“The kind of acting that’s wholly literal or cerebral is wrong. It’s useless for me to have actors so much in their heads that they can’t be organic.” – Mike Leigh
MIND INTERFERENCE AND THE ACTOR
Do you feel you have talent but you can’t quite seem to take it to its full potential?
Have you spent time stimulating the unconscious urges in yourself? Those urges show up in the form of organic impulses in the body. They do not come from “Will”… which is more connected to your head. Generally it’s the head in the actor that gets in the way of Organic Acting. I call this Mind Interference. The head is really the Ego. It has a lot of should’s and shouldn’ts, and it talks to you constantly all day long.
It usually either criticizes you or praises you depending on what it wants from you. And it is not aligned with your Creativity which lives in your Unconscious, in the lower energy centres of your body.
How does an actor learn to listen to the Unconscious? By going deep within and making space for what is there.
ACTING FROM THE UNCONSCIOUS
Unfortunately, with the values of our culture being about “doing” and “producing”, we seldom take the time to just “be” and listen to our bodies. So how do you do it?
By dropping into your lower body…listening there, breathing there…being curious about the impulses that begin to move in you as you stay in your gut and pelvis. They might be subtle at first. Be patient. Try not to judge the images and memories and urges…just listen to them and be with them. If you do this enough, when it comes time to “Act” you just might be able to set them free!
In our Toronto acting classes, an acting student practices an exercise in “Organic Listening”
Never giving up is the only way to manifest your dream. Listen to your heart and soul…
With love,
Cindy Tanas
Cindy Tanas Actors Studio teaches acting classes for Theatre and Film in Toronto and the GTA, Collingwood and Southern Georgian Bay.
Connect with Cindy for a free consultation
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Acting Teacher / Mentor / Life Coach Cindy Tanas, has run a highly reputable and successful Toronto acting school for over 25 years. She teaches Acting Classes for beginners and experienced actors. Cindy is a member of ACTRA, former Chair and member of TAAS (Toronto Association of Acting Studios) and member of Theatre Ontario.
Cindy Tanas Actors Studio offers a holistic approach to acting in Toronto since 1995. Both in person and online acting classes are available.
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