Lesson 3: Acting - dynamic vs static

Information

A serious difficulty with acting is "self-consciousness".  An actor must be able to stand up and be observed, be "in-character", for a group of people who are thinking about what you are doing.  This can be terrifying, but the only way to get over it - is to face it.  These next excercises are intended to do help actors stand infront of others.


Action

Exercise A: Doing vs. Being
Instructions: Divide the class into two halves. Have each actor do the following actions in order.   Allow thirty seconds for each item on the list.

  1. Stand up in front of the group
  2. Be dignified
  3. Look beautiful
  4. Relax
  5. Count the number of men you see
  6. Count the number of women you see faster than you counted the men.
Exercise B: Roles and Improvisation
Instructions: Get a partner and switch partners between each scene.

Scene 1:Partner A is a parent.  Partner B is a teenager.  Pretend that you are in a kitchen and Partner B is eating a bowl of cereal.

Scene 2: Partner A and B are roomates.  Last night after an argument Partner B left the apartment.  It is now the following morning Partner A is washing dishes and Partner B returns.

Scene 3: Partner A and B are "interested" in each other for some time.  They meet in a cafeteria by accident, and "A" sits down next to "B"

Scent 4: Partner A and B are siblings.  "B" has recently been away for a long time overseas.  "B" came home but left for the night to go out with friends and stayed out all night.  "A" finds "B" in a waiting room of a bus depot.

Scene 5: Partner A and B are friends.  "B" has recently been accused of murder.  "A" and "B" meet accidently in an isolate spot.

Exercise C: Improvisation impulse with lines
Instructions: Memorize or use the lines in the same scenes as Exercise B.  Continue to switch partners between scenes.

A: Hi!
B: Hello
A: How's everything
B: Fine. I guess
A: Do you know what time it is?
B: No.  Not exactly.
A: Don't you have a watch?
B: Not on me.
A: Well?
B: Well what?
A: What did you do last night?
B: What do you mean?
A: What did you do last night?
B: Nothing
A: Nothing?
B: I said, nothing!
A: I'm sorry I asked.
B: That's all right.

Reflection

Dynamic scenes are created with actions but also words.  Write a few notes for your weekly journal, explain how the interaction between words and actions create dynamic scenes.