October 2006 Archives

Notes. Deborah Carlson of Word of Mouth @ A/C Studios: An acting class based on the work of Patsy Rodenburg

Notes on how to work a scene:

Read through it thought by thought -- note how I feel, but don't try to figure out how the character must be feeling or how they might be saying something. Concentrate only on what they objectively say. Understand the thoughts and communicate them -- then and only then will the feelings follow, and I won't know how I'll feel until I'm actually feeling in the moment.
Listen, answer, top my partner -- take the energy and throw it back, with more energy if necessary.

Acting is NOT about saying something -- it's about discovering something.

Notes. Deborah Carlson of Word of Mouth @ A/C Studios: An acting class based on the work of Patsy Rodenburg

Capacity Exercises:

When breathing out on an "S" and "Z" (from The Actor Speaks, p. 47), smile and keep the upper palette up.

Monologue Work:

Gabe ("Dinner With Friends"). Clumping my way through it, falling off the end of each line (going down). Goal: Think my way through it, but 'hold it up.' Exercise -- intone each "thought," and then speak the thought, and then speak the entire piece. Don't punch or empathize certain words -- concentrate on being clear to Tom: make the meaning clear.

Do the Journey Of The Walk (from The Actor Speaks, p. 197) , and do the monologue again.