Acting One

by Cohen, Robert

• ISBN13: 9780073514161
• ISBN10: 0073514160
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-01-18
• Publisher: McGraw Hill

Summary

Used to teach beginning acting on more campuses than any other text,Acting Onecovers the basic elements of realistic acting in twenty-eight lessons all based on experiential exercises. The text covers basic skills such as talking, listening, tactical interplay, physicalizing, building scenes, and making good choices.

Table of Contents

Preface

Acting One

Introduction

Preparation For Acting

Preparing to Act Relaxation

Exercise 1-1 Relaxation

Trust

Exercise 1-2 Spine Lengthening

Exuberance

Exercise 1-3 BAM-POW, Dance, Sing

Discipline

Criticism

A Playful Attitude

Freedom

Preparation

What Is Acting? Exercise 2-1 Pledge Your Allegiance to a Flag

The Actor's Approach

Goal and Obstacle Fundamental Principle

Exercise 3-1 Reaching

Exercise 3-2 Reaching for Goals

Exercise 3-3 Overcoming an Obstacle

Self-Consciousness

Exercise 3-4 Doing vs. Being

Projection

Exercise 3-5 Resonating

Exercise 3-6 Resonating (A Continuation)

Exercise 3-7 Goals

Acting with the "Other" The Other

Exercise 4-1 Making Your Partner Smile

Interactive Dynamics

Exercise 4-2 Vulnerability

Exercise 4-3 Discovery

The Character

Tactics

Exercise 4-4 Using Tactics

Exercise 4-5 One Two Three Four Five Six Seven

Monologues

Exercise 4-6 Inventing the Other

Beginning to Act Contentless Scene

Exercise 5-1 Contentless Scene I

Intensifiers

Exercise 5-2 Intensifying

Physicalizers

Exercise 5-3 Varying Locale or Action

Exercise 5-4 Contentless Scene II

Tactics Punishment and Reward

Playing Tactics

Exercise 6-1 Frighten Your Partner

Exercise 6-2 Building Intensity

Exercise 6-3 Try to Make Your Partner Cry

Exercise 6-4 Movement and Contact

Exercise 6-5 Encourage Your Partner

Alternating Tactics

Exercise 6-6 Mixing Tactics

The Middle Ranges

Exercise 6-7 Eliminating the Extremes

Expectations Expecting Victory

Exercise 7-1 Playing Bored

Positive Goals

Exercise 7-2 Enthusiasm

Exercise 7-3 Try the Impossible

Eye Contact

Exercise 7-4 Tactics and Expectations

GOTE A Basic Method

"Get Your Character's GOTE"

Exercise 8-1 The GOTEsheet

The Actor's Task

Preparing a Role Finding Your Role

Finding Your "Character"

Editing a Scene

Memorization Methods

Cues: Action Cues and Line Cues

Studying the Part

Exercise 9-1 The Gentleman Caller I

Rehearsing Rehearsals

Undirected Rehearsals

Rehearsal Alternatives

Exercise 10-1 The Gentleman Caller II

Staging the Scene Stage Directions

Creating the Locale

Movement and Stage Business

Interesting Positions

Reaching the Audience

Exercise 11-1 Setting the Stage

Choices The Need for Choices

Good Choices

Exercise 12-1 Bold Choices

Performing Stage Fright

Classroom Performance

Play for Results--In the Other Character!

Evaluation and Improvement Helpful Criticism

Reworking

Exercise 14-1 Scene Presentation

The Actor's Instrument

The Actor's Voice Breathing

Exercise 15-1 Breathing from the Abdomen

Phonation: Making Sounds

Exercise 15-2 Sounding

Resonance

Exercise 15-3 Exploring Resonance

Pitch

Exercise 15-4 Exploring Your Pitch Range

A Stageworthy Voice

Exercise 15-5 Speaking with Resonance

Stage Speech Good Diction

Speech Sounds

Exercise 16-1 Vowels

Exercise 16-2 Repeating Syllables

Exercise 16-3 Consonants

Exercise 16-4 Speeches

Using Your Voice Liberation

Exercise 17-1 Rude Chants

Exercise 17-2 Rude Cheering

Exercise 17-3 Fancy Talk

Exercise 17-4 Address a Group

Purposefulness

Exercise 17-5 Adding Purpose

The Actor's Body Agility

Exercise 18-1 Fast Warm-Up

Alignment

Exercise 18-2 Improving Alignment

Walking

Exercise 18-3 Sixteen Walks

Exercise 18-4 Walk and Talk

Sitting and Standing

Exercise 18-5 Walk, Talk, Sit

Velocity: Accelerating, Decelerating, and Constant

Exercise 18-6 Acceleration/Deceleration

Counterpoise

Exercise 18-7 Contraposto

Exercise 18-8 Contraction/Extension

The Dynamics of Effort

Exercise 18-9 Distinct Movements

Exercise

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