How to prepare for an acting role in film or on stage

“It’s a constant learning process – not just what you have to learn for the characters or as far as good actors – but as an actor there’s no limit. Every time now, you’re learning, so I think that’s a good thing though.” – Paul Dano

Preparing for your acting role

In our Toronto school of acting, we teach you to prepare for your acting role by first reading the script for your immediate connection to it.

As you begin to tune into your acting process, take a few deep breaths and drop down into your body. Open yourself up in your acting to your life experience and imagination.

Then read the acting script slowly. Notice your immediate response to what you are reading. What captures your imagination as an actor? Where do you make the strongest connections to the role? In our acting classes, we help you get a sense of the entire story as a whole. What thoughts and feelings does the script arouse in you? Listen to the text. Read between the lines. What is really being said? As you listen to the text with your imagination, allow the energy and feeling of the script to emerge. The meaning of the script will emerge from the subtle shifts in thought, feeling and images that you experience. 

The key is to take in the text, to take in, take in and take in and allow yourself to fill up.

Acting classes in Toronto should provide a good training ground for you to re-read the script as many times as you can throughout the rehearsal period. As you read it, do so with a ‘beginners mind’. Connect in a relaxed honest way as you intuit and sense your way into the role. Trust your initial acting instincts. You will continue to have fresh new insights each time you read the script. 

In the image, actors in our Toronto acting school practise the art of taking in through  “organic listening”In the image, actors in our Toronto acting school practise the art of taking in through  “organic listening”

Approaching the text

Approach the text through receptivity. Do not try and do something with the text. Do not let your “will” take over. Do not approach it by seeing what you could do to the text to make it interesting or make it work. Approach by letting the text do something to you. Let it have its way with you. Let it penetrate you and evoke something in you! In our classes for acting we teach you how to surrender to your imagination, impulses and feelings. See my other article here: Passion, Soul and Acting- Inspiration for the Actor.

The research and questions should take you intuitively into your life experience and imagination while you are acting. You learn to Sense and intuit your way into your acting role. Acting technique is then meant to help you make more specific choices. It is not meant to put you in your head and take you away from your instincts. Simply allow associations to come to you as you read the screenplay or play script. This is what good classes for acting in a safely held environment will help you do. 

Research, Research, Research!
Then Daydream, Daydream, Daydream!

Types of Research

Acting students learn to Do External/Internal Research and read up on any concepts they are not familiar with. They learn to read up on the Time Period of the piece or the Place/Country/City where the Play/Film takes place. At our acting school in Toronto, we teach acting students to explore metaphors, symbols and archetypes for deeper meaning. This lets all of this homework penetrate deeply so that you are sensing and feeling into it in acting classes and on stage/set. Internal Research leads actors to look to their own observations, experiences and understandings about life. 

Cindy Tanas Actors Studio teaches acting classes for Theatre and Film in Toronto and the GTA, Collingwood and Southern Georgian Bay.

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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.

www.torontoactingstudios.com
www.actratoronto.com
www.theatreontario.org