Great Acting: Catching Lightning in a Bottle
“Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does all the work.”
–Mark Twain
On stage today I suddenly knew just what I had done wrong all of those times before. It suddenly struck me what the difference was between my successful performances and my not so successful performances. Like a bolt from […]
Filed Under Articles, The Best of, Preparation, How To, Career
Projection Part 3: Making Sounds (or Good Vibrations!)
So far in the Projection series we have outlined exercises to strengthen your diaphragm, and cleared up some misconception on how your body breathes, but there is one more step to projection.
To truly understand how to project you must understand how your body produces sound in the first place. This is truly a case of […]
Filed Under Articles, Preparation, The Body, Projection
The Well-Loved Script
Isn’t it a wonderful feeling when you’ve just gotten cast in a show and you’ve got a brand new, unmarked script? It smells so nice, that pristine paper. No folds, no creases, no marks. It’s such a wonderful moment when you hold that unaltered piece of art in your hand and know that you are […]
Filed Under Articles, The Best of, Preparation, How To
Preparation Pt. 3: Sex and Ambition!
It was the father of modern psychology, Sigmund Freud, who said that there are only two reasons why anyone does anything. When you begin to question your motives on any given day, you’ll see that Freud was onto something. I believe that there are no self-less acts, that there is a selfish reason behind everything […]
Filed Under Articles, The Best of, Preparation
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 […]
Filed Under Articles, The Best of, Preparation
Preparation: Emotional Memories
Preparation is probably the most sacred and secret part of an actors craft. For every actor it is different, and it is always personal. It’s the secret ingredient that every actor must guard for themselves. It’s whatever you do right before you go on stage that brings you to the emotional level needed to thrust […]
Filed Under Articles, The Best of, Preparation
