Become a Jedi and a Great Actor

A few weeks ago I was spurred to buy a book outside my local library off of a cart they use to raise money. I bought this book, which was written back in the early seventies, for one whole dollar because the back cover made me laugh so damn hard. The book was called Kenesics: The Power of Silent Command and the back cover promised me that I’d be able to control my family and friends without saying a word, and I would be presented with a “psychic whip” with which I could achieve everything I had ever wanted. I read this and thought, “Hell, I always did want to be a Jedi! What’s one dollar?” So I went home, Photoread it, and very quickly realized that it could be more helpful than I had actually imagined.

Did it give me a “psychic whip?” No. I guess that’s still in the mail. But it did get me thinking about the art and science of body language, which is apparently what “kinesics” is. Who knew? So with this strange book in mind, I began to contemplate all of the benefits of controlling body language for the actor. Would you be able to silently command family and friends? I make no promises, but I’m certain it could help you get more call backs.

Think about it; how could it help your auditions if you could identify all of the things your body did that showed your nerves and your insecurities and put a stop to them? How much more work do you think you could get just by looking more confident? Or more friendly? Do you realize how many actors are hired because of how relaxed and “natural” they appear onstage or onscreen? Do you realize that humans react to looks more than we react to sounds? That means that overall we tend to react to people who look positive or confident, rather than people who speak positively or confidently. I think the acting potential is limitless and that’s not even looking at the onstage side of your career. Wouldn’t a greater knowledge in the language of the body help you create more physically complex characters? Stanislavski would be proud!

So what’s the point I’m trying to make with this? Simply that this is something that every actor should explore. I’m a huge believer in personal growth and personal tweaking. I love paying attention to my body and letting it inform the choices I make and I encourage other actors to try this as well. Pay attention to the way you feel and the way you work so that you can begin to expand your vocabulary of body language terms. This act alone can help you when it comes to creating physicality in your roles.

I propose that every actor should spend a significant amount of time every day in front of a mirror watching themselves. Watch how you comb your hair, or how you wait for a bus. And as you watch what you look like, pay attention to how your body feels. This information can be invaluable because you can emulate certain physical sensations to illicit emotions. Begin seeing what your body looks like and feels like when you find yourself feeling nervous or insecure, then compare it with the feelings and images of your body while confident and powerful. Begin to discover the “buttons” in your body that allow you to illicit feelings of confidence.

The key to all of this is to begin to live your life consciously, which is something we will begin to discuss as the personal development side of the Alchemist for Actors expands. I want everyone to begin to live their lives on purpose. When you are happy I want it to be because you made a conscious choice to feel happy. If you are confident and powerful I want it to be because you made a conscious choice to be so. So from now on give it a shot in your acting career and see what happens. Make the decision that you will study how your body works, and how the bodies of others around you work, and use that information to your advantage in your life on and offstage.

As always I want to hear about your exploits with this, be they success or that other thing. Send them along to me and I’ll make sure they get to everyone who reads this site. Until next time, go stand before those mirrors and Sin Boldly!

p.s.

I wanted to provide a link to the “Kenesics” book in case anyone wanted to take a look at it, but it turns out that Amazon.com has never heard of it. I guess they just don’t understand the value of a good “psychic whip.”

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