Acting is Sharing Thought
Many actors are told that acting is all about emotions. Many actors think pushing and making strong choices is acting.
Acting is not what we are taught in high school, and it is certainly not about going deep inside yourself to reveal past trauma. So many schools of acting exist that are based on drumming up feelings or trying to manufacture a situation that evokes a response in us.
Sure, acting demands honesty and connection to the text.
The difference between the great actors I have worked with is that they get off of their text early enough that they can re-hear the thoughts over and over again. The difference is that they get to know the thoughts of the character so well that they are able to express them clearly to an audience.
This navigation of the thoughts and the deep understanding of the text so early create a deep connection to human emotions that we never need to push or manufacture. We, as human beings, know human beings.
The real ability is understanding what the thought is, being deeply connected to it, and knowing how to convey that thought to an audience.
Thought travels. The larger the thought, the more powerful the communication with an audience. Whether this is for the camera or for the stage, the technique is exactly the same. Are you trying to reach the camera five feet away, or are you having to get the thought to the back of the theatre? It is all about learning how to translate it to the medium in which you are playing.
Instead of trying to emote, feel, or push, try to get off the book immediately and speak the text out loud. Investigate the character’s thoughts and the connections they make with the words.
If you can do this, the acting will take a whole other level and put you in the top tier of actors. This is technique, and it is something you can rely on to play every night. Relying on emotions to always be there or expecting your bold choices to marry with the text completely is much more difficult and prone to falsehood regularly.
