Photo Credit: Nic McPhee via cc
When acting Shakespeare it is very likely that you will be dealing with emotions which are unfamiliar to you: murder, extreme grief, fury, rage, etc.
Here is an exercise from the BBC archive which you can play with in rehearsal for any play or performance where you are having to delve into extremities of emotion which are feeling slightly alien to you as a performer.
In this exercise you play with levels of emotion. You explore your lines at different levels of emotion using a one to ten scale. Once you are familiar with the one to ten scale it is easy to pitch the performance correctly for the scene. You can also discover that in certain venues you may need to go up or down the scale, and certainly can explore different levels for more intimate camera work.
This exercise is terrifically useful when you are preparing a Shakespeare monologue for a drama school audition, it always feel safe to go to a high level of emotion for an audition, you really want to prove your acting socks to the panel – however, I always think the most exciting acting choices for auditions is to take the level down and play with levels 1 to 4. Explore in these more internalised emotional places and I think you will stand out from the crowd for the right reasons.
Having a common vocabulary like the one to ten scale is great for a company, as everyone knows where they are and giving notes is easy. You can talk to a fellow actor about what level they are pitching their emotion so you can match or even go against them during a scene, a director can change you from level 4 to a level 8 if they feel a scene needs more oomph. This one to ten scale can also be adapted for volume and energy as well as emotion.
Watch the video and try it out for yourself:
To see the original page on the BBC website please click here
Similar Posts from Actor Hub
-
When auditioning to play a nurse do you need to pop to the fancy dress shop and hire a nurses uniform for the day? Or is it cool to turn up in trainers and jeans? What do the casting directors want to see? -
Successful actors didn’t get to where they are by being a diva off stage. It takes years before you are able to throw a queeny strop! Here are our seven habits to help you on your way up the ladder -
More tips from the Actor Hub readers. We asked you to complete the sentence ‘The best piece of acting advice is …’ Here is what you had to say. -
From Guest Author – Actor, Ben Whitehair. When you tell your parents you want to be an Actor often they react negatively. They are just worried about your future, its going to be hard. Hope this helps soften the blow! -
For Choreographic work in Theatre the skills are specific. The dance should, whenever possible, further the story or service the plot in some fashion. While the style may still be presentational, it should fit within the world of the play or musical. -
To truly play a role you need to be able to look inside yourself and find what is within you which you share with the character. It can take bravery to find it but when you are able to it will be a revelation. -
From Guest Blogger – LA actress Shanice Kamminga – Famewhore, attention seeker, naive/delusional, unstable, childish – If you want to go to LA to become an actor you are obviously either one or all of these things. Part Four – Naive / Delusional -
From Guest Blogger – LA actress Shanice Kamminga – Famewhore, attention seeker, naive/delusional, unstable, childish – If you want to go to LA to become an actor you are obviously either one or all of these things. Part Three – Unstable -
It is vital that every actor have at least one clip of them ‘acting on screen’ available for casting directors. Here are our secrets to making sure your reel is useful to your career and doesn’t just become a vanity project. -
Acting is a business afterall so you’re allowed to claim tax deductions for some acting expenses that you incur from the acting income you’ve earned. Always consult your tax advisor about tax deductions and always keep accurate records of your acting expenses. Here is a quick guide on the expenses that you can claim for.
