The dramatic text is a structure that has a beginning, a middle and an end (we can only hope). If the writers’ fingers are an extension of his emotional connection to the material, who knows – the text may even be worthwhile. The responsibility of the production team – be it for film or stage – is to recognize the texts’ structure and build the product so that it both illuminates and enhances the writers intent.
The actors part in this is to figure out what part of the writers design is carried by her/his performance. So. Create your own structure, scene by scene. Look at how the character grows, diminishes, changes from point A to the end. Have a clear idea of what you need to accomplish in every scene and of the things that stand in the way of your getting there.
The surest way to drive yourself crazy is to try and do it all at once. Like eating the whole pie in a single gulp. Yum. Rhubarb. Indigestion. Take it a bit at a time. Digest it slowly and let the flavors mingle as you go. You’ll be amazed to find that lines, emotional beats, physicality all come together and are absorbed until everything feels organic. Free range acting.
Creating the structure for your performance involves thinking about what’s required emotionally, physically and vocally. It’s like creating a road map which you follow the first few times you drive from, say, Minsk to Pinsk. After several trips – the car practically drives itself and you bravely stow the road map in the Lada’s glove box. As long as the latch works. Same with the structure for a performance. Stow it. Forget it. Let the circumstances of the event pull the cork so that your work flows like good wine, without you having to think about it. Movies?, you ask. Somewhat different. More on that later.
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