Tips : Ideas for Actors

by Jory, Jon

• ISBN13: 9781575252025
• ISBN10: 1575252023
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-05-01
• Publisher: SMITH & KRAUS

Summary

Until very recently, acting was passed on the form of "tips". Here are 205 of them -- ranging from using opposites to the way to set a laugh, and on through a clear definition of "actions", how to use a "breath score", and even how to react if you're fired. The tips are clear, concise, evocative and constructed to give you a better day in rehearsal and a better night in performance. A buffet of ways to improve immediately that you'll want to have with you in your rehearsal bag.

Table of Contents

Foreword	ix
How to Use ``Tips''	xi
Text Study
Circumstances	2	(1)
Beats	3	(1)
An Action	4	(1)
Action II	5	(1)
The Obstacle	6	(1)
Action and Obstacle in Balance	7	(1)
Tactics	8	(1)
Working Backwards	9	(1)
Subtext	10	(1)
The Arc	11	(1)
Transitions	12	(1)
Theme Threads	13	(1)
Backstory	14	(1)
Mysteries	15	(1)
Personalization	16	(1)
Inner Monologue	17	(3)
Technique
Framing	20	(1)
Neutral	21	(1)
Doing it in One	22	(1)
Taking Focus	23	(1)
Ancillary Action	24	(1)
New Energy	25	(1)
Stakes	26	(1)
The Pause	27	(1)
Six Moments	28	(1)
The Needs of Others	29	(1)
I Know the Line--What's the Attitude?	30	(1)
The Build	31	(1)
Clean	32	(1)
Loud Enough	33	(1)
Focus	34	(1)
The New Play	35	(1)
Pace	36	(1)
Buying the Pause	37	(1)
Setting Up Drama	38	(1)
Overlapping	39	(1)
Posture	40	(1)
The Visual Cue	41	(1)
Pointing Your Feet	42	(1)
Prop Acting	43	(1)
Sitting	44	(1)
Punctuation (Physical)	45	(1)
Stillness	46	(1)
The Long Surprising Pause	47	(1)
Cuing	48	(1)
Curtain Lines	49	(1)
Acting While They're Talking	50	(1)
Loud and Soft	51	(1)
The Half-Hitch	52	(1)
Faster or Slower	53	(1)
Throwing the Line Away	54	(1)
Dropping the End of the Line	55	(1)
Listening	56	(1)
Rhythm	57	(1)
Dance and Musical Skills	58	(1)
Torque	59	(1)
Put the Scene Between You	60	(1)
Keeping the Lid On	61	(1)
Self-Reacting	62	(1)
Drafting	63	(1)
Setting and Freezing	64	(1)
Agree/Not Agree/Neutral	65	(1)
The Curtain Call	66	(1)
Finding the Light	67	(1)
Wearing Clothes	68	(1)
Stone Hands	69	(1)
Dirty it Up	70	(1)
Repetition	71	(1)
Making Faces	72	(1)
Simplify	73	(1)
Working too Hard	74	(1)
Scaring People	75	(1)
Technique	76	(2)
Movement in Space
The Small Stage	78	(1)
Space	79	(1)
Sniffing	80	(1)
Entering	81	(1)
Exiting	82	(1)
Physical Line	83	(1)
The Mind/Body Connection	84	(1)
Bringing Blocking	85	(1)
Seeing the Part in the Body	86	(1)
Break the Straight Line	87	(1)
Metaphor	88	(1)
Vacillation	89	(1)
Six Things About Space	90	(2)
Words
Re-Reading the Script	92	(1)
Punctuation (Text)	93	(1)
Language	94	(1)
The Cherries and the Bowl	95	(1)
Key Words	96	(1)
Searching for the Word	97	(1)
The Memory Speech	98	(1)
Quick and Light	99	(1)
Small Talk	100	(1)
Shattering the Speech	101	(1)
Breath Score	102	(1)
Nailing the Plot Point	103	(1)
The Dictionary	104	(1)
Word Trails	105	(1)
Rhythm, Tempo, Tone and Meaning	106	(1)
Going Verbal	107	(1)
Repeated Words	108	(1)
Setting Names	109	(3)
Strategy
Common Sense	112	(1)
The Toothpick	113	(1)
Write the Blocking	114	(1)
Function--The Secondary Character	115	(1)
The Vocal Top of the Scene	116	(1)
Taking Notes/Giving Notes	117	(1)
Learning the Lines	118	(1)
The Bit Part	119	(1)
Quitting and Being Fired	120	(1)
Bad Reviews	121	(1)
Shtick	122	(1)
Doing it Twice	123	(1)
Danger	124	(1)
Rehearsal Clothes	125	(1)
Kissing	126	(1)
Nudity	127	(3)
Comedy
Killing Laughs	130	(1)
Setup/Joke/Reaction	131	(1)
Holding for the Laugh	132	(1)
The Comic Adjustment	133	(1)
Physical Comedy	134	(1)
Comic Timing	135	(3)
No-No's
Angry Too Long	138	(1)
Judging the Character	139	(1)
Scene Stealing	140	(1)
Bad-Mouthing	141	(1)
Rehearsal Manners	142	(1)
The Dressing Room	143	(1)
Conducting the Speech	144	(1)
Self-Pity	145	(1)
Wasting the First Hour	146	(1)
In-Balance/Off-Balance	147	(1)
Tattletale-Ing	148	(1)
Melodrama	149	(1)
Tone	150	(1)
Oversteering	151	(3)
People Stuff
The Actor's Generosity	154	(1)
Consulting the Other Actors	155	(1)
Asking the Director	156	(1)
What's a Dramaturg?	157	(1)
Six Ways to talk to a Dramaturg	158	(1)
Six Ways to Talk to Your Director	159	(1)
Rehearsal Stuff	160	(1)
Six Ways to Talk to a Fight Choreographer	161	(1)
How to Handle an Interview	162	(1)
Disputes with Other Actors	163	(1)
Eating and Smoking	164	(1)
Dealing with a Diva	165	(3)
Building the Role
Go Out/Go In	168	(1)
Touching/Not Touching	169	(1)
Opposites	170	(1)
Sense of Humor	171	(1)
Character	172	(1)
What She Doesn't Do	173	(1)
Losing the Argument	174	(1)
The God of Variety	175	(1)
Class and Culture	176	(1)
Agreement	177	(1)
Attacking and Defending	178	(1)
Staying Onstage	179	(1)
The Absurd	180	(1)
Fear	181	(1)
Metaphor--The Game	182	(1)
One Time Only	183	(1)
Social Rituals	184	(1)
Folding the Play In	185	(1)
Long-Term Relationships	186	(1)
The Dramatic Choice	187	(1)
Time: How Long has it Been?	188	(1)
Do Something Else	189	(1)
The Positive Outcome	190	(1)
The Nightmare Result	191	(1)
Image	192	(1)
Making Hedda Exist	193	(1)
The Current	194	(1)
The Five Senses	195	(1)
The Taxi's Waiting	196	(1)
Status	197	(1)
Counterpoint	198	(2)
Veterans
Bill Paterson	200	(1)
William McNulty	201	(1)
Adale O'Brien	202	(1)
Ken Jenkins	203	(1)
Ray Fry	204	(1)
Fred Major	205	(1)
Lynn Cohen	206	(2)
States of Being
Energy	208	(1)
10 Rules of Concentration	209	(1)
Impulse	210	(1)
Playing With	211	(1)
Emotions	212	(1)
Fighting Spirit	213	(3)
Stations on the Line
Opening Night	216	(1)
Table Work	217	(1)
Run-Throughs	218	(1)
The First Reading	219	(1)
The Muddled Middle	220	(1)
Maintaining the Performance	221	(1)
Acknowledgment	222	(1)
Potential	223	(1)
Theme	224	(1)
Afterword	225