Gossip is good for you!

That's right, I am going to show you a way to use gossip, what people say about you, to your advantage!

I have learned many lessons as an actor and director over the years. Indeed, this blog is a way for me to pass on some of the tips and insights that are rattling around in this dusty attic that is my brain. Today I have a simple, fun tip for actors in regards to character, a way to flesh out some of the thoughts they may have about playing a particular part in a particular play.

Credit where credit is due. This idea was shared with me by a director I never worked with. A good friend and excellent actor named Mark Baumhardt worked with me on several shows at Wakefield Rep.(Here is photographic proof, that is a picture of Mark and myself in The Lion in Winter).

Mark's dad, John, is a director, and attended several of those shows, and in chats with him about directing, (I had just started my theater company, moonlight productions), he gave me several tips I use to this day.

John Baumhardt gives his actors in a play a simple, but great exercise. Go through the script, and write down any descriptions your character says about themselves. For example, your character may say things like, "I am angry", "That makes me feels sad", "I am so lonely". Jot down those descriptions, angry, sad, lonely. Now go through the script a second time, jotting down anything other characters say about your character, like, "Jake is so tall", "Jake is acting strange", "Jake can be cruel". Now we have a second list, tall,strange, cruel. You now have two lists of characteristics of your role, one based on how the character perceives them self, and one of how others perceive them. All of this is not made up out of thin air, but rather based in the all important script, the critical document any actor has in developing a character.

We can add one more list, and write down any description the playwright may give. "Jake is a tall, sullen man of 45, quick to anger, and very loyal". In that simple description, there is a wealth of information about your role. Add what your character says, and what others say, and you have a great start to a full character, based on the facts of the script.

J.T. Turner
The Actor's Sensei

Teaching acting and presentation skills to all ages. private coaching available! 


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