pre-acting = acting 101 *
"Didactic" = to teach.
Dionysis-Biomechanics
Dionysis -- Biomechanics

Apollo-Method
Method -- Apollo

2004

Summary

Fall 2003: FIVE APPROACHES TO ACTING (A TEXTBOOK) by David Kaplan, foreword by Stephen Holden, film critic, The New York Times -- recommended by Robert Brustein, American Repertory Theater; Judith Malina, The Living Theatre; Sir Nigel Hawthorne; and acting teachers on three continents! (published by West Broadway Press)

This course is designed for the beginning acting student, especially the theatre major acting student. The student will be introduced to the foundations of acting through the use of exercises, presentations, monologue(s), scenework, play attendance and written assignments and tests.

Notes

"DAY BOOK": All students must keep a Day Book that should be written in (A MINIMUM OF THREE PARAGRAPHS) every day that the class meets. It will be collected and evaluated periodically by the instructor. It should include:
1. All class notes on lectures and discussions.
2. Reflections on exercises and discussion.
3. Reactions to class readings.
4. All notes given to the students by the instructor and peers on Improvisations, scenes or monologues.
5. Character notes. Academic Misconduct: The performance of and/or involvement in any acts of misconduct are addressed in the Student Handbook. This includes, but is not limited to, cheating, misrepresentation, and plagiarism. There are several Chekhov's one-act comedies I use for class projects in my acting-directing projects (finals): Wedding, On the High Road, Proposal, Bear. [public domain]

Are currently enrolled in a THR UAF course this semester?
As such, you have been added to the Blackboard version of THR 191 - normally a "0" credit course for Theatre Majors.
Please go to: http://classes.uaf.edu and sign in to blackboard (instructions are there if you don't know how to do it).
Click on the Course THR 191 - Auditioning and Portfolio Review.
There are two items of major interest for you to consider, please.
1) Go to the "Assignments" section, and complete the "Incoming Assessment Survey". UAF has required that we collect this data from all of our students at the beginning of each semester, so please fill it out once at your EARLIEST convenience (how about right now?) - please by Tuesday, September 21 - but by Monday would be super. You only need to complete it once per semester, no many how many Theatre courses you're enrolled in.
This is different than previous assessments, because Blackboard will keep your individual answers anonymous (though I can tell WHO filled one out, I only get the answers compiled) and we're hoping this can generate the statistics we need automatically (in the past, someone from the box office staff had to sit there are re-enter all the info - what a drag).
2) Under the calendar, all the show information (performances, not rehearsals and such) have been added for your information. You may add your own calendar items, which no one else can see, if you wish.
Please do this right away.

Students Page

Kids, this is my second shot at this directory and pre-acting pages. I started this acting 101 in the Spring 2003, but in the Fall we have a new textbook (Kaplan) and it will require a lot of ajusting for me and you ("Five Approaches to Acting" is still not integrated in BioMethod or even the syllabus).

Also, there is not enough simple instrustions, what you are expected to do, when and how... Come back to this page; I will updating it throughout the Fall 2003 semester. [ I make "students" pages in each intructional directory, check them out -- drama, directing, Biomechaqnics, Method and etc.)

Beside I have several characters -- Teacher (Stanyslavsky) and Master (Meyerhold), who came from the pages of Acting Two (Biomechanics) and Acting Three (Method) and I want the two old guys to lead you through the basics of psychological realism and physical action...

Well, there is more. You see on your right two gods of theatre: Apollo and Dionysus, they represent two different natures of acting -- analytical and improvisational. I have to intoduce both -- and the muses. This class is already overpopulated with teachers. Well, consider it team-teaching...

Oh, yes, occasinally, we will have more guest-instructors (Aristotle from script.vtheatre.net or Anton Chekhov with his thoughts on drama).

How-To -- Webpages

First, get yourself familiar with the directory. If in class, bookmark.
My class webpages are in addition to the textbook: must read the chapters and write about it in your journals.
If you have problems with the pages, email me! Or post it on our wwwilde list!
The subdirectories (1-5) are new and will be updated during the Fall 2003!
Read service pages: faq, notes, books, biblio, appendix, list and etc.

Homework

[ Sept. 2004: I'm still working on assignments! Acting Resume (download) and post on the List! ]

* Written play reports - You will be required to read two plays (The Importance of Being Earnest and The Three Sisters, both are online -- see shows.vtheatre.net), in addition to the plays you are doing for scene work, and write a 2 pages on the reading. Included in this report is an analysis of the principal characters with special interest on one character you would like to play as an actor (no retelling of the plot, please).

* Written play critique - You are required to see the UAF productions and write a critique from an acting standpoint (2 pp).

Monologue (comedy & drama) - A 2-3 minute each (the best one is for midtern grade).

Scene (Finals) - no more than 10-15 minutes in length. Paperwork: This also includes written script/character analysis.

ET ET: a true (space) alien, who is your student rep; he learns the most complex human activity -- acting! (hyperlinked to student pages)

homework

ActJokes:

One day three midgets decided they wanted to be in the record books the fist one says "I have pretty short arms", so he goes and succeeds. The second one says "I have pretty short legs," so he goes and succeeds.The third one says "I have a very small penis," and when he comes back he says "Who the hell is Leonardo DiCaprio?"

The story goes that three people died one day and went to Heaven where they were greeted at the Pearly Gates by St. Peter. 'How much do you make a year?' St. Peter asked the first person. The man replied, '$500,000.' 'Go and stand over there with the surgeons and lawyers,' St. Peter said. Then he asked the second person: 'And how much do you make a year?' 'About $200,000,' she replied and was promptly told to stand with the accountants. St. Peter then turned to the third person. 'How much do you earn a year?' he asked. 'About $6,000,' admitted the man. St. Peter stopped in his tracks, looked at the man keenly and said: "And would I have seen you in anything?'

Question: What's the difference between an actor and a mutual fund? Answer: Mutual funds eventually mature and make money.

While Carl Reiner was directing one of his movies he had an extra, an aspiring actor, who was having problems with simple directives. Reiner had asked the actor to go to the bathroom during the scene but the actor kept balking. "What's my motivation?" the actor asked Reiner. "I need to know my motivation." "What?! You're going to the bathroom!" a frustrated Reiner said. "Mmmm," said the actor, "not enough." Finally Reiner said, "Okay, okay. Go to the bathroom, knock on the door." "And... what is my motivation for doing so?" asks the actor. Says Reiner: "The actor replacing you in this scene is in there."

Crew Fight Song: We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible, for the ungrateful. We have done so much, with so little, for so long, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.

An actor goes to a factory and asks to speak to a manager. "I'm an actor a I'm looking for a job for a while? Can you help me?" "Sure," replies the manager "How's $75,000 a year and a company car sound? Can you start tomorrow?" "Are you joking? " asks the actor. The manager smiles and says, "You started it!"

Question: What's the difference between God and a director? Answer: God never pretended to be a director.

Theatrical Logic: On is in, off is out, up is back, down is front, and, of course, right is left and left is right. A trap doesn't catch anything, a fly does. You can't buy anything with a purchase line, a gridiron has nothing to do with football, a running crew rarely gets anywhere, and strike is work (in fact, a lot of work). But the best thing you can do is break a leg. --Author unknown

Crew Fight Song: We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible, for the ungrateful. We have done so much, with so little, for so long, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.

An actor goes to a factory and asks to speak to a manager. "I'm an actor a I'm looking for a job for a while? Can you help me?" "Sure," replies the manager "How's $75,000 a year and a company car sound? Can you start tomorrow?" "Are you joking? " asks the actor. The manager smiles and says, "You started it!"

Eternity - The time that passes between a dropped cue and the next line.

Prop - A hand-carried object small enough to be lost by an actor 30 seconds before it is needed on stage.

Quality Theatre - Any show with which you were directly involved.

Turkey - Every show with which you were not directly involved.

Monologue - That shining moment when all eyes are focused on a single actor who is desperately aware that if he forgets a line, no one can save him.

Director - The individual who suffers from the delusion that he or she is responsible for every moment of brilliance cited by the critic in the local review.

Dress rehearsal - Rehearsal that becomes a whole new ball game as actors attempt to maneuver among the 49 objects that the set designer added at 7:30 that evening.

Dark Night - The night before opening when no rehearsal is scheduled so the actors and crew can go home and get some well-deserved rest, and instead spend the night staring sleeplessly at the ceiling because they're sure they needed one more rehearsal.

Blocking - The art of moving actors on the stage in such a manner as not to collide with the walls, the furniture, the orchestra pit or each other. Similar to playing chess, except that the pawns want to argue with you.

Tech week - The last week of rehearsal when everything that was supposed to be done weeks before finally comes together at the last minute; reaches its grand climax on dress rehearsal night when costumes rip, a dimmer pack catches fire and the director has a nervous breakdown. Also known as hell week.

Bit Part - An opportunity for the actor with the smallest role to count everybody else's lines and mention repeatedly that he or she has the smallest part in the show.

Blocking Rehearsal - A rehearsal taking place early in the production schedule where actors frantically write down movements which will be nowhere in evidence by opening night.

Set - An obstacle course which, throughout the rehearsal period, defies the laws of physics by growing smaller week by week while continuing to occupy the same amount of space.

Green Room - Room shared by nervous actors waiting to go on stage and the precocious children whose actor parents couldn't get a baby-sitter that night, a situation which can result in justifiable homicide.

Stage Manager - Individual responsible for overseeing the crew, supervising the set changes, baby-sitting the actors and putting the director in a hammerlock to keep him from killing the actor who just decided to turn his walk-on part into a major role by doing magic tricks while he serves the tea.

Monologue - That shining moment when all eyes are focused on a single actor who is desperately aware that if he forgets a line, no one can save him.

Director - The individual who suffers from the delusion that he or she is responsible for every moment of brilliance cited by the critic in the local review.

Dress rehearsal - Rehearsal that becomes a whole new ball game as actors attempt to maneuver among the 49 objects that the set designer added at 7:30 that evening.

Stage Crew - Group of individuals who spend their evenings coping with 50-minute stretches of total boredom interspersed with 30-second bursts of mindless panic.

Dark Spot - An area of the stage which the lighting designer has inexplicably forgotten to light, and which has a magnetic attraction for the first-time actor. A dark spot is never evident before opening night.

Lighting Director - Individual who, from the only vantage point offering a full view of the stage, gives the stage manager a heart attack by announcing a play-by-play of everything that's going wrong.

Message Play - Any play which its director describes as "worthwhile," "a challenge to actors and audience alike," or "designed to make the audience think." Critics will be impressed both by the daring material and the roomy accommodations, since they're likely to have the house all to themselves.

Hands - Appendages at the end of the arms used for manipulating one's environment, except on a stage, where they grow six times their normal size and either dangle uselessly, fidget nervously, or try to hide in your pockets.

Bedroom Farce - Any play which requires various states of undress on stage and whose set sports a lot of doors. The lukewarm reviews, all of which feature the phrase "typical community theater fare" in the opening paragraph, are followed paradoxically by a frantic attempt to schedule more performances to accommodate the overflow crowds.

Makeup Kit - (1) among experienced community theater actors, a battered tackle box loaded with at least 10 shades of greasepaint in various stages of desiccation, tubes of lipstick and blush, assorted pencils, bobby pins, braids of crepe hair, liquid latex, old programs, jewelry, break-a-leg greeting cards from past shows, brushes and a handful of half-melted cough drops; (2) for first-time male actors, a helpless look and anything they can borrow.

Strike - The time immediately following the last performance while all cast and crew members are required to stay and dismantle, or watch the two people who own Makita screw drivers dismantle, the set.

The Forebrain - The part of an actors brain which contains lines, blocking and characterization; activated by hot lights.

Assistant Director - Individual willing to undertake special projects that nobody else would take on a bet, such as working one-on-one with the brain-dead actor whom the rest of the cast has threatened to take out a contract on.

Actors (As defined by a set designer) - People who stand between the audience and the set designer's art, blocking the view. That's also the origin of the word "blocking," by the way.

Stage Right, Stage Left - Two simple directions actors pretend not to understand in order to drive directors crazy. ("No, no, your OTHER stage right!")

Set Piece - Any large piece of furniture which actors will resolutely use as a safety shield between themselves and the audience, in an apparent attempt to both anchor themselves to the floor, thereby avoiding floating off into space, and to keep the audience from seeing that they actually have legs.

"Just remember: It's only community Theatre until it offends someone... then it's ART!"

The Hindbrain - The part of an actors brain that keeps up a running subtext in the background while the forebrain is trying to act; the hindbrain supplies a constant stream of unwanted information, such as who is sitting in the second row tonight, a notation to seriously maim the crew member who thought it would be funny to put real Tabasco sauce in the fake Bloody Marys, or the fact that you need to do laundry on Sunday.

[ 5 Approaches to Acting, Fall 2003 textbook ]

Homework

Learning Outcomes (min):

1. Students will have a working understanding of the major principles of acting and acting as an art and will increase their ability to express themselves artistically and communicate effectively.

2. Students will have an understanding of the components that create dramatic tension: objectives, obstacles, tactics, and stakes and will be able to utilize the components of dramatic tension in both improvisation and scene study.

3. Students will be skilled in the use of relaxation exercises and bodily expression.

4. Students will explore and understand the need for intense focus and concentration when performing.

5. Students will be able to analyze and dissect scripts for beats, objectives, and characterization.

6. Students will read and analyze the full text of any play that they are performing a scene or monologue from.

7. Students will be able to write a character biography.

8. Students will understand the importance of and strive to achieve sensory and emotional awareness and recall.

9. Students will be able to create a character based on observation, physical exploration and script analysis.

10. Students will have a working knowledge of stage directions and blocking.

11. Students will participate in ensemble and trust building activities.

12. Student will see and comment on a large variety of theatrical productions.

13. Students will be able to effectively criticize their own work and that of others.

Next : FAQ

Film Directing -- Actors