of every shot.

VO (Voice Over): A recording that will either be added later or played back while shooting the scene.

Documents

A LITTLE BOOK ON ACTING - …burrburtondrama.wikispaces.com/file/view/A+Litttle+Acting+Book.pdfFreytag’s Pyramid Diagram Stage Diagram 5 W’s Character Worksheet Scoring A Scene