Dawson’s Handy Scene Pointers Sheet
Figure out the layout of the space where the scene takes place. Is there furniture? Where?
Where can you move? Make sure you take the audience into consideration when deciding
on where things are. Can the audience see things clearly?
Blocking.
Every scene is different, but there are some best practices that are good to always follow
when beginning rehearsals for a scene.
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Get contact information from your scene partner and compare schedules. Plan ahead
so that you will have enough rehearsal time.
Read the whole play. Don’t think you can do a scene without reading the entire play
– you can’t. Scenes exist within a larger context. To perform a scene without reading
the entire work from which it comes is irresponsible and disrespectful to the
playwright and your audience.
Read the scene aloud a few times with your partner. Don’t edit yourself on the
first read throughs. Explore. Be goofy, serious, whatever. You won’t know what works
until you try different things. Don’t criticize your partner either – let her explore too.
Talk. Talk with your partner about the scene, the situation, your characters, their
emotions, etc. Analyze, free associate, tell anecdotes, etc.
Identify the beats. Work together to identify the beat changes in the scene.
Remember, there is a beat change whenever a tactic or a physical circumstance in a
scene changes. Beats may not be the same for each character – that’s okay. If you think
something has changed but your partner doesn’t think so, chances are the characters
have a similar misunderstanding. That’s good – you can play that.
Get it on its feet. That is, your feet. Decide on your blocking together and remember
to make sure that the blocking helps to tell the story. As you are blocking, think about
spatial relationships, movement, props, furniture. You want to set the scene
Memorize. You need to have your part memorized deeply enough so that you can act
it without worrying about what you next line is. Say it different ways as you memorize
so that you don’t memorize a specific way of saying it. Remember, you want to be alive
to your scene partner, and that requires that you be flexible with your line readings.
Characterize. Use yourself in your acting, but don’t forget to think about your
character and how s/he might be different from you. What is your character’s
background, family, religion, work, recreation, etc? Is your character quick, slovenly,
strong, spastic, bored, tired, amped, etc? How does your character sit, walk, talk, eat,
breathe, dress, etc? These things matter. Make specific choices so that your character is
specific and not a caricature or stereotype.
Rehearse. Remember, this is not just memorizing actions to go along with the words,
it is an attempt to really live in the context of the scene. Stay alive to your scene partner
and really respond to what s/he gives you. Actively listen.
Remember that your partner is relying on you. This is a team sport and can only work
when you trust one another. So be trustworthy and extend your trust to your partner. Set
goals for yourselves – when you’ll have the play read, when you’ll have the beats marked,
when you’ll have the thing blocked, when you’ll be memorized. And play. Play hard, play
serious, play friendly, play with great earnestness.