Acting

Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor or actress who adopts
a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode.
Skills involved in Acting:

1. well-developed imagination,
2. emotional facility,
3. physical expressivity,
4. vocal projection,
5. clarity of speech, and the
6. ability to interpret drama
Elements of Acting:
 The most visible element of the theatre; it seems to personify theatre.
 Thespis -- considered to be the first actor -- thus the term thespian -- 554 BC.
Acting was not really widely a "profession" till the 16th century.
 It involves sophisticated role-playing and make-believe, pretending, conveyed through doing -- enacting
on the stage a vision of life.
 An impersonation -- usually at the service of a script; though not always a script.
Acting can be considered as a "pure art": the artist and the instrument are the same. Acting consists of:
1. a series of tasks, usually in a situation or context;
2. done usually as someone else; and
3. imaginary -- at least part of it.
The actor must discover the essence of character and project that essence to the audience.
3 basic ingredients of the actor:

1. native ability (talent)
2. training (including general education)
3. Practice
Training and Means:

 Relaxation, Concentration, Imagination, Observation
A. voice and body -- must learn control voice and body to express to audience.
1. understand
2. practice
3. discipline
Also used to arrive at a "neutral state" ("tabula rasa"--blank slate). Many artists believe that to create they must
first have a blank slate -- an empty canvas -- on which to place their art. Actors must find various ways to
achieve this... Wilson and Goldfarb use the term "centering."
B. Imagination and Observation
 Observe and imagine people in various relationships.

 The term "affective memory" has often been used to refer to use of the actor's memory to find things in
his/her life that are similar to, or could evoke, the emotions required by the character on stage.
o emotional memory (remembering feeling from the past),
o sense memory (remembering sensations)
o substitution (mentally replacing the thing / person in the play with something / someone in real
life).
C. Control and discipline

Actors must learn how to develop their powers of concentration .
 what is the character doing/feeling/etc.
 What am I doing? -- NOT how am I doing?
Representational Vs Presentational Acting:
 Representational: actors want to make us "believe" they are the character; they "pretend.
 Presentational: rather than "pretending" they are the character, actors "present" the character to us,
almost as if saying, "Hi, this is the actor speaking, and I'm going to present the ideas of this character to
you; I don't really believe I'm anything other than myself, but you can believe it if you want."
 "personality" actors -- even today, many successful actors never play anyone but themselves, but do it
very well.
Acting Techniques
 Deals with the characterization of the human experience
 Used to create mood and to heighten tension
 Involves the coordination of facial expression, gestures, and speech to produce the emotion or feeling
called for in the part.
 Deals with movement, pace, pause, silence, voice, eye contact, physical contact, contrast, positioning
and timing
Three-person compact in acting

a. Actor
b. Director – guides the actor in the accuracy of movements and gestures on the stage
c. Playwright – takes care of the lines that serve a vital role
Method (Internal) vs. Techniques (External)
Technique (External)
 Discovering ways to convey emotions vocally and physically and project to the audience.
 Requires an intellectual understanding
 Uses more of an "outside-in" approach
 Do the action and then the feeling will follow
Method (Internal)
 To help actors discover the emotional truth of the character--works best with "realistic" theatre --
for which it was originally intended.
 Requires an emotional intelligence and understanding.
 Uses more of an "inside-out" approach.
 Think the thought and the action will follow.
 The "magic if" -- What would I do if I were that character in that situation?
The Six Most Famous Acting Techniques
Acting is a complex art form that encompasses different forms of techniques.
The most popular ones are:

A. Method Acting:
 It involves adopting the lifestyle, habits or traits of the character portrayed by the actor.
 A character’s psychological motives and personal identifications become the core matter in
method acting.
 his technique is associated with Lee Strasberg, a world-renowned American actor, director and
acting teacher.
 Actors like Jonny Depp, Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson have been known to be following method
acting.
B. Stanislavski Acting
 Constantin Stanislavski influenced the modern techniques by introducing Stanislavskian
approach in the field of acting.
 This technique involves looking at the script closely and analysing the path of the character.
 Stanislavski emphasised on realism and also used the exercise named ‘magic if’.
 In this exercise, the actor has to think what they would do if in the place of the character.
 This technique influenced acting mentors like Stella Adler, Lee Strasberg and Uta Hagen.
C. Brecht Acting Technique:

 Bertolt Brecht was the father of epic theater.
 He wanted the audience to think about society and change it. In this technique, emphasis is
placed on gestures, which demonstrate emotions.
 This technique includes acting formats such as stereotypes, using placards, ensemble and
montage.
D. Meisner Technique:
 This technique developed by theatre practitioner Sanford Meisne concentrates on the ‘self’.
 Here, actors practice the exercise of repetition.
 In this exercise, two actors sit across each other and communicate with each other by repeating a
phrase.
 The phrase is about the behaviour of both actors involved in the scene.
 The tone keeps changing depending on the response each receives from the opposite person.
E. The Chekhov Technique:

 Michael Chekhov, a student of Stanislavski was the founder of this technique.
 In this, a psycho-physical approach is taken by the actor. Here, the actor uses techniques like
transformation, working with an impulse and imagination.
F. Practical Aesthetics:
 Developed by David Mamet — an American playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and film director
— the technique is based on the practice of breaking down a scene using a four-step analysis:
 ‘Literal’- It means what is happening in the present moment.
 ‘Want’- It is to know what one character wants the other character to say or do.
 ‘Essential Action’- The precise want of the character is recognised, while establishing the
difference between the character and the actor.
 ‘As if’- This relates the essential action to the actor’s own life
“Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.” – Johann
Wolfgang von Goethe
Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance that combines elements of various genres including
modern, jazz, lyrical, and classical ballet. It emerged in the mid-20th century as dancers and choreographers
sought greater freedom of movement and expression, breaking away from the more rigid structures of
traditional ballet.
Key features of contemporary dance include:
1. Fluidity and Flexibility: emphasizes fluid, flowing movements. Dancers use the entire body to express
emotions and concepts, focusing on flexibility and natural movement.
2. Emotional Expression: deeply connected to emotion, with choreographers using the body to express
personal or societal narratives.
3. Floor Work: A lot of contemporary dance involves movements on the floor, which contrasts with the
upright posture of ballet and other classical styles.
4. Versatility: Contemporary dancers may mix styles and techniques from ballet, jazz, hip hop, and even
cultural or folk dances, creating unique blends that push creative boundaries.
5. Improvisation: While some contemporary dance is highly choreographed, there is often room for
improvisation, giving dancers the opportunity to respond to the music, space, or their own emotions in
real-time.
6. Non-Linear Storytelling: Contemporary dance doesn't always follow a clear narrative or storyline.
Instead, it can focus on abstract ideas or emotions, letting the audience interpret the dance in their own
way.

Acting

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Acting

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Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor or actress who adopts

Skills involved in Acting:

3 basic ingredients of the actor:

Training and Means:

B. Imagination and Observation

 Observe and imagine people in various relationships.

C. Control and discipline

Representational Vs Presentational Acting:

Three-person compact in acting

Method (Internal) vs. Techniques (External)

The Six Most Famous Acting Techniques

Acting is a complex art form that encompasses different forms of techniques.

The most popular ones are:

C. Brecht Acting Technique:

E. The Chekhov Technique:

Key features of contemporary dance include:

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