Method Acting Journals

Theatre w/Anatoly * Method Acting Directory *

Theatre Games:

I think every American actor wants to be a movie star. But I never wanted to do stupid movies, I wanted to do films. I vowed I would never do a commercial, nor would I do a soap opera -- both of which I did as soon as I left the [Acting] Company and was starving. ~ Kevin Kline Stanislavsky asked his actor to write the personal diaries of the characters they play. So do I. Who am I to argue with Stanislavsky? intermediate acting Links

Featured Pages: Biomechanics

I f you do not have your journal, if you note write in everyday -- you are not serious about acting.

Summary

see egroups (forums) for more samples!

take my poll at: Best Film Actor:

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* If you do not keep your journal in Acting3 class, it's to late to think about professional acting ...

Questions

exploretalent: Acting, modeling, movie auditions, and casting calls for actors and actresses.

Notes

Evaluation a Show (mini-form):
Play: _________
Playwright:
Style/Genre:

Characters: (list ones your remember)
Protagonist:
Antagonist:
Secondary :

Conflict (External and Internal):

Plot: (Linear * Epic * Cyclic * Plotless)
Summarise (including the subplots)

Theme(s):

Stylistic Features (Concept):

Theatricality:

Dramatic Appeal:

Representative Quote:

IMAGINARY OBJECTS
When you reach the point of playing Hamlet, threading a way through his intricate psychology to the moment when he kills the King, will it be important for you to have a life-size sword in your hand? If you lack one, will you be unable to finish your performance? You can kill the King without a sword and you can light a fire without matches. What needs to burn is your imagination.

[In] communion with an imaginary, unreal, nonexistent object, such as an apparition . . . some people try to delude themselves into thinking that they really see it. They exhaust all their energy and attention on such an effort. But an experienced actor knows that the point does not lie in the apparition itself, but in his inner relation to it. Therefore he tries to give an honest answer to his own question: What should I do if a ghost appeared before me? --An Actor Prepares

Actor's Journals

[I can't find the file. Here are my notes for THR221 Intermediate Acting]
Monologues are the warmups for 221, should know from 121. Also, the reading so far -- Fundamentals of Acting (Actor Checklist, 267-68). Appendix C (Forms), 449 The textbook!
[6] 2/3 Set: Time-Space construction. Self-Directing: Floor plan. Mise-en-scene. Ch. 8. Menagerie, 81- , Miller, 85
Four Techniques (Scene Study: Realism, ch. 16)
1. Personalization (Characterization, 5 Ws, Vocal and Master-gesture). Choices. Walk, posture, center of gravity (age), accent, etc.
2. Pantomimic dramatization (Improv, Situation + Character)
1) Scene exprolation, 2) character development.
3. Charter motivation (Objectives and Obstacles). Text, subtext, inner monologue.
4. Visualization (movement, stage business, prop, floor plan). Levels, vertical and hirisontal reading.
SEVEN STEPS
1. Dramatic analysis
2. Partnership
3. Improv as r. method (switch roles)
4. Improv with the text
5. BLOCKING AND CHOICES
6. Interrupted run for rhythm and tempo. Other structures.
7. Self-reflection, postmortem, analysis of performance text (forms) Role analysis in place of Character analysis.
Collect the Actor's Texts. For drama monologues.
[7] 2/5 Comedy Monologue due. Scenes: breakdown. Research and preparation. Scene selection for Midterm due. End of the book. Pinter 376-7, Shepard 409-411.
Comedy monologues (memorized) papers before the performance.
Monologue grade -- Performance, paperwork. Back with my comments.
HOMEWORK; most of the work MUSt be done outside of class. Class is for instructions, demonstrations (performance), work on target areas and feed backs.
Working on your own is expected after 121. Memorization is technical aspect, like reading or writing. Different skills, not acting.
You can a lot or little from the class. Acting means active -- your initiative.
Our 90 min.:
1) 8 x 5 min = 40. (scenes -- 10 min.)
2) Rev. -- 10 min.
3) New material (lecture) 30 min.
4) 10 min -- group exercises
I have to sacrifice everybody presentation every class, to catch up with the missing in the past.
Missing class -- you don't an A. You have to make up for the missed class. No grades for Fri, 13 Acting for the Camera workshops.
Overview of the task: Scenes, Camera, Method, Style (brief) -- non-realistic theatre.
To be ready for directors. Ready to work. Why resume, auditions? Like hiring for a real job. Knowing and doing/using. Next to your history class. (Talk I gave to 200x. Actor's mind and attitude.) View from the other side -- struggle. Give me a break! -- No breaks.
If you are behind, let me know -- send e-mail. A constant dialogue, not monologues like in other classes.

{Sample of Journals from my acting classes]

PS

I live in the constant shock for twenty years. I am suprised that they understand my illigitimate English! Thanks to theatre! You have analytical questions to ask (about your scene, your monologue) and -- strategic -- about yourself. You have to keep some track of you progress: what you next -- week, month, year. What you don't have. It's easy to understand: look at your resume and see what is missing. What you would like to add....

[ to be updated in 2003-2004 ]

Homework

You are getting Russian accent for free. Do Anatoly in the Spring (there is a competition at UAF to mock me).

NB

Are you that good to to make fun of me?