Acting Resources

(from Richard Glockner, Professor at UNI)

**A Practical Handbook for the Actor by Melissa Bruder, etal

**Stanislavski in Rehearsal by Topovkov (Theatre Arts, publisher)

Acting Power by Robert Cohen

Acting: The First Six Lessons by Richard Boleslavsky

An Audition Technique Book by Jack Poggi

The Strasberg Method by Lorrie Hull

**A Challenge for the Actor by Uta Hagen (Respect for Acting is her first book)

Any of the Stansilavski books (An Actor Prepares, etc.)

The Six Steps

by Uta Hagen

1. Who am I?

2. What are the circumstances?

         (time, location, surroundings, immediate circumstances)

3. What are my relationships to the people, circumstances, place, and objects around me?

4. What do I want? (objective, need)

5. What is my obstacle? (what is in the way)

6. What do I do to get what I want? (actions)

Tips on Developing a Character

Taken from Michael Schulman in Great Scenes and Monologues for Actors

There are two kinds of actors – character actors and personalities

Three Main Ingredients for Creating Authentic Characters

1.     Commitment to creating unique and authentic lives for your characters

2.     Base your characters on real people

3.     Find aspects of yourself that are similar to the character you are playing

Other character things to consider...your name, your family, your education, your taste in clothing, your favorite foods, interests/hobbies, job, speech, heroes, political beliefs, religious beliefs...the list is endless as are the possibilities...

The Actor’s Lessons

Proper alignment

Proper balance of tension and relaxation

Proper breathing techniques

Proper warm-up techniques

An understanding of his or her own body

The ability to neutralize his or her personal mannerisms

Understanding of basic movement elements (space, time, energy, and so on)

Understanding of mind/body connection (so that movements are motivated)

The ability to work with others

The ability to work alone

Independence from constant monitoring

The ability to apply acting technique to movement problems

The ability to apply movement technique to acting problems

The art of centering

Proper use of internal and external techniques

                         From Movement for the Actor, Jean Salvatine