Study Skills and Homework for the Young Actor by Wendy S. Duke
Instrumental music students go home and practice for a certain amount of time each day. They will have specific things to practice, like running up and down scales, finger movements, breath control and so on. Dance students take several classes per week with master teachers who drill them in technique. Visual artists also practice their techniques in sketchbooks. What can the drama student do to practice acting at home away from school?
For an actor, the body and the voice are the instruments of artistic expression. For the young actor who needs to develop physical acting skills, there are a number of useful activities he or she can do away from school.
Body Work:
* Play a sport or participate in gymnastics this develops physical skills and strength as well as developing cooperative skills if participating in team sports.
* Take dance classes jazz, tap, modern, folk, ball room -- any kind of dance! And boys, this includes you too! If you can dance you have give yourself a real boost up when it comes to auditioning. There are never enough boys who dance in the world of musical theatre. And even if you don't have an interest in doing musicals, dance classes will enhance your self-confidence, your stage presence and your ability to be at ease on stage.
* Yoga and martial arts classes offer yet another way to improve physical and mental abilities. Both yoga and martial arts help you get centered, balanced and focused. Yoga is a great way to relieve stress as well as helping to develop flexibility.
Voice Work:
* Cold Reading. Read out loud at home on a regular basis. There's nothing more heartbreaking than watching an actor who is capable of giving an excellent performance blow an audition because he or she had not worked on reading out loud skills. This is one area where parents can actively involve themselves in a young actor's training. Have your child read to you and your family on a regular basis. Listen together to recordings of professional actors reading books or plays on tape or any audio recording. The Akron Public Library has a wealth of material available for your listening pleasure on every kind of subject. Choose subjects that particularly interest your child in order to pull them into the experience of listening. Talk about why particular voices are effective.
* Tape-record your voice. You will get over how different you sound if you do this a lot. This is a fantastic way to experiment on your own with your vocal instrument. Pretend you are making a radio show with a whole lot of characters, each with a different voice. Pretend you are doing voice-over work for your favorite cartoon show. Analyze what you need to do to produce different vocal effects. Practice stretching out vowels, adding or subtracting nasal qualities, and explore a variety of dialects and accents. Who said homework couldn't be fun?
* Vocal Exercises. All drama students have been given training in vocal warm-ups and breathing exercises. They should be practicing those on a regular basis just like a violinist practices running up and down scales.
* Voice Lessons. Working with a professional voice teacher can be of great benefit to those interested in pursuing a career in musical theatre. Joining a community choir or chorus is another way to improve singing and vocal skills.
The Acting Home Laboratory
The actor must learn to be a scientist! We are always observing, collecting data, analyzing and experimenting. Here are some homework activities to help improve in these areas:
Observing: Students are sometimes asked to observe another person and be prepared to replicate that person's posture, walk and gestures in class. As the actor gets used to observing others, he or she will begin to understand what goes into creating a unique physical characterization for the stage. The best actors are constantly observing human beings going about their daily lives. That is the essence of acting learning what it takes to walk in another person's shoes.
Collecting data. The drama notebook is an essential tool for the young actor. Here is the place to write down descriptions of observations. Drawing is also encouraged if the actor is inclined to record descriptions that way. Bits of overheard dialogue can be collected here as well as ideas for scenes, monologues and plays. Any useful notes given in class or rehearsal can be recorded in the drama notebook. It can be a daily journal in which the actor records what he or she did in class, how they did and what they can do to improve.
Analysis. The data collected in the drama notebook is only useful if the young actor takes the time to reflect on what she or he has observed. If a particular exercise proved to be difficult, the actors need to ask themselves why and what they might do to improve. Analysis should go beyond the self and explore observations of other people. What happens to a character's walk when different parts of the body tense up? What does that communicate to the observer? How can eyes be used effectively? What about vocal choices how do you make a voice fit the words to be spoken?
Experimentation. Theatre games and improvisation are wonderful forms for experimenting with body and voice. Here is where the actor can try out various characters based upon observation and analysis. What happens when you put a posture you noticed in someone at the mall together with a voice you heard on the bus? Take an observed trait and add or subtract qualities, such as heaviness, energy level, or attitude toward life. Theatre games are fun to play at home with siblings and friends. It is also useful for drama students to learn how to teach others how to play these games. It helps develop interpersonal skills and reinforces understanding of basic acting techniques.
Beyond the Home Lab:
The dedicated drama student can never have enough stage time! A wide variety of acting and theatre workshops are available throughout the NE Ohio area. Local groups offering classes are:
Magical Theatre Company in Barberton
Weathervane Theatre in Akron
The Illusion Factory in Akron
Actors' Summit in Hudson (summer classes)
Canton Players' Guild
Streetsboro Community Theatre
I also highly recommend Ingénue Theatre Company, at Balch St. Athletic Club, a program directed by Suzie Graham and run through Akron Parks and Recreation. This is a children's theatre company that is both inclusive and challenging.
** Memorizing Lines **
Word for Word?
Many actors fail to understand why they must memorize their lines word for word as the playwright has written them. It becomes frustrating for the actor when they are faced with a difficult speech, but there are many reasons why the actor should resist the temptation to paraphrase:
1.
Security. The only way to be sure of fluidity in your speaking is to know the words accurately. One of the most frightening things an actor can ever experience on stage is a sudden moment of forgetfulness - where your mind goes blank. And nothing can kill a punchline faster than an actor who is stumbling around because he doesn't know exactly how the line goes.
Security. The only way to be sure of fluidity in your speaking is to know the words accurately. One of the most frightening things an actor can ever experience on stage is a sudden moment of forgetfulness - where your mind goes blank. And nothing can kill a punchline faster than an actor who is stumbling around because he doesn't know exactly how the line goes.2.Characterization. The words of a play are music for the actors to dance to. Every word, every punctuation mark, every pause and every stage direction the playwright includes is there for a reason. Clues are given in the use of vocabulary that tell you (and the audience) important things about a character.
Characterization. The words of a play are music for the actors to dance to. Every word, every punctuation mark, every pause and every stage direction the playwright includes is there for a reason. Clues are given in the use of vocabulary that tell you (and the audience) important things about a character.3.Integrity of the Play. The play's speed, tone and message depend on recognizing the playwright's purpose for every scene, every line and even every word. Different characters are written to speak in different ways - fast or slow, using dialect or regional jargon - and patterns are created from combinations or repetitions of words. Therefore changing words can affect the integrity of the whole play.
Integrity of the Play. The play's speed, tone and message depend on recognizing the playwright's purpose for every scene, every line and even every word. Different characters are written to speak in different ways - fast or slow, using dialect or regional jargon - and patterns are created from combinations or repetitions of words. Therefore changing words can affect the integrity of the whole play.How to Memorize
If you don't have a photographic memory then you have to work at memorizing your lines. Here are some tips that should help you:
·Highlight. Emphasize your lines in the script with a highlighter or underline with a brightly colored pen. Use a different color to mark your cues (the lines or actions just before your line). Mark stage directions with another color or don't mark them at all.
Highlight. Emphasize your lines in the script with a highlighter or underline with a brightly colored pen. Use a different color to mark your cues (the lines or actions just before your line). Mark stage directions with another color or don't mark them at all.·Read through. Go over all your lines (out loud) several times.
Read through. Go over all your lines (out loud) several times.·Read each line. In order, from the top of the play, read each line aloud, slowly. Concentrate on each word - especially the small words like and, or, but, if. At intervals, put the script down and check how much you remember. When that line is memorized, move onto the next until you can remember the entire speech without looking at the script. Then move onto the next speech, etc., until you've gone over them all. As you go on, the chunks of dialogue that you practice without using the script should get larger and larger. Make sure to look up words or pronunciation that you're not familiar with (once you learn it wrong, it's much more difficult to re-learn it). Don't worry about interpreting, or acting, the words at this time, just put them together in one long stream.
Read each line. In order, from the top of the play, read each line aloud, slowly. Concentrate on each word - especially the small words like and, or, but, if. At intervals, put the script down and check how much you remember. When that line is memorized, move onto the next until you can remember the entire speech without looking at the script. Then move onto the next speech, etc., until you've gone over them all. As you go on, the chunks of dialogue that you practice without using the script should get larger and larger. Make sure to look up words or pronunciation that you're not familiar with (once you learn it wrong, it's much more difficult to re-learn it). Don't worry about interpreting, or acting, the words at this time, just put them together in one long stream.·Read with a partner. Arrange someone to read the other character's lines so you can learn where your cues are. I've found it most helpful to record the other lines into a tape recorder, leaving silent spaces where my lines would be (hint: read the passage silently, as slowly as you can - this will give you extra time to figure out the line when you play the tape back). Run the tape or practice with the partner as often as possible.
Read with a partner. Arrange someone to read the other character's lines so you can learn where your cues are. I've found it most helpful to record the other lines into a tape recorder, leaving silent spaces where my lines would be (hint: read the passage silently, as slowly as you can - this will give you extra time to figure out the line when you play the tape back). Run the tape or practice with the partner as often as possible.·Italian Run. When you have a solid handle on the lines, you can practice an Italian Run (Speed-thru), or speak the lines out loud as fast as you can, in order, word perfect. As soon as you can do an Italian Run without stumbling, you've pretty much got it made. You can also do an Italian Run involving your practice partner or the rest of the cast.
Italian Run. When you have a solid handle on the lines, you can practice an Italian Run (Speed-thru), or speak the lines out loud as fast as you can, in order, word perfect. As soon as you can do an Italian Run without stumbling, you've pretty much got it made. You can also do an Italian Run involving your practice partner or the rest of the cast.·Practice, practice, practice. The more you practice, the more you'll find it easier and easier, more fluid, and natural. In rehearsal, each line will be imbued with meanings and objectives which will also help your memory. At this point, the Stage Manager can usually keep an eye on the script and call any mistakes to your attention.
Practice, practice, practice. The more you practice, the more you'll find it easier and easier, more fluid, and natural. In rehearsal, each line will be imbued with meanings and objectives which will also help your memory. At this point, the Stage Manager can usually keep an eye on the script and call any mistakes to your attention.
