Prague Playhouse

Summer Artists – Solutions for the Doldrums

July 7th, 2009 at 07:38am brian

We just finished up our last Meisner acting class of the quarter and are starting our summer break. Class starts up again September 14 and there is space available, so if you’re interested in getting serious about your acting, get in touch. We’d love to have you!

I’m including here an email that I sent out to the acting class to give you all an idea of what you can do to keep sharp on your acting (or art in general, really), when the days are long and we’d all rather lay around in the park.

- Rehearse! just because there isn’t class doesn’t mean that you can’t rehearse. The more regularly you can meet, the more you can keep exploring the technique, your opinions, working off of the other person. Most (95%) of the work happens in rehearsal, so make plans to meet with each other and KEEP THEM!

- Keep an Artist’s Journal. Journaling is a great way to explore your opinions, meanings, doors and activities, the technique in general. Getting in the habit of writing down your ideas, really working out the specific details in writing, using your writing as a personal sounding board (where you can test out how you feel about the ideas you’re exploring in your writing). Get writing, write down every idea, every exploration, every problem you have to work out or are wrestling with, every insight into the technique or thought about art in general. Use the writing to find your voice.

- Reading plays/scenes/acting books. Reading is the primary way we learn. Period. If you’re not reading books that are good for you as an actor and an artist, then you’re reading the wrong things. If you have trouble finding good books for acting, let me know and I’ll give you a list of books. Reading plays and scenes is Absolutely necessary for those of you that are working on scenes. Over the next few weeks, I will start making copies/scans of the plays that I have and soliciting other thespians in the community for their plays so that I can develop a library of plays which you will be able to access. You must read plays to get a feeling for story, character, pacing and dialog. Read GOOD plays by experienced and celebrated playwrights. If you need help finding good plays, you can order them from Dramatists Play Service. They have lists of Tony and Pulitzer prize winners: http://www.dramatists.com/text/pulitzers.html http://www.dramatists.com/text/tonys.html. READ PLAYS!!

- Support groups – The Artists Way and 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. A great way to change habits (the habit of procrastination, for instance) is to do it in a group. Let group peer pressure work for you. There are two books which offer solutions in 1) being creative (The Artists Way) and 2) being effective. You will need both skills as professional artists. Being effective means that you actually do the things you plan or want to do. Being creative means that you have access to your fantasy, imagination and are able to welcome new ideas and instincts without dismissing them or prejudging them. Support groups, group meetings where you work through each of these books chapter by chapter, are a great way to tackle what can be a daunting paradigm change. Like the Sunday Church meetings, create a stable meeting where once a week you meet, discuss the previous week’s chapter, share any of the homework or worksheets that the previous week asked for and one person teaches the next chapter to the group (the next week, someone else teaches the next chapter). Teaching is a wonderful way to learn something deeply and each of you should get experience in it! I would focus on one book per quarter. And just rotate through them.

Acting