Actor Challenges: Part 2

Part 2 of Paul Brighton, of Audition Portal marvellous Actor’s Challenges, that I’m attempting.

• Get physical. Crawl around from room to room & pretend you’re escaping a bad situation. Act with intent.
• To be a good actor means to be simple & articulate. You must trust your instincts and the real thing will happen.
• Auditioning? Expect the unexpected. Taking Improv classes will help with relaxing & adjusting at an audition.
• Observe & learn things you’d never do. You never know when you’ll be asked to ride a bull or line dance!
• Study mannerisms & accents. Add diversity to your CV.
• Videotape your favorite monologue and show a fellow actor. Be open-minded for critique.
• Today, sit in park or in town and talk to yourself, aloud! How do others react?
• Study Children this weekend. Watch them laugh, cry, walk. Emulate their body movements & mannerisms.
• What is your physical destination in a role. What is your body doing while you wait? Study yourself.
• Does your character have a history? Why are they mad, happy, or confident? Imagine or create a past.
• What if you were asked to act on green screen? Can you? Practice talking to a bottle of shampoo! Should be fun!
• Watch a movie from your favorite actor. Pick a scene and play it as the opposite gender. Should be interesting!
• Mood change. Start the day happy. At noon change your mood to quiet & pensive. Make sure others notice.
• Prepare clothes for work tomorrow that are uncharacteristic.Treat it like a dress rehearsal. Play that role!
• Write an original monologue about something you care about. Casting Directors will love it.
• When making your bed, observe your body, your feet shuffling, & the order in which you do things. Take mental notes.
• Observe people walking. How do they differ? Do they limp, swagger, strut or sway? Pay attention & ask why.
• Walk & Talk. Uta Hagen says you have to move when you read lines. Involve your body. Let action happen naturally.
• Memorize lines easily. Employ Sight, Sound & feeling. Re-write them, recite & record them.Think like the character.
• Tell an exaggerated story. Something totally made up. Slow motion that moment. Study their faces.
• Have an imaginary conversation on your cell phone, in public today. Throw in an accent for good measure!
• Could you play the opposite sex, not only for comic relief? Today is dress-up day! Be ready for that role.
• An actors body is a vessel for communication. The healthier you are the more you can say. Take Yoga!
• Listen to head-bobbing music on headphones on a train or subway, get super animated-observe reactions.

The Facts: Writer. Actress. Creatrix. Classic Movie Lover. The Feels: I'm a cat person who deals in the feels.