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Exercises
Stand in a relaxed and neutral stance for two minutes. Don’t do anything. Just stand there. Be fully present. Breathe. See. Feel. Just be.
Topics
Trying to be interesting seldom works. It places your perspective outside the scene and makes your performance feel forced
Exercises
Two players stand two arm’s length away from each other and look into each other’s eyes for one minute. Without breaking eye contact, they move to one arm’s length away for one minute. Then they move toe-to-toe, while still looking into each other’s eyes for another minute. Finally they move to where their noses touch, and stay there for one minute.
Topics
If it looks like you’re “acting,” it feels fake to spects. They either back off or start “acting” themselves. Neither response is desirable. You can instantly stop “acting” by letting go of the tension in your face, body, and voice. Keep your intention and relax your body. As a side benefit, the relaxation helps you be more fully present in the moment.
Exercises
Lie down on a public sidewalk for one minute. Relax your body and breathe deep. Ignore the chatter in your mind. Be present to whatever is around you while you lie there.
Exercises
Go to a public space where you can sit and observe. Quiet your mind and soak in everything around you. If impulses arise, act on them, but don’t try to make anything happen.
Topics
When you’re caught in brain lock or operating in mental overdrive—slow down, breathe, and soak in the present moment. Behave as though you had all the time in the world. Put your focus on what’s going on around you. Then, respond to that.
Topics
a relaxed state of awareness that takes in everything around you
People tend to pay attention to what’s right in front of them. As an inter-actor it’s also useful to be aware of what’s happening all around you. When you’re aware of what’s happening in your peripheral vision, you’re using soft focus. You can also employ soft focus by tuning in to the subtle sounds that surround you. Soft focus keeps you aware of what people are doing and how they’re responding without needing to look directly at them.
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When actors make the move from stage to film, they often look like they’re overacting. A performance that reads as truthful from the seats of a theatre becomes way too much when a camera is right up close. As an inter-actor, your most important viewer is the spect who is only inches away. You need to play without “performing.”
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