Affective Memory - Short Note

There is no doubt in my mind that the best of actors consciously uses their emotional memories actively in their work. Now, some may not admit to it and some may do it accidentally, but it happens because...good acting with depth and meaning doesn't happen without it. I should repeat that. Without the actor's affective memory in active participation with the fiction of the play, good acting doesn't happen. And so it only follows in my book that unless actor training and preparation includes conscious and purposeful use of emotional memory, then you might as well play tiddly-winks or do gymnastics. Shakespeare knew this, Stanislavsky described it for us, and taught us how to consciously make use of it, Vakhtangov reinforced it and Strasberg freed it for all of us.

The Beginnings of Playscript Analysis. Quickly.

When I am looking at a playscript, the obvious task is how to turn it into a stage performance. So like many people I begin to analyse it in a particular way. I take note of my first general impression(and the actors general impressions)if this is a very first reading and introduction to the play. But at this point I do not go beyond the simple kind of "I liked it" or "It confuses me" or "That character stands out" statements. Very general, but no other discussion. The next go through the play is only to start gathering facts that are obvious in the script, all the where, when, who, etc. And only facts actually noted or evident. No making things up or suggesting that "it could be..." The gathering of facts can also mean/include such things as how often "time" is referred to in a particular script. I'm thinking of The Cherry Orchard when I mention that for example. In other words, some notable trait about the overall script can also be mentioned at this time. The next go through, is meant to start articulating what the sequence of actions is. And this is done like a story-telling process. "This guy is sleeping and this girl comes running in and wakes him up. He asks her what time it is and she starts going about trying to straighten up cushions, ...etc." Told like a story. Like a series of little events. Once you make that kind of "description," you have taken the first real step toward turning the words into action and stage behavior. Now you can have actors work immediately with the action itself, using themselves in their entirety. That is the beginning.

Yourself in the Circumstances, Doing, Senses.

Before the new days of "Physical Theatre" and "Gesture," before these words crept into our theatrical vocabulary and completely took over, actors used to speak of "Doing" on stage. You would hear questions from your teacher or director like "are you really doing that action or are you just pretending to do it?" "Did you actually see, or were you just indicating that you saw something?" The distinction was and is crucial. And should be even for those who feel they want to be engaged in "Physical Theatre." And the reason is this - a complete and full Physical Gesture must have real biological implications on both the actor and the spectator. When we speak about "Doing" on stage, what we are actually asking and wanting from the actor to is to engage his/or her senses actively in the fiction of the play. When the senses engage, biological implications begin to occur. This is part the process of using your own experiences, your own self, literally among the circumstances of the play.

Creating from Oneself

I am working on a post about how and why an actor needs to condition and discipline his or her mind for creative work. Some of it will pertain to a "first lesson" that I will facilitate in a workshop. The lesson is entitled "Ethics and Discipline of an Actor's Mind." But in the meantime, here is the beginning of a companion piece, a companion "lesson." The thought or the question is what constitutes talent or what is the first thing or the main thing that you would look for that may eventually give rise to great acting? For me the answer is the ability to create from oneself, from one's own experiences and feelings and thoughts. That means, to take a real life experiences, bring them to the moment as actual physical sensations and thoughts (not as intellectualized memory and metaphor) and fictionalize them into behavior that is conducive to the purpose for which you are acting. That process is distinctly different from a process of copying the behavior of others or simply indicating or implying through gesture as a means of communication with spectators.

Note from Girish Karnad to the Rogue Theatre

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Join-Ganesha-at-The-Rogue-Theatre.html?soid=1102527957539&aid=74fqIWupCgY

Actors Listen

It was brought to my attention many years ago that listening on stage is very elusive and that actual, real listening where you hear and think and realize is extremely rare. And yet in many cases, it makes all the difference in the world in terms of quality of the scene and the acting. Of course actors know what's coming in terms of the lines and so they are anticipating what will be said. Additionally, they are busy going about their own behaviors, preoccupied with their "acting" so to speak. So typically they are not really hearing what is being said, or what is being communicated. The only cure I've found is a very conscious effort to become interested in what is being said and done, in detail. The actor who can listen with his/her mind and then with the entire being and body, that is an actor.

Modern Streetcar in Tucson Test Run