Preparation Pt.2: Acronyms and Adages!

Time for more preparation, kiddies. Today we’re going to talk about keeping life simple when you’re standing in the wings, waiting to go onstage. That time where you stand there, mutter to yourself, pace back and forth—when you make that final preparation. I find it so surprising how few actors actually solidify these moments for themselves with questions like: Why am I coming in? Where was I before I decided to come in? But what’s even more surprising is to listen to the over-complicated answers many actors have to these questions. For today we’re going to stick to the rule of K.I.S.S. or Keep It Simple, Stupid. Don’t you love advice that fits into the concise little package of an acronym? They’re just so damn handy.

I’ve said before that acting isn’t real life and that none of your preparation should seem “ordinary” because audiences don’t come to see ordinary events. That being said, try to stay out of the stratosphere when it comes to your preparation. What makes drama so wonderfully moving is the fact that, while extraordinary, it’s also not out of the realm of possibility. Oedipus’s killing his father and marrying his mother, while a staggering coincidence, actually makes perfect logical sense when all of the events are finally revealed. To try to make sense of everything, I thought I’d break down all of this information into a nice little list. I love lists. No where near as handy as an acronym, but handy nonetheless.

So what are the things you should consider when going for preparation?

Does it mean something to you? – If the answer to this question is “No” or “A little” then rethink your choice. I said in “Ridding Yourself of Speech Modifiers,” you should never make a choice that effects you only “a little.” Remember that there is a reason for every entrance you have and if the reason isn’t an important one then you have no reason to even make your entrance at all. You’ve heard it before: RAISE THE STAKES. I hesitate to use that phrase because it’s become so overused, but there really is no better way to say it. Remember that every choice you make, every decision, even your entrances, has to mean enough to you to make you come into the scene. Where you go from there is anybody’s guess, but have a reason to get in the door.

Is this “Ordinary”? - In your search for choices that are stage-worthy let words like “ordinary” serves as warning signs. To be honest, I think we’ve covered this particular topic enough so I’ll just sum up with this: Remember when you make your decisions that these are serving to earn the attention of the audience. It doesn’t come standard and it doesn’t come cheap. You’ve got to earn it with every second you’re in their sightlines.

Is it Believeable? – Here’s the hard part. Take your extraordinary circumstance and making sure that it’s completely within the realm of possibility. An audience will only suspend their disbelief so far and when you cross that boundary, you are on your own. When you’re asking yourself this question I want you to keep in mind the dramaturgical category called Selective Realism, which is the basis for the modern soap opera. Selective Realism is, in the simplest terms, when characters experience events that, while completely probable, would never happen with the kind of frequency displayed in the story. Amnesia and comas are both completely probable conditions, but usually not to the same person in the same week . . . twice. If your choice sounds like a particularly bad episode of Days of Our Lives, go back and try again. And here’s the trick to fixing this problem: take things away. Like I said before, you have to Keep It Simple, Stupid. It’s usually explanations that are too long that end up being unbelievable.

Is the answer scripted? – Go back through and make sure that the decision you’re making hasn’t already been made for you. Is it mentioned somewhere in the script that you’re coming in because you got shot and are looking for a doctor? I know this sounds really self-explanatory, but you’d probably be surprised. Actors have a surprising ability to overlook the really obvious stuff and miss the forest for the trees. Adages and acronyms. What a day!

I think we’ll leave it at that for now, that’s a good start into the world of preparation. Remember to be on the look out for the next installments of the Preparation Series. And, if you haven’t all ready, check out Part One of the series: “Emotional Memories.” Until next time, as always, remember to Sin Boldly!

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