CREATING A CHARACTER!

Identify

ObserveResearch

You never know what you might see!

Cleaning the streets in Bangkok!

OR WHO YOU MIGHT MEET!

HOW DO YOU WORK?

From the outside in.From the inside out.

OUTSIDE IN? INSIDE OUT?

Capturing the external aspects of the character first and then moving into the soul of the role. That’s outside in.Many fine actors work from the outside in.But what is “inside out”? Discuss.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• A Methuen Publication, 1963A Methuen Publication, 1963

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

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

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

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

• [2] Ibid, pp. 5.[2] Ibid, pp. 5.

Movementsgestures

voice

Genre andstyle

The role Status Accent?

ClassicModern comedy

Drama

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

P l a yM a i n I d e a

=T h e m e o f t h e P l a y

D o m i n a t i n gI d e a

C h a r a c t e r

S p i n e o f t h eC h a r a c t e r

Above all, observe and lookAbove all, observe and look

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