In acting class I find that students constantly want to learn more skills and tricks and dialects and postures and positions and and and – – all in the name of being a better actor. It takes me some time and patience to show them that ADDING more to the repertoire is the last thing they need to do at this early point. They need to get RID of “actor stuff” to be a better actor. In the metaphorical sense, they need to clear the room well BEFORE they even think of adding new furniture to the room. How do you even know what you need to add until you see the free space?
I spend most of my time trying to cut away at all of the students’ masks, deceits, conceits and tricks to get to their authentic self. I constantly find myself saying, “Stop. Can you take that moment and do LESS? Get rid of half of that. Get rid of 3/4 of that. Hell, get rid of all of that! Don’t work. Don’t fight for your objective – – just allow it. Give your words and movements no force to get what you want – – simple permission is all that they need. Breath, respond and call the moment done.
Only AFTER you are able to operate unencumbered and achieve communion by default, can you take up the tool bag of the actor and begin to gently add them to your repertoire. Give me a scene with no staging, no props, no set, no mannerisms no dialect no nothing. Make it simple. Make the send, receive, and respond chain clear while sitting in two chairs and only then do you deserve to stand and meet the world of the play.