Acting_Advanced Techniques 4/27/05 10:34 AM Page 1 F E N OREWORD BY DWARD ORTON ACTI NG ACTING ADVANCED TECHNIQUES FOR THE Actor, Director, AND T E A C H E R T E R R Y S C H R E I B E R with Mary Beth Barber ALLWORTH PRESS NEW YORK Prelims.qxd 5/2/05 01:24 PM Page ii To Katharine Elaine Schreiber “Carry the Torch” © 2005 Terry Schreiber All rights reserved.Copyright under Berne Copyright Convention,Universal Copyright Convention,and Pan-American Copyright Convention.No part of this book may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form,or by any means,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,or otherwise, without prior permission of thepublisher. 09 08 07 06 05 5 4 3 2 1 Published by Allworth Press An imprint of Allworth Communications,Inc. 10 East 23rd Street,New York,NY 10010 Cover design by Derek Bacchus Interior design by Mary Belibasakis Typography by Integra Software Services Images on page 8 are used by permission of James Duus,a certified Body Dynamics™ educator as well as a certified Pilates instructor in New York City.He can be reached at [email protected] ISBN:1-58115-418-6 LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA Schreiber,Terry. Acting:advanced techniques for the actor,director,and teacher/by Terry Schreiber,with Mary Beth Barber; foreword by Edward Norton. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Acting. 2. Acting–Study and teaching. I. Barber,Mary Beth. II. Title. PN2061.S356 2005 792.02'8–dc22 2005007923 Printed in Canada Prelims.qxd 5/2/05 01:24 PM Page iii C O N T E N T S Acknowledgments vi Foreword by Edward Norton viii Preface x A Note on Personal Pronouns Methodology xiii My Experience • No “One”Technique • An Actor’s Toolbox • Mind,Heart,Will PART I: PROCEDURE 1 Chapter 1: Relaxation 3 Tension—The Enemy of the Actor • “To Be Seen”Body Work • “To Be Heard”Vocal Work • Warm-Up Program Chapter 2: Concentration 21 The Senses—Five Powerful Tools Chapter 3: Imagination 25 Sidebar:Finding Emotional Resolution Chapter 4: Preparation 29 Body and Voice • The Actor’s Notebook • Memorization • Sidebar:Backward Way to Construct a Sentence • Monologues • Class and Rehearsal Space • A Note for Leaders PART II: GROUP EXERCISES 39 Relaxing into the Floor • “Hard”Chairs Chapter 5: General Sensory Exercises 41 Height • Floating • Beach/Sunning/Water • Animal Exercises • Sidebar:The Snow Leopard • Meal • Cave • Sidebar:Alone in a Cave • Mixed Sound/Smell iii Prelims.qxd 5/2/05 01:24 PM Page iv Chapter 6: Personal Sensory Exercises 55 Baby Exercise • Age Exercise • The Place Exercise (Room/Closet/Chest/Attic/Basement) • Face • Shower Chapter 7: Physical-Condition Exercises 67 An Actor’s Secret • Cold • Sidebar:One Hundred Degrees,and I’m Freezing • Heat • Drunkenness • Drugs • Pain • Sidebar:Pain,Shin Splints,and the High School Basketball Bench • Blindness • Deafness • Don’t Go Alone • Other Impairment • Insanity • Sidebar:Insanity,Anger,and My Hair • Conclusion PART III: INDIVIDUAL EXERCISES 83 A Note for Leaders Chapter 8: Creating A Character—The Spoon River Exercise 85 Spoon River,Part One—Introduction to the Character • Sidebar:Mrs.Sibley Said Nothing,and Everything • Spoon River,Part Two—Animal Work and “Psychological Center” • Sidebar:Rose Ritz,Fancy Peacock Chapter 9: Making A Scene: The A.C.T. (Action/Condition/Telephone Call) 103 Activity • Physical Condition • Sidebar:Sisterly Love • Preparation and Rehearsal • Telephone Call • A.C.T.in Class • Sidebar:Cleaning Up,the Hangover,and the Confession • What We’ve Learned Chapter 10: Freeing the Instrument—The Fallout and the Song Exercise 113 A Note for Leaders • Fallout • Sidebar:The Fallout— A Way to Warm Up • Song Exercise • A Note on Leading the Fallout and Song Exercise • What We’ve Learned Chapter 11: Exploring the Subconscious—Emotional Recall 141 Emotional Recall,Part One • Sidebar:Blowout on the Soccer Field • Emotional Recall,Part Two • Emotional Recall,Part Three • Emotional Recall,Part Four • A Note for Leaders • What We’ve Learned Chapter 12: Validating The Self—The Private Moment 159 Practical Purpose • Before Class—Choosing Private Moments—The Storyboard • What Is a Private Moment? • Parts One and Two • Private Moment—Preparation • Sidebar:Opening Up a Sensual Side • Performing the iv Prelims.qxd 5/2/05 01:24 PM Page v Private Moment,Parts One and Two • Private Moment, Part Three • Sidebar:The Private Moment,Years Later, On Stage • Sidebar:Tipping Point ofa Career • Character Private Moments • Sidebar:A Gut-Wrenching Moment • What We’ve Learned PART IV: SCENE STUDY 177 Chapter 13: Assigning Scenes 179 Rules for Rehearsal Chapter 14: Road Map 185 Working Title • Objective • Beats • Sidebar:Relearning • Actions (Also Called “Intention”) • The Givens • Essential Scene Preparation Chapter 15: Scene Work Rehearsal Process 197 Preliminary Meeting • First Rehearsal • Second Rehearsal • Third Rehearsal Chapter 16: Scenes in Class 203 Sidebar:Putting It All Together • First Time • Second Time Chapter 17: Application of Exercise Work 209 Relax and Prepare • Where Have You Been? • Sidebar:Preparation at 6thand 9th • Don’t Predict • Fight Against Emotions • Scene Problem—Personal Problems • Handling Dangerous Emotional Acting Situations • Sidebar:Using the E.R.to Go to Pieces • It All Comes Down to Text Conclusion 217 Appendix A:Recommended Reading 221 Appendix B:Playwrights Suggested for Study 223 Glossary 224 About the Author 230 Index 231 v Prelims.qxd 5/2/05 01:24 PM Page vi AC K N O W L E D G M E N T S My enormous gratitude and thanks to Mary Beth Barber, whose unflagging energy, skill, patience, perseverance, support, and optimism made the assem- bly of this book possible.I do not think you ever really know anyone until the working together gets tough and demanding.Over the last two years,we met, wrote, rewrote, cut, and assembled. While under tremendous pressure from other job demands,Mary Beth was always there with tremendous determina- tion, energy, and tenacity. Or, in acting terms, “Mind, Heart, and Will.” Whatever success this book encounters, I will always be beholden to her for her major contribution. I would also like to acknowledge with heartfelt thanks the special contribution of Effie Johnson, who spent many hours transcribing my tapes; Mel England,who struggled through my handwriting to type up yet another draft; Margaret Dawson and J.J. Handegard, who did copyediting, Sarah Winton and Stefan Mreczko for additional copyediting and photographs, in that order,and James Duus and Jennifer McGuire for their cooperation with necessary photo demonstrations. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly: To all the many actors who have put their trust and faith into studying with me,or enrolled with other teach- ers at my studio,I am deeply grateful for all you have taught me and the help you have given me to grow over the years in my teaching and the work.The joy your professional achievements have given me has made the journey together even more worthwhile. My gratitude for working side-by-side with my gifted and extremely talented,caring,and giving teaching staff: Carol Reynolds • Lynn Singer • Julie Garfield • Pamela Scott • Page Clements • Diane and Peter Miner • Sally Dunn • Peter Jensen To Carolyn French,with deep appreciation for her belief in the book and for being my agent. vi Prelims.qxd 5/2/05 01:24 PM Page vii To my Board ofDirectors: Hal Tiné,President • Jano Herbosch,Vice President • Stefan Mreczko,Treasurer • Glenn Krutoff,Secretary • Julie Halston • Bernie Dworkin • Patty Parker To my Advisory Board: Joanna Bayless • Larry Cantor • Ed Franklin • Carolyn French • Rick Frostman • Tony Glazer • Dede Harris • Francine Haskell • Shirley Lockwood • Richard Manichello • Michael Martinez • Phil Miller • Summer Moore • Edward Norton • Tom Reichart • Sarah Ann Rodgers • Bernard Rudd • Enid Rudd • Fred Tumas • Michael Twisdale • Ron Vazzano • Jason Weiss The Honorary Advisory Board: Helen Jean Arthur • George Rattner • Alan Scott • Edith Larkin • David LeVine • Michael Thomas • David Toser vii Prelims.qxd 5/2/05 01:24 PM Page viii F O R E W O R D There are a lot of really good actors,but very few really good acting teachers. When I moved to New York,the path to training as an actor was about as clear as wading into the Everglades. There were MFA programs, storied studios, private academies with famous alumni, theater-affiliated repertory programs,the institutionalized legacies of famous teachers past,and innumer- able well-known directors running classes on the side. Sprinkled among and around all of these were an astonishing array of charlatans and poseurs of every sort clamoring to take your money and waste your time. Beyond that lay the bewildering swirl of training styles and even ideologies: Strasberg and sense memory versus Adler and imagination,Meisner technique, classical training,film and TV technique,scene study,and,of course,the Method, which seemed to me to be a term used to describe at least four totally divergent approaches to acting and one for sandwich-making. Everyone wanted to be a Method actor,but very few people I ever talked to seemed to have any clear idea of what it was they were aspiring to so breathlessly. I had read more about the history and theory of actor training than most student actors I knew in New York at that time,and it still took me six months of dedicated investigation and research to be able to confidently turn away from the crap on the street before I put my foot in it. New York was, and still is, one of the best places to train and cut your teethas an actor ...but the first step,finding a safe haven in which to actually explore and learn something,inevitably proves to be one of the hardest. Terry Schreiber is one of the really good acting teachers. In 1991, the Schreiber Studio was still down on East Fourth Street, nestled in with NY Theater Workshop and La Mama.I stumbled into that little black box theater, met Terry, and found out that he needed Japanese lessons for a play he was directing in Tokyo.I had lived there and spoke the language well enough to barter equal time Japanese lessons for acting classes.I got the better end of that deal and I was lucky enough to study with Terry and perform in plays at his studio for around two years.I still count him among the two or three real theater mentors I’ve had in my career. viii Prelims.qxd 5/2/05 01:24 PM Page ix Terry was and is a great teacher for a few reasons.The first is that he has never taught as a sideline—he has dedicated himself fully to it and to build- ing a comprehensive, first-rate training studio founded in well-refined train- ing techniques.The second is that Terry has never tried to teach anybody “the Schreiber method.”He has the humility and the wise perspective to be a true pluralist, which is to say he has explored and experienced, both as a student himself and as a teacher,most of the interesting ideas that have emerged about training actors in the last sixty years.A lot of teachers,in my experience,infan- tilize their students to feed their own egos,or insist on rigorous method at the expense of practical craft. Terry understands that every individual actor will best access his gifts in different ways, and also that the modern actor will inevitably be called upon to tackle a wide spectrum of texts,styles,and collabo- rative dynamics. No method, no theory, no dogma, or technique covers it all orworks for everyone,and Terry urges students to be “multilingual actors,”to develop a toolbag that gives them confidence in any situation. Whatever talents I may have brought to the table,Terry helped me become a better actor by pushing me to forge talent with craft. That Terry has finally put the effort into organizing his ideas and approaches to actor training in this book is a real gift to actors and teachers alike.I see much in what he articulates here that is intensely familiar from my days studying with him, and also much that is new and interesting.There is practical sense and creative insight in all of it. I recently had lunch with Terry and a terrific actor who also studied with him in those days. I’m not generally inclined to talk about acting much any- more, but we got to discussing this book and chewing over the ideas in it. Terry was still wrestling with fine points, still refining his ideas, pouncing eagerly on fresh perspectives,and as always,bursting with enthusiasm for the work of developing the best in others and himself ...because that,of course, is what a real teacher does. Edward Norton September 13,2004 New York City ix