Okay, so I just used that tag line to drag people in. LOL. I don't really believe that Boal's teachings were like reality televison. The Forum Theatre is/was so much more than that!
For those of you not familiar with Boal or the Forum Theatre, grab the book Games For Actors and Non-actors. It will get you in touch with what he is all about. His games about trust and power are essential to the understanding of his teaching. He is an amazing Brazilian theorist, at times very controversial, and definitely worthwhile for performers to experience.
The Forum Theatre was an interesting style that used an open theatre format to create social reform. The basic premis is as such: a scripted play would be performed. Then the audience was invited to "change" the script. The show is performed again, but the viewers, whom Boal called spec-actors, may freeze the show at any time and step into a role, changing it. This is a great way to brainstorm new ways to address situations.
A few years ago, when I was new to the teachings of Boal, I explained this to one of my IB Theatre classes and they took it upon themselves to "create" a social experiemnt. It backfired and caused a huge scandal among the students. They 'fessed up amid the disaster and I was able to advise them on how they went wrong. The important thing to remember with Forum Theatre, is that it is planned improvisation. That first scripted moment is the impetus for critical thought that gets the group going.
Boal can be said to have influenced much theatre in the United States--including but not limited to the A-Train Theatre Group. This wonderful ensemble gets on the subway in upper Manhattan and rides it to terminus, performing all the time. They start a "play" when they get on and the other riders become part of the cast as they interact, comment, get on and off and even ignore the actors. By the end of the ride, a wonderful spectrum of social interaction and performance has been created. I have actually ridden the A-train, and always hoped to be part of one of these unannounced programs. Not so lucky.
The large group freezes can also find their way back to Boal, although that route is rather zigzagged as opposed to head-on. The first one that I remember seeing took place in Grand Central Station. At an appointed time, everyone froze. People not involved in the action (or lack of action)stopped and stared, and some even joined in. The entire freeze only took about two minutes, but it was artistry! The moment captured a glimpse of society that was fascinating. What fun!
My favorite game from my studies in Boal is one in which you create a scene of power. I first played it at an event sponsored by the Orlando Shakespeare Festival. They gave us, a triad, five minutes to use our chairs to create a scene of power. For a group basically composed of theatre teachers, this wasn't too hard. However, when they asked us to create the same scene "giving power" to another, it was more interesting. People actually jockeyed for position so that they could be the "one". As I reflected on this later, I came to the conclusion that this is what high school students do--vie for a position in the play. Everyone wants to be the star, not relizing that the person IN power is not always the person who HAS power. Hmmm. That is some food for thought.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
In Memorium--Terry Rest in Peace
A day ago, the Orlando Theatre community lost one of its own. Terry Newby lost his fight with cancer.
I first met Terry in the early 80's when we were all (and I do mean everyone)doing Civic Theatre. I was one of the house Stage Managers at that time and we did countless shows together. Everyone always wanted to be around Terry because he was always laughing and keeping everyone going.
Last year, when I began my fight with kidney cancer, Terry was the first one to contact me. He advised me on what to expect. He told me how to handle everything from the loss of friendships to the loss of hair (which never happened to me). Our conversations bolstered me more than he will ever know.
On July 12th, I will be six months cancer free. Terry was always one of the first to "like" my posts about survival and to send me encouraging words. Not having that will put a hole in my heart that nobody else will fill.
My favorite quote has always been from Act V of Hamlet, "The rest is silence." And for Terry, it is. No more pain, Sweet Prince. Only the silence born of love that expresses everything.
I first met Terry in the early 80's when we were all (and I do mean everyone)doing Civic Theatre. I was one of the house Stage Managers at that time and we did countless shows together. Everyone always wanted to be around Terry because he was always laughing and keeping everyone going.
Last year, when I began my fight with kidney cancer, Terry was the first one to contact me. He advised me on what to expect. He told me how to handle everything from the loss of friendships to the loss of hair (which never happened to me). Our conversations bolstered me more than he will ever know.
On July 12th, I will be six months cancer free. Terry was always one of the first to "like" my posts about survival and to send me encouraging words. Not having that will put a hole in my heart that nobody else will fill.
My favorite quote has always been from Act V of Hamlet, "The rest is silence." And for Terry, it is. No more pain, Sweet Prince. Only the silence born of love that expresses everything.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Monologues Part 2: Okay, I Got It. Now What Do I Do With It?
So, finally I have the perfect monologue and I have read the play twice. I know a lot about my character and know her place in the world of the play, so I can start to build. The first thing I do, is read it again. LOL. I can hear some of my students groaning from here. By the time I am done working a monologue, I may have read the play ten times...no lie. More if it is for a scene and lots more if I am directing. But that's a different blog.
This time, when I read the play, I am looking for the Key Facts about my character. What is said about her? I look in the stage descriptions, I look in the dialogue of others and I look in the things that I say myself. I assemble a list of Key Facts that I call the Hot List.
From these, I will pick the three things that I think are the most important. In the first person, (in other words, as the character) I write about each of the key facts. For example, if I choose the fact that my character lives at home with her mother, I would write how it felt to live at home with a parent when you were an adult, I would talk about the annoying habits my mother has, I would mention the way I always feel defensive about coming home late or perhaps after being out all night. Where do these things come from? Inside the script that I have now read three times!
Seems like a lot of writing, doesn't it? But knowing how I feel when I am in character really helps me build a viable monologue.
Now, in Larry Silverberg's workshops, he asks you to bring a newspaper article that you feel incites a strong feeling in you. If I am working with a class, we do this as well, but when I am working on my own I usually skip this part. The premise of the article is for you first to write about it extensively as yourself, then to write again as your character. This is a way of discovering a common ground between yourself and the person you are going to create. It works very well, especially if you are less experienced or having trouble determining how your character thinks. For my personal development, I find that writing about the key facts essentially establishes the same thing.
Once you have found the commonalities, it is easy to start getting under the skin of the character. Like an onion, you have to peel away the layers to get to the core of the who the person inside might be.
Another thing that really works for me, in finding the emotional condition of the character, is working with a partner that hurls a trigger phrase at you. For example, if you are doing a scnee in which you lose your children to a kidnapper, the partner would hurl the words, "You'll never see your children again." And you improvise the inner monologue of that frightened mother. Whenever you seem to be flagging, have the partner give you the phrase again. Repeat this action over and over until you are out of your head and into your heart building the character. It is reminiscent of the Meisner work I have spoken about in other places. You have to stop thinking about response and start acting on impulse--on what is happening now, not in the past or what might happen in the future.
This time, when I read the play, I am looking for the Key Facts about my character. What is said about her? I look in the stage descriptions, I look in the dialogue of others and I look in the things that I say myself. I assemble a list of Key Facts that I call the Hot List.
From these, I will pick the three things that I think are the most important. In the first person, (in other words, as the character) I write about each of the key facts. For example, if I choose the fact that my character lives at home with her mother, I would write how it felt to live at home with a parent when you were an adult, I would talk about the annoying habits my mother has, I would mention the way I always feel defensive about coming home late or perhaps after being out all night. Where do these things come from? Inside the script that I have now read three times!
Seems like a lot of writing, doesn't it? But knowing how I feel when I am in character really helps me build a viable monologue.
Now, in Larry Silverberg's workshops, he asks you to bring a newspaper article that you feel incites a strong feeling in you. If I am working with a class, we do this as well, but when I am working on my own I usually skip this part. The premise of the article is for you first to write about it extensively as yourself, then to write again as your character. This is a way of discovering a common ground between yourself and the person you are going to create. It works very well, especially if you are less experienced or having trouble determining how your character thinks. For my personal development, I find that writing about the key facts essentially establishes the same thing.
Once you have found the commonalities, it is easy to start getting under the skin of the character. Like an onion, you have to peel away the layers to get to the core of the who the person inside might be.
Another thing that really works for me, in finding the emotional condition of the character, is working with a partner that hurls a trigger phrase at you. For example, if you are doing a scnee in which you lose your children to a kidnapper, the partner would hurl the words, "You'll never see your children again." And you improvise the inner monologue of that frightened mother. Whenever you seem to be flagging, have the partner give you the phrase again. Repeat this action over and over until you are out of your head and into your heart building the character. It is reminiscent of the Meisner work I have spoken about in other places. You have to stop thinking about response and start acting on impulse--on what is happening now, not in the past or what might happen in the future.
Working With Monologues--Find The Perfect Script For You!
First of all, let me say that in my 43 years in the business of theatre, the most often asked questions that I get concern monologues. Of course they are a fundamental of the industry, whether you are auditioning for a role, a scholarship or a school. Why then is it then, that so many people don't know how to do it?
My favorite book on monologue preparation is Larry Silverberg's wonderful, Loving to Audition. If you have this book, what are you doing reading this blog? Run get it. Do it now! If you don't have it, most of what I have to say about monologue preparation is the same kind of stuff. When I was performing, I used this book and I had a 50-60% casting ratio. That's pretty good, ask anyone who is out there running the gamut.
The first step is finding a monologue that you absolutely love. If you don't love it, you are not going to perform it well. Trust me, I have seen thousands of monologues in my lifetime and you can ALWAYS tell. So where do you find a monologue? Some people buy a ton of books (and keep the Borders I am sitting at in business). that's not what I do, however (sorry free wi-fi and mint tazo tea). To find the perfect monologue, I plan an afternoon at the downtown library. Quite methodically, I go through the stacks of plays and pull out a bunch of them--either ones I know but had forgotten about or ones that are new to me--and then I scan them for long passages. The ones the meet the length criteria, then get added to the "read pile". (After making sure that they are gender appropriate, of course.) When I have narrowed my search down to ten or twenty plays, I begin to read them. Yes, luv, I said READ them. I read the play from cover to cover. I contextualize my character that way.
Usually this narrows my choices down to one or two. Those are the scripts that I check out. The whole library experience might take two hours--usually its about five. I like to be thorough!
The selections that I take home I then read again. I read them in one complete sitting--if I am interrupted, I begin the process again. It is important that you get the total feel of the character's world and their place in that world.
Once I have decided that this is The One, I write that monologue out longhand. Having another brain bubble at that thought? I grab a couple of sheets of notebook paper and write my monologue down, and here's the rub: I take out all punctuation and capitalization! Why? Because that allows me to interpret the character in my own way and to make discoveries about her that are unique. I never would allow the grammar police to interpret my performance. As I rehearse and prepare my piece, I may add my own punctuation and diacritical markings. This is the first phase of making the character come to life within me.
My favorite book on monologue preparation is Larry Silverberg's wonderful, Loving to Audition. If you have this book, what are you doing reading this blog? Run get it. Do it now! If you don't have it, most of what I have to say about monologue preparation is the same kind of stuff. When I was performing, I used this book and I had a 50-60% casting ratio. That's pretty good, ask anyone who is out there running the gamut.
The first step is finding a monologue that you absolutely love. If you don't love it, you are not going to perform it well. Trust me, I have seen thousands of monologues in my lifetime and you can ALWAYS tell. So where do you find a monologue? Some people buy a ton of books (and keep the Borders I am sitting at in business). that's not what I do, however (sorry free wi-fi and mint tazo tea). To find the perfect monologue, I plan an afternoon at the downtown library. Quite methodically, I go through the stacks of plays and pull out a bunch of them--either ones I know but had forgotten about or ones that are new to me--and then I scan them for long passages. The ones the meet the length criteria, then get added to the "read pile". (After making sure that they are gender appropriate, of course.) When I have narrowed my search down to ten or twenty plays, I begin to read them. Yes, luv, I said READ them. I read the play from cover to cover. I contextualize my character that way.
Usually this narrows my choices down to one or two. Those are the scripts that I check out. The whole library experience might take two hours--usually its about five. I like to be thorough!
The selections that I take home I then read again. I read them in one complete sitting--if I am interrupted, I begin the process again. It is important that you get the total feel of the character's world and their place in that world.
Once I have decided that this is The One, I write that monologue out longhand. Having another brain bubble at that thought? I grab a couple of sheets of notebook paper and write my monologue down, and here's the rub: I take out all punctuation and capitalization! Why? Because that allows me to interpret the character in my own way and to make discoveries about her that are unique. I never would allow the grammar police to interpret my performance. As I rehearse and prepare my piece, I may add my own punctuation and diacritical markings. This is the first phase of making the character come to life within me.
There's A Method to My Meisner Part One
Thoughts on the Theories of Theatre Great Sanford Meisner
I have long thought that Sanford Meisner had the right idea when it comes to learning how to act and as I research and teach various methods, I am more convinced than ever. In my advanced drama classes next year, I am going to present the theories of many great acting teachers: Adler, Strasberg, Boal, Hagen, Stanislavski (du-uh) and of course, my hero, Sanford Meisner. I have been spending hours looking up exercises, reading documents, books and websites. By the time we get back to classes, I am going to have a study guide to end all study guides on theory for my students. In the meantime, I am going to blog my thoughts on my discoveries, more to help me keep them in order than anything else.
I first came across Mr. Meisner's techniques when I picked up volume one of the definitive series written by Larry Silverberg. For years I had struggled with the ideas of dredging up your past and applying it to the stage. There are too many things in my history that best lie suppressed in a thoroughly unhealthy way. I kept thinking, if I have to dig up this pain to create the reality of my character, I am not a very good actor.
Meisner believes that you can "live truthfully in imaginary circumstances". He taught listening, really listening to your acting partners is the beginning of true skill and that learning to act is a lifelong process.
He is also a proponent of eliminating self by letting go of pre-conceptions. One of the main ways he teaches how to do this is through his repetitions.The first time I taught Meisner, I realized that many teenagers have a difficult time with this theory. One of my students wrote in his journal, "This is shit." every day for a month when we were doing the initial exercises. Adolescents want to control their acting. They read a script, get an idea of what the character is about and then form a notion that they base their whole character build upon. While some may think this is excellent industry on their part, it doesn't take into account what the other people in the scene may be thinking about or allow any spark of spontaneity into the work. Additionally, it doesn't make room for the creative process of rehearsal. Rehearsal should be a time of discovery and collaboration. Meisner believed that all you need is with the other person.
The repetitions are simple observations at first. "Pink shirt" or "crooked nose" in a ping pong game between scene partners. This becomes "You are wearing a pink shirt" and adds an element of truth, "I am wearing a pink shirt." So many people think this is the seminal point of conversation but it is not. The repetitions go back and forth ad nausea, only changing when something compels the change. Emotionally it is flat. It is so hard to get out of your head and let go of controlling where the repetition goes. Which is why "this is shit" is a reality for some students. They can't trust the other person to give them what they need.
By the way, the boy that wrote that in his journal came to visit three years later. While he was waiting for me to be finished with class, he watched me working on Meisner's theories. I thought, "What a day for Adrian to be here. He hated this work." However, this turned out to be a eureka moment for the young man. "I finally got it," he confessed. "Just now, while I was watching, it made sense for the first time." I tell that story at the beginning of every session with Meisner. It's okay not to get it, if you just let it happen. Eventually it will all come clear.After the repetitions there is a series of "Coming to the Door" exercises which involve working off a partner. Starting with "coming home to be alone" and moving into "the activity", Meisner builds on moments of truth.
6/20/10
I have long thought that Sanford Meisner had the right idea when it comes to learning how to act and as I research and teach various methods, I am more convinced than ever. In my advanced drama classes next year, I am going to present the theories of many great acting teachers: Adler, Strasberg, Boal, Hagen, Stanislavski (du-uh) and of course, my hero, Sanford Meisner. I have been spending hours looking up exercises, reading documents, books and websites. By the time we get back to classes, I am going to have a study guide to end all study guides on theory for my students. In the meantime, I am going to blog my thoughts on my discoveries, more to help me keep them in order than anything else.
I first came across Mr. Meisner's techniques when I picked up volume one of the definitive series written by Larry Silverberg. For years I had struggled with the ideas of dredging up your past and applying it to the stage. There are too many things in my history that best lie suppressed in a thoroughly unhealthy way. I kept thinking, if I have to dig up this pain to create the reality of my character, I am not a very good actor.
Meisner believes that you can "live truthfully in imaginary circumstances". He taught listening, really listening to your acting partners is the beginning of true skill and that learning to act is a lifelong process.
He is also a proponent of eliminating self by letting go of pre-conceptions. One of the main ways he teaches how to do this is through his repetitions.The first time I taught Meisner, I realized that many teenagers have a difficult time with this theory. One of my students wrote in his journal, "This is shit." every day for a month when we were doing the initial exercises. Adolescents want to control their acting. They read a script, get an idea of what the character is about and then form a notion that they base their whole character build upon. While some may think this is excellent industry on their part, it doesn't take into account what the other people in the scene may be thinking about or allow any spark of spontaneity into the work. Additionally, it doesn't make room for the creative process of rehearsal. Rehearsal should be a time of discovery and collaboration. Meisner believed that all you need is with the other person.
The repetitions are simple observations at first. "Pink shirt" or "crooked nose" in a ping pong game between scene partners. This becomes "You are wearing a pink shirt" and adds an element of truth, "I am wearing a pink shirt." So many people think this is the seminal point of conversation but it is not. The repetitions go back and forth ad nausea, only changing when something compels the change. Emotionally it is flat. It is so hard to get out of your head and let go of controlling where the repetition goes. Which is why "this is shit" is a reality for some students. They can't trust the other person to give them what they need.
By the way, the boy that wrote that in his journal came to visit three years later. While he was waiting for me to be finished with class, he watched me working on Meisner's theories. I thought, "What a day for Adrian to be here. He hated this work." However, this turned out to be a eureka moment for the young man. "I finally got it," he confessed. "Just now, while I was watching, it made sense for the first time." I tell that story at the beginning of every session with Meisner. It's okay not to get it, if you just let it happen. Eventually it will all come clear.After the repetitions there is a series of "Coming to the Door" exercises which involve working off a partner. Starting with "coming home to be alone" and moving into "the activity", Meisner builds on moments of truth.
6/20/10
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