Thoughts on Acting

I was reading Class Minutes (as I am wont to do on a weekend), and I loved these notes from Eric’s Thursday Night Ongoing on July 7, 2016 from Ian M. SO MUCH, that I had to edit ‘em up and post ‘em for you.  The class worked on the new UNT. SETH MACFARLANE pilot – aka ORVILLE.  

1.    FREEDOM 

We need more freedom. We can always get more free and more specific. Always. We want to get to the point where we walk into an audition and we’re not completely sure what’s going to pop into our head.

Why is this hard? Because we’re nervous, we’re scared of not being exactly correct, we don’t have a scene partner (when we’re auditioning), and we’re sort of acting in a vacuum. It’s very hard to let it flow amid all those things.

How do we get more freedom? Work everyday.  Work the scene and think about the scene to the point that you don’t have to THINK about the technicals and the lines. You go in, you have all that stuff way down deep in your BONES, you KNOW what your POV is, and you feel comfortable enough with your work to just let it fly. 

Daydream about your thoughts! Eric likes to break down his scenes and get in to sort of “rabbit holes” with his thoughts (he stacks ‘em five deep). For example, in the scene where the angry crew gets up to walk away from Alara Kitan’s table, what might her thought be? (Thoughts are in paretheses below): 

–  (Man, this sucks!)

GREAT, now, what else might she think?

–  (Everyone’s being so mean!)

–  (Is this how being Captain’s gonna be?)

–  (Why’d I ever step up in the first place???)

–  (I CAN’T DO THIS!)

Now we have a BUNCH of thoughts we’ve just thought, and we can walk into rooms less nervous that we’re going to remember that one, CORRECT thought that we landed on in rehearsal. We KNOW we have something there because we’ve been daydreaming about all of the possibilities, and we’re talented peeps, so ONE of those thoughts – or maybe even something BETTER — is bound to drop into our head at the correct moment. Making us: Free. 

–  We want to aspire to get to the point where, when we go in, we are both completely in control of the scene, but also totally free.

 –  In Eric’s mind, actors are at their best in auditions when their work is the TINIEST bit dangerous (i.e., it FEELS, like they might not be totally in control because they’re so free). But really, we know how much work goes into it.

2.    SPECIFICITY 

The character of Alara is described as Capable + Formidable and Young + Green. But in class, the actors took those two groups and washed them down to mostly just Young + Green. How do we incorporate BOTH pairs of descriptions (Capable and Formidable) and (Young and Green) without making it muddy and/or too one note?

–           Pick some moments that are Capable + Formidable and other moments that are Young + Green.

–           Do not mush ‘em all together because if you do you’ll get a mush of nada.

–           Maybe reverse the Young + Green moments!

–           Line: Capable and Formidable

–           Line: Capable and Formidable

–           Line: (Reversal) Young and Green

–           The Tequila/ Double line is a perfect example: Walk in thinking: I’ve got this. This is MY ship. (Capable and Formidable).  Then say, “Sythethize Tequila.” (Not a question, don’t take it up at the end because it telegraphs that you’re going to say more and ruins the joke setup AND it’s not the right thought.) Then see the whole room of people who hate you. (Young and Green): …“make it a double.” 

3.    THINKING NON-STOP

On Thinking Throughout a Scene: It’s really hard to keep thinking throughout an entire scene- especially in comedy, because it can be so fast and technical. Whereas in drama, we feel more license to really swim in our thoughts. Eric encourages us to start thinking about our comedies LIKE we think about our dramas- really start to explore/ daydream about who that character is. Think heavily on the many levels of their POV and their situation- encourage yourself to really swim in your thoughts even when doing comedy. 

4.    POV

In single-cam comedy, the comedy comes from our strong POV, and moreover, the fact that we have a drastically changing strong POV.  If you look at the first few pages of this show, the main character has a different POV on each character he introduces:

·        Alara Kitan (This girl looks like a highschooler, what the hell???)

·        Security Officer (SHE’S MY WHAT?! This can’t be right)

·        You’re Selayan (OOOOOOH, She’s SELAYAN, got it. Phew, that was a close one. Ooo she’s pretty cute).

5.    NOT FRAGILE

Our acting cannot be Fragile:

–  As Eric touched on in the beginning of class, we want to work to get our acting to be even a little dangerous (i.e. LOOSE, FREE, FLYING, FLOWING). NOT FRAGILE.

–  Part of the whole philosophy of LK&Co. is (as one of the fabulous Intensive Instructors, Tiffany, once said) to get your acting (here) to be your acting (out there) to be your acting (anywhere, in any condition).

–  You WILL be late, there’s GOING to be a light in your face, you’re GOING to get brand new sides at the last minute. It’s never going to be perfect, but LK&Co. aims to give us a huge tool-belt to deal with anything that comes our way.

–  Lesly wants you TO BE ABLE TO ACT IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON THE 405, FOR FUCK’s SAKE.

How do we get to be Not Fragile? Let go. Stop obsessing that we’re 100% completely and TOTALLY off book, or know EXACTLY where ALL our jokes are, or relying on props, or never ever using the chair, or any of the million little things we’ve piled onto ourselves. Dare to freaking Suck.  Do it loud and hard and for all to see. ‘Cuz that’s how we get better.

6.    MEMORIZING LINES

Yes, know the lines. Don’t be ad-libbing all over the place, and throwing in a million handles (“uh,” “Ya,” “ya’know,” “like”). Do your homework.

But also don’t obsess about being absolutely word perfect. If you exchange a few words here and there for their synonyms in ways that don’t affect joke setups or punch lines (or key plot points) you’ll be fine! And the energy you’re spending worrying about being absolutely flawlessly word perfect is PROBABLY getting in the way of you being loose and free and flowing. SO. Do your homework, really really REALLY do your homework, and go in there and trust yourself.

Avoid making line memorizing, or any of those other obsessions, your weird “gremlin” that gets in your head and screws you up.