Intermediate Journal Prompts

We're so used to narrative content it's difficult to see/create anything else.  In narrative, the protagonist changes once it discovers the truth.  In non-narrative- or episodic structure- the main character stays the the same: it doesn't discover a truth about itself, it just solves the situation. 

If it isn't the length, what makes an episode of something?

The purpose of realistic theatre - Realism - is to help the audience with catharsis through empathizing with the performers onstage. Our job as actors is to use technique to actually struggle for our objective. We yield real emotion through struggle in order for the audience to experience the same emotion through empathy. 

When you were working with each other - either through independent work, work with Mr. Martinez or work in front of an audience - did you experience real emotion, or did you fake it? 

Connection to the content is important: in order to feel it, you have to experience all of it. And the thing is, your mind wants nothing to do with it.  Scenes are stressful. Scenes are hard: they're written about moments when humans are at their worst.

Are there moments of your scene you absolutely hate? Moments that don't make sense, or don't feel "natural"?  Why? 

Stanislavski found authentic recreation of real life by putting the actor at the center of creation: if the role is sad onstage, the actor is sad.  There's no separation; everything experienced onstage is really experienced by the actor in the moment.

Humans are faceted creatures: we have many sides, right?  For instance, it seems limiting to think of myself as only Teacher; I am many things, even more than a title can describe.  These facets are personae: all of the different roles you play throughout your life. 

How many different personae do you play?  Not "characters" or performances or clothing/costumes; do you behave differently among your friends than you do around your grandparents?  How would you behave around your crush?  On your "best behavior"?     

Method acting describes a very specific set of exercises that allow actors to live as closely the given circumstances of their role as possible. Some choose an experience that only affects their experience (spending the day in the role's "shoes"); others choose an experience that affects others' reaction to their actions and stimuli. 

Spend as long as you can in your role's shoes: choose a day where you will act like your character.  Empathize with their struggle, see the world through their eyes, experience their stress.  Narrate/analyze your experience within a journal entry.   

Realistic Acting relies on the actor's experiences, imagination and technique to build a performance that is unique, human, and relatable.  Your roles and characters rely on you- the human- to make them real in front of an audience.  You hate the way you do, you love the way you do, and you behave only the way you do.  

Just like the future characters you create, you have desires/needs in your life; some of your wants and desires are so big you're willing to do anything- to manipulate, scheme, flirt, demand, threaten- to get them.  

How do you manipulate those around you to get what you want?

The Melodrama - Melo, Romantic, Heightened Acting - is the style of Pretend, Tradition, and Imitation. It's a beautiful technique and considered Good Acting if the actor understands context. If used for Large Circumstances - like fantasy, superheroes, Shakespeare* - the actor becomes Godly. If used to perform realistic circumstances - like students at lunch, family conflict in the kitchen, or a break up in the backyard - the actor might overwhelm the production. The audience says: "over-doing it", "melodramatic", "hamming it up," "theatrical".

*Shakespeare is ubiquitous. His work is part of a small club that transcends technique. 

Pretend. Fake. This acting is like a set piece painted to look like a brick wall. Genius was what they called actors when the were so good at faking it, they convinced themselves.  During your final, did you "fake it 'til you made it"?  Did you experience real emotion? 

Have you discovered your "flow" yet?  How do you "project"?  Many of us get to the blank page and the blinking cursor and we freeze, waiting for inspiration.  Others have a few projects under the belt and we've gotten to know what kind of practitioner we are.

What is your experience when you're in a project?  Do you procrastinate?  If so, do you hold it against yourself? Do you stress out? 

In the heightened form, specificity to content is crucial: we're giving the audience the perfect expression of emotion, of struggle.  If it's not perfect, it's vague and unusable. It's obvious that happy is different from sad, but what about something more similar:

Just thinking about your face, what makes "bored" different from "tired"?

When performance becomes a reality an actor- no matter how practiced, how confident, how talented- gets stressed out.  And that's what the audience wants to see: remember, we get to experience life and they get to passively participate in our ecstacy (that's an ancient Greek description).  Run into the fear, don't run from it!

What does the "rush" of performance feel like?

Art is communication with the purpose of empathy. Our purpose as artists is to bring our audience together in a communal feeling- all feeling the same thing when they perceive your art. Truth is just that: as an artist, you must share with them your real feelings. The truth always creates connection. But it's hard: there's a lot of stuff in the way like vulnerability, fear, non-control... 

What are the Truths of your experience? What's important? What are you willing to fight for? 

Improv isn't about having the best or funniest idea. In fact, the funniest idea is typically the mark of an inexperienced improvisor that is solving fear of the unknown by controlling everything.  Improv doesn't flourish in the mind; it lives and breathes in the moment, right here, right now: it isn't funny because of its content, its funny because improv's awkward, improv's vulnerable.  It's funny because you "make mistakes" (but they're not mistakes at all).  Not being in control is scary, though: what if __________________ happens?  

What are you afraid of? What would have to happen to get over your fear?  Or, if it isn't fear, what is it?