In this article I will explain what is meant by neutral and how it helps an actor build on themselves, reset and be present. 

What is Neutral?

Understanding neutral is a useful concept for actors. Exploring neutral can really heighten your listening as well as enabling yourself to be present on stage or screen. It is through neutrality that you can perceive nuances and shifts in your mind and body. It provides a base layer to build a character on or a pathway and a way to minimise unhelpful idiosyncrasies. It can also help us shed difficult work or scenes and reset for the next run or take. 

The first response most people have (including myself when I first started) is that neutral is the absolute opposite of what an actor should be doing. However, once it is understood, it can be a very useful tool. 

Simply put: it is just being, now in the moment. Our minds, bodies and voices are constantly in response to the outside world. They are constantly shifting and changing in response to external stimulus. While it is of utmost importance for an actor to shift and change in response to external stimulus, we want to make sure all of that stimulus is coming from the scene we are playing and the story we are in. Working through neutral gives us a starting point for any sort of acting work, making sure that we haven’t brought our world into the world of the story, and that we can leave the world of the play, scene or film at work. 

Neutral Body, Neutral Voice

As stated above, neutral is your base level. It is not quite a resting state, but instead the way you would view a car’s neutral. The engine is on, but we are not moving. Although anything can happen, right now nothing is. We are neutral. Another way to view it is like we are a marionette with the strings taught but not moving. Again anything can happen, but right now nothing is. 

The two neutrals spoken about in acting is neutral body/being and neutral voice. 

Neutral Body

Neutral body is your body, in balance, unlocked and standing in the most economical form. This does not mean most comfortable, or idiosyncratic, but most mechanically economic. Through our lives we have picked up habits and physical ticks, which inform how we move and stand in front of people or in certain situations regardless of how economical it is. Neutral aims to move beyond all external stimulus new or old so we can just be. 

Although this inevitably involves the mind, neutrality starts from the body. If we were to stack our skeleton so it does most of the work keeping us up, how would you stand? That is neutral. Of course, different bodies will have different neutrals. We are all asymmetrical, and different skeletons stack different ways. It is the essence that is important.

Neutral Voice

Neutral voice is your standard pitch, tempo and resonance. It is the voice as unaffected by external or internal stimulus. It is not conveying thought or emotion, it just is.

Neutral, in both cases, is used as a check-in and a starting point. It is a way of seeing where your voice and body is sitting before you begin work, but also a reference point for you for a character or a state of being. Your neutral becomes a foundation to build any physicality or vocal qualities from. It allows you to be fully present, unaffected by anything outside what you chose to focus on. Having this check-in point, or base level, means that when doing emotional or physically demanding scenes, or a work which requires extensive vocal work like accents or screaming, coming back through neutral can return your body and voice back to the way it was at the end of working to how you began.

Neutral Is Not No Energy

The biggest misconception about being neutral is that you have no energy, or you are somehow de-energised. That is not the case. Neutrality, rather than being a descriptor of nothing happening, should instead be looked at as a form of infinite potential. 

I like to think of neutral less in terms of myself doing nothing, and instead that nothing is happening to me. By blocking out external stimulus, or my body’s response to it I am able to bring my body, mind and voice to its most free state of being. I am not burdened by what happened to me today or yesterday, or who is in front of me. I just am. Once I choose to accept a stimulus, like a scene, a motivation, interaction or a set of given circumstances, my body, mind and voice can commit to that fully, because it has come from a point of nothing. 

Another way you could view it is a spring. A spring, by itself, does nothing: without external stimulus, nothing can happen. However, if you move it in any direction, it will now have tension. It will want to spring back to place. If you push it down, it will push back. Stretch it out, and it will pull back in. Although the spring itself isn’t holding energy, it has the potential to immediately engage.

Finding Neutral

Everyone’s body is different, so everyone’s neutral is different. What’s most important is the essence of it. Different people have different methods of finding their neutral and when you get familiar with it, you can find it simply with breath. Here is how I like to find neutral. If you need to adjust for yourself, hopefully you can find some approximations. 

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, making sure your feet are pointing forwards and your knees are unlocked. Imagine two straight lines being drawn, starting with your shoulders and passing through your hips, knees and feet. Feel the balance and solidity that this stance gives you.
2. Breath down into your stomach so your belly moves (not your shoulders) and draw yourself to your full height—again, without knees locked or any strain. In through the nose and out through the mouth, in a slow cycle.
3. Take yourself slowly through a spinal roll. This means allowing the head to drop down and with its weight drawing you down, visualise stacking each vertebra on top of each other until your torso is upside down hinging from the hips.
4. Let your knees be unlocked and as bent as you need in this position. Let the arms and head hang freely. Take some breaths.
5. Reverse the spinal roll by tucking your tail bone under and stacking your vertebra on top of each other, again with the knees unlocked. Roll the shoulders back then bring the head up last, stacking vertebra by drawing back and up until your eyes are at your horizon.
6. Block out anything in your mind and draw attention to your body. Gaze past anything in your eyeline as if you were focusing on the horizon and breath.
7. Do not adjust anything! Hold this position and breath. This is your neutral.

At first, it might be uncomfortable, but the more you practice the easier it gets. The first sensation you have is to try and ‘fix’ yourself. You will want to shift your shoulders or readjust your feet. Don’t, it’s fine. Your body is just not used to standing like this. Once you have done this a few times, you will notice the calm that comes over you, and the ability to just ‘be’ and breathe will become easier. You will also notice that there is nothing sleepy or lax about this stance—you’ll be calm, but aware.

From here, you can let out a vocalised sigh. Extend it out. If you repeat this you will find that you tend to pass through the same pitch and resonance again and again. Once you believe you have found your neutral tone, bring it onto a vocalised count of ten. This is neutral voice.

Practicing Neutral

So now we know how to find it, how do we use it? What does it do? So many schools of thought on acting talk about neutral. Stanislavski made people sit in a chair on stage for hours at a time to become comfortable just … being. Mamet talks about just standing there with a neutral body and resonant voice just saying the line. Strasberg and Meisner talk about starting from and returning to neutral. So why do they all talk about this? What does it prevent?

#1 Neutral For Holding Emotion

One of the big notes I give to emerging actors is don’t hold onto emotion, instead let it pass through you. An actor in training doing a scene will get a burst of emotion. Pleased with the outcome of their effort, they then hold the body and hold the breath in an attempt to hold onto the emotion for all to see. 

Unfortunately, the very act of holding the emotion dissipates it immediately, and an actor holding onto an emotion just so they can feel something has the opposite effect of what they intend for the audience. Instead of holding the emotion, it instead looks like they are forcing the emotion out, or they are fixed in a state (rather than reacting openly.)

Emotions move through the body like a ripple. They are elusive, sometimes fleeting, but always moving. Holding onto an emotion blocks us from reacting to the next moment and closes us off from the scene because we have shifted our focus internally. 

Instead, you should keep breathing and pursue your objective. Practicing neutral and allowing the body to just be means our body is ready to experience any emotion that appears as it appears, for as long as it appears. It doesn’t try to hold onto them, it just reacts freely, for as long as it lasts and then returns to its natural state. Of course, in a scene, this neutral will not last because the body will freely react to the next moment, and the next moment, and the next moment. What is important, though, is that it is moving and reacting moment to moment, not holding onto anything. 

Practicing neutral, and particularly practicing returning to neutral helps us stay fluid and responsive, rather than fixed or stagnant.  

#2 Neutral For Infectious Tension

Tension in the body is a big barrier for actors to experience emotion or pursue objectives, because the body and breath is incapable of allowing things to flow. We have all developed different tension in the body throughout our lives and it is good to rid our bodies of that if possible. What I am talking about in this instance, is the tension that creeps in while we are performing. It can be habitual tension, nerves or an attempt to hold emotion or a fixed way we hold our body when trying to perform a ‘state’ (which you shouldn’t do anyway.) 

For a quick demonstration, I want you to freely swing your arm around. Easy, huh? Now clench your fist as tight as you can or make your hand as rigid as possible and try again. Doesn’t swing as easily now does it? 

Infectious tension is exactly that: infectious. When parts of our body get tense, that tension effects everything else. Tight jaw can affect our throat which in turn effects the vocal cords. Tense shoulders can make our neck and chest tight. Whilst it might not seem hugely important, any tension that is infectious is placing barriers for our body to allow emotion and expression. 

Practicing neutral allows us to gain a heightened awareness of this tension. Knowing our neutral means we can breathe out this tension and free up the body ready for the next moment. 

#3 Neutral For Dropping Masks

Performance masks are any physical or facial posture that dictate a state of being through body language regardless of the stimulus we are reacting to. Common masks include the smile mask, frown mask, hands in pockets and arms crossed. 

For all these masks, this is the actor’s discomfort expressing itself in the body and often works counter to the character objective. They don’t know where to place their hands, so they become self-conscious and place them in their pockets. This exudes complacency or apathy, regardless of what else you do. You may feel uncomfortable about how ruthless your character is being, so you smile, undercutting the truth of the line and making you sarcastic. 

Although they may feel active, these masks only serve to make the actor feel more comfortable. Almost without exception, they dilute the actions of the character. More often than not it’s an actor’s discomfort at just being. Practicing neutral and being comfortable in this state allows you to be comfortable listening, thinking and reacting without needing to adjust the body for superfluous reasons. Allowing your body to just stop the need for this habitual posturing means you can fully invest in how the character should react. In turn, you can get out of the way for your body to respond how it would naturally. 

#4 Neutral For Stopping Character Bleed

This isn’t spoken about much in acting circles, but it is a big problem for the mental health of actors. Character bleed is when the action in the scene or the way a character behaves starts infecting your life outside of the rehearsal room or shoot. Essentially, it is the actor bringing home their work with them. If it’s a fun, light-hearted script this isn’t a huge problem. If it is highly emotional, traumatic or the character you have embodied is problematic, character bleed can be really detrimental. Even though its make-believe, the better you are, the more accurately or authentically you have put yourself through something that is very similar to the real thing. 

During my Masters research on performing violence, I found that the best way to prevent character bleed was to ritualise the rehearsal room by starting and finishing in neutral. This had huge benefits for the actors and meant we were able to go deeper into the work because the actors felt safe that it was compartmentalised from the rest of their day. The returning to neutral ritual meant that their breath, emotions and bodies were reset before they left. 

System of Movement

If you are curious about this, or you are aware your body gets in the way, or you get self-conscious and make superfluous movement, a great way to practice neutral or extend your practice is through some form of system of movement. Yoga, pilates, martial arts and most dance will have a form of neutral. For actors, our neutral is perhaps more “neutral” than a ballet dancer at the bar, or a fighter in a kata; but experiencing what that zone is meant to feel like can be beneficial to the actor. It reiterates the importance of potential rather then nothingness and demonstrates how the neutral body is energised and capable, not sleepy and blank. 

Good Luck!

It seems strange thinking that the pursuit of nothing can lead to results in a profession where something is always happening. However, focusing on a state which has limitless potential and getting the actor out of the way of the character will really help you in your performance. It is for this reason that so many acting theorists talk about it, and hopefully you now have a better understanding of what they are talking about and why they do.  

The post Neutral: A Tool for Actors appeared first on StageMilk.

In this article, I will address some of the misconceptions of ‘inside out’ acting and why it shouldn’t be your only route to character or truth. Additionally, I will introduce elements of the outside-in approach and why it’s an important tool to have. Lastly, I will point you in the direction of some theorists that can help you in your journey. 

Inside-Out vs Outside-in Acting Techniques

Most of every emerging actor’s training is based entirely on an ‘inside-out’ approach: a technique which is instigated internally and then allowed or encouraged by the performer to affect the external body and voice in a way which illuminates or expresses their internal state to the audience. Although you may not have heard it put this way before, you are probably already quite practiced in inside-out acting. It is, after all, the most popular approach.

An actor may focus their attention on a particular set of given circumstances, employ the magic if and replicate how they imagine the character would act in that situation. Alternatively, an actor might ‘target’ a particular image or memory, and through investing it feel their emotion building and rippling through their body, affecting their posture and voice. Or an actor might imagine themselves as the character, tricking themselves into experiencing everything that happens to this fictional persona.

All these processes start from the internal (psychological) being roused to emotion or action, in the belief that this emotion or action will then be expressed by the body and voice and received by the audience. ‘Outside-in’ flips this idea on its head. It is the idea that external choreography of the voice and body can influence our internal workings in the exact same way our internal workings effect our body. More importantly, when done well, it can provide a clear and accurate expression of internal state to the audience independent of whether we are ‘feeling it’ or not. 

The Misconception of ‘Feeling It’

“Really feeling it” seems to be the great indicator of a job well done for an emerging actor. Whilst really feeling it does quite often lead to a great performance, it is not actually an indication of whether performance was good. I have seen terrible performances from people claiming they really felt it, and I have seen incredible performances from people who said they felt nothing. Whether you are feeling it or not, focusing on what you are feeling very rarely produces a good performance.

In this pursuit of feeling, something often gets forgotten: The only person that needs to feel a thing is the audience. I can’t continue without sharing my favourite acting quote from David Mamet in his book “True and False”:

“The actor on the stage, looking for or striving to create a “state” in himself can think only one of two things: (a) I have not yet reached the required state yet; I am deficient and must try harder; or (b) I have reached the required state, how proficient I am! (at which point the mind, ever jealous of its prerogatives, will reduce the actor to (a)…”

“If one were truly able to command ones conscious thoughts, to summon emotion at will, there would be no neurosis, no psychosis, no psychoanalysis, no sadness.”

While Mamet can be a little obtuse, it is true that the burden that we place on ourselves as actors to “really feel it” can take us out of it completely. This, combined with a toolkit which is only inside-out, means sometimes we can exert a great deal of internal, psychological or mental energy for little or no result. 

Technique Over Instinct

If you are still thinking, “Yes, but I WANT to feel it. I know if I feel it, the audience will too!” well … that’s fine. Maybe not true, but fine. But let me ask you this: what if you’re not feeling it? 

It may be fine for a self-test, a rehearsal or an acting class where you can wait and do it again later when you are in the mood. But you cannot hold up a production or do a bad show because you’re not in the zone to give a good performance. What if your climactic scene is meant to be shot on a day when you’re exhausted or distracted? In a long theatre run, are you going to still be feeling the ‘To be or not to be’ speech at show 150? I doubt it. 

We all have good days and bad days. For any of you that work out or run or ride, you will know some days are easier than others. For those of you with intellectually demanding jobs or hobbies, you will find the same thing: some days we have it, some days it’s a struggle. When acting becomes work, rather than a hobby, it doesn’t matter whether you are having a good day or a bad day. You still need to perform, and well. No one cares if you are feeling it or not: you have a show to perform or a scene to shoot. This is where technique triumphs over instinct.

Outside-in approaches to acting are very technique-based, and rely a lot on physical choreography, breath and gesture. Although there are many schools of thought, broadly speaking, an outside-in approach is more interested on the external representation of internal state reaching the audience then it is about making you the actor feel something, even though you often will. 

Although initially it does not seem as sexy as the mystical transcendence of feeling like you were really in the scene, outside-in approaches can provide the complete appearance of a fully embodied scene. If done right, the technique can even activate very real emotion within you in a way that can be replicated again and again without draining the imagination or relying only on instinct.

Where Are Emotions?

I can still feel your hesitation, so before I continue, I want to ask you “Where are your emotions?” Emotions are felt and expressed through the body, not in the mind.  Almost without exception, emotions surprise us in life, instigated by external stimulus, independent of what we are thinking or doing. Quite often, the onset of an emotion causes us frustration in real life, as it gets in our way of achieving what we came to do. Emotions also ripple through our body, changing constantly bouncing from one to the next, rarely in a fixed state. 

So if they are, as stated above, experienced and expressed through the body, why do we try and start them with our mind?

We know instinctively just by looking at someone if they are happy or depressed, stressed or relaxed, laughing or crying. How do we know this? Through their body language, facial mask and breathing patterns. We know that the physical act of smiling can heighten our mood, and that slowing our breathing can reduce stress. 

Outside-in approaches acknowledge the role of the body in the experience and reception of emotion. Outside-in schools of thought focus on gestures made or signals our bodies naturally emits while in emotional states and teaches them as choreography. When executed well, this emotional choreography is indistinguishable from the real thing. At the core of this thinking is the understanding of a bi-directional relationship between body and mind: in the same way a thought which triggers an emotion causes the body to behave in a particular way, moving the body in a particular way can produce internal experience of emotions. 

Below are three of the big players in outside-in thinking, although most theorists incorporate elements of this when it comes to repeating moments or performances. Whole articles could be written—and in fact countless books have been penned about these theorists—so allow this to be a brief introduction as to where to look if you want to know more. 

Acting Technique #1: Laban

Rudolph Laban was probably the most prolific of the outside-in theorists. It helps that his teachings and way of thinking was developing at a time when performance in general was going through a massive soul search. The first half of the 20th century was an extraordinary time for the philosophy of performance and during this period the walls between dance, music and acting were coming down. While we are quite fixed with naturalism because Stanislavski-style inside-out approaches took dominance, it is important to remember that at the time this was just one revolutionary idea in a sea of exploration to have performance reflect life. Although Laban first started in dance and physical theatre, the techniques later became adopted by actors. 

Laban’s method is interested in categorising types and qualities of movement and gesture to externally represent internal energy. It asks that actors experiment with or try to observe the qualities of movement in real people to decide what combination of movements and qualities best represent an internal state. 

Although there is too much to report on in this quick introduction, as his work is all about categories I can briefly introduce you to the two main ones: 

Movement can be divided into four categories:

• Direction (direct or indirect)
• Weight (light or heavy)
• Speed (fast or slow)
• Flow (bound or free)

Then by combining these there are 8 gestures or ‘efforts’

• Wring
• Press
• Flick
• Dab
• Glide
• Float
• Punch
• Slash

By thinking about your movement in these categories, you can be deliberate about what you are wanting to depict. Alternatively, focusing on an effort or gesture can replace the need to inspire emotions internally. For example, rather than trying to make yourself ‘anxious’ you could instead focus on physicalising/internalising the WRING gesture/effort (Indirect, heavy, sustained and bound) which will have the outward manifestation of anxiety and may in fact induce this emotion. 

If you are curious about this, there is plenty to find online or in his book: The Mastery of Movement. 

Acting Technique #2: PEMS

The Perdekamp Emotional Method or PEM is a recent technique developed by Stephan Perdekamp—a writer, performer and director based out of Austria. 

What makes PEM really interesting is that it addresses the potentially problematic elements of substitution or self-psychological manipulation which underpins most other acting techniques. It gives a genuine alternative to playing trauma, heightened states or emotionally demanding material, without an actor having to relive trauma in their own lives or traumatise themselves through constantly placing themselves in the minds of a character. They claim that “PEM provides performers with a direct, effortless and guidable access to authentic emotions on a purely physical basis, without recourse to personal experiences or emotional memory.” 

As it is a full, comprehensive method involving many steps and elements much like Stanislavski’s method or Meisner, there is too much to explain in this article alone. In basic terms, this technique relies on identifying and learning ‘emotional patterns’ with the body rather than the mind. Emotional states (which are themselves combinations of ‘true’ emotions) are broken down into a combination of posture, facial mask and breathing which when done accurately allows for a strong emotional response in the mind and body regardless of thought pattern. Unlike mental stimulus, this choreography can be repeated consistently, provoking the same response in the body repeatedly.

Another fantastic element of this method is that it works in parallel with other acting methods, so it is complimentary, rather than a replacement for any school of thought you currently adhere too. It is also a ‘complete’ method, in that it addresses all elements of performance. This means that whether you have a method you prefer already, or you are entirely new to acting, PEM will have benefit for you. 

Click here if you’re keen to read more about PEMS.

Acting Technique #3: ALBA Emoting

ALBA emoting is a very similar technique to PEM. Although PEM is a full acting technique which covers all elements of performance in its scope and looks to provide solutions for all acting problems, ALBA is a little more specific and science-based. 

A relatively new technique developed by neuroscientist Susan Bloch, ALBA emoting is a psycho-physical technique which essentially reverse engineers emotional expression through physical choreography. ALBA emoting choreographs the external expression of the emotional state based on breath, posture and facial expression. The findings of Bloch were that not only did the accurate execution of the choreography induce an emotional state into the actor, it also was obviously and accurately perceivable by an audience member.

The foundation of ALBA emoting is the breath patterns of these six base emotions. Our empathetic response to breath as an audience member is very powerful. Take for instance when you watch a movie and the protagonist jumps underwater. We unconsciously limit or hold our breath in empathy with that character. This manipulation of breath has the same effect on the audience and gives the actor something concrete to focus on and execute during the performance, taking away the need to “reach a state’ or ‘go there’ emotionally. 

Unlike other acting techniques which can be playfully explored without prior exposure, ALBA emoting theorists warn against use without prior training by experts in the field. Developed by a neuroscientist, rather than a performer, its dissemination amongst performers, directors, training institutes and companies has likely been held up because of the need to train in this technique to use it effectively. 

That being said, understanding the core components can give us insight into the importance of breath and can inspire us to think of emotion in terms of breath rather then feeling, even if you haven’t gotten trained in this method specifically. 

Conclusion

I am a big believer in the actor’s toolkit, where you have access to a bunch of different solutions to the same problem. You wont need every tool all the time, and you will definitely have favourites, but you’re better off having it and not needing it, then needing it and not having it. 

Most emerging actors have no outside-in tools, so it is worth brushing up on a few. Who knows, it might just save you the next time you aren’t ‘feeling it’!

The post The Outside In Acting Technique appeared first on StageMilk.

In order for casting directors to continue bringing you in for auditions, they need to know that you will be professional, and confident in your approach to the audition. They also need to know who you are as an actor, and what makes you unique, so that they can bring you in for auditions that you actually have a shot at. 

Skip to:

• What Does a Casting Director Do?
• Getting Seen by Casting Directors
• Do Your Job (As an Actor)
• Maintain a Professional Relationship with Casting Directors
• What Are Casting Directors Looking For?!
• #1 Professionalism
• #2 Confidence
• #3 Your Authentic Self
• #4 Playing the Scene, Not the Audition
• #5 Pop from the Top: The First 30 Seconds of the Audition

What Does a Casting Director Do?

Casting directors are doing a tough job. Whilst sometimes they might seem disconnected or distant to the effort we have expended in prepping our audition, we must remember that they are just doing a job. It’s not personal, it’s business. 

They, like all of us, are in a competitive industry. They are vying for contracts, forming relationships with directors and production houses, and, ultimately, looking to produce the best results for their clients. 

In this instance, the best result is finding the best talent that’s best suited to the roles that need filling. They provide the director, or production, with a top tier choice of possible options for the various roles that need filling from the pool of actors that auditioned. 

It is the casting directors who are the big filter between a first audition and a callback. They are the ones who create a shortlist of performers for the directors to look at. Sometimes, if it is a very big project, they are creating a short list for their city or area for another, larger, casting director to sift through. It is a demanding, high pressure job. 

Getting Seen by Casting Directors

I will let you in on a shocking secret: No matter who you are, you will not land every audition. No matter how talented you are, you are not right for every part. Yep. Shocking isn’t it. 

Auditioning is a numbers game. Sometimes people get lucky within their first few, but for most actors, there will be a whole lot of unsuccessful auditions for every success. What is most important is that you get seen. The more often you are seen, the more likely you are to land something. 

So if the casting directors are the audition gatekeepers, knowing what they are looking for can really help you in your career. Treating them like a human being, rather than an enemy or a judge, is a start, but what else can you do to improve your chances of being getting seen again? What can you do to make sure the casting director keeps asking you to come in?

Do Your Job

First of all I want you to stop thinking about auditions as individual jobs. Acting is your job. Auditions are PART of the job. So rather then thinking about an audition as a job interview – a try out for the job – treat auditions AS the job. 

Bryan Cranston talks about offering a solution to a problem. The problem the production has is that they need an actor to fill a role. During an audition it is your job to offer your version of the character, your possible solution to their problem. It may be the solution to their problem, it may not. That is out of your control, and not up to you. You have done your job through offering an option. 

His full advice is worth watching so check it out: 

One of the best things you can do is rock up and go to work. Not seek validation, not burden someone else with the need to coddle you, or manage your nerves for you. Just go to work. They want to see someone who is confident in their ability to do the job, not someone so desperate for a chance that they will be a permanent yes man. Nor do they want someone so nervous that regardless of the performance they deliver they question how you might handle the pressure of a set or production. 

Provide your potential solution to their problem, follow any direction, and then leave. 

This can, of course, be very hard to do. It takes a great deal of mental fortitude, but a shift in thinking can make a huge difference. 

Maintain a Professional Relationship

As well as the above mentality of going to work, shifting the aim of your audition can do wonders. Instead of making the goal of the audition to get the part, I want you to make the goal of the audition to GET ANOTHER AUDITION. 

The casting director can not give you a part. But they can give you another audition. If you rock up and do a great job, regardless of whether you get the part, they will give you another audition. If they like your work enough, they may even throw you in as a wild card for parts. If you keep rocking up and keep doing good work, eventually they will start asking for you, rather then waiting for a submission from an agent. This is all about forming a relationship. The casting director’s are looking to form long lasting, mutually beneficial professional relationships with the actors in the area. You are the resource they manage!

I want you to think about their job for a second, rather than your own. They sit in a room for days at a time, either watching people put down scenes or watching self tapes. For a big production, with a national casting net, they may see 100 options, sometimes more. If each scene is 3 minutes, they are watching at least 300 minutes – 5 hours OF THE SAME SCENE. That’s without call backs or redirects. 

Firstly, we can not expect them to get excited by our performance no matter how good it is when they are looking down the barrel of a full day of the same scene over and over. Secondly, they are looking to save as much time in this process as possible. They want to know that the person rocking up for the next audition will deliver a solid option. 

If you continuously rock up and do good work, act like a professional, and do your job, you become one of their solid options. Regardless of whether you get the part, that time they have with you is well spent, and tapes you submit are worth watching. They begin to trust your work, and will keep seeing your work, confident that time spent with you is worthwhile in a time poor process. 

Yes but… What Are Casting Directors Looking For?!

Ok, so I am aware you probably clicked on this article hoping for some acting tips, and I am getting to those. I wanted to make sure you understand there is no cheat sheet. No tips and tricks. Just work and working relationships. 

Now that we have reframed how you think about the actor–casting director relationship, you are now ready to hear some of the elements of PERFORMANCE that casting directors are looking for. 

#1 They Want Professionalism

I know this is not acting, but it is close. It is how you act as yourself before and after you act. 

Professionalism is the first thing everyone everywhere is looking for. Showing that you are a professional is the best thing you can do to get called back again. Unless you are undeniably awesome, irreplaceable and oozing with charisma (which is very few people in this world), being late, unprepared, unable to take direction, rude or totally panicked by the experience are unforgiveable. 

If you want to be taken seriously as an actor, take acting seriously. Why would a casting director ask to see you for a show or movie with a million-dollar budget if you can’t learn your lines, rock up on time, be polite, follow direction and perform confidently?

Here are some quick rules to be seen as a professional:

Rule for lateness: 15 minutes early is early. 5 minutes early is on time. On time is late. 

Rule for preparation: Whatever they say in the email, do. What ever they attach, read. If in doubt, do more rather than less. 

Rule of direction: Listen to direction. Ask question if you don’t understand. Better to ask a dumb question than not follow direction when asked. 

Rule for rudeness: Use manners. Be polite. Don’t be rude. Its simple. If my 4 year old can do it, you can to. 

Rule for nerves: They are your problem. Don’t make them everybody else’s problem. 

If you find you are very nervous or suffer from stage fright, you might want to read this article about How to Beat Your Audition Nerves. 

#2 Perform Confidently

If an electrician comes to your house to fix something, are they nervous? Are they worried about whether you like them or not? Are they looking for validation from you? Do they need to be told good job afterwards? No. They just do their job. If they did look nervous, or apologise constantly or look unprepared, would you let them continue? Would you trust their work? No. You would probably get a different electrician. 

Confidence is a key thing that casting directors are looking for. This doesn’t mean over confidence or arrogance, but a calm confidence that you are right for the job. If you don’t think you are right for the part, why are you there? Why waste peoples time?  

It is also not a time to feed your dopamine loop or be coddled from stress. You should not expect or need the casting director to shower you with praise. They are not a friend, teacher or mentor. They are a co-worker who is busy and has people waiting outside. 

I get shockingly nervous for auditions (although I never show it because its not their problem its my problem) but I am always confident in my performance. Why? Because I have done the work, not just for this audition, but for years previously working on my craft. If you are not confident you are either a) unprepared or b) doubting your abilities. If you are either one of these things, maybe hold off on the auditions until you have the time or confidence to deliver the goods. Better off taking a break than making a terrible first impression. 

#3 You Have the Monopoly On You

Casting directors want to see who you are and what you deliver. Why would they want to see you copy someone else or try and be somebody you are not? You are the only person that can do it your way. Although your way may not be right for everything, if you keep being you, when someone needs it done your way, you are the only person that can deliver that. Trust when that perfect part comes for you, you will be who they call to see for it. 

This is one of the hardest things for actors in their early career to hear, process and internalise. However I can guarantee that if you work towards this you chances of landing a role will get forever closer. 

If you can forgive the contrivance, I offer a small acting parable: 

Once there was an actor. They were getting auditions, but never getting the part. So, they looked at the people that were getting the parts and thought, “I think I need to be more like them! If I am like them, maybe I will get the part!” So they changed their hair and clothes, even the way they talked and walked so they looked and sounded more like the people that were getting the jobs. 

Happy with their new look, which looked and sounded like all the people that were getting work, the hopeful actor started to audition again. But again, all the same people were getting the jobs, and the poor actor got nothing. “But I am like everyone else now, why aren’t I getting the work?!” Eventually the auditions became less and less, until they were getting nothing at all. 

Tired of the act and sick of the industry, they dyed their hair back, put on their old clothes, returned to their way of walking and their way of talking. To the actors surprise, the auditions came back. Before too long, they landed a small part. And although they didn’t land something big straight away, the auditions kept coming…

Okay contrivance over. You get the story though don’t you? It is very obvious from the outside looking in, but the number of times I have seen this play out amongst early career actors is incredible. 

Just think like the casting director for a second: Why, in a world overflowing with actors wanting a job, would I get someone who is trying to be something they are not, when I can just get the person who already is that? 

“But I need to be more commercial!” – Well, there is a heap of actors who are naturally commercial; why compete with that?

“But I need to be more muscular” – If it’s for fitness, cool, but if its for acting, there are already heaps of muscular actors who are naturally that way, and have a head start on you.

“But Brunettes are in!” – Yeah, cool, tell red haired Sarah Snook that whilst she smashes Succession. 

Be authentic to yourself and your voice. Constantly trying to fill every niche will mean you fit none. Constantly changing yourself will only work to confuse the casting director as to what you are right for. If they don’t know where you fit, they will just stop calling. 

#4 Playing the Scene, Not the Audition

Casting directors want to see you do the scene. They don’t want an audition. They want to be able to imagine you in the movie. 

I often see incredible actors start acting weird in an audition because they are wanting to find variety, or they are forcing moments into the script just so they can show off their emotional range. Or they start doing weird line interpretations just so they aren’t doing it “the way everybody else will”, even though they make absolutely no sense. 

Throw all this nonsense out. 

Play the scene. That is all you have to do. Play the scene truthfully with a strong inner life, with choices that make sense for the given circumstances and relationship that exists between the characters in the scene. Pursue your objective from moment to moment and respond to new information. Sound familiar? Because that is acting, and that’s what they want to see. 

Rather than viewing the audition as an audition, I like to visualise the audition (either self taped or in room) as my coverage for the scene. It’s the Close up or medium close up for the scene. I like to imagine myself already on set, doing the job already. I will get a take or two and then we will have to move on.

In that visualisation, I try and bring in the world of the scene around me, so everything from my voice, body, eyeline and intention match up to the scene I am about to do. In summary I am giving the version I plan to deliver on the day of the shoot, if I get the job.

#5 Pop From the Top

The first 30 seconds of an audition is crucial. In the small amount of casting I have done, you can usually tell whether to give the performance your full attention or not within the first 30 seconds, if not less. Sounds cruel, but it is absolutely true. 

The whole point of acting is to engage an audience. The casting directors have more people waiting, who also want the job, why would they bother giving you time if its not engaging from the get go?

This doesn’t mean do something weird or unnecessary. You don’t need to shout or go super fast. It means when you start, start completely. Immerse yourself in the scene. Don’t wait for yourself to warmup into it. Don’t wait for the climax of the scene to show you can act. If you don’t grab the casting directors attention in the beginning, chances are we aren’t watching for long enough to get to the climax.  

In addition to this, don’t let the scene drag by becoming indulgent just so you can sustain emotion or moments. If we can see the acting, it is bad. Great acting is invisible. Keep tight on your cues, pay attention to stage directions, and don’t add pauses that aren’t there.

Conclusion: TLDR?

The aim for you as an actor should be to form a professional relationship with the Casting Directors in your city. How do you do this? By doing good work consistently in a professional and cordial way. 

Be yourself. Be professional. Show them you can act by playing the scene, don’t play the scene to show them you can act. Make sure it pops from the beginning of the scene, and keep tight on your queues. 

Good luck out there!

The post What Are Casting Directors Looking For? appeared first on StageMilk.

Updated 7th December, 2022.

This can make finding an acting method that works for you very difficult, because at the professional level the end result looks exactly the same. Whether someone is using Meisner’s philosophy, Practical Aesthetics or Strasberg’s Method, they can really only be noticed during role preparation and rehearsals. While different schools of thought will prioritise different things during the process, the final performance will always lead to a fully embodied character that is existing truthfully in the world of the story. It is precisely because of this that sifting through the plethora techniques and methodologies  of can be so difficult.

This article outlines 10 acting techniques every actor should explore. They cover a range of skill areas, from script analysis to physical preparation to character development. While you might not resonate with all of them, these are ten techniques worth understanding and trying out in your own acting work, as they will help enrich your understanding of your craft.

For all the talk of specific schools of thought, I don’t know a single actor that is a purist—and by that I mean an actor that follows only one technique or method in its entirety, utilising nothing else. Most actors will have a preference, and dominant method they fall back on, but each work you perform, or character you portray, will have its own challenges. These challenges may require different approaches, and not any one acting philosophy covers all angles.

The Toolbox

As a result, actors usually have what I like to call a ‘Frankenstein’ technique. This is a system they have developed that works for them, which blends multiple schools of thought together. I often hear this referred to at drama schools as the ‘toolbox’.

Throughout your training (either through an institution or through your own self edification), you will acquire all the tools necessary to perform a part by being exposed to multiple acting methods and philosophies. Although you don’t always need every tool, having access to them means you’re better equipped to do whatever job comes along. I encourage you to read as many different acting theorists and techniques as you can. 

Finally: although they may differ in name, in my experience there is a great deal of crossover within the realm of acting theory. Acknowledging these common ground techniques will allow you to communicate effectively with other actors, regardless of their chosen school of thought.

10 Acting Techniques Every Actor Should Explore

Rather than list ten separate philosophies or schools of thought, I instead want to focus on specific techniques that I see echoed by multiple theorists.

Skip to:

1. Objectives
2. Actioning
3. Imagination – the big ‘IF’
4. Targeting
5. Developing an Inner Life
6. Being Present
7. Units/Beats
8. Outside In
9. Mastering Breath
10. Neutral Body

I should admit this is partly because it feels reductive attempting to give a short form summary of the works by the great theorists like Stanislavski, Strasberg, Meisner, or Chekov (Michael or Anton). But irrespective of where you study or who you read, mastering these commonly echoed techniques will set you up to be a great actor. This article will illuminate what these techniques are, why they are important and where to go if you want to know more. 

#1 Objectives

One of my favourite acting teachers used to run a scene class. People would come up, do a scene. His first question was always “What do you want?”. If you didn’t have an answer, you had to sit down. Lesson over. 

And why? Because this question drives everything. Your objective is what you want from your scene partner. When you know that, you fight for it. And when you fight against another actor—with their own objective involving you—you create the conflict that is the essence of all drama.

People are driven by desire: wants or needs that push us into action and make us do something. You desired to learn about acting techniques, so you searched the term in your preferred search engine, and you started to read this article. Your desire pushed you into action and that action led you here.  

Although, in life, our wants and needs can often be mundane or uninteresting, stories are built on desires which create conflict, quests, revelations or redemption. The characters desires are the reason for the story to exist:

• Romeo wants Juliet, Juliet wants Romeo. Chaos ensues.
• Macbeth wants to be King, but there are people in the way. Macbeth starts killing these people, chaos ensues.
• Thanos wants to destroy half the life in the universe, a few movies and some spin-offs ensue.

In the acting world, this desire is called an objective. It is what you character wants in any given moment. You can have big wants which occupy a whole character arc (a super-objective) or little wants which might only last for a line or two. But you must always have one. Being able to identify and then pursue your objective in any given moment is probably the most important technique you can learn. 

If you want to know more about objectives, check out some of our other articles: What Is An Objective?, How to Find Your Character’s Objective and Objectives not Emotions. 

#2 Actioning

If objectives are what you want, actions are how you are going to get it. They are the tactics that you use to achieve your desire.

In life, we are always trying different tactics to achieve our desire. This notion can make us seem like sociopaths, but it’s true. If, for instance, I wanted money from someone, I could ask politely, I could plead, or I could bargain. On the other end of the spectrum, I could bully, I could threaten, or I could even flirt. If I try one and it doesn’t work and I still need the money, I will try another approach. Exploring different actions can lead to multiple ways to say the same line. 

By identifying our action/tactic/approach, we are not only pursuing an objective, we are making a choice as to how to pursue it, and how an audience can come to know and understand our character. By exploring our actions, we can bring variety to a scene by trying multiple approaches to achieve the same objectives. 

If you want to know more about actions check out Plotting Actions for Objectives and Actions: The Actor’s Thesaurus (Book Review).

#3 Imagination – the big ‘IF’

While Stanislavski is all over this page and the techniques it details, this one is directly attributed to him. That said, every acting theorist addresses the imagination. It is a crucial part of the acting skillset, and developing your imagination is a key component of becoming a good actor. And what word engages the imagination the most?

IF.

Two letters make a big impact: what if…? Would it be different if…? If I were you I would…

IF is the great instigator of the hypothetical and the hypothetical is where actors thrive!

What this comes down to really is being able to put yourself in the characters position. ‘The magic if’ is an important part of Stanislavski’s teaching, but it also appears in Practical Aesthetics (a supposed departure from Stanislavski) as ‘Its as if I…’. Even those who have never read an acting book visualise characters actions in this way:

“If I were married to her, how would I hold her hand?”

“How would I feel if they did that?”

IF is the key to the imagination. Asking yourself how you would act/feel/behave/react if you were in the situation of the character is the first step of fully embodying a character and their surroundings.

If you want to know more about Stanislavski Method: “The Magic If” or How to Develop Your Imagination as an Actor.

#4 Targeting

There is a very clear book about this called The Actor and the Target. The author, Declan Donnellan, penned this idea beautifully, but it was something that had been inherently understood by other theorists. Although not everyone has read this book, most of the best actors I know do this technique instinctively. 

Let’s do a short exercise:

What did you have for breakfast? 

You just targeted! Very simply, and in a non-active way, but it’s the same principle. I can guarantee (unless you are one of the 2%-5% of population who are without a mind’s eye) you quickly conjured an image of your breakfast. Maybe even a remanence of taste or smell, and perhaps even a small flash of emotion? My coffee machine broke this morning, so when I remember breakfast I also remember a strange grinding sound and I relive the frustration and disappointment of my morning meal. 

The long and the short of it is this: think about what you are speaking about. 

We are doing this all the time when we speak in life, but this is easy and second nature because we have real world experiences that come to mind. When we are acting, we have to deliberately populate these images in our mind. We need to consciously drag up the images and experiences of the character. If they are talking about a tree in a childhood home, we need to conjure an image of that specific tree. If the character is sharing the experience of a horrible car crash, we need to conjure a collection of images. We need to target something as we are speaking about it. 

If you want to know more about the Practical Application of The Actor and The Target, check it out!  

#5 Developing an Inner Life

The inner life of a character is a very important part of being ‘real’ on stage or screen. It is the acknowledgement that the mind is active beyond the words being spoken out loud. It is the performance of the inner workings or inner turmoil of the character you are playing. 

Whether or not it is said out loud, we need to know our characters opinions of everyone and everything around them. We need to witness them chose to say the words they do, understanding that there are even more words they decided not to say. It is the inner life which compels a character to speak and react to the world. 

I have heard of a few different techniques which deal with creating a fully embodied inner life:

• Inner monologuing is the practice of developing a stream of consciousness monologue that continues in your mind whilst performing a scene. It should be populated by opinions and character truths, but is always in direct relationship to what is happening in the scene. 
• Emotional memory or emotional recall is about understanding and portraying the emotions the character may experience when in particular situations.
• Strasberg’s Method deals with full and sustained embodiment of character to first understand how they react to the world before finding out how they react in a scene.
• Active analysis uses improvisations to pursue the inner motivations of the character without the confines of the script.

More recently, a focus on a character’s opinions (opinions = thoughts + feelings, irrelevant of facts) has been used to help develop the inner life of the character. First imposing, and then allowing your character to have opinions about the people, places and events of their story allows for a strong inner life. 

Whatever process you choose to investigate is up to you, but an understanding and investment in techniques which increase inner life is crucial. 

Look here if you are interested in Strasberg’s Method, Emotional memory or emotional recall.

#6 Being Present

This is an ever-elusive problem for actors that numerous theorists deal with. How to be perfectly present: playing moment to moment, responding to new information all whilst knowing when and how the scene or story ends. When we first read a script, we have an immediate impulse of how it is to be played. As we read the lines for the first time out loud they inevitably fall flat and not how we imagined, because the information is no longer new and we know how the scene progresses. Tricking ourselves out of this is of utmost importance to a fully embodied performance. 

I am sure you have received the note “You aren’t listening.” I am sure you have also heard the phrase “acting is reacting,” or “keep it fresh.” All of these notes are dealing with the same problem: Being present. 

While there are again a number of different exercises for this problem and many theorists are dedicated to it (Sanford Meisner, Ed Asner and Larry Moss to name a few), for me this is more a case of what not to do, rather then what to do. 

Most actors drill their lines into the ground, rote learning not just the lines, but how they are going to perform them. Everything is decided before you play the scene, regardless of how the actor is feeling on the day or the input of the scene partner. This makes it IMPOSSIBLE to be present, because you are no longer reacting to anything, you are playing a predetermined set of responses closer to a computer program than an actor. 

Learn your lines, but not your performance. Keep yourself open to play and adjust on the day, as your scene partner and director will have just as many provocations to throw at you as you’ve prepared at home. The more options you play consider, the more you will be ready to take on whatever your collaborators throw at you. Trust your instincts and allow yourself to be surprised. This may seem scary, but is exactly what is meant by ‘being bold’ or ‘brave choices’. Nothing is gained by playing it safe. 

#7 Units/Beats

Script and scene analysis is essential to making good choices as an actor. Anyone that has sat in on a development, written a script or studied literature know how important structure is for a story. In fact, story structure is one of the few universal similarities between cultures worldwide, even if the telling may differ. We often forget as actors that that is exactly what we are a part of – a story. Not paying attention to the structure of it can mean we not only miss opportunities to demonstrate range, but we risk missing the point or flow of the scene entirely. 

Using beats or units (the terms are interchangeable) to divide the script into moments of action, topics or energy is a great way to make sure we are serving the characters journey in the scene. Marking beat/unit changes in our script can help identify when new information appears in the scene. It can stop us from ‘one noting’ (playing the same objective, action or emotion for the whole scene.) It also allows us to permission to our self to take ‘shifts’ (when new information changes the characters energy, mood or action). 

Learn more about: Units or Beats, Script Analysis and How to Break Down a Scene.

#8 Outside In

Acting is equal parts art and craft. Ignoring the craft component is something I see a lot of less-experienced actors fall victim to, and it is a problem because their work becomes completely dependent on whether they are ‘feeling it’ or not.  

Sometimes, you are fuelled fully by creative impulses; your imagination is allowing you to be fully embodied and present. You don’t have to worry about a thing because your artistic side is handling all of it. 

But then some days, the juices aren’t flowing and everything feels flat. That motivation that was bringing you to tears has stopped working, and you are now a wooden lump waiting for some sort of divine creative intervention. Unfortunately, you will have another show, or another scene, or another setup and you MUST deliver. And with nothing to fall back on, it will be bad work: full of forced and contrived emotion. 

‘Inside-out’ acting (acting where the physical and vocal energy is influenced by internal psychological stimulus) is great, but sometimes won’t get you there. Luckily, there are a stack of techniques regarding the ‘Outside-in’ approach. Learning a few will mean that whether you are ‘feeling it’ internally or not, the external result will still appear embodied, truthful and real. 

At the end of the day, the only person who has to actually feel anything is the audience. 

Laban has some great work on psychological gestures, movements which convey and sometimes induce a particular state of being, as did Russian practitioner Vsevolod Meyerhold. Stanislavski talked about moving the body and the mind will follow—in fact, the latter half of his career was dedicated to such practice, as if to balance out his inside-out methodologies that brought him fame and recognition. ALBA emoting and PEMS deals with posture, facial mask and breath patterns which can be learned as choreography to convey and sometimes induce internal emotion or energy! 

#9 Mastering Breath

When I first heard breath is key to performing, I completely disregarded it as some woo-woo BS. As I have started directing and coaching, I realised it is one of the single most important divides between good actors and bad actors. 

Good actors allow the performance to affect their breath, or their breath to affect their performance. Bad actors ignore or don’t investigate how the scene would affect their breath, or they hold their breath to try and hold onto any emotion passing through. 

Emotion is breath. Laugh is disrupted breath, in the same way a cry is. When we are shocked, we breathe in sharply. When we are panicked, our rate of breath increases. When in pain, we are told to breathe through it. We deliberately slow our breath to try and calm ourselves. When we see something or experience something incredible, we call it ‘breath-taking’. 

A lot of the ‘outside-in’ approaches deal with breathing patterns, but EVERY voice coach—and almost every theorist—talks about the importance of breathing in the moment. 

It is a difficult thing to master, because it is largely subconscious. But that is exactly what all acting is: a conscious pursuit of everything that usually sits in the subconscious, in order to replicate or reproduce real life. 

There are a stack of exercises to investigate and I encourage you to find the one that works for you. Even yoga or singing classes can be useful for control, even ifthey are not specific to the craft of acting. Patsy Rodenberg and Cecilly Berry have great resources about breath.  ALBA emoting or the Perdekamp emotional method deals with breath in their ‘outside-in’ approaches. 

Learn more about how to Breathe as Your Character. 

#10 Neutral Body

“Suit the action to the word, the word to the action.” The importance of the physical body and how it acts and reacts with text has been known for a very long time. Enhancing your body’s ability to do this will bring immediate gains to your acting. 

I am sure a lot of you have gotten the note “stop acting on tension”. “But the moment is tense!” I hear you reply. This is a misconception. While you might be tense when witnessing a moment, during the experience, one is not tense: the actor’s body is not representing the characters body. The actor is responding to the situation as an observer, not as a participant. The actors body is not neutral. 

When I say the term neutral body, the immediate response from actors is that neutral is bad! Neutral is void of anything! That is not what I mean. 

Think of it as a blank canvas. From here, anything is possible. As soon as we put a mark on it, it is becoming a picture. We can explore that (and we should) but if we want to paint something else, no matter what we draw it will have the backdrop of that mark. However, if you paint it all white, that picture disappears. Now anything is possible again. 

Neutral body is about making sure your body is free to react in the moment without the actor’s physical insecurities, habits or unhelpful idiosyncrasies getting in the way. It is making sure that your body is in a constant state of flux and allowed to continually react freely to the outside world. 

Allowing your body to return to neutral is an important part of this. It is a skill which must be developed. Practising returning to neutral (keep in mind I am talking about YOUR neutral, you are yourself, after all) allows your body to be free to engage with the next moment. When we aren’t in neutral, or we don’t return to neutral, we allow previous moments to infect our body subconsciously, and often these physical elements aren’t in sync with what we are saying and what we are wanting to convey. A smile lingers longer than is truthful. Arms are crossed because the actor doesn’t know what to do with their hands even when the character is trying to be friendly. Heightened tension during a ‘rant’ monologue, even though the character is releasing.

Laban, Stanislavski, Michael Chekov, Strasberg and pretty much every theorist talks about building character or emotion from the neutral body. 

Look here for more about Physicality For the Actor.

Conclusion

I trust this list has been helpful. One of the most difficult things about developing a new skill is that there is a whole lot of information to sift through. What makes this hard to navigate is that a lot of the time, you don’t even know how much you don’t know. 

This list of techniques will set you off armed with the right language to exist in a room of fellow actors, with an ability to communicate the process of acting. While just a brief intro, I trust you now know where to start, what techniques you need to develop and where to look should you need more info. Good luck!

The post 10 Acting Techniques Every Actor Should Explore appeared first on StageMilk.

By showreel scene, I mean a self-produced proof of your acting. It is a filmed work that you have chosen and either shot in a self-taped/audition style or a simple setup that demonstrates your ability to perform a scene. It may be a stand alone scene or used as part of a small collection of works. Whilst it can be new writing, more often it is a scene from an existing movie or show. 

Most everyone, including myself, has had – or will have – the agonising process of trawling through scenes, looking for “the one”. Although the search may be arduous, what is more frustrating is thinking you’ve found gold and then being told its trash. I hope with this article I can help you identify why this might occur. 

When you see a good showreel scene of a colleague or classmate, you know it, but it can be hard to pinpoint why its good. Don’t worry, I am here to help. So, if you’ve been on the hunt and want help narrowing it down, or you want to find out what the ingredients of a great showreel scene are, read on. 

Know Your Type – Play to Your Strength

We often forget this, but what makes a great showreel scene, is one that suits, and showcases the actor doing it. 

When I was picking my first showreel scene, I had no idea who I was. That is not meant to be existential, I was comfortable with who I was, but I had no idea how I would sell myself. It sounds crude, but really that is what I am offering – me and my talent – and I wasn’t sure where ‘me’ fit into the spectrum of characters that appear in our stories. 

Although as actors we like to think we can play everything, we probably won’t get a chance to. That’s the reality. We all have a type. I should clarify that I am not talking about race and gender here. What I am talking about is our mode of being. The energy we naturally exude and feel most comfortable in. Some of us are naturally more reserved or romantic, aggressive or sombre, serious or jolly, amicable or standoffish. Although it’s possible to play beyond that, it is undeniable that actors excel in certain types of roles that suit them.  

A small anecdote from the vault: Early on in my acting, I found a scene from Vickie Christina Barcelona that I thought could be a potential showreel scene for myself. It was fun, playful and I thought it had a great arch. I watched the scene and it flowed fantastically. I brought it to class, expecting a good response. Then a class mate said, “I mean, it’s a good scene… but you’re not Javier Bardem.” Although bruising to the ego of a young man in his early 20s, my classmate was right. It was a good scene, but I am no romantic lead, and although the scene was good, I was totally wrong for it. 

Finding where you fit is a tricky thing to nail down and unfortunately you are the worst judge of who you are. I have seen a lot of actors try and fail to force themselves into the type they think they are or want to be. As soon as they let that go and be themselves, that is when the jobs start happening.

So, ask. Ask directors, agents, teachers or classmates (not parents or close friends, they are bias). Pay attention to what scenes you keep getting given, in class or castings. Find where you fit, where you are most cast-able and then lean into it. If your naturally boisterous and comedy is your strength, don’t put down a quiet tragic scene as your first showreel to test your range. Show them what you’re good at!

After you have put your best foot forwards, then you can start adding some variety. However, if you find the right scene, it should have plenty of opportunity to showcase your acting. 

Check out this article more information about knowing your ‘actor type’ or typecast.

How Long Should a Showreel Scene Be?

The length of the scene is a matter of who you ask. Different people have different preferences and trends change all the time. You need it short enough that it doesn’t get boring, but long enough that something happens. Time for the character you’re playing to be changed, but not too long that the audience gets ahead of you. 

I like to think in terms of pages. For me, a good show reel scene is 2-3 pages of film script. It’s a nice chunk of action, has 3-7 beats, and enough happens in it for the characters to be different at the end of the scene than they were at the beginning. Any more than that, and we are getting into short film length, and casting directors will rarely get to the end of it. Any less, and there is very little chance to show you reacting to anything. 

What Can I Do to Make My Showreel Scene Good?

I am going to offer a couple of random philosophies I have picked up which I always use when working with students on any scene work, that also apply to showreel scenes. 

#1 Chicken Roll Theory

This is a strange one, but bear with me. 

If you take your first bite out of a chicken roll, and its mostly bread and mayo, your first thought is “there is not enough chicken in this chicken roll”. No matter how much chicken is in the rest of the roll, your first thought is that it is lacking. 

Same applies to the end. If the final bite is just bread and mayo, no matter how much chicken was in the middle of the roll, you are left feeling that there should have been more. 

So what does this mean? The opening and closing of the scene need to have an impact. Really good showreel scenes start and end super strong. This doesn’t mean the middle can sag, far from it, but having strong opening can hook the viewer in and a strong closing moment which leaves a lasting impression can really serve you well. 

It is worth keeping in mind the sheer quantity of tapes a prospective agent or casting director will receive. They are time poor and have more to watch. From the small amount of casting I have done, the first 30 seconds is super important. By that point I already know if I want to see more, or if I want to move on. 

#2 ‘Pacey Pacey Darlings’

I had a director who used this exact phrase. It doesn’t mean rush, but it does mean trim the fat from the piece. It’s a warning against overindulging. 

Too often I see actors indulging in moments in a showreel. Extending a pause so they can push out a tear or let something linger so they ‘really feel it’. They feel the pressure of the showreel and focus so much on their moments, that they forget to serve the scene. They are so concerned that their acting hasn’t been seen, so they act harder for longer. I feel most of us are guilty of this sometimes. Unfortunately this usually comes off as forced, indulgent or a little contrived. 

A good defence against this is to keep up the pace of the scene. Again, this doesn’t mean rushing lines or overlapping cues, it means making sure you are not artificially slowing it down, or adding unnecessary pauses in. Use the lines you have to pursue your objective. “Suit the action to the word, the word to the action” as Shakespeare said. Don’t act your intention and emotions and then say the line. Use your lines to convey your intentions and emotions. 

To put it another way: act on the line. And the best way to serve yourself, is to serve the scene. 

#3 All Killer, No Filler

“But what if my scene doesn’t have much happening in it?” I hear you ask. Well… find another scene. A great showreel scene is very similar to a great audition scene. It should be a crucial point for the character. Using a scene of fluff, where not much happens will give you very little opportunity to showcase your acting. A scene with a stronger character journey is going to have much more impact than a very domestic, uneventful scene. 

Character Journey

A good showreel scene is a mini story, with a beginning, middle and end. We often think about story arcs, but for showreels we need to think about arcs in a much smaller unit of action. In the 2-3 pages, something needs to happen to affect the character in it. This is what stories are all about. If you pick a scene just because of some witty dialogue or a cool punch line, you are showcasing the writer, not yourself. You will have no opportunity to demonstrate range or dynamism within a scene. However a scene with a strong character journey can give you the opportunity to 

Look for the journey of the character. If you don’t know what I mean by that have a think of these elements:

1. Is the character different at the beginning of the scene then at the end? (Character development)
2. Did the character expect one thing to happen, and instead had to deal with something else? (Gap between expectation and reality)
3. Did new information in the scene significantly shift the tone and energy of the character? (turning point moment)

By having a showreel scene which answers yes to one or all of the above criteria, your showreel scene will have the opportunities you need to demonstrate range, action/reaction and variety in your performance. It will also be entertaining for the viewer, because a story is happening in front of them. It becomes an interesting scene, not just a showreel!

Of course in the end it comes down to the playing of it, but having a scene which allows you to find peaks and troughs through playing an objective and that provides an opportunity for your character to shift and change during the events of a scene, then you are on your way to having a great showreel scene.

A Good Showreel Scene Requires No Context

Another often overlooked element of a good showreel is the amount of context it requires. 

This answer should be zero. Zero context should be required. It should require no explanation, no preamble and no complex set up or action. 

A good showreel scene allows whoever is watching to be able to concentrate on the acting, not find themselves asking questions about the scene. I would love to do a scene from The Expanse, but for someone that hasn’t seen it, mention of the “Outer Planet Alliance” is going to take them out of the scene as they are going to start wondering what that could possibly be. Whilst soldiers in the trench might be compelling, if there is too much action, we become distracted by the logistics of the world you are creating, and we can’t focus on the acting. 

Everything from the setting to the relationships should be immediately obvious or entirely irrelevant to the audience. Steer clear of jargon, whether its super professional, sci fi or supernatural. Pretty much, you are wanting to make sure there are no distractions or obstacles to the viewer focusing on you. 

The same goes for stylistic choices. Anything too genre specific, or stylistically out of the ordinary is going to be jarring. Fleabag is a great show for showreel scenes, but the direct to camera addresses can be jarring for a showreel. It works for Fleabag the show, it wont work for a showreel. People familiar with the show will get it, but if they haven’t seen it, they will be very confused. 

Two hander scenes that deal with personal matters are best, with a very clear relationship between the two characters. If I did end up doing a scene from The Expanse, I would choose one that deals with interpersonal drama, not one that mentions the political landscape of the solar system in the year 2400 or the technology that’s around. 

A Good Showreel Is ‘Beyond Compare’

A good showreel is a stand alone work. You should be able to watch it without context so the actor’s performance can shine through. With that in mind, you also don’t want your viewers to be reminded of someone else’s performance when they are watching your work. 

The last thing you want is to be compared to an Oscar winner. I see this almost every year I work with graduates. The scene they want to do is the scene that won someone an oscar. Its too fresh, too iconic, so many people will want to do it and most importantly… your performance will probably be compared to the Oscar winning performance. Why do this to yourself? 

Same applies for trending series. Don’t set yourself up to be compared against everyone else using that scene. A new, well written show comes out, and then, within a few months, a stack of actors are using the same few scenes for their showreel. Two years ago, everybody was doing Sex Ed scenes. Last year it was Fleabag. This year, I am sure it will be You, Gaslit or Succession. If you are looking at popular shows or movies, dig further into the show to find some of the less iconic moments. 

You are better off finding something a little left of field. Go to good production houses and look at their back catalogue. Maybe a locally produced show or something from a few years ago. Something which allows the viewer to watch without being distracted by lines they are familiar with, or scenes which they know. 

If you do want to do a scene from a show trending currently make sure you give your own version. Don’t set yourself up as a direct copy or replica of a performance, do it your way. 

If you want more tips on: where to find a showreel scenes.

Conclusion: Good Luck!

As with all of the topics I write about, I feel like I could write a book on the subject. Whilst there is always more to think about, this is a great place to start when considering what will make a good showreel scene. 

As I mentioned earlier, in the end it comes down to how you play it. And good actors will do good scenes. But being able to identify what makes a good scene for this purpose can help you narrow your search for scripts or help you choose between takes of the same scene.

Most important thing to remember if you are putting together a showreel scene, is that this does not have to be one and done. If you shoot a scene and you don’t like it, you can do another. If the scene you have up isn’t getting the reception you wanted, you can shoot another. If you get sick of the scene you have or you want to pitch yourself in a different direction, you can shoot another! Keep working until you’re happy with it. 

The post What Makes a Good Showreel Scene appeared first on StageMilk.

If you have come to this article in a fluster after searching for scenes for hours, don’t worry. This quick guide will point you in the right direction. For those just dipping their toe in, who are thinking of building a showreel, this guide will hopefully save you some stress. 

Updated 13th December, 2022.

What Are You Looking For?

The first step is knowing what you are looking for in a good showreel script. There is no point opening up a script resource page, or trawling through a series on double speed hoping to stumble across a perfect scene. It is much better to think about narrowing your search down before you even get started. 

So, stop and have a think. What are you looking for? Do you need a scene that contrasts the ones you already have? Or something that plays to your strength? What are the character traits, given circumstances or genres you need to investigate? 

What makes for a great showreel scene is a whole other article (watch this space…) But asking yourself these questions can help get you closer to finding a scene that is right for you and your needs. The time you save in the search will give you more time to prep and shoot. 

Can You Find Showreel Scripts Online?

Once you have some ideas, start searching for materials that fit your criteria. If you know the shows, films or plays you’re looking for, head directly to finding scripts. If you want to have a watch, make sure (before you start bingeing another series) that you look at synopses or episode breakdowns. This can help you pinpoint big moments for characters, or help you find a scene you remember seeing. 

The beauty of streaming service algorithms means that you can quickly scan a large group of shows or movies that have similarities to one another. Alternatively, if there is an actor that continues to play roles that you think suit your own style, have a look through their filmography to see what else might suit you. 

As far as finding a script… Well, this isn’t actually as hard as you might think! There are a myriad of databases on the internet filled with copies of scripts from films, television and online series. I could write a list, but honestly just making sure you’re using the right search terms is a better way to help you finding that scene you’re after. Use the full title of the movie or series you’re looking for, complete with season and episode number, followed by keywords such as “script”, “teleplay”, “transcript” or “sides”. I also like using “.pdf” at the end to further narrow results to something that is usable. It should look something like this:

“Breaking Bad Season 1 episode 4 script .pdf”

“Mad Max: Fury Road script .pdf” 

From there, you have options and you will know doubt find trustworthy free databases that you regularly return to for the shows you like. You will find full scripts, transcripts dialogue, sometimes even drafts or fan-transcribed documents. Although there is a little sifting to be done, in my experience I have found almost everything is out there somewhere. 

Streaming with Subtitles

If you still can’t find the script after a search, then you might have to go back to the drawing board: or in this case, a word processor. Throw on the subtitles, watch the scene on half-speed and have the script dictated to you. I have even heard of some people putting the volume up and turning on speech to text, but I haven’t had much luck myself. With all the typos you end up correcting, it’s usually quicker to transcribe the material directly.

Although seemingly convenient, particularly if you have immediate access to the show or movie, set aside more time than you think. However inefficient, when stuck, this can be a really solid option and also doubles as a line learning exercise! Just make sure it’s definitely a scene you want to do before putting in the effort. Unless you are an ex-court stenographer, it will take time to transcribe and format into a useful script. And you want to make sure what’s there is exactly what was originally written.

Can You Use Plays for Showreel Scenes?

We don’t often look here because the pacing and style of a play doesn’t always translate to camera. However, we are not making a film: we’re shooting a showreel scene! And good material is good material.

There has been a big revival of realism in plays this century, particularly in regards to dialogue. Many authors start with theatre and move into television. For example, Fleabag started as a play before it was turned into a television series. Writer Lucy Prebble was a very successful playwright before working on Succession. Lots of successful authors do both, meaning you can find some awesome scenes for your showreel within a play.

Again, I wouldn’t recommend starting your search by opening any compendium of plays and starting to read without knowing what you’re looking for. This would be a massive time sink. Instead, if you find a movie or series you like, see if the writer has also written for theatre and start from there. Finding playscripts online can also be harder than finding their film cousins, so you made need a library card (yes, an actual library card), access to a performing arts collection through a University, or an online database like Drama Online.

Another hidden bonus of finding scenes from a play is that it will more than likely be unique. Rather than picking the scene that’s in vogue from the series that everyone is watching, you’ll have a scene which is excellently written, yet not immediately recognisable. 

Acting Class Scenes

If you are currently doing an acting class (maybe you’re even part of StageMilk scene club? ), then scenes will be put in front of you all the time. Often, we disregard these scenes either because we view them as ‘learning tools’, or because we got slammed in a note session, or we are sick of them because we just saw our entire class do them. 

However, you should remember that the showreel is not for your class. It is for casting directors, directors, potential agents and collaborators to have a look at. If you find a scene that you enjoy—or more importantly, nail—then don’t be afraid to add it to the bank. 

Also, your teachers or instructors may be able to point you in the right direction by either recommending scenes they know or helping you to find authors, series, movies or actors to watch. They spend a lot of time watching and reading scenes, and will also have a good radar of when something has been overdone. They will also help you be objective and find scenes that suit you, as they’ll know you as a performer better than most.

Can You Write Your Own Showreel Scene?

Not many consider this, but… Can you write? If you are a wordsmith, you can simply write your own scene. I made that sound very simple, and of course, for those that have written to a high standard, you already know how difficult it can be to write a roughly two-minute scene with a satisfying arc/no context. 

Instead, I would suggest using your skills to augment or refine an already existing scene. If you find a character you like, but they are of the wrong age or gender, a few tweaks might make the scene more appropriate for you. An otherwise perfect scene might have too much exposition or need too much context to be understood. A few edits or additions might circumvent these problems. 

If you are an adept writer (or looking to become one, which is how they all start out), beginning from scratch is also a possibility. Just make sure you have people you trust to look at it before you use it to shoot with. Scripts go through huge amounts of development, drafting, and editing before they get put in front of the camera. Don’t assume your writing is any different. 

Like It, Save It: Active Watching.

Finally, The best way to save time in finding a showreel scene is to always be looking. This doesn’t mean constantly scouring scripts, but instead always having the search for scenes in the back of your mind when watching movies or series. 

We are all always consuming a stack of media across multiple platforms. Finding that scene you saw six months ago can be like finding a needle in a haystack—particularly if it’s from a show with multiple long seasons. So, if you see something you like, take note as you are watching. You may not always need a new scene, but taking five seconds to note down great scenes or characters as you see them will save you heaps of time when you do need to find one. Keep a journal, bookmark on a streaming platform or type something into your phone’s ‘notes’ section. You will thank yourself later. 

A Couple of Don’ts

Before you go launching into your search, let’s cover a few important don’ts when searching for a showreel script. Your search is going to take you all over the place and take a huge amount of time. Let me point out a few places you shouldn’t even bother with. Trust me.

#1 Get Away from Superhero or Science Fiction

Just… no. 

Why? Too popular, too iconic, or needing too much context and special effects. I love the Force as much as the next Jedi, but no one wants to see you screaming “I have the high ground!” in a showreel. No amount of self edited lava on your green screen is going to get that to carry. Same goes for all caped or mask-wearing super heroes, any of the Doctor Whos, passengers or crew onboard any of the Starfleet ships, no matter how personal the moment. A showreel is not the time to deliver your version of The Joker or Harley Quinn. 

Maybe, just maybe, you could get away with a more human moment from a show like Buffy, Supernatural, or Jessica Jones. But remember that it’s that human quality we’re looking for: not somebody who is, by default, more than or different than human. You might be a fan, it might be fun, but you won’t do yourself any favours. At worst, you’ll push people away.

#2 Stay Away from Cult Films and the Award Winners

Why would you want your performance compared to an Oscar winner? Do you really want your Roman Roy compared to the guy that just won an Emmy for it? Are you really going to deliver the Diner scene from Silver Linings Playbook better than Jennifer Lawrence? Is the Mr Pink rant from Reservoir Dogs really going to carry without the all star cast?

I see this all the time, and it’s a big no. Either you are going to copy the performance, or you are going to use lines that a true prodigy has already nailed. And I guarantee whoever is watching will start thinking about the person who did it first. 

These are fun scenes to study and play with, but for a showreel it is worth going a little further off the beaten track. You want people to be watching your acting, not thinking about the movie the scene is from or comparing you to the actor that played it so well that they were given a shiny statue for their efforts. 

#3 Animation

No matter how naturalistic the dialogue, the stylistic divide is too great. Don’t underestimate how much the character design and animation play into what you are receiving when viewing. Replacing that with warm bodies will very rarely work. 

#4 Translations

Not so much a hard “don’t”, more one to be careful of. Often, translations, subtitles or dubs don’t convey the nuance of the original language, making it cumbersome or clunky. If you think a scene is a winner, feel free to transcribe and give it a go. Just remember that when we hear dialogue in a foreign language we don’t understand, it can sound very very different when translated into English. Most of the time, it doesn’t sound half as artsy or deep.

#5 Don’t Use Audition Scenes… Yet

If you just had a self tape or audition, and you loved the part, don’t put it on your showreel straight away! 

Scripts being used to audition with are often embargoed, not for copy or release, or simply not finished yet. The timeline for a production to go from the audition process to official release could be years, and releasing a scene from the show or movie that isn’t finished is a big no-no. Casting directors may get very annoyed that the embargoed script is now on someone’s Showcast. 

So if you really love a script, put it in the vault and wait for the show or movie to be released. Only then it is fair game. 

Conclusion

Hopefully these tips will help you focus your showreel search, save you some time and get you closer to finding that scene you need for your showreel. 

Remember, a showreel is an ever-evolving thing. At different ages and stages, you will need to showcase different things. This means that you will always be updating. So its important to keep looking out for scenes you could add to the bank just in case you ever need to refresh your reel. As you start getting work, your self-shot scenes will gradually be replaced by examples of professional work, but even then, you may want to intersperse some new scenes to show range if you feel it’s getting a bit stale. 

So keep looking, keep searching and good hunting!

The post How to Find Showreel Scripts appeared first on StageMilk.

This is a topic I was eager to write about because I have dealt with several bouts of stage fright throughout my acting. At its most extreme, I thought I would have to stop performing all together. The thing I loved to do became unbearable. 

I had to make a choice: do I let this thinking ruin the thing I love doing, or do I try and get it under control? Obviously, I chose the later and learnt some tricks that help along the way. 

There is no quick fix solution. It is part of the job. However, just because this feeling happens, that doesn’t mean it should stop you doing the thing you love. If your work is hard on your back because you are sitting down all day, or the sport you love playing causes your ankles to play up, wouldn’t you try and fix that? You would! You would get physio, or do exercises, or maybe warm up more before games. You would get another chair, or a standing desk. 

Stage fright is no different to these other workplace hazards. If you can stay aware of it, and have ways to manage it, you can make sure it’s never a barrier to you doing your best work. 

What Is Stage Fright?

Stage fright is literally what the name suggests: you have become frightened of the stage. In this day and age, stage does not have to mean a literal stage. It is any moment of performance. Auditions, self taping or even working with a new actor informally can cause stage fright to appear. 

Stage fright is becoming frightened of allowing someone to watch your work. Even though I feel I sometimes do my best work when no one is watching, acting needs an audience. Without an audience it is just practice. If you become afraid of being watched whilst you act, it can make performing a not only difficult, but frankly unenjoyable. 

What causes it can be varied. It may be caused by the pressure you have placed on the job, the size or scale of the production, the culture of the workplace, the difficulty of the roll or a bad review. Though the causes are varied, the symptoms are the same. It always manifests into negative thinking about whether the work you are doing is worth watching. 

Once this mentality sets in, you stop playing and taking risks. You stop being present because you have become worried about what the people watching are seeing. You are busy watching and monitoring yourself, rather then being in the moment. 

What’s most affecting for me, is the enjoyment of the process starts being undermined by the stress of the mindset. Acting should be if nothing else, enjoyable. We have all chosen to pursue acting because of a passion for sharing stories and an enjoyment of the craft. If you let stage fright get to the point where it stops you enjoying acting, then what’s the point? If I am going to be miserable in my job I may as well do something less volatile with a more regular paycheck.

Is Stage Fright Just Nerves?

I think its important to point out that nerves are not Stage Fright. They can be linked, but for me they are two separate states a performer might find themselves in. 

Nerves is just excitement. Getting the rush of nerves can be confusing feeling, but it’s usually short-lived and manageable. They are usually experienced at the start of the production or performance. Opening nights, first big scene, or a big call back can get nerves going. Usually after the initial shock, the nerves dissipates as you get more comfortable with the situation.  

That’s not to say they are fun. They can affect the body, and that can be frustrating. Breathing can get shallow, heart rate goes up, and calming this can make it hard to stay in the moment. My hands shake when I am nervous. Glasses of water or loose paper props in scenes have become a particular pet peeve of mine, because the shaking is amplified with these items.

Keep breathing and the nerves will disappear. Stage fright takes a little more gumption to remove. 

What Can I Do to Stop Stage Fright?

Whilst you might not be able to stop Stage Fright completely – as like any physical or psychological injury, you may get a niggle from time to time – there are definitely steps to stop it becoming a barrier to you doing your best work. 

For those of you that have had a bad case of stage fright, you know it feeds on itself. It is a self-fulfilling prophesy: You worry that your work isn’t good enough which makes you play it safe and not take big risks, which makes your perceive your work as weaker, which makes you less confident with your work, which leads you to worry that your work isn’t good enough…. And so on.  Round and round it goes.

Sometimes a good show, or a compliment from the sound person, or an interesting note will disrupt the pattern. Sometimes you have to do it yourself. 

Ultimately its about changing your perspective. It’s a pattern of thinking that needs to be disrupted. Its about now I should say I am not a psychologist, or counsellor or neuroscientist. I do not know how the mind works. I am just an actor that would like to share – actor to actor – some truths that can help in disrupting this unhelpful way of thinking. 

Story Is King

Hamlet is not Hamlet without Claudius. Princess Leigh can’t exist without the Empire. Jerry is not Jerry without Elaine, Kramar, George and New York. Sophie doesn’t have to make a choice if she wasn’t there. 

It is easy to fall into the trap of feeling its all about you, but nothing happens in a vacuum. Everything you do is attached to something: the story. For an actor working with a script, you have to remember that someone has built a journey for you to travel along. The fact that you are reading it means someone has put a great deal of thought into what that journey is, and if it’s gone through development, you know it’s a pretty dam good one. Its your job to show this journey to the audience.

 At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether you are casting a show or watching a movie, as someone watching a performance you are always watching a story. The story is what acting is all about. In fact I shouldn’t be able to see acting at all. I shouldn’t be thinking about it. Because I should be watching the story. 

I had an acting coach once tell me: let the text do the heavy lifting. Allow yourself to remember you are a part of a team, not an individual, even when doing scenes by yourself. You are one part of the whole. The writer has your back even if you will never meet them. Have theirs and the other actors you are with, and the performance becomes a team effort, not a solo job. 

This reminder can stop us worrying about what we are doing and whether it is ‘good’. Instead focus on, ‘is the audience receiving the story?’. This takes the focus off the individual, and allows us instead to serve something bigger than ourselves. 

Trust the Work

If you are feeling terrible about an audition, performance or workshop, but you did nothing to prepare…. Then you deserve every bad feeling. You have wasted everybody’s time and that feeling is just the feeling of letting everyone down. 

However, if you put in work – thought about character, made choices, structured the scene, learned lines, followed direction etc – then back yourself. Your work is worth seeing. 

Whilst rehearsing a scene, you have made decisions that you think are worth seeing. You have worked out how you feel this character should be played, and what they offer to the story. Really, you are doing the scene how you want to see it. If you want to see it, then trust someone else will too. You made a choice to act this way because you think its good! Just because someone else is watching now, doesn’t mean you should change or doubt a thing.

When stage fright kicks in, the panicked brain starts doubting the hours you’ve put in and tells you that you’ve made bad choices, and you can start backing off. Remember, if you have put in time and effort, you can put your faith in the work you have done showing through. A bad run of a well-rehearsed piece will only be off by a couple of degrees. A well prepared, hard working actor will always do more good work then bad.  

This doesn’t mean that everything will always go smoothly. You might drop a line here, or miss a moment there and these stumbles can feel monumental, but they are just moments. We all have good days and bad. Overall if you have put in work and are prepared, you can trust it will show.  

Don’t Judge Yourself

One of the patterns of thinking that can get in the way is when you start watching and judging yourself in real time. This is a terrible place to be in because you never become fully present. Your brain is instead scrutinising your work and worried about whether people are judging you for it. 

If you find yourself here, there are two important to things remember: 

#1 No One Cares

What? That’s right. No one cares. Sure they might not like the show or cast you in that role… but so what?

In reality, we are providing escapism or stories to people that want to see them. Our highest aspiration is to be watched in people’s free time. Whether people like it or hate it is entirely subjective. No one is judging you personally. It is just a job. Even your greatest work will be hated by someone. Paradoxically, the more successful you are, the more people will see your work, and therefore the more people there are that will hate it. 

I hated Lala Land. Couldn’t stand it. The closest I have been to walking out of a movie. Does that mean its bad? Or that the creative team should care what I think? Or that I think less of Ryan Gosling as a person because of that film? These are laughably ridiculous thoughts. 

Actors have a strange habit of making our work on stage or camera our entire identity and whether people like it or not the entire measure of our worth. That’s where stage fright can fester. If my acting is no good, then I am no good. This is too much pressure, and it absolutely isn’t how people think. They may not like what they saw, that’s true, but that’s as far as they go. 

Not getting a part, or a good review, is irrelevant to our existence. You are still you, and you still have value. We might judge the work, but that’s all it is – work. This is how the rest of the world views work. Remembering that acting is no different is an important way of stopping this spiral. It is just a job. Just a contract. If this one was no good, don’t worry, there will be a next one. 

#2  It’s Not That Bad 

So you’ve had a bad show, or a bad audition? You feel like you could have done better, and the performance was better the last time you did it. 

Every actor has felt this feeling. The feeling of not nailing it. This feeling is normal and fine, but what becomes a problem is when this thought takes root and you start beating yourself up for your perceived failures, and pre-empt this will happen on your next attempt. 

Having directed shows in theatre, I have learned that actors are THE WORST judge of when they are good or bad. I am sure a lot of you have also felt the strange disconnect of landing a role after feeling like you butchered an audition. Or getting a great response for a ‘dud’ performance. Or watching an edit and seeing that the used the take you hated performing. The gap between a ‘good’ and ‘bad’ performance is usually only a couple of percentage points. Whilst it might feel like a 50% difference when you’re in it, its closer to 2% when watching it.

Whats important to remember is just get out of your head. This is easier said than done, but its important to stop thinking in definites. You have no idea how it’s going, because you can’t watch it. Shift, the self talk that says “This isn’t going well”, to “I don’t know how this is going”. Even allowing the self talk to be open can give you space to breathe and get back into the moment.  

Luckily, every scene, every take or every breath is an opportunity to have a reset. Take a moment, stop the judgement of yourself and have a play. 

Important to Talk about It

For the longest time I tried to control my stage fright by just pretending it wasn’t there. I deny its there, I tell no one about it, and try my best to hide any internal anguish from co-workers. Because I can act, I always managed to hide it pretty well too. For anyone dealing with any sort of mental health problem or negative self talk you would know that this is the exact opposite of what you should do. 

If you are acting, in any situation, the people around you want you to do well. The director cast you because they thought you would be great. The casting agent wants you to be the one to book the job. The rest of the cast want you to do your best work, because it makes them look good.

If you are struggling, let them know. People around you understand the pressure of performance and they may be able to help. Admitting to a casting director that your nerves are getting the better of you or telling a director you weren’t happy with a run, or a coach that you’re struggling to receive notes objectively means they can now try and help. 

This does not mean you make it their problem. This is not “I’m struggling, so now do everything to make sure I am not”. Nor is it something you should use to manage expectations; “I’ll say my nerves are bad so they go easy on me” Both of these are selfish and disingenuous. It is just letting them know calmly and honestly that you are having a rough time. They may be able to help, they may not, but at least they know where you are coming from. 

In my experience, simply saying that I am struggling helps to alleviate it. More then once, other actors have been in the same boat and my admission has given them an opportunity to talk about it as well. Directors have been able to check in and reaffirm good work, and casting directors have allowed a moment to centre myself. 

No Harm in Taking a Break

If stage fright keeps bubbling up and making performing unenjoyable, there is no harm in taking a break. If you are genuinely not enjoying acting because of stage fright but keep putting yourself in positions where its exacerbated, I guarantee your career will be short lived. You will stop all together.  Whereas a short hiatus may be the reset you need, and will allow you to focus on the aspects you love. 

Actors fear saying no. They fear saying no to a part because that may be their break! They fear disappointing directors because they may be blacklisted, or their agents because they may not work as hard for you anymore. For me, the worst pressure comes from the people in your life that always ask “so, hows the acting going?”. 

In any other field if people change jobs, its called a career change. If you need time away or you’re burned out, you take leave. But with acting if you stop for any time its because YOU QUIT!

This is nonsense and frankly a really toxic part of acting culture. Don’t listen to this way of thinking. If you want or need a break, take it. You may even find you need a break from some of it, but not all of it. You might want a break from stage because audiences are overwhelming, but film may be fine. You might put a pause on auditions to focus on classes. You may find that the pressure of employment is too much to place on it, so you might move your full time aspirations to part time. 

For me, whats most important is that you are still doing the thing you love. So take the time you need, and make the decisions you need to, to make sure you love what you do. 

Performance Psycologists

This is a real thing. Although originating from the sports world, this is a growing field of psychology that focuses on people that need to deliver at specific moments. Performing Arts universities usually have someone on staff to they work with with the unique psychological pressures faced by performers. They help dancers, musicians and actors to develop strategies to limit the pressure their occupation creates. 

If you feel this is something that interests you, and you feel your stage fright is becoming unmanageable, this sort of professional treatment is very targeted and understanding of the situation you are in. 

Conclusion

Whilst stage fright can be a real spur in the side of actors, it can be managed. The most important thing to remember is that you are not alone. This is something all actors will deal with at some point and to some degree throughout their career. Do not suffer in silence, and do not let it get out of control. 

In recent times, our understanding of mental health has grown. We know that patterns of thinking can be disrupted, and maintaining a positive outlook takes work. 

So stay aware of yourself, stay honest about what is happening, and get on top of it before it gets on top of you, so you can keep loving the thing you love. 

The post What Can You Do to Stop Stage Fright? appeared first on StageMilk.

This article is about the theatre practitioner Simon Stephens. Simon Stephens is a prolific English playwright whose work is widely performed in his native country, Europe and in the United States. In addition to his writing, Stephens has taught his craft at a number of schools and theatre companies—most famously heading up the Young Writers’ Programme at the Royal Court Theatre in London. Given the importance of Simon Stephens’ voice in the contemporary theatre landscape, he remains an invaluable artist to know and follow as his career continues to progress.

If you are like me and you feel the draw of the stage more than the draw of the screen, knowing about contemporary playwrights can provide huge benefits. Outside of enriching your artist’s soul with new drama, characters and storylines, being across the current major players in theatre can also help you enrich your career as an actor. Think about the audition process: does the panel really want to hear Biff whine to his father one more time in that same excerpt from Salesman? Or do they want to experience something totally new? Having been a part of many auditions (on both sides of the panel), I know which I prefer to see. Exhibiting knowledge of current trends, current authors and recently acclaimed productions demonstrates a passion for the craft that reaches beyond the plays you were asked to read in high school. And passion recognises passion. 

An Overview of Simon Stephens

Simon Stephens is a prolific playwright who has continued the tradition of theatre into the 21st Century with a run of gritty tragedies. Working in the UK and Europe, Stephens has been a significant champion of new work, and has written over 20 works—including adaptations of novels and classics—since his first play Bluebird premiered at the Royal Court in 1998. His work is a mainstay of modern British theatre, with his plays being staged at iconic venues in the UK such as the National Theatre, The Royal Court, The Bush, the Young Vic and the Lyric Hammersmith. His most critically acclaimed play, an adaptation of Mark Haddon’s A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time won the best new play category at the Olivier Awards in 2013 and Tony Awards in 2015. Other accolades include Olivier Award for best new play for On the Shore of the Wide World in 2006 and the Theatre Heute Award for Motortown in 2007, Pornography in 2008 and Wastewater in 2011. 

As well as his impressive catalogue of works, Stephens’s influence as a 21st Century playwright is amplified by his enthusiastic collaborations with directors. It is through these collaborations, (notably with Sebastian Nubling, Sean Holmes and Ivo Van Hove) that his writing has evolved and shifted constantly throughout his career. His works range from dirty realism like Motortown and Herons, to poetic fragmentation like Pornography, to storytelling like Seawall and even dream-like (or more appropriately nightmare-like) neo-noir in Three Kingdoms. This fluidity of style and genre is borne from a forward-looking attitude towards theatre and an appetite for experimentation and theatrical exploration. It would be fair to suggest that part of his continued acclaim and relevance comes from his work ethic: the man averages a professional production per year since Bluebird in 1998. Impressive. Exhausting.

Simon Stephens For Actors

You may be wondering: “Michael, this is great, but I am just an actor. I don’t need a history lesson. What do I really need to know if I was to work with his texts?” Don’t worry, we are getting to that. (As I am a lecturer in theatre, I can’t help but give the full picture.) Even though his work is largely a continuation of realism—a style we are all aware of and have tools for (targeting, given circumstances, objectives, inner monologue etc etc.)—there are some aspects of his work you should be aware of so you can make the best choices possible when tackling monologues or scenes from his catalogue. 

Tragedy and Comedy: Light and Dark. 

Stephens is not afraid of blending form and genre. Although his works lean largely toward tragedy (like most of his British contemporaries), he is not afraid to sprinkle lightness through his plays as well as some laughs. More often than not, this is not through a set-up/punchline style of writing, but through exploring the absurd reality of the situation he has placed his characters in. The awkwardness of strange bedfellows, the good natured ribbing by teenagers, the joys of unexpected success or the head-butting of characters with conflicting world views can create some hilarious moments. Don’t be fooled, all these situations can also lead to painful tension, harrowing moments and an air of danger, but it is the unpredictable nature of how the story unfolds which makes his work so compelling.

What is most important for the actor to remember is to play the objective and the moment in front of you right now. ‘End gaming’—a term used to describe acting for the outcome of the story—flattens the story and eliminates the beautiful nuance littered throughout his work. Playing the story how you know it will end robs us the audience of the journey. So don’t worry about playing it like a tragedy or playing it like a comedy: play it for real and allow the audience to decide. 

Characters: Best and Worst.

I love Stephens’ characters because they are extremely difficult to like. Its not because they do not have admirable qualities, they often have many, but because he makes sure to show us their worst traits as well. He then leaves it up to us, the audience, to decide how they should be judged. In Birdland, we can’t help but fall in love with the brutally honest yet charismatic rock star. But then he is tricked into sleeping with a 14 year old. Now, he didn’t know how old she was, but we see him make the choice not to check. The ex-soldier in Motortown could be a sufferer of PTSD and military bullying culture, but when he tortures and kills someone, are we still willing to call him a victim?

I have coined the term ‘victim as perpetrator’ to explain this character dynamic in his works. Everybody is a victim. Everybody is a perpetrator. Being a victim might explain certain behaviour, but does it excuse it when the line is crossed? These are the questions Stephens is forcing us to wrestle with. Sometimes people do the right thing, sometimes they don’t. What’s most important for the actor is to make sure you do not judge your characters. Do not think of their actions in hindsight. Every single one of them is doing what they think is the right thing in any given moment.

By showing the best and worst of everybody he is creating a world of people, not archetypes. Flawed, helpless, people trying to get through life as best they can. Do not make villains, do not make heroes. These are not Greek myths, these are studies of modern life, and by allowing your characters to be just people, warts and all, you are allowing the audience to hold a mirror to themselves. The world as it is, not as it should be. This can be challenging because, as actors, we like to be liked. So when acting in Stephens’ works, be prepared to be unlikeable in your character but respected for your honesty.

And a Note on Motivation…

My least favourite thing for an actor to say is: “My character wouldn’t do that”. Who says? You? We do things that surprise ourselves all the time when put into new situations and we are ourselves! So don’t think for a second you can sum up these characters in a sentence or predict their behaviour. Simon Stephens makes sure to put his characters into situations they are not used to. Situations they have never come up against before. Situations where they must act out of character. As a result, they don’t know how they are going to act. Do not lock your character down into simple statements: “My character is this or that”. No. Your character is just responding and reacting to these circumstances they have never encountered. Every option is on the table, and the only situation you must deal with is the one right in front of you at any given moment.

Secrets and Lies.

Every protagonist I have seen in a Simon Stephens play has a secret. Sometimes it comes out. Sometimes it doesn’t. If it does come out, it usually comes out at the end of the play, and knowing the secret changes our perspective of the events we have just watched. They serve a purpose for story, but it’s also important to know as the actor playing the character. 

Stephens’ characters often lie to keep their secrets. This means you can not believe everything they say. You will also get conflicting truths—one character will believe what their truth is, which might contradict what another character believes is the truth. This does not necessarily mean they are lying, it just means they believe something different to be true. Sound muddy and confusing? Well that’s life, and that’s what he is trying to write! 

What the objective truth can take some investigating and, in the end, you yourself must make the choices about truth in the play. You must decide what that secret is. Stephens writes in a way that demands interpretation from directors, actors and audience. He understands there is a deep well of subconscious and conscious behaviour that we as people have no control over and often have no awareness of. You will not necessarily find a straight, objective answer handed to you in the text, but you must decide on your characters truth and what your characters secret is. Once you have them, that will provide depth, nuance and allow your characters world view to be fully informed and enriched. 

Who am I talking to, and what do I feel about them? 

Stephens is all about text. Words. What people say and how they react. He often asks directors to have no set, or abstraction. He believes the actors can hold the world in between them, we don’t need to be spoon-fed through a naturalistic set. This is exciting, but it also means, as actors, we must invest fully into the relationship we have with all the characters on stage, because often our action/reaction/interaction is the only thing that is actually on stage. 

He can often drop us in mid-conversation with very little information. He is not one for page long stage directions, so we must again make choices to decide what the relationship is between people. For the actor, this means making choices about what our character thinks about the other characters on stage. What is between them? What is the power dynamic? Are we familiar? How much ‘fronting’ is going on? Are we being genuine or not? Are we trying to impress them, or couldn’t we care less? Really we can boil it down to one question: What do we want from them? Keep thinking about this question and the world will exist between you. 

Check out our article on script analysis for more information on extracting a writer’s hidden meaning.

Find Your Ten.

I use this phrase a lot when directing, and it boils down to this: pick your moments. We cannot stay at a ‘level ten’ of intensity for too long, and we should only get there once in a scene otherwise it becomes boring (not matter how ‘emotional’ you think it is). Even in extreme moments, we need to find range, nuance and multiple tactics to achieving our objective. A lot of Stephens work has extended moments of high tension. Seawall is a 35 minute monologue about a man losing his child. Three Kingdoms has a scene where they are trying to decapitate a corpse with a hacksaw and it’s harder than they think it will be. These extended moments have the potential to be extraordinarily powerful, but can be drowned out if we sit in extremity for too long. We need to make sure we structure these moments carefully and don’t wash them out through trying to make 

Remember, emotion is a by-product, not a goal. Units, beats, actioning and objectives are your best friend in these moments. Do not get swept away by trying to ‘get there’ emotionally. Instead, lean on your units/beats and your objective, and trust the emotion will come. 

In Summary

Simon Stephens’ work is written in a way to challenge not just the audience, but the director and actors working on it. He asks everybody to make choices about the characters without boxing them in to a trope or archetype. It requires work, and the answers are not easy to find. The thing to remember is that doing such work will always make you a better actor and collaborator. You’ll improve your craft ten-fold if you immerse yourself in Stephens’ incredible body of work—and once you’re all caught up, you can follow along with him in his next exploit, lock-step in the same creative journey. 

The post Why You Should Know Simon Stephens appeared first on StageMilk.

In broad strokes, American theatre is largely naturalistic, based in reality but by no means a reinvention of form or function. What truly sets it apart from other examples of Western theatre—and what continues to intrigue audiences worldwide—is its focus on the minutiae of American life: the everyday trials and tribulations of the individual. This article explains some of the overarching thematic concerns you might encounter in the genre, and how best to approach them in your acting craft.

Rather than drag through an easily wiki-ed list of authors and works, trawling through the Bakers, Williams, Millers and Mamets, I instead want to draw attention to the recurring themes and dynamics that make American theatre unique and, by extension, popular with theatregoers and theatre-makers alike the world over.

Modern Tragedy and the ‘Everyman’

American theatre has a preoccupation with so-called common people. This does not mean that the characters are not extraordinary in themselves, or that the events in the play are not extraordinary, but for the most part the drama that is occurring does not radiate out into the world. These are not the Kings of Shakespeare, the Generals of Greece or the Aristocrats of Chekov. These are just people. This trend can be traced back to two major influences: the galvanising of the concept of the ‘American dream’, especially in the post-war years, and the dramatic effect of Konstantin Stanislavski and the burgeoning ‘method’ of acting.

Although common now, the focus on the individual was a revolutionary idea in the mid-twentieth century, and was the birth of what is now known as the ‘Modern Tragedy’. The focus on the individual in the American Experiment changed what was considered worthy material to stage. No longer was inspiration only found in global affairs and politics, but on street corners, offices, slums, and once luxurious plantations.

The flashiness of a murder trial is taken away from the grandiose drama of the court, and transported to a small hot room of strangers in Twelve Angry Men. Even when dealing with extraordinarily large topics like the AIDS epidemic, Tony Kushner’s Angels in America uses the lens of individuals in extraordinary times—from impoverished bohemians to rich powerbrokers.

Take a look at Arthur Miller’s essay “Tragedy and the Common Man”, written in 1949 for The New York Times; it further illuminates this way of thinking—and from the perspective of one of Modern Theatre’s greatest voices.

Domestic Drama in American Theatre

This exploration of the ‘everyman’ brought a heavy focus on family, or ‘first circle’. The smallest unit of influence one has is usually family, but in more contemporary work this evolved into co-workers and friends. The old style of European ‘drawing room’ dramas were transformed into what we now call ‘domestic dramas’, where audiences get an insight into the everyday drama of the family unit, the workplace or friendship circles. (Again, we can see the influence of Chekov and, subsequently, Stanislavski).

Although the life, death, trials and tribulations of the common individual may not affect the world, the country, or even the town in which they live, the events of the story still ripple outwards, and it is usually those closest to them that are most effective. Eddie Carbone’s death in A View From the Bridge meant nothing to Brooklyn, but Catherine and Beatrice would never be the same. No one knew for days Jasper had died in The Aliens—and few in the town would mourn the death of a vagrant junky—but to his two best friends, he was their world. 

What it really boils down to is a focus on the character’s world, rather than the world the character is in. With this focus, the domestic drama moved from the drawing rooms of Noel Coward’s plays to the crowded houses of the working class and the dysfunctional family relationships caused by intergenerational trauma. Naturally, the domestic drama became a hugely popular genre, as it was immediately relatable for the audience. The bickering of siblings or workplace conflicts connected with audiences worldwide, as it was a reflection of people’s own experiences. 

The American Dream in American Theatre

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Even though the founding fathers found these truths to be self-evident, it continues to be a preoccupation of American artists—playwrights included—to investigate whether, in reality, this is really the case. David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross is a prime example of this: a group of real-estate salesmen compete within a heavily capitalist environment where, by design, there will inevitably be winners and losers. Annie Baker continuously investigates characters who have slipped through the cracks, whose misery is the mundanity of their middle-class existence. And Stephen Karam’s The Humans explores how careless mistakes can destroy a lifetime of work.  

People are alive, but they are really free? Although they pursue happiness, is it ultimately out of reach? 

This is a common theme among playwrights who want you (the audience) to strive for a better world by showing you a worse one. In recent years, theatre has been a pointed criticism of late-stage capitalism, racial inequality and the growing disconnection between the elite and the underclass. Similar trends can be seen in screen and musical theatre, so this is clearly something that is part of a larger artistic movement. 

Racial Politics in American Theatre

This is a very complex topic and one, as an Australian, I do not wish to dive into too deeply. I do not want to pass judgement or comment on racial politics, but only to highlight how important a factor this is in American plays—particularly in the mid-twentieth century. 

As an immigrant nation, the role of race, lineage and heritage for characters can not be underestimated. We may view a character in modern terms as ‘White’, ‘Black’ or ‘POC’, but depending on time and context of when the play was written, this definition may be reductive. Stanley from A Street Car Named Desire wouldn’t have thought of himself as white, but as Polish. The experience of a Muslim character in 1999 is very different to one written in 2002. It goes without saying that the African American experience is evident in plays throughout the American canon, and what was once thought progressive at the time of writing may be obtuse to a contemporary audience. An interracial affair may not be important now, but for the women in Crimes of the Heart, the racial segregation in the town added an additional layer of scandal that could endanger lives. 

Try to look at a play through the context of the time it was written. This is not to defend the playwright or the material, but to understand what might lead to certain points of view in a work we might now deem to be problematic. If you are staging a production from another time, investigate its context and the racial politics of the individuals within it, rather than imposing a modern reading.

Playing Characters in American Theatre

So apart from an understanding of the major themes and trends, what are some of the focuses an actor should have when performing American theatre? 

Of course, there are the great theorists you could look to. America has produced many fine acting schools and with them, theories and theorists including the infamous although often misunderstood “Method”. But these theories are for acting generally, and the lessons within these ideas apply equally to any naturalistic text, whether American or not. 

What is more important is to focus on some of the common aspects of American theatre that drives characters or scenes. To an American, some of these things I will mention may be self-evident or even subconscious, as they have been immersed in their own theatre culture. But for those of us on the outside, this small list of focus points you should help you get the most out of performing American texts. 

“Where are you from?”

If, in your travels, you have asked an American abroad “Where are you from?”, it is more likely that they will mention the city and state they live rather than their nationality. This is because there is nuance and specificity to a person’s experience, based on the state or city they are in. The experiences and accent of a New York banker are very different to those working rigs in Alaska—even though they share a flag.

Although, admittedly, I have spent this article making broad brushstrokes, that is not a wise thing to do when playing an American character. The United States is a very large country, with a diverse population, spread out over a massive landmass. Within the States are some of the largest cities in the world, lush forests and also sparsely populated deserts. Tech hubs and agricultural centres. Take time to research your characters’ place within this nation: where they come from and how they fit.

North vs South / City vs Country

Broadly speaking (apologies, but I trust you can find the specificities yourself), a character’s placement on the spectrums of North to South, Red to Blue state, rural to metropolitan is going to dictate certain cultural elements in the text that should be understood when playing these characters. Terms like “Southern Hospitality,” or “New York Minute”, or “Island Time” exist for a reason and speak to a range of cultures and experiences. 

Ultimately, specificity is key. So when doing your character research or looking at a story, don’t stop at the nationality and instead make sure you know the culture and climate of the state and city the character lives in. For those of us outside the United States, the “general American” accent is definitely useful, but could probably more accurately be described as a northern suburban American accent. Even the New York accent can be divided into which borough the character hails from. So keep things as specific as possible, and be aware of the diversity of experience within the nation. 

Competition and Power

One of the biggest notes I give to young Australian actors when doing American scenes is “Attack! Play to win!” This is because competition, whether civil or not, is a massive part of American theatre. 

Characters are always competing for power, real or perceived. As a result, they more than happy to speak their mind. The need to be the best, get “one up” or to ‘win’ is a huge part of the American psyche—influenced, of course, by capitalism and an individualistic mindset. This is not to say that all Americans are aggressive or competitive, it is simply a major theme in their storytelling tradition: from Wild Bill Hickok to Captain America. 

This can be obvious like in Glengarry Glen Ross, or subtle like in Death of a Salesman. The drive to get ahead, often at the cost of someone else, is a big driver of story. As a result, being polite, acquiescent or accommodating can take the fire out of the character and make the story flat and uninteresting. Instead, focus on getting what you want. No need to be nice about it. 

Honour, Integrity and Reputation

“Because it is my name!”

As explored by Arthur Miller in The Crucible, the integrity of the individual is very important. Although they may not be a president, or have a strong desire to live a worthy life, being true to themselves is very important. Any slights, lies or deception from one character can significantly affect and disturb another. Coming from some cultures, this may seem petty or unimportant, but ignoring these moments can dilute the stakes of the story. If your character’s reputation is besmirched, you must do everything to rectify it. 

For the actor, this can be realised in a strong objective. What do you want? I keep mentioning this in my articles and in my teaching because I believe it is the single most important question an actor can consider. For American plays, your super-objective (the overarching drive of a character, opposed to their immediate goal scene-to-scene) should include how your character wants to be perceived, how they want to be remembered and how their honour might remain intact. Often, this has tragic repercussions, but that is the story being told. It also ensures that your character is staying true to themselves, yet remains in contact and in relation with all the other characters around them. 

Conclusion: American Playwrights to Read

To be honest, this list would be way too big. With over a century of plays, and at least 80 years of those reaching across the world, knowing where to start can be hard. Do you go all the way back to Williams, Albee and Miller? Or do you start with Jeremy O. Harris and work backwards from the 21st Century? 

Luckily, there is a cheat sheet available that will help you get the journey going: the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. This is the most comprehensive list of influential American plays and can easily be found with a simple search. From there, find who you like and keep reading. It’s hard to go wrong. 

The post What is American Theatre? appeared first on StageMilk.

This is a great lesson to get onto early. After I first left drama school, I decided I needed to fit a certain mould. I changed my hair, had an ‘audition wardrobe’ with clothes I wouldn’t usually wear, and I gave casting directors what I thought they wanted from me. How many roles did I land? ZERO.

Too often early career actors try and emulate another, more famous actor, or change their style to fit into a mould that they think they belong to. This is a huge mistake. Say you are lucky enough look like Margo Robbie. Say you can act like Margo Robbie too, and you smash it in the audition room. You know who’s going to get that role ahead of you? Margo Robbie. Because she is the original and you are the copy.

Trends change all the time, and different body types, styles or personalities come in and out of vogue. So just be you, and wait for that role that suits YOU. Once you land that one, who knows what else may come? If you are too busy being someone else, you are going to miss that opportunity for you to do what you’re best at: being you.

#2 Don’t get hung up on transformational acting

Got to be a character, got to be transformational, got to be different, got to be the next Daniel Day Lewis or Meryl Streep. Because acting is being someone different to yourself. Well, Maybe think again.

Don’t get me wrong, there is still room for transformational actors (usually later in career or on stage) but more often than not, you are cast because you look the part, and your natural energy is right. This is particularly true for the smaller roles in TV and film. Don’t go method on “Policeman No. 2” or “Real Estate Agent”, just be present and say the lines, do a good job and wait for the next call. Trying to do too much can sabotage a small role and potentially annoy the team around you, at worst, you’ll end up being edited out. Save the Oscar winning performance for when you have the support, time, director and money to pull it off.

Read More: Beware of Character 

#3 Everyone gets nervous

All actors get nerves. Don’t worry about them!

For some actors they are crippling, and for others it’s just a flutter. The key is accepting that they are going to happen, and getting on with the job. Work out a plan to deal with them so that if they get too much, you are always prepared for them. Sports people suffer from the same problems, but often they convert that nervous energy into useful energy. Try to reframe the way you look at nerves. being nervous means you want to succeed, it means you care, it means you’re excited. They don’t mean you are going to forget the first line!

And always remeber, you are not alone!

Read more: How to Deal with Audition Nerves 

#4 Make offers

There is nothing worse than giving nothing because “you weren’t told to do anything”. Whether it’s film, TV or stage, you should be continuously making offers in performance. Your performance should be a collaboration between yourself and the director, and if you are giving nothing, or just continuously doing the same thing, you are not doing your job.

Don’t worry about getting things ‘wrong’. A director is interested in the final product, and time is set aside for experimentation in rehearsals and takes, so provide a spectrum of possibilities so the director can choose the best one for the end product, rather then the only one.

#5 Everyone wants you to be the one

This one probably took the longest for me to learn. Nobody hates you, and everybody wants you to succeed. Whether you are in a casting room, or you’ve already got the gig and are in rehearsals or on set, know that everybody wants you to do the best job you can. The casting agents want you to be right for the role, because then they get credit for finding you. The director cast you because they already thought you were right for the role. The audience is there watching you because they are excited to see the story. Know that everyone is in your corner.

It is a weird persecution complex performers have to think that people aren’t interested in you, or that audiences hate you or directors are sick of you. Everyone is working with you, and auditioning you and watching you by choice, so focus on that positive, rather then dwelling on fictitious negative perceptions. This simple adjustment of thinking can have massive effects of your creative productivity.

#6 Don’t worry about fame

Don’t pretend you don’t want it. Anyone, in any job, wants to be at the top of it, wants to be the best at it, and acting is no different. Just with acting, if you’re at the top, everybody knows your name.

It’s fine to want it, we all do, but don’t have this be the end goal. Being a household name is not a measure of success. Paying your rent and covering living costs is a massive achievement in an industry which has one of the highest levels of unemployment. There are hundreds if not thousands of actors who are making a comfortable living that you have never heard of and may never have seen, and the ones you can name make up a very small percentage of working actors. Let this be your first goal: making a living from your art. Let the fame come later.

#7 Community is key

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is segregating themselves from their acting community because of jealousy, envy, or because they “hate networking”. You don’t have to be the extraverted schmoozer to be part of the community, and you shouldn’t only be sucking up to the people who will get you work, as people see through this immediately.

Instead, look at it like a support network. Just being supportive and in contact with the wider community can keep you grounded and up to date with what is happening in the industry. Also, having a group of like minded people to discuss ideas with, or share audition horror stories with, or ask questions to, can keep you afloat and keep you inspired.

You can’t do it alone! The arts community is a very close knit community, and embracing it can become hugely beneficial to your career. Support your fellow artists and they will support you. Go to shows, see their films, go to events, and watch as they return the favour.

#8 Your voice is really important

If you’re going to work on one thing, work on your voice. So many people spend all their extra time at the gym as a way of “working on their acting”. Fair enough, if you look good, you may get that role, but if you sound like a turkey, you absolutely won’t.

Doing daily voice exercises and avoiding damage can bring out beautiful tones and versatility, which in turn makes your voice a desirable asset to a production. Your voice can be trained and developed, so if you want a particular timbre, you can work towards that with the right exercises and diligence. Have a look at some old BBC actors, and hear how incredible their voices are to listen too, and I can guarantee that what you are hearing is work, not genetics.

As well as just sounding great on film or stage, voice-overs are a very lucrative side to the acting industry, something I wish I had have known earlier. Put in the work, get your voice sounding good, and start making money between gigs as a voice-over artist, rather than as a barista.

Read More: The Importance of Voice Work 

#9 Have a hobby

The final lesson for today, and probably the most important.

For most of us, acting started as a hobby at school or uni, it was something we did for the sheer enjoyment. That’s great, and a wonderful way to begin.

But if we want it to be a job, it can’t be a hobby. If you fill your life with acting: as a hobby, as relaxation through binge-watching, and as a job, I can almost guarantee you will be looking to start your accounting or IT degree within 12 months. It’s too much, and you will burn out, no exceptions. This almost happened to me, because I made the mistake of thinking that it should take up 100% of my life if I was serious.

If you want acting to be your job, you must treat it like work, which means you need hours to work in, days off and a plan. It also means you need a hobby!

Find something you love that has nothing to do with acting. Watching TV doesn’t count, as believe it or not, your brain will still be analysing performance. Play a sport, start gaming, do yoga, collect stamps, whatever it is, give yourself an outlet that is for the pure joy (you know how acting used to be) so that you can rest and recharge between auditions, shows or gigs.

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