THEATRE is
not about small issues. All theatre artists must be challenged
to engage the audience in a dynamic, passionate theatre~one
that explores the art of unique expression not simply addressing
obvious truths. In this television and video generation~a
generation of inactive listeners and comfortable couch-clinging
audiences~we must never encourage the acceptable to replace
the exceptional. While young actors/directors may be satisfied
after finding truth in a given performance/scene, we must
encourage them to reach beyond simple believability to explore,
to dare, to risk, to discover the possibilities! Searching
out the most creative choices while maintaining the play's
integrity is our goal. My passion for acting/directing (and
the joy I find in teaching it), is surely due to this never-ending
"magic of discovery."
ACTING is the
process of being in action. To be an actor one must, by definition,
take action. The concept of finding the strongest action,
of taking action, of staying in action, of training active
performers (emotionally, vocally, physically and intellectually),
cuts to the core of my acting philosophy. To my way of teaching,
a passive actor is an oxymoron. Some wonder why Hamlet
does not take action to kill Claudius. I wonder why Hamlet
takes action on everything except killing Claudius.
The most frequent questions asked in my acting studio
are:
What does it mean?
How do you feel about it? Now~what are you going
to do about it?
Dramatic characters are dynamic and should not be
described a "being" one way or another~rather they are
"becoming" in the course of the play. Characters are in
process of change great characters necessitate great change. Actors
must learn to "become" along with the characters they
play, for without change we are static~and static performances are
deadly performances. Acting is a skill. Some degree of talent is
necessary (to be sure), but techniques to become a better actor
can be taught: voices strengthened, bodies freed from conditioned
restraints, creativity expanded, emotions unlocked, text personalized.
Proficiency is attainable by most young actors with determination
and patience. As a teacher I may hope to enliven or even inspire,
but what I expect to foster in all my acting students is
studio mentality~an ethic that compels the student to work and to
better one's technique and oneself everyday. Talent can not replace
dedication or perspiration.
MOVEMENT is
the most under-developed area in most American actors. Unless you
are a dancer, most young actors choose to pay little attention to
their bodies. Nothing (of course) could be more damaging. Without
a dynamic expressive instrument the actor is hopelessly limited.
As a teacher of movement I work eclectically, but finally all physical
study must develop, balance and integrate:
1. Strength (muscular & cardiovascular)
2. Flexibility (length with strength)
3. Relaxation (internal & external)
4. Freedom (non-judgmental use of the instrument)
The study and teaching of movement is one of the great
joys of my life. I come from a dance/martial arts background that
has grown to now encompass stage combat and a variety of other techniques/disciplines
to improve the body's usefulness to the actor.
THE VOICE
is the most personal and most frightening of all the actor's
tools. The quality of sound, use of text, articulation, dialect,
placement and resonance all conspire together and present us to
the world. Students are emotionally (and physically), attached to
lifelong habits of voice and speech that very often do not serve
the actor. Our challenge is to re-shape and re-train the mechanism
of producing sound without inhibiting the young actor. The Linklater
Method of vocal training has become the choice of universities and
professional theaters nationwide. Our goal is to develop voices
that are in direct contact with emotional impulse, shaped by the
intellect but not inhibited by it. The person is heard,
not simply the person's voice.
THE FUTURE looks
more competitive than ever. If we expect our students to excel in
the professional marketplace as it will exist in the 21st century,
we must graduate flexible, motivated actors with a variety of tools
and techniques as well as a working understanding of the art and
the business. We must strive to be fair with young actors~realistically
assessing their strengths and weaknesses as well as their ability
to flourish artistically and practically in the professional community.
We must motivate and challenge our students to reach for artistic
excellence, while expecting nothing less from ourselves. It is our
responsibility~our obligation to take the lead and to set
the example.