z
A bewildering
profession
z
It can be
extraordinarily
rewarding
It can be draining
z
Payscale Examples
z
The Actor
Chapter 4
The Actor
Mondays off
48 hrs per week avg.
z $30.52 an hour
z
z
z
At any given time,
85% of the members
of Actor’
Actor’s Equity are
unemployed
The Actor
z
Payscale Example
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
ASF Lort C
Avg 48 hr week
2% dues
$118 dues per year
$1,000 initiation
10% to manager
10% to agent
Avg $13.81 an hour
The Actor
z What
z The
Notion 2: Character emanates from inside the
actor
z
z
z
z
Study the role closely and enter the world of
the play
Actor “ lives the life of the character”
character”
Internal or representational
Method Acting
z Based on Stanislavsky’
Stanislavsky’s Method
z Lee Strasburg and the Actor’
Actor’s Studio
Two Notions of Acting
z Notion
1: The Actor “Presents”
Presents” to the Audience
Ability to imitate different characters
z Variety of associated talents (i.e. juggling, fencing)
z Presentational, external, or technical
z Covers many characters and many styles
z
The Actor
z
is Acting?
The Actor
z
Konstantin Stanislavsky
Moscow Art Theatre
Russia’
Russia’s greatest actor
z Identify the steps of the actor’
actor’s preparation
z
z
z
z
z
Find “character’
character’s problem”
problem”- zadacha,
zadacha, objective
Motivate the character
Subtext – unspoken and
undescribed character goals
Sense of Ensemble
z Emotional Recall or Affective
Memory – Magic If
z
1
The Actor
z Actors
Studio Origins
1919, Richard Boleslavski and Maria Ouspenskaya
formed the American Laboratory Theatre
z Lee Strasberg, an Austrian immigrant and student of
ALT, formed the Group theatre in 1931
z 1947, the Actors Studio is formed by Elia Kazan, Cheryl
Crawford and Robert Lewis
z Lee Strasberg became Artistic Director in 1951, and
remained so until his death in 1982
z In New York, Al Pacino,
Pacino, Harvey Keitel and Ellen Burstyn
are current CoCo-Presidents
z
The Actor
z
Strasberg’
Strasberg’s Method
z
z
z
z
z
Derives from Stanislavsky’
Stanislavsky’s early system
Emotional Recall is principle technique
Makes the actors own feelings as much the “subject”
subject” of the
play as their character’
character’s actions
Became the standard actor training technique in America
Students included: Anne Bancroft, Marlon Brando, Monty Clift, James
Dean, Robert Duval, Jane Fonda, Karl Malden, Paul Newman, Al Pacino,
Pacino,
Geraldine Page, Eva Marie Saint, Rod Steiger,
Steiger, Joanne Woodward, Julia
Roberts, Meg Ryan, Anthony Quinn, Willem Dafoe, Billy Crystal, Harvey
Harvey
Keitel, Shirley MacLaine,
MacLaine, Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson, Lauren Bacall,
Martin Short, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg,
Goldberg,
Jack Lemmon, Gary Sinise,
Sinise, Kathy Bates, Robert De Niro,
Niro, Susan
Sarandon, Meryl Streep,
Streep, John Hurt, Laurence Fishburne,
Fishburne, Donald
Sutherland, Ron Howard, Sharon Stone, Sean Penn, Steven Spielberg,
Spielberg,
Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kim Basinger,
Basinger, Ellen Barkin,
Barkin, Peter
Falk, Jerry Lewis, Billy Joel, Mary Tyler Moore, Sylvester Stallone,
Stallone, Tom
Hanks, Geena Davis, Bernadette Peters, James Woods, Andy Garcia, Sir
Michael Caine,
Caine, Kevin Spacey, Alan Alda,
Alda, Harrison Ford, Sigourney
Weaver...and many others
The Actor
z Two
qualities of great performers
z Virtuosity
z Exceptional
z
z
dramatic technique
Embody the character
Keep the character fresh
z Expressive
voice
The voice is an instrument
z Should be able to articulate
z Should be able to hold an audiences attention
z
z Splendidly
attuned body
The Actor
z Magic
z Presence,
Magnetism, Charisma
indescribable quality
people are drawn to
z We call them “Stars”
Stars”
z Based on an actor’
actor’s
inner confidence
z This “magic”
magic” can be turned
on and off like a character
z An
Physical strength and command of the body
z Trained in Movement Techniques
z
The Actor
z Becoming
z The
an Actor
Actor’
Actor’s Instrument
z The
actor voice is an instrument
z The actor’
actor’s body is clay to be sculpted
z Training is Physiological and Psychological
z The
Physiological Instrument
The Actor
z Movement
Physical relaxation, muscular control, economy of action,
expressive rhythms and movement patterns
z Dance mime, fencing and acrobatics
z Circus techniques and masked pantomime
z Young actors are easily recognized by uncontrolled
behaviors
z
z Voice
Breathing, Phonation and Resonance
Articulation, pronunciation, phrasing
z Projection
z It is constant training and regimented use that keeps the
voice
z
z
2
The Actor
z The
The Actor
Psychological Instrument
z Imagination
and the willingness to use it
Make the theatre real to the audience
z Put the actor in the interpersonal relationship created by
the play
z Discipline of imagination
z Bound within the requirements of the play
z Bound within the director’
director’s vision of the play
z
z SelfSelf-discipline
z
The Actor’
Actor’s Approach
z
z
z
z
of the actor
Works rigorously to develop physiological and
psychological instrument
z Meets technical obligations without reminder
z Works to the success of the entire production
z Works within the ensemble
Actor pursues the character’
character’s problem to be solved or
goal
Identify actions necessary to achieve goals and avoid
defeats
z
z
z
z
Identify primary goal in relation to other characters
Focuses the actor’
actor’s energy
Commit and play with energy
Play as if you are going to win, hope
Research style of play and performance style
z
z
Separate from or confrontational with audience
Stylized speech or everyday language
The Actor
z The
Actor’
Actor’s Routine
z The
Audition
The Actor
z The
Rehearsal
z Rehearsal
z Demonstrate
to the director how well the actor fits
the role
readings
z “Cattle calls”
calls” with prepared monologues
z Cold
periods range from a normal ten week
to as little as one week for some summer stock
z Actor learns the role through research and
investigation
Character biography
Subtext of the play
z Character’
Character’s objectives
z Playwright’
Playwright’s and director’
director’s vision for the play
z
Fit the pieces chosen to the show
z Adjust to the space you are auditioning in
z
z
z Director
looks for qualities in the actor that fit the
part and the show
Ease of handling the role and natural delivery
z Physical, vocal and emotional stability
z Spontaneity, power and charm
z
z Memorize
z Timing
lines and stage movement – Blocking
and delivery of lines
The Actor
z The
Performance
z Brilliant
rehearsals can crumble when put before
an audience
z
z
Stagefright can take the edge from the performance
Timing can be off from the audience
z Some
actors come alive with performance
adds new dimension to play and their
presence is always felt
z Timing changes with each audience
z Actor has to keep each performance fresh
z Audience
The Actor
z The
Actor in Life
z Common
sense
powers of observation
z Tolerance and understanding of all human beings
z Sound general knowledge of one’
one’s own society and
culture
z Training
z Business Acumen
z Realistic vision of one’
one’s own potential
z Acute
3