There is only one “you”. You do not have to be funny, or sorrowful, or angry, or mean, ecstatic, content, delighted or joyful—to be you. You must, however, be truthful. Be truthful to your tastes, prejudices, loves, culture, and temperament. Be truthful to your particular perceptions, opinions and understanding of any given situation, relationship or […]
Whether you are approaching a public speaking engagement, an important athletic moment, or an artistic performance of any kind, your BREATH–the flow of oxygen to your brain and body–will determine your ability to concentrate, function and excel. Believe it or not, the first thing inexperienced performers of any kind forget to do is BREATHE. That […]
As an Actor, you must develop a philosophy and approach for succeeding in the entertainment business. Never forget: this is a business. Many of the people making decisions are making them purely for business or monetary reasons. Artistic reasons are often not even in their paradigm or equation for arriving at an ‘executive’ decision. Your […]
6:59pm: TV “Guest Star” sides arrive. 2 scenes; not allowed to read the full script. 10am audition the next day . . . If you get audition material late and there isn’t much time to prepare–DON’T WORRY. Do the best you can. Account for the elements that you can. Know what you are doing in […]
No one remembers the generic actor. Be personal in your work; being general is DEATH to the Actor! Perhaps the most important internal work an actor can do, to build upon the imaginative, creative work one must do to create a profoundly moving performance for an audience to witness, is to attach his or her self – […]
6:59pm: TV “Guest Star” sides arrive. 2 scenes; not allowed to read the full script. 10am audition the next day . . . If you get audition material late and there isn’t much time to prepare–DON’T WORRY. Do the best you can. Account for the elements that you can. Know what you are doing in […]
When acting, as in life, IMPULSES cross your mind constantly. Things you want to do, to say. Thoughts you either act upon, or do not act upon. When pursuing truth and a “life” on stage, it is absolutely imperative that you honor those IMPULSES. They will lead you to your greatest discoveries and surprises during […]
Actors – never forget – we are animals. Our animalistic ‘side’ is what often motivates us in our moments of greatest need – the moments good writers write about. Protecting your family. Chasing your mate. Defining your power. Saving your life. When creating a character, even if you don’t have time to work on the specificity of truly […]
Here are some techniques and exercises that will help you be more alive and free in your work. They will help you ‘break the glass’ of the typical constraints of your persona, help you find new, exciting, “risky” ways to express yourself and undo the habitual rhythms you find your self repeating over and over […]
From the time we become actors, we hear a lot of people in the business say; “Acting is reacting.” “Acting is listening.” This lets us know that it’s often not what we are saying that is most important in our work, but what we are feeling and thinking when we are listening to the other character. What is […]