Approaching your script

First

Work out your character’s given circumstances, create a list of what you know about your character using evidence from the text. Separate this list into what people say about you and what you say about yourself. Then separate this research into a new list stating which are facts and which are opinions.

Then…

1. Ask Questions.

You’re an actor approximating reality. So use any acting skills or techniques that you have at your command to create this reality. And ask as many questions as you can to make an unreal situation real for yourself, including:

a. Who am I? Reconstruct the character’s life and make it your own. “I” instead of “he” or “she” when you talk about them. Prepare a written autobiography so that I could define for myself my character’s education, occupation, income, religion, likes, dislikes, age, weight, height, health, physical handicaps, behavioural characteristics, family life, customs and habits of the era in which s/he lives or the society in which s/he moves.

Like an internal monologue

Give an example

b. What is the present situation? What did the character come here to do . . . what does the character want . . . what is the character’s intention? Portraying a strong intention may be all you need to do to make the character and the situation real for you. It helps to express this intention as a “to . . .” verb. You might also want to know your character’s physical condition: tired, hungry, cold, ill. And their mental/emotional condition: aware, confused, angry, calm, drunk.

c. Where am I? Define the environment . . . the place . . . as a force in your script: era, year, season, time of day, temperature, humidity, weather. You may also want to substitute an actual place you know, like your bedroom for the character’s bedroom, to help you. You can do this in a snap with sensory work, one of the foundations of Method Acting. Creating all the specifics of the place stimulates your sensorial reality and adds dimension to your script.

For each scene that you are in. Imagine the gaps. Even if you don’t speak you have to do it for the scene.

d. Working in costume. Bring the relevant clothes for your character to help you get into your role.

Draw some in costume get pictures from magazines

Personal reflection

2. Explore the circumstances of what came before.

I’ve seen so many actors start scripts with no clue of why they’re saying what they’re saying. And it shows! They usually hit their stride about halfway through the script. By then, they’ve lost me. The character has had a life before that point in time. You need to create that life for your character before you say a word. You can go over it in your mind before speaking. Do whatever works for you. And, as in all acting, make strong or unusual choices.

Where were you before each scene?

What was happening?

Doing this means you enter the stage with energy and focus; you bring something on with you!

3. Break the script down into beats and further down into thoughts.

Acting is approximating reality. Never forget that. If you’re being real, you’re responding verbally to thoughts and emotions. You need to slow down and identify these thoughts and emotions and then speed them up to performance level.

A beat is a thought change. When you read through your script, see where the character changes the subject and mark that place in some way. And then find a reason for the character to change the subject. When you’re working on a script, it’s also crucial to connect thoughts to the lines. They can either be your own or something the character might be thinking at that moment. Draw a line down the centre of a pad and write out your lines on the right-hand side of the page. Then would write down the corresponding thoughts next to each line on the left. When you start to work, I say the thought . . . then the line . . . until the thoughts became second-nature. Then I’d just say the lines. Yes, this process does take time, but you’ll be pleased with the results when you get “oooohs” and “aaahhs”.

Copy of a script with objectives and tactics

Include photos other research, be creative!

- Social, political, Historical research.