Acting Workshop

Sept 99, IESA

Billy Jo… bleached blonde hair, plucked and re-drawn eyelashes, extra lift on her bra, gobs of eye makeup, pierced belly button. “Oh, I could never act.” Honey, that’s all you’ve done for years.

We are to teach acting with very little training. In theatre, training is highly overrated. Me: college show.. tonight, a show with 110 adults, oldest: 85. What all need… some compassion, some trust in me, a good eye to help them become what they are.

Let it be a natural process.. You have nothing but actors.. believe me.

Everything we teach is a matter of setting standards then urging students to come up to them. Let acting be different.. a process of discovering what gifts they have, then using them.

PROCESS: Read through and discuss. Block . . . so often overlooked.. have them write it down. Ideally, before they have it memorized. Rehearse Perform (get your best groups ready first and have them start performing.. huge incentive for others)

A few random thoughts on teaching acting:

good casting is 80% of the process.. choose scripts and actors wisely

essential to talk with students about the scene and about the characters… too often we assume that both the director and the actor already agrees …

stiff? Improvise!

A rehearsal must be fun…must be fun. Laugh with them. Create an atmosphere in which it’s okay to make mistakes.. to take chances.

Stretch them! Too many coaches are merely satisfied with what they see at the first run through.

Remember: every actor wants to look good. You have built in incentive.

Block the scenes then tell them you’ll work most with the those who get their scripts memorized. Then AGAIN, get those first ones out performing.