Archive for January, 2009
10 Reasons I HATE Method Acting (but NOT Method Actors)
Hate is a strong word, so I’ve provided ten reasons why I’ve used the word hate and not dislike. To my mind, Method Acting isn’t bad or wrong; instead it’s simply unnecessary. Let me be precise, I’m not talking about the work of Stanislavski, the father of modern acting. I’m talking about the backwards, tangled mess of a method that developed in America after so many Russians escaped to the USA.
Please be aware, I can’t even say Method Acting without cringing, so don’t expect me to pull any punches.
Here are the ten reasons that I cannot abide Method Acting.
ONE: It’s Not About You
The Method centres on the actor, although they claim it is the character. But theatre was never about the creation of character, it was always about storytelling. The actor and their ‘creative’ skills rather than the play is the centre of the Method. This internal, inward-directed focus creates a self-conscious performance that has little to do with the play written by the author.
TWO: Anti-Practical
The tools of an acting technique should be practicable. This means you should be able to use them immediately to work on a scene. Whatever takes you away from the scene isn’t about acting the scene. If it isn’t about acting the scene, what are you doing? Take Sense Memory. There’s no practicable point. Developing your ability to pretend something imaginary is true? Isn’t that the outcome of certain forms of mental illness? Why would you want to improve your skill of self-delusion?
THREE: Unnecessary Focus on Emotion
Acting is not emotion. Acting is action. The incorrect focus on emotion comes through an embarrassingly arrogant view of Stanislavski’s work that was developed by Lee Strasberg and called The Method. We do not have control over our emotions. We have less control over them when we’re under the kind of stress that actors feel on stage. If we could control them, we’d be robots and no longer need therapy, counseling or Prozac! You can fake emotion (badly) and you can force out some tears, but that’s not much of a basis for acting. Truly great acting moves the audience, not the actor.
FOUR: Confusing Scenic Truth for Truth
Many Method schools believe they are teaching their students to be truthful and authentic. But there is nothing authentic or truthful about pretending. The Method schools believe that if you pretend hard enough, or develop strong enough pretending skills (how?) you will be able to believe that imagined circumstances and characters are real. So these schools teach that the best way to arrive at truth is to pretend. That just seems counterintuitive to me.
FIVE: Fake Work
I believe Method Acting (and a lot of Stanislavski’s work unfortunately) is fake work. It looks like very busy creative work, but it doesn’t actually have a practicable use when you get into rehearsals. It takes up lots of valuable time, it might even make people think hard about their character, the epoch or topic matter, but it won’t help the actor to play the scene. Give up the fake work.
SIX: Psychosis
The Method’s ill-educated and misguided approach to tinkering around in the mind of the actor is frightening. Stanislavski gave all of that up in favour of an approach focusing on ‘action’. Your own psychological state is not the playground of an acting teacher; you don’t know what a potentially explosive minefield of unresolved issues that you are poking around in. Messing with that stuff isn’t brave, it’s stupid.
SEVEN: Self-Indulgence
When you’re a Method-actor, you do ‘research’. You go off and learn to fire guns so that you know how a soldier feels, you learn Swahili so that you can say three lines in the film, you talk to real prostitutes about their craft to play Prostitute Number 3 or interview real criminals to play ‘Second Crook from the End’. It’s an excuse to do something fun and call it work, but:
None of this will help you play the scene. I’ll say it again, NONE OF THIS WILL HELP YOU PLAY THE SCENE.
If you need to learn REAL physical skills for a role, that’s fair enough, that makes sense. Learn to speak those three lines of Swahili beautifully and accurately with a great accent. But don’t confuse indulgent, self-pleasuring for ‘research’. This is really a time-wasting exercise that gives the actor false confidence, instead of helping them to ‘act’ the scene.
EIGHT: Cult of the Teacher
Method acting usually revolves around the cult of the teacher’s personality. Originating with Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler and Sanford Meisner, the personality is still the driving force behind a Method class. Learning is about the student, acting is about the actor. Teacher is the guide, not the topic. The class should be about the actor’s development. It’s true the personality of the teacher helps the class, but there are some very charismatic teachers that speak utter nonsense.
NINE: Out of the Scene
Delving around in your psychological past is not only dangerous but it also takes you out of the scene. If you are acting and you have to conjure an emotion, you will have to take a minor mental break from working truthfully off your partner in order to instigate your emotional preparation. In the meantime, you’re no longer in the scene. If the emotion comes out strongly, you’ll have to work to keep it under control, if it comes out weak, you’ll be distracted by trying to force it out more and feel dissatisfied with the performance. Grotowski found that action creates emotion as a truthful by-product, leave emotion alone and focus on action – the root of Drama.
TEN: It Doesn’t Look Like Fun
If you’ve ever watched actors working with the late Lee Strasberg, it looks excruciating. Is that what you want? Do you want to take all of the fun out of acting? Acting can be great fun for committed and determined actors. Why make it so painful and such a waste of time? Enjoy your training, enjoy your process, and enjoy your performance because the profession is painful enough.
There are many brilliant Method actors alive. I simply suggest they would be brilliant without the Method too. It’s called talent and knowing how to apply it. I’m not saying it’s wrong, I’m saying it’s unnecessary.
Mark Westbrook is a Professional Acting Coach based in Glasgow, Scotland.
William H Macy at the Actors Studio
Hey guys, I’m always looking out for interesting and inspirational things to post here for you. Most recently, I watched the tremendous episode of Inside the Actors Studio, which featured Macy. I enjoyed it all, but at the end, he said things that so categorically aligned with my view of acting, I wanted to share it with you. It’s quite long, but check it out nonetheless, and maybe it will speak to you as it spoke to me:
Bill Macy:
“The whole thing about your emotions is, Grotowski found this out, if you perform an action, it will have an emotional reaction, you couldn’t stop it if you tried. Your emotions will come out. You cannot bring them forth and you cannot hide them, they will come out. And there’s never been a scene that is about being sad. There are scenes about making a bond, that’s something you can do, but being sad, you’re gonna fake it, you’re just gonna be pretending. What the audience needs to know is that you’re making a bond or you’re getting a promise, or that you’re laying down the law. These are things that are within your will, that’s what counts. And I’ll go further. Actors are emotional people, the question always, should actors be emotional people? You are emotional people, And here’s the thing, you are sufficient. You don’t have to improve yourself. First of all, you’re not gonna. In your study of acting, you’re not gonna become better people. You are sufficient, you’re enough, you’ve got the goods, you’re completely emotional enough. What we need from you is your bravery, your will. If you do it right, the journey of the character is strangely similar to the journey of the actor. In other words, the fear that the character feels is so similar to the fear that you feel. At some point, you have to stop saying, I’m wrong to feel this way, I should be feeling something different. The character should be feeling a certain thing. Nah, if you’re feeling it, it’s real.
The purpose of the technique, always – always is to free your subconscious, because that’s where the truth lies. That’s why you have a technique, so that you can let the inner stuff out, you wanna get out of your head and become impulsive. That’s where you’ll find the truth. And you’ve got the goods folks, you are sufficient”
Inspiring! I’d like to hear your comments.
The Brave
Hello, this is Mark. Today, I read a book called The Dip by Seth Godin. I found some valuable advice in it for actors about deciding whether to keep going or to just quit and become a teacher or something. I’ve added it below, please think it through, it’s as applicable to acting as it is to business, which is Godin’s field:
“The brave thing to do is to tough it out and end up on the other side. The mature thing to do is not even start out on a business venture if you know you’ll probably not make it through the dip. And the stupid thing to do is to start, give it your best shot, waste a lot of time and money, and then quit in the middle of the dip.“ Seth Godin – The Dip
The ‘dip’ is that period when things get tough, when you’re enthusiasm runs out, when it’s no longer fun. People never when the goal is in sight.
-Mark-
If at first you don’t succeed
For those of you that plan on applying to an acting school, but only one, or for those that have auditioned and failed to get in, the following might give you hope. Dustin Hoffman, Oscar winning acting, auditioned SIX times for drama school (the same school) before he got in. Now that’s determination, and that’s why he has an Oscar.
Things I learned from William H Macy
This is just a brief one to note some of the great things I’ve learned from listening or reading W H Macy.
People say he’s the same in every movie, but frankly, that’s bullshit. Yes, he’s been successful in some similar roles, but he’s starred in a vast amount of movies and television shows. He’s made more than 115 appearances on the big and small screen in many diverse roles. If you only know him as Jerry from Fargo, try seeing him in ER or Edmond.
Here are some simple, some inspiring, some thought provoking quotes from Macy:
“As frightening as it was, I found that when I was on stage, I was less self-conscious, then I was the rest of the time”
“I think it’s really dangerous to characterise the character you’re playing, to put a label on him.”
“Quite often, people who are going through great tragedy are quite placid on the outside. I find that so much more moving”
“In times of havoc, you will do what you habitually do”
Working Harder or Working Smarter?
I remember a colleague of mine used to berate students for working too hard, and not smart enough, wasting their energies. It’s true, that if you’re smart, you can often avoid the non-essential waste of energy. For instance, you can slog through the river, or you can take the bridge, if you don’t know what a bridge is, you might still go for the river.
HOWEVER, I don’t agree, it’s not a choice. The real way to results is not to work smart or graft, but both. When you apply all of your effort and energy to a smart choice, when you put one hundred percent of your energy behind what you’re doing, and use your intelligence to pinpoint your efforts on the outcome that you want, you get it. Work Smart and Graft. Luck comes to those who do.
Further Tips on Acting for Auditions and Auditioning
There are lots of different approaches to auditioning, but here’s some food for thought on auditions, inspired by Caryn West.
1) Develop sensitivity to different types of material. Shakespeare and David Hare write very differently. I believe that you do not need to massively alter your technique from genre to genre, but you do need to get a feel for different types of material. Developing sensitivity to different types of writing can be done in advance, by simply reading different types of scripts, including television, radio and film scripts too. If you’re a committed actor, you’ll find the time.
2) Auditioning and Cold-Reading are two separate skills. Auditioning usually takes the shape of monologues, whereas cold-reading means being handed a script (sometimes a little in advance) on the day, and being asked to read. Even if the director is a novice and doesn’t respect or realise the difference, you should know it.
3) Actors are storytellers; you need to focus on the story. The simple fact is that drama is conflict in action. This conflict in action creates a story that keeps an audience captivated. One of the biggest problems of Method acting and other self-centred acting techniques is that they take the emphasis away from the telling of a story to delight and enthrall an audience and place it on the actor’s selfish character creation journey. In your monologue, tell the story, everything else is secondary.
4) Pick strong audition monologues. Strong audition monologues are vital. Whether your auditioning for drama school or for a job, you need to pick something that really shows off your best acting attributes. For this reason, don’t pick a comedy if you’re auditioning for a drama. BUT, always prepare a second choice, something contrasting to your first selection. The amazing Karen Kohlhaas, director, acting teacher and monologue coach in the US believes you should know 20 monologues. Her students are very successful, do you have that kind of commitment to your craft? Could you learn 5 instead?
5) Be prepared to talk about the role, the speech/scene and the play. This means you should read the play carefully, try to research it a little and make sure you understand the scene or speech. Learning to break a scene or speech down is a vital skill, if you need help, approach an acting coach.
6) When you go to an audition, dress basic, not too many patterns, bright clothes or dark clothes. Avoid white, but simple colours work well. Nevertheless, a single piece of idiosyncratic dress will help them identify you. However, if you’re going to play a businessperson, you may wish to dress this way to help you. Never for a Drama School audition though. Never wear a hat. Try to wear something similar if not the same clothes for your call back.
7) Always arrive earlier, about ten to fifteen minutes earlier. They may be running ahead. Not too early, you’ll make the others nervous.
Mark Westbrook is a professional acting coach, based in Glasgow, Scotland.
Selecting Monologues for Audition
Many people I work with and teach struggle to find good audition monologues. To hear my opinion on finding ‘good audition monologues’, visit my YouTube page and watch/listen to my clip about choosing. However, I wanted to give a more direct response and help people to find excellent monologues. Here is my best advice.
1) I spent an afternoon recently pouring through my play collection. I pulled out about half a dozen great monologues. What did I learn from that? It takes time, patience and effort to choose an excellent monologue.
2) Monologues on the internet are usually rubbish. Yes, there’s a couple that I offer on my website, because I know many actors are too lazy to go and buy a play in order to read a monologue. Those actors that won’t buy a play, are those actors that won’t read a play, and those actors that don’t read plays and generally those actors that don’t read plays, haven’t made a two-feet commitment to being an actor. Reading the play is how you become aware of excellent monologues because you understand what makes them excellent. When you try to just pluck monologues out of the pages of plays, you can’t expect to know why a monologue is good, and that means you’re selecting based on what? You like the words? The topic? The theme? Read plays. They’re full of excellent monologues.
3) There isn’t a magic monologue that suits you. Find one that you find intriguing, interesting or that speaks to you. Since there are no magic monologues, no monologue will wink its sparkling eye at you, you have to find it.
4) Getting Plays: Go and sit in the library (RSAMD Library is excellent if you live in Scotland), pop in, and collect up some plays and have a read. Spend an afternoon there. If you aren’t willing to spend some time selecting an excellent monologue, why bother at all? The other choice is go to a lovely bookshop like Waterstones or Borders, take a big pile of plays, go to their cafe, order a drink, sit and read through some plays until you find something that you like. Then toss the pile of books back and buy the one with the good monologue in it.
5) Never write your own.
6) Don’t do a poem. Don’t do a novel. Meet the requirements of the audition instructions. Don’t try to be clever.
7) Choose something that has a definite beginning, middle and end. The character goes on a journey. This is a much better way to show off your skills.
8 Don’t do harrowing material. Rape, abuse and all that, leave it for the soap operas and the news.
9) Choose something within your ‘playing age’ – if you’re 20, then consider 18-25, if you’re 18, consider 16-22. Of course, this is just a suggestion. But no 19 year olds trying to play 40 year olds, no one casts that way anymore.
10) Choose plays from the last 20 years for contemporary. Social manners have changed. You will feel awkward with the language. For a classical monologue, make sure you understand every word that you intend to speak.
Some great daily speech exercises for actors
Great speech is still as important as ever for the professional actor. Practice these exercises on a daily basis and enjoy a greater quality of speech:
- Make My Mawkish Mother Meet Moody
- Rubber baby buggy bumpers
- The theme is there for them
- Round the rugged rocks the ragged rascal ran
- Are you Speedy?
- Really Larry?
- Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
- Good Blood Bad Blood
Ten Ways to Succeed as an Actor
ONE: Turn up late, don’t worry, if you’re really good they won’t mind, in fact, they’ll probably thank you.
TWO: Don’t learn the lines, just sort of half learn them, it’ll give you the gist, anyway you can pick them up in rehearsal, or kind of improvise them, especially if the writer is dead.
THREE: Show a general disdain for tech people, they’re not exactly gifted, anyone could hang a lantern or paint a bit of set.
FOUR: Be rude to everyone else, it’s the only way of showing them who’s boss. Nice people never get anywhere in the arts.
FIVE: Help the other actors by giving them hints about what they should be doing, offer them little bits of direction during coffee breaks they’ll thank you.
SIX: Treat the director as if they’re your best pal to their face, and behind their back tell people what you really think. They’ve got too much power, they don’t understand the play and they’ve got no clue about acting anyway!
SEVEN: Be very intense about everything, don’t relax for a second, help everyone stay on their toes, keep yourself sharp.
EIGHT: Don’t take part in the warm ups, instead have a coffee and cigarette in view of everyone, they’ll soon learn how the pros do it.
NINE: Name drop on every occasion possible, everyone loves a good anecdote.
TEN: Refuse to do anything the director suggests because the ‘character’ wouldn’t do it. Let them know who’s in charge of the acting department!
Mark Westbrook is a director and acting coach based in Glasgow, Scotland.
Top Monologue Mistakes and Solutions
By Karen Kohlhaas
Article from www.monologueaudition.com
This article was revised in August 2006
1. Not having the lines memorized well enough!
Believe it or not, this is the single biggest problem that most actors have in the
audition room. The auditors of a recent EPA (Equity Principal Audition), told me
that they could tell that the majority of actors, even subtly, were still trying to
remember their lines. Therefore they were not fully acting their monologues. I
completely disagree with the theory that not quite having the lines will keep an
actor ìfresh.î Would a serious musician in a competition dream of not quite
knowing the piece? If any of an actorís energy is going into remembering the line,
that energy is not at his disposal to truly act the piece. Solution: Be like Anthony
Hopkins, who runs his lines 200 times before shooting a scene. I think most
people agree that his efforts are worth it. Maybe your number isnít 200 ñ but find
out what your number is ñ how much rehearsal do you need to have the
monologue memorized so you can bring all of yourself to playing it?
2. Having no staging choices
This is second, if not equal to, not having lines. An auditor of another EPA said
that none of the actors who came in during a whole day of auditions had made
specific physical choices for their monologues. Instead, they just acted the piece
and left the movement up to chance. Would anyone dream of sending a cast on
stage on opening night with no staging, just hoping that the actorsí acting instincts
would take care of everything? An auditioning actor is under just as much
pressure. Solution: Having clear, fun staging will instantly improve your
monologues and make you less nervous. Think carefully about what you want
your monologue to look like from the outside, and give yourself a few concrete
moves to help you tell the story. P.S.: Working in a chair is not a solution to having
no staging! You need to make physical choices in the chair as well, so that your
piece doesnít have low energy/physical sameness all the way through.
3. Looking at the floor
Many actors look on the floor before, during and/or after their monologues. Unless
it is for a specifically staged moment that actually refers to something on the floor
in the plot, looking at the floor during the piece can look like you lost your line and
it almost always drops the energy of your performance. Looking at the floor after
the piece can look like you are ashamed or unsure. Solution: Look up! I do
suggest dropping your eyes only (not your head) for a brief 3-second countdown
into the piece at the very beginning, but otherwise, let the auditors see your eyes
as much as possible. This will involve them in the piece and keep them with you.
4. Hating the material
You are the producer, director, actor and designer of your monologues, and every
monologue audition gives you an opportunity to run with this incredible artistic
freedom. If you, like many actors, hate your monologues, itís time to get some
new ones and get excited about how you are going to present them. Auditors can
tell when you are not excited about your pieces, and if youíre not excited, why
should they be? Do you like watching a cast that is not excited about performing
the play? Your monologues have the potential to be expressions of why you want
to act in the first place; celebrations of your favorite writers, and also thrilling
experiments and challenges. Solution: Do whatever you need to do to find
material you love (read more, do some thinking about what writing excites you the
most) and get to work. See Why you should have 20 monologues and other
articles on this website for ideas about finding material.
5. Acting to (looking at) the auditors
When we interviewed 7 industry professionals for The Monologue Audition Video,
all but one said they hate it when actors directly to them, or otherwise ëuseí them
during the piece. Most actors seem to know not to do this, but it still happens.
Solution: Find a place to focus that best creates the illusion that you are talking to
someone just behind them. (You can adapt this focus if necessary to create the
illusion that you are speaking to more than one person, a group, yourself, God,
etc.). Practice working off of your own instincts and sense of truth, as you act the
monologue to that focus choice (with someone watching, this is essential).
Practice with a friend until you are sure your focus looks the way you want it to.
6. Acting in a 3/4 view to the auditors
A lot of actors do this, and it makes no sense. They end up acting their piece for
the corner! Solution: Always give those watching you the fullest experience of
your performance (they want to audition you, not your profile). Practice with a
friend ñ watch each other and compare notes ñ until youíre sure of the auditorsí
view of you.
7. Standing too close to the auditors
Acting too close to the auditors can make them extremely uncomfortable (as you
would be if a stranger got too close to you!) I have recently been hearing of
auditions that actually put markers down on the floor, and ask actors not to cross
them. An actor who gets too close is an actor who is showing that he is unaware
of, or doesnít care about, the audienceís experience. Each audition room is
different, and each room will require different choices. What is too close in one
room wonít necessarily be too close in a smaller or differently shaped room. You
donít want to be too far from the auditors either; that can feel like you are ëlurkingí
in the background or like thereís no one on stage. Solution: Learning how to find
the best spot for your performance is part of your showmanship. Practice, ideally
with a friend, walking into different rooms and identifying the best acting area. Put
that acting area behind the place that would start to be too close to the auditors,
and practice performing your piece so that you never cross that line. Practice until
you can define the area instantly and habitually as you walk in.
8. Having an unsupported voice and/or mumbling
Both having an unsupported voice and mumbling are marks of an amateur.
Regardless of whether your audition is for theater, TV or film, your commitment to
a supported voice and clear speech demonstrates how committed you are to the
characterís point of view, and your audienceís experience. It is also an indication
of how versatile you could be as an actor. Solution: work on your voice and
speech! For recommendations in New York and Los Angeles, see Great NYC/LA
teachers and classes. My favorite Mamet quote about voice is ìVoice work is the
easiest, cheapest way to happiness as an actor.î Look to your favorite actors and
I think you will find them vocally committed and articulate, no matter the role or the
style.
9. Paraphrasing and/or removing the writerís punctuation
For serious theater auditions itís absolutely essential that the lines are said as
written, and as punctuated ñ even if you think you have a better idea.
Paraphrasing is often accepted in tv or film work, but I still suggest paying
attention to the way a line was written ñ if you commit to it you may find out
something essential about the character. If you paraphrase in a theater audition
you are showing that you may not honor the writing when you rehearse a play.
Playwriting is next door to poetry: meter, rhythm, and emphasis are all factors,
and how a line sounds is often as important as what it literally means. Writers
cringe when actors donít pay attention to their carefully worked out lines, rhythm
and punctuation. The playwright Jerome Hairston says, ìWhen an actor
paraphrases, that means he doesnít understand the line. Once he understands
the line, heíll know that it canít be said any other way.î Solution: When preparing
an audition, embrace the way each line was written, and practice until the
language is part of you.
10. Playing the emotion
The great Shakespearean director, scholar and teacher John Barton talks about
how the monologues and soliloquies in Shakespeare are not about displaying
emotion, but about handling the emotion. I think this is true of all monologues.
The character is usually delivering a monologue in an attempt to do something
about what is going on at the present time (even if itís only to figure it out; even if
itís to say he has no idea what to do, but he knows he needs to do something!).
That means it is a given that the monologue is already coming from a state of
great emotion, and that the emotion does not need to be emphasized. Just as in
life, you usually want to avoid people who are trying to get something from you
with great hysteria, rage, self-pity, or excessive giddiness, so auditors might react
to actors who are only playing into the emotion of the situation. Yes you do want
to play the importance of finding the solution, but that is very different than having
an emotional fit, which will always take you away from the solution. Solution:
Create order. Play the importance of what the character is trying to do, to
accomplish, to get from the other character(s). Define the objective as specifically
as possible, treat it as something you can actually achieve; put the full force of
your personality behind the objective, and not only will an emotional commitment
naturally be there, but your auditors will see you as the hero ñ acting while under
great stress, rather than as the victim who only complains about it.
11. Fidgeting
We all have fidgets ñ mannerisms we do unconsciously. Monologue work tends
to put your fidgets under the magnifying glass because you are the only thing
happening in the room. Fidgets can include: shifting weight from side to side;
beating out the rhythm of the lines with arms or head; thrusting the head and also
upper body forward so that alignment is pulled off and the voice suffers; fussy
and/or repetitive hand gestures; blinking. Fidgeting is distracting and instantly
takes the audience out of the piece. Fidgeting can be worked on however, and I
have seen some incredibly fidgety actors transform themselves into focused,
purposeful, riveting performers by working patiently with their fidgeting habits.
Solution: Know that every body movement ìreadsî ñ is apparent ñ to your
auditors, and that every movement needs to be either a choice or a full
expression of a spontaneous impulse (if it is less than full it becomes a fidget).
Having purposeful, fidget-free staging for a monologue helps immensely. Work
with movement and acting teachers, work with partners, to ground yourself and
practice both stillness AND the full discharge of your movement impulses. For
those who can stand it: have a partner videotape you from a side view while you
act your monologue fully. When you watch it, watch it without the sound, and you
will quickly see your fidgets, and when you are using your body purposefully and
powerfully.
12. Having a neutral (or unpleasant) hello/thankyou
Do you have a specific attitude or philosophy that you regularly practice when
representing yourself and your work to people? Most successful business people
do. If you are neutralizing your non-performing interactions in the room, you are
likely to look like you are not happy to be there. If you were hiring someone for a
position of great responsibility, would you hire someone who looked unhappy?
Your interactions in the room are how you show the auditors what you are like
under pressure, and what kind of attitude they can expect of you in a production.
Solution: With enough practice, anyone can become an expert at making a
warm, professional entrance, introduction, thank you, and exit. Think about what
attitude you would most like to show in the audition room, and cultivate this
attitude until it is habitual. It is completely possible to appear grounded, excited
about your work, and happy to meet the people in the room, regardless of the
atmosphere, or your nerves, if you choose your attitude consciously and practice
it enough.
Karen Kohlhaas is a New York based theater director, a founding member of the Atlantic
Theater Company, and a senior teacher at the Atlantic Acting School. She teaches
private monologue classes in New York and internationally, is the author of ìThe
Monologue Audition: A Practical Guide for Actors,î and is the director/writer/producer of
THE MONOLOGUE AUDITION VIDEO, a 120-minute instructional dvd for actors or
anyone who wants to present themselves well, available on her website
www.monologueaudition.com.
Copyright 2006 by Karen Kohlhaas
Individuals have permission to duplicate or distribute this article if done so in its entirety.
How to Love Auditioning
This article originally appeared in Backstage magazine’s May 3-9 2007 issue.
How to Love Auditioning
by Karen Kohlhaas
Anyone who watches auditions regularly will tell you: 10 percent or less—some even say one percent—of the actors they see look like they’re having a good time. Surprised? They’ll also say that the actors who seem to truly enjoy auditioning are more likely to be considered and cast. So, let’s recognize what an audition really is: a job interview. If you were interviewing applicants for a position of great responsibility, would you be inclined to hire those who looked unhappy? Would you hire the applicants who looked most desperate to get the job? Or would you be drawn to those who seemed the most happy with themselves and enthusiastic about possibly being hired? I think actors often look unhappy (this includes looking serious, somber, grim, and totally miserable) because they’re treating auditions as ordeals they must endure in the hope of getting hired to do some real creative work. I believe the only way to change this is to treat the audition process itself as a creative project, with skills and habits you can learn and get better at.
Define what’s in your control and what isn’t, and forget about what isn’t.
Show business is insane and unfair—always has been, always will be. Here’s an exercise: make a two-column list, with one side labeled “Can Control” and one labeled “Can’t Control.” Write down everything you can think of that has to do with auditioning on each column. Then circle everything on the “Control” side you regularly do, and circle everything on the “Can’t Control” side that you regularly worry about or otherwise lose energy to. Any surprises? Your goal is to recycle the energy you spend on the “Can’t Control” side onto the “Control” side. Doing this exercise from time to time, and taking constructive action based on your results, can positively transform your audition experiences.
Have a solid, measurable craft.
This may seem obvious, but do you have an acting technique that works for you? Do you have a concrete way to tackle a script? Is your voice in shape? Is your body trained and at your service? Do you know what roles you want to be going out for? Do you have an idea of how others, such as casting directors, see you? Do you have an ever-evolving list of your most favorite plays, films, directors, and companies? Do you practice regularly? Do you practice auditioning ? The more you work on the various skills of your craft, the more you will enjoy exercising those skills. You’ll be more likely to see auditions as opportunities to share your creativity and to perform, and as a result you’ll have a better time in the audition room.
Be a gracious host at your audition.
It may be their audition room, but it’s your audition. Are you welcoming people to your performance? Or are you gritting your teeth and bracing yourself? Are you treating casting directors as valued colleagues, or more like the firing squad? Are you hurling yourself through the door or are you walking in and pleasantly taking stage? Are you smiling or are you grimacing? Are you warmly thanking them or are you running out of the room? I teach a whole class on this skill, but here’s the bottom line: If you habitually host your auditions positively and graciously, you are more likely to have a better time yourself.
Never make one audition mean everything.
I once told a friend of mine, who was up for the role of her dreams, that I wanted her to be in a production I was directing if she didn’t get the part. Later she told me that knowing that made her relax in the final callback—then she did, in fact, get the role of her dreams. Obviously you can’t guarantee that there’s another role waiting for you whenever you audition, but you can plan your life so that you are excited about what you have going on while you’re auditioning. That can mean classes you’re taking, trips or events you’re planning, or creating your own projects. The most attractive thing in the audition room is an actor who looks like he or she has somewhere interesting to go next. That kind of actor gives off an air of “you’d better grab me while you can,” not “please give me this part—it’s the only thing in my life.”
De-romanticize show business.
Michael Mastro, currently performing on Broadway in Mamma Mia! , is also a wonderful audition coach and speaker. When he tells the story of landing his first job in a Broadway play (as an understudy in Terrence McNally’s Love! Valour! Compassion! ), he very eloquently describes how part of him grieved for the loss of the romantic longing he’d had since childhood to be on Broadway—because it was finally happening! And it happened because he worked his butt off in the audition process to get the job. When he got it, he had to redefine himself as no longer being “the person who romantically longs,” but a person who is a working actor and a businessman. He advises actors that giving up some of the romance of show business can make you happier when you’re auditioning because you’ll be treating auditioning and acting more like real and important things you are responsible for, instead of a not-quite-real, random, “someday” kind of lottery. (P.S. He is however, still head over heels in love with acting.)
Learn and enjoy the steps of the dance.
A first audition is like a first coffee date: “Hello, how are you? Here’s how this part hits me—a taste of what I could be like in this role.” The problem is too many actors show up for this first date with an engagement ring—they put way too much pressure on themselves (and on their auditors) for the first audition to go “perfectly” instead of recognizing each step of the audition dance. Instead of trying to deliver a perfect performance, let your first audition be a sample of the sensibility you would bring to the role, and possibly the kind receptivity you would have to direction and feedback. Then, if they happen, let each subsequent callback build on your first audition by digging a little deeper into your work, and getting a bit more detailed. As nerve-wracking as it can be, you will give better auditions and have more fun if you focus specifically on each stage of the audition process rather than fret over the whole or the outcome.
Get fascinated with the details.
Are you more focused in the morning? What should you do to be your best at a 3 p.m. audition? What colors look best on you? Do you have clothes and shoes you look and feel great in? Do you need to eat protein before an audition? Should you avoid sugar? How can you be hydrated but not have to run to the bathroom right before you go in the room? Systematically identifying and practicing details that make you your best is in your control. It’ll pay off in increased energy, concentration, and enjoyment.
Talk to yourself productively.
You have three possible ways to talk to yourself after an audition: positively, neutrally, or negatively. I actually recommend talking to yourself neutrally. If you feel terrible after an audition, it will be harder to force yourself to be positive, but you’ll be more likely to manage a neutral assessment that can actually give you some valuable information. Write down what happened as objectively as you can. What worked? What could have worked better? What do you want to focus on for next time? Take what you learned and move on. Then you’ll have clear goals to act on for the next time. Once you make this a habit, it will be much easier to muster a positive attitude at the audition and afterward, because you’ll be working on your own side.
Recognize success.
The wonderful actor Peter Maloney recently spoke to the students at the Atlantic Acting School . He said, “If they don’t cast me, I want it to be their fault, not mine.” As a teacher, I love hearing when former students get jobs, but perhaps the kind of email or call I love even more is when an actor says: “I just had a great audition. I was fully prepared. I took care of everything. I was at ease coming in the room. I read or did my monologue and had fun working in the moment. And I made a point of giving them a sincere thank you and making confident exit. I had so much fun, and I’m glad I went regardless of whether I am called back or cast.” That is someone I know who has fallen in love with the auditioning process, and who is enjoying their success right now.
* * * * *
Karen Kohlhaas is a New York based theater director, a founding member of the Atlantic Theater Company, and a senior teacher at the Atlantic Acting School . She teaches private monologue classes in New York and internationally, is the author of “The Monologue Audition: A Practical Guide for Actors,” and is the director/writer/producer of THE MONOLOGUE AUDITION VIDEO, a 120-minute instructional dvd for actors or anyone who wants to present themselves well, available on her website www.monologueaudition.com.
Copyright 2006 by Karen Kohlhaas
Individuals have permission to duplicate or distribute this article if done so in its entirety.
100 Tips on Acting – Part 10 – The Final Part of the Series
This is the final part of my 100 Tips on Acting, I hope you enjoyed it, please send me some comments.
91)REFUSE TO GIVE UP – it’s the only way you’re going to make it.
92)SPEAK UP They want to hear you at the back
93)REFUSE TO GIVE UP - giving up is the only way you won’t make it.
94)THERE ARE NO GRADES IN THE REAL WORLD
95)LISTEN TO ADVICE But you do not have to take it
96)REFUSE TO GIVE UP - And you will make it.
97)THIS IS A REAL JOB - Don’t let anyone tell you any different.
98) DON’T LET THE BASTARDS GRIND YOU DOWN (Mama Westbrook)
99)DO NOT BE LATE - It’d discourteous.
100) ‘I’LL TRY’ IS PREPARING TO FAIL (David Mamet) – Don’t try anything. Trying is preparing yourself for the option to fail. Do your best.
100 Tips on Acting – Part 9
Ten more things to ponder on acting.
81)BE SKEPTICAL - There’s too much bullshit in this profession
82)THERE IS NO MAGIC
83)TALENT IS AS CHEAP AS TABLE SALT
84)IN THE END, IT’S JUST A JOB
85)IN THE END, IT’S JUST A SHOW
86)WHAT’S IN YOUR CONTROL? Forget about the things that are not
87)SOMETIMES YOU’RE THE WINDSHIELD, SOMETIMES YOUR THE BUG
88)THOSE WHO REFUSE TO ACCEPT DEFEAT WILL HAVE A CAREER
89)PEOPLE WILL FORGET WHO YOU ARE (Sometimes when you do a good job)
90)PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE (Mainly when you do a bad job)
Learn more from Mark’s articles on his website Acting Coach Scotland.
100 Tips on Acting – Part 8
71)THE PLAY’S THE THING
72)IF THE ANALYSIS HURTS YOUR HEAD, YOU ARE DOING GOOD WORK
73)WHO DO YOU KNOW?
74)THE SHOW IS NOT ABOUT YOU
75)BE DIFFERENT EVERY NIGHT
76)ACTING IS NOT GENTEEL CRAFT
77)DON’T BE AFRAID TO GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY
78)WHEN THE SHOW IS OVER, SEND THANK YOU CARDS
79)THE CORRECT RESPONSE TO ANY FORM OF PRAISE IS: ‘THANK YOU’
80)YOU ARE REPLACEABLE
Mark Westbrook is a professional acting coach, further details can be found at http://www.actingcoachscotland.co.uk
100 Tips on Acting – Part 7
61)THERE IS NO PERFECT ROLE You make the role perfect by fully living it.
62)EXPECT REJECTION But refuse to accept it
63)EMBRACE OPPORTUNITY
64)EVERYONE GETS SCARED
65)EVERYONE FAILS Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better (S.Beckett)
66)GATHER MORE STRINGS TO YOUR BOW
67)SELL YOURSELF, BUT DON’T SELL YOURSELF CHEAPLY
68)THE LITTLE VOICE IN YOUR HEAD IS USUALLY WRONG (Usually)
69)DECIDE WHERE THE LINE IS DRAWN Stick to your principles
70)SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST LUCKY, OTHERS HAVE TO GRAFT
100 Tips on Acting – Part 6
51)THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH TRAINING
52)WORK SMARTER AND HARDER What can you do to go the extra mile?
53)MAKE FRIENDS WITH STAGE MANAGEMENT
54)DON’T GOSSIP ABOUT YOUR FELLOW ACTORS
55)DON’T SLEEP WITH YOUR CO-STAR
56)TOURS ARE BORING – LEARN A LANGUAGE, READ, WRITE, PRACTICE YOGA
57)ASK QUESTIONS
58)BE THE FIRST TO VOLUNTEER FOR EVERYTHING
59)LEARN TO ACT BEFORE YOU THINK
60)YOU CANNOT ACT IN-SPITE OF THE PLAY, WORK WITH WHAT YOU ARE GIVEN
100 Tips on Acting – Part 5
41) CHARACTER IS WHAT YOU DO, WHAT ACTIONS YOU TAKE You are what you do
42) THE BADDIE RARELY CONSIDERS THEMSELVES A BADDIE
43) DO NOTHING UNTIL SOMETHING MAKES YOU DO IT Avoid contrivance
44) MONOLOGUES ARE THE HARDEST AND MOST DEMANDING PERFORMANCE AND REQUIRE THE MOST WORK
45)WHEN YOU CHANGE A HABIT OR LEARN SOMETHING NEW – IT ALWAYS FEELS AWKWARD AND WRONG It’s always that way
46)DO NOT LISTEN TO THE CRITICS They exist to sell newspapers
47)BE KIND, BE COURTEOUS AND BE WILLING TO DO MORE THAN REQUIRED
48)NOBODY LIKES A SHOW OFF But don’t be afraid to shine
49)NOBODY LIKES A KISS ASS But do more than you are asked.
50)STOP TRYING SO HARD IN THE SCENE/AUDITION
100 Tips on Acting – Part 4
Part 4:
31) BREATHE Or you will die and so will your performance.
32) BE SPECIFIC IN YOUR CHOICES AND DECISIONS Generality is the enemy of art
33) TALENT WON’T HELP YOU WHEN YOU’RE STUCK Get technique
34) THEY ALWAYS WANT STAFF AT SAINSBURY’S You don’t HAVE to do this
35) YOU ARE YOUR INSTRUMENT, IF YOU’RE NOT IN TOP FORM, THERE’S ONLY ONE PERSON TO BLAME
36) BE IN THE MOMENT
37) HOLD THE MOMENT Leave a moment or two at the end of the scene
38) DON’T JUDGE YOUR CHARACTER
39) TENSION WILL KILL YOUR PERFORMANCE Learn to perform at your ease
40) HOLD SOMETHING BACK Don’t give everything, hold a little in reserve
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