Class Notes

Here are some notes from class.

In reading them over you will divine their truths. This is how we talk about acting.

DID YOU HAVE A REAL EXPERIENCE OR WAS IT FAKE? DID YOU DECIDE LAST NIGHT THAT, WHEN YOU SAW YOUR PARTNER STARING AT YOU, YOU WOULD CRY?

WERE YOU GENUINELY CONCERNED? GENUINELY SENSITIVE?

BEGIN TO MAKE WHAT YOU ARE DOING IN THE SCENE MORE PERSONAL, WITH STRONGER CONSEQUENCES .. MORE WILL HAPPEN TO YOU ON AN EMOTIONAL LEVEL.

BE AN IMPULSIVE REACTOR . NOT AN INTELLECTUAL.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THERE WERE SOME DIRE CONSEQUENCES TO IT'S ACCOMPLISHMENT?


DO MORE IN TELLING WHAT YOU GET OFF THE BEHAVIOR.

FIND A STRONG REASON TO SHOW UP - FILE IT AWAY IN YOUR GUT AND WORK OFF THE OTHER PERSON.

WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF READY TO ANSWER LOGICALLY - SHUT UP - FILE IT INTO YOUR GUT UNTIL YOU NOTICE SOMETHING ABOUT THE OTHER PERSON'S BEHAVIOR, THEN LET IT OUT!

YOU WORK OFF THE OTHER PERSON MOMENT TO MOMENT TO MOMENT .. BEGINNING TO END. RESPONSES ARE MOTIVATED OFF THE OTHER PERSON'S BEHAVIOR. CALL IT A MOMENT TO MOMENT REALITY.

BEGIN TO DEEPEN YOUR REASONS...THAT ACTIVITY, YOUR REASON FOR COMING .. MUCH MORE PERSONAL. THIS WILL ENSURE MORE RESPONSIVENESS TO THE OTHER PERSON'S BEHAVIOR.

YOU HAVE TO LET HAPPEN WHAT'S HAPPENING EMOTIONALLY AND RESPONSIVLY .. EXPRESS HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT NOT BEING LET IN OR JUST LEFT STANDING THERE .. EXPERIENCE IT ..

HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?

YOU HAVE TO EXPERIENCE THINGS ON A DEEP, PERSONAL LEVEL, AND LET THAT HAPPEN - LET OUT OF YOU HOW YOU REALLY FEEL ABOUT THAT .. THAT'S HOW THE GREAT ACTORS GAIN THEIR REPUTATIONS.

IMAGINE WHAT AN EXPERIENCE IT WOULD BE IF YOU TOOK PERSONALLY THE FACT THAT HE DIDN'T EVEN OPEN THE DOOR...?

IT'S YOUR JOB TO FEEL EVERYTHING ...

LET THE REALITY OF YOUR MOMENT TO MOMENT EXPERIENCE REALLY HAPPEN!

REALLY ALLOW THE OTHER PERSON'S SENSITIVITY TO ENGAGE YOU - TAKE INTEREST


(AFTER CASUAL EXERCISE) THERE WAS NO INVESTIGATION, IS THAT REALLY YOUR IDEA OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR? IF, IN LIFE, SOMEONE SHOWED UP SO UPSET AND YOU WENT BACK TO YOUR ACTIVITY, YOU HANDLE THIS LIKE AN EXERCISE INSTEAD OF LIKE REAL LIFE. IT'S AS IF, IN YOUR BACK POCKET YOU HAVE YOUR 'MEISNER ROOL BOOK' - WE MUST GET ACTING OUT OF YOU INSTEAD OF AN ACTING EXERCISE.

"YOUR INSTRUMENT" IS A CLICHE' WITH A CERTAIN GRAIN OF TRUTH IN IT. YOU ARE AN INSTRUMENT BUT THE OTHER PERSON PLAYS YOU.

"CHOICE" IS A CLICHE' WITH A CERTAIN GRAIN OF TRUTH IN IT. IF YOU MAKE UP SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF IN THE CIRCUMSTANCE, THAT EFFECTS YOU EMOTIONALLY, THAT'S A SERIOUS CHOICE. A CHOICE IS SOMETHING YOU IMAGINE THAT EMOTIONALIZES YOU, PERHAPS THROUGHOUT THE ROLE, PERHAPS ONLY IN A GIVEN MOMENT.

YOUR INSTRUMENT IN ACTING IS LETTING THE OTHER PERSON AFFECT YOU, THAT'S YOUR ACTOR'S TOOL .. WHAT THE OTHER PERSON IS SAYING AND THEIR BEHAVIOR SHOULD AFFECT YOU IN A WAY

THE CHOICES YOU MAKE ARE THOSE GUT REACTIONS YOU HAVE WHEN YOU IMPROVISE AND IF YOU'RE PRACTICED AT THIS WORK, THOSE GUT REACTIONS WILL HIT YOU WHEN YOU DO THE SCENE OR THE PLAY. BECAUSE YOU'LL HAVE DISCOVERED WHAT SOMETHING MEANS TO YOU .. SPECIFICALLY.

DON'T LET ANYTHING INTERFERE WITH THIS WAY OF WORKING. DON'T ALLOW ANY DISRUPTION OF YOUR LEARNING & SELF-EDUCATION.

IF THERE'S NO SUBSTANCE - IT'S GOING TO DISINTEGRATE INTO LOGICAL CONVERSATION.

THIS IS ACTING - WHERE YOU'RE ASKED TO LIVE TRUTHFULLY, THE IMAGINARY CIRCUMSTANCES ARE AT A HIGH LEVEL OF HUMAN INTESITY, YOUR TOOL TO PRACTICE THIS INTESITY IS IN THE EXERCISE .. SO YOUR EXERCISE MUST BE SO MEANINGFUL AS TO MOVE YOU FROM DEEP WITHIN.

DON'T DO THE DIALOG .. DO THAT WHICH PRODUCES THE DIALOG.

"TRUTH HAS IT'S OWN TIMING AND IT'S ALWAYS RIGHT."

PRIDE IN YOUR WORK, THAT IS WHAT YOU STRIVE FOR - TO HELL WITH ANYONE ELSES OPINION. DO WHAT YOU DO FOR THE SIMPLE PLEASURE OF DOING THE WORK.

IF YOU PUSH AND TRY TO GET RESULTS, YOU WIND UP WITH A HIGH SCHOOL PRODUCTION .. YOU HAVE TO REMAIN TRUE TO THE WORK.


THE WAY YOU'RE FUNCTIONING IN THE EXERCISE IS CONSISTENTLY THIS GOOD - WITH RARE EXCEPTION YOU BRING THIS VARIETY, DEPTH, SPONTANEITY, EASE AND LACK OF CONCERN FOR THE OUTCOME TO THE EXERCISE.

NOW IT'S TIME TO TAKE THIS EXACT WAY OF FUNCTIONING AND PLACE IT INTO A PRODUCTION, OUT OF THE CLASSROOM ... YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH THIS IN FRONT OF AUDIENCES.

THIS IS WHAT STANISLAVSKI AND THE MOSCOW ART THEATER ACHEIVED ... DANGEROUS, FRIGHTENING THEATER .. BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING, JUST MOMENT TO UNANTICIPATED MOMENT .. YOUR GROWTH AS ACTORS NOW IS GOING TO COME FROM DOING THIS IN A PLAY OR MOVIE.

WILLINGNESS, DEDICATION TO ONE ANOTHER, YOU SACRIFICES TO ONE ANOTHER, YOUR WILLINGNESS TO TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT OFF YOURSELF.

IN ACTING YOU HAVE A LICENSE TO BE PASSIONATE


TAKE WHAT COULD BE RECITATION AND TURN IT INTO ACTING - THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF THESE EXERCISES. THEY SHOULD BE ACTIVELY DEMONSTRATED .. YOU MUST BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE "DOINGS" OF THE SCENE, THE SPEECH WILL FALL OUT OF THE REALITY OF DOING.

WHAT'S THIS SCENE ABOUT?

IN THE FIRST READING IT WAS CLEAR ABOUT HOW YOU FELT BUT APART FROM THE DIALOG WHAT WE HAVE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW IF YOU EXTRACT THE ESSENCE OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

ONLY WHEN YOU THROW OUT THE SCRIPT AND ARE FORCED TO LISTEN WILL YOU GET THE MOMENT - TO - MOMENT REALITY. THERE'S A RISK THAT IF YOU KNOW THE DIALOG YOU WON'T HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU CAME TO DO.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE DIALOG SAYS .. HOW YOU FEEL, THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S BENEATH THE TEXT (THE SUBTEXT IF YOU WANT TO BE FANCY), WHAT YOU'RE REALLY DOING IN WHAT THE SCENE'S ABOUT .. YOU DON'T WRENCH YOUR EMOTIONS AROUND TO MATCH THE TEXT - YOU COME IN TO DO SOMETHING. YOU HAVE A FEELING ABOUT IT AND YOU REALLY DO IT .. YOU CAN ACT THE DOING, YOU CAN'T ACT THE LINES.

YOU CAN'T ACT JUST BECAUSE YOU'VE LEARNED THE LINES .. IT'S HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IN RESPONSE TO THE OTHER PERSON!

VARIETY IS WHAT YOU GET WHEN WHAT HAPPENS COMES OFF OF THE MOMENT TO MOMENT EXPERIENCE OF DOING. NOT THE STORY.

GOOD LIFE - NO STORY - BIG VARIETY! VARIETY WHICH CAME OFF THE MOMENT TO MOMENT EXPERIENCE .. NOT THE STORY.

IT'S STILL THE MOMENT TO MOMENT BEHAVIOR WHICH MAKES THE ACTING CLEAR - THE DIALOG MIGHT BE ANYTHING, BUT THE REALITY OF DOING, THE ACTING MUST BE CLEAR

DON'T MAKE TOO MUCH OUT OF THESE DUMB AUDITIONS - JUST DO THEM AT THE LEVEL THEY'RE WRITTEN - YOU DON'T GO TO A SOAP BOX DERBY IN A ROCKET SHIP.

CAPTURE THE EXPERIENCE THEN PUT THE WORDS ON IT.

BEGIN IMPROVISING WITH NO IDEA, NO DIALOG, NO INTENTION - KNOW THE ESSENCE OF WHAT IT'S ABOUT - USE HOW YOU FEEL MOMENT TO MOMENT - BLENDS OF THE IMPROVISATIONS WILL SHOW UP IN THE SCENES.

RESEARCH ON A PART .. HAS TO DO WITH BEHAVIOR .. IN THE BEGINNING IT'S SUGGESTED THAT YOU STUDY MANUAL LABORERS TO SEE HOW THEY GO ABOUT DOING A THING .. WATCH THEIR BEHAVIOR WHILE THEY'RE INVOLVED IN SOME INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY .. SPEND A MONTH WITH THE D.A. AND WATCH HOW ATTORNEYS WORK .. NOTICE THINGS .. BEHAVIOR .. LOCALE .. SPECIFIC PLACES & TIMES ..

MOST IMPORTANT: THEIR EMOTIONAL CONNECTION TO THEIR JOB!

WHAT IS THIS SCENE ABOUT FOR YOU?

YOU NEED MORE OF AN EMOTIONAL COMMITMENT TO WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

LET THE OTHER PERSON TOUCH THAT NERVE IN YOU. IF YOU'RE REALLY TOUCHING THE NERVE .. SLIP IN AND OUT OF THE IMPROVISATION WHEN, IN YOUR WORKING OFF, YOU SEE THE OTHER PERSON NOT RESPONDING, GO BACK AND TOUCH THAT NERVE.

THERE COMES A TIME WHEN STUDENTS OURGROW THE EXERCISE AND NEED SOMETHING NEW TO GROW INTO.

NEVER TRY TO GET AN IMPROVISATION TO LOOK LIKE THE SCENE - THAT'S BACKWARD.

THE IMPROVISATION IS EXPERIMENTING WITH YOURSELF, FINDING OUT WHAT, IN THE SCENE, MEANS WHAT TO YOU THEN LEARNING WHAT YOU'LL DO IN THE SCENE.

TAKE THE SCENE, EXTRACT AN ESSENCE - THE CREATIVE EXERCISE OF COMING UP WITH AN EXAMPLE OF CIRCUMSTANCES THAT PARALLEL THE SCENE'S ESSENCES HELPS YOUR CHOICES ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL IN THE SCENE .. THROUGH THESE EXERCISES, IMPROVISE WITHOUT ANY SENSE OF ACHEIVING RESULTS - THAT'S BACKWARD

WHAT DOES YOUR INTUITION TELL YOU ABOUT HOW YOU BEHAVE IN THIS RELATIONSHIP?

YOU HAVE TO GIVE YOURSELF OVER TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES .. YOU CAN'T BE AFRAID OF BEING RIGHT OR WRONG .. BELIEVE IN IT - LIVE TRUTHFULLY UNDER THE IMAGINARY CIRCUMSTANCES .. LET IT SHOW IN YOUR BEHAVIOR.

You have to find the understading in the scene that has everything to do with you, then find a way to act that.

Find out how you feel about the situation in the scene, explore those feelings via the improvisations, then carry that behavior and background in your relationship as fuel to the behavior of the scene.


YOU NEED A SENSE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE UP TO .. COULD LIVE AND DO.

YOUR IMPROVISATIONS TOWARD SCENES ARE NOT LOOKING FOR ONE HIT .. YOU'RE FIDDLEING WITH ANGLES AND APPROACHES TO DISCOVER WHAT THE SCENE MEANS TO YOU .. BE INNOVATIVE AND IMAGINATIVE IN THE IMPROVISATIONS.

YOU MAY BE AMAZED AT HOW ANGER AND YELLING CEASE TO MEAN ANYTHING UNDER THE IMAGINARY CIRCUMSTANCES.

These are random notes from classes. I only publish them so that one could get a sense for what classes are like at LAACT(tm). http://los-angeles-acting-school.com