I see acting students and sometimes professional actors. waiting, Idling in a passive state. They seem to be expecting something to happen, either in the scene or even worst…to them.
Well unfortunately the miracle God hand will never appear to bestow upon us feelings, sensations, emotions or beliefs. It is nobody’s job to convince us that the risks are high and the given imaginary circumstances are important, but our own.
Harry Mastrogeorge said that acting is “a state of mind”, and it is true.
Larry Silverberg an incredible Meisner technique master teacher asks his actors to take things personally, and I believe it’s one of the most important states of mind an actor can place themselves into.
We have to get into that state of mind: that of “play pretend”, and by god, we have to take this “play pretend” personally.
We can’t be observers, we can’t just sit there waiting for things to happen to us, because they never will. We are supposed to take at least a few steps of our own and meet them halfway.
The writers have done their part. The scene has been written. The imaginary circumstances are there. What on earth are we waiting for?
Our job is to be available, and availability needs an active imagination and an active stance. Nobody is asking us to “believe” in the unbelievable, but we have to be willing to “accept” it, for a few seconds at a time.
Nobody is asking us to evoke feelings that are not there, but we are not helping ourselves if our stance is passive or blase about what is happening at the moment.
It’s funny how easily and how quickly. in real life we get offended or take things personally: Rejection, words, a look, a smile! The most minute (mi-noot) things can send us off in a rage, make us fall in love, or catapult us into confrontation.
But I see actors on stage. entertaining the idea that their characters. take the higher road. Really? Always? If I call you stupid to whom am I referring? You, right?
In real life, if I am not being cute with you when I call you stupid, you are going to be offended. no? Hey, You might even try to rip my fucking face off.
So why on earth, when I call you stupid on stage you Chanel freaking Krishnamurti?
Is it because it’s just playing pretend? Because it’s just a scene? Because it’s just an exercise? Well… IT IS NOT, I CALLED YOU STUPID.
Let’s not pretend we are zen-like on stage, just because it is a controlled environment, we are never zen-like in real life unless we are on Xanax.
And please no arguments about “I never get angry in real life” or “my character doesn’t care”, how the hell do you know?
Stop making assumptions and like Milton, Katselas used to say “assume the fucking position”, and maybe you will find out if the character cares or not by trying things out, not by making cerebral decisions! The stage is condensed life, it is visceral, and there is nothing blase about it.
A final word!
You can sit there and observe a rock and you know what? it will continue being a rock ad infinitum. But change your state of mind, meet the damn rock halfway, and maybe just maybe, you will see the rock for what it is…a potential WEAPON!
CHANGE YOUR STATE OF MIND! TAKE IT PERSONALLY.
with love and respect, always.
KF
Copyright 2020 Kimon Fioretos, All Rights Reserved.
