Advanced Journal Prompts

Stanislavski's issue with realism was the closer he got the actors to create a truly realistic performance the less "performance-worthy" the content: that is, the less symbolic and closer to real life Stanislavski directed his actors, the work became subtle and the "worthiness" of the stage less apparent. He began to question what was really, really real AND stage-worthy and found that high-symbolism was a better communicator onstage. 

Realism is to make us empathize; high symbol comments and teaches on the human condition: Is the purpose of your production apparent?

The super powers that make you a good director: 

• broad knowledge of style, of cultural references

• setting expectations

• broad knowledge of content structure

• experience with / knowledge of stage picture

• ability to see where a scene "should be" as well as where it is

• vocabulary in all design disciplines

The artist's medium are the tools used to create an expression. They say theatre is an "actor's medium" and film is a "director's medium".  What directors do you know and fawn over? What do you like about them? 

Future Artists, Fellow Thespians: Time to venture into the woods. From all your experiences, our chats, your journal entries, your ideas- over our last 3 - 4 years- I hope you've developed highly specialized interests  in theatre. Or, maybe, throughout our explorations you've developed a curiosity - so special and individualized - that its time to do a little research. 

Indulge in the third curiosity you have. Describe a performance of it, try to narrow its purpose.

The Meisner Approach is Miraculous. Although we only experienced the first quarter of the entire technique, I hope you can see the light at the end of the tunnel: your experiences of struggle and frustration - currently small embers of a greater bonfire - are developed into an experience that an actor can rely upon in order to experience real emotion. 

What was your largest "ember"? What was the moment you got closest to an actual emotion?  

"Calm Down." So many times throughout my real life - not onstage - I've been coaxed to relax my emotions when I feel overwhelmed. And I've learned to cheat: despite others' attempts to help me return to rationality, instead I've learned to pacify them by putting on the smile - the veneer of calm and collected - when in fact I'm still dealing with it. So, I smile: I pretend everything is OK, when in fact it isn't. In acting, it's a bad habit. Onstage, we don't need to hide, to protect: we need vulnerability, we need Weakness. 

What are you hiding behind that smile? Are you scared of yourself? Are you scared at what might happen? 

The Pinch and the Ouch describes the moment in Repetition where your partner's observation is so specific, or so provoking, or just gets to you so much that you can't ignore your reaction. Like the provocative question in the Three Moment Game, the Ouch should feel as overwhelming. Meisner and Silberberg caution us: don't let self-observation overshadow your observation of your partner. 

What were some surprising moments in Repetition this last week? Something catch you off-guard, or was your partner just a little too accurate in their observation? 

It's been an interesting few weeks. We've gone from understanding the world of Sandy, to easing into repetition, to now making some quick, in-the-moment observations about our peers. There's probably a lot to process, and if you haven't been writing a lot down, do. The curiosity you're experiencing is the way it feels when you're into something. :) 

What has been the most memorable experience thus far?

Taking the first thing. Sanford Meisner brought the attention of the actor back to their partner. The first challenge of Meisner: acting isn't about emoting, acting is about doing. We need to get away from performing and acting and we need to TRY to accomplish something. This starts with fostering your connection to your partner in the moment.

This week as practice, go through your normal life identifying the first thing. Practice as you observe. Note your reactions. What are your immediate responses / feelings toward the first thing?  Everyone and everything has meaning to you. 

Absurdist Theatre is a strange place. One foot in the theater - seats, traditional lights up/down, programs - the other foot in a museum - symbols, juxtaposition, theme, concept. It's important to remember two things: the acting in this form stems from the melodrama (precise form, symbol; efficient, adjustable instrument); the form belongs mostly to the Playwrights. John Nance was a powerhouse of Absurd Acting; I think it was because of his aesthetic (his familiar yet odd face). It was just enough.  

Reflect on your quarter. If you were inspired toward it, write down a few themes that'd be good for a play someday. If you were inspired away from it, what can you strip from your experience and apply to the work you do like? Improv? Realism?  

Seinfeld was known as "the show about nothing": the creators touted "nothing happens" in each episode when, in fact, each episode was a narrative story line where, indeed, something happened (the environment changed instead of the protagonist because that's what happens in TV). But in the circular plot, nothing really happens: the roles are symbols - they are resolute - and they interact with other symbols in order to communicate the playwright's point of view. The symbol doesn't evolve, transform, nor evolve: it remains the same, and we use other symbols to add to understanding.  Circular plot - like UCB's Game Structure - makes us look again at the symbols we take for granted. 

What symbols do you take for granted? What do you think you know backwards and forwards, yet on close consideration, is a mystery? 

Del said "Nothing is ignored, nothing is forgotten, nothing is a mistake".  Yep: you have to observe everything, foot note / post it note everything, all in the moment. As young improvisors, this may be a step beyond your current challenges: once you can leave your own mind ("the funniest idea," "everyone's looking at me," "I'm not getting up enough") you can start practicing observation and retention.  

Be honest: Are you "stuck" in your head? Are you observing yourself more than your ensemble?  

Nice job on your 90% independent revue.  :)  If you want to write about your experience, YES.  That is paramount.  Especially if you're planning to become an actor.  If/when it felt good, you were doing it- in the flow, in the moment- pay attention to when it didn't fee good: the answer will always be technique. Your technique. You are beginning to establish your rules for performance. And the journey begins.

If you don't have a thought about improv technique - "Improv's improv, whatever happened that's it" - then here's a prompt: 

List and describe your top FIVE improv characters. Like yours. You created them, you've worked on them.