Notes on today’s acting class. Theatre 126. University of Kentucky. Fall 2016. Professor Matthew J Schneck. These incomplete notes are not endorsed or proofread by Prof S or UKY.
Start of Final Scenes
Last Monday, Schneck split the twenty people of our class into ten pairs and gave each pair the script for a scene from a play. He gave us homework to have done by today.
Answer Stanislavski’s seven questions for your character. Who, where, when, what want, why want, how get, what overcome. Write it down on a sheet of paper to give to me. Also, by each of your lines write a transitive verb that says what the line is supposed to achieve. It might be intimidate, seduce, enrage, tease, or indulge. As in “I am saying this line to enrage my partner”. Be ready to perform on the Monday after break.
Four pairs did their first runs today.
Keith & Devon are friends in Amsterdam. Keith has had a three year dry spell and Devon is trying to hook him up with this prostitute. Devon is secretly gay. The real Devon could work on (1) being comfortable talking dirty and (2) speaking without pausing.
Kayla & Chase are a cop and a doorman. Kayla is waiting in the lobby of an apartment building while her partner goes upstairs. Chase talks with her while she waits, he insists on calling himself a security guard. The real chase delivered this with a New York accent and it really worked. The real Kayla seemed like she already knew her lines, very natural.
Jada & Jamie are an attorney and his assistant(?). They are working as defendents for a rapist. Before the scene, Jada sympathizes with the victim and sells out their case. The scene is the argument between them. At first Jada was just talking and not acting, but by the end of this session she was showing emotion.
Joe & Komal were, similar to J&J, a lawyer and his wife. She suspects him of cheating on her (turns out she’s correct), the scene is the argument about it. Joe lies and lies while Komal leaves herself vulnerable. Good first run from these guys.