BOTTOM. We will meet, and there we may rehearse most obscenely and courageously.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1.2)
WHEN I STARTED ACTING, EACH THEATRE HAD A PERMANENT company of actors, engaged for the whole season, who would do a new play every two weeks – ‘fortnightly rep’ it was called – and as a result, rehearsals were quite frantic because you were rehearsing a new play during the day and performing the current play in the evenings. After opening a play on Monday evening, the company would gather on Tuesday morning to read through the next new play together and on Tuesday afternoon the director would start working through it, scene by scene, telling the actors what to do, line by line. Amazingly enough this was called ‘blocking’. Think about it. A block is something that gets in the way. ‘Move downstage-left when you say that line,’ the director would say. Woe betide anyone who suggested that a particular move wasn’t appropriate. Everything had been worked out beforehand to save time, and time was of the essence. All the actors had to do was to write these moves down and learn them along with their lines over the next few days. During this first stage of rehearsals, actors would read from their scripts as they tried the moves out. Old-school professionals would be heard to say, ‘I can’t learn my lines until I know my moves.’
Basically the rehearsal period was spent trying to remember the lines and the moves, and if you could get through the first night without making a mistake it was considered a great success.
Over the years, things have changed considerably!
The rehearsal process is now about research, analysis, exploration and creative artistry. The funny thing is, there is still a hangover from the old days and that is the desire that actors have to organise the shape of the play as soon as possible, and keep practising it until it runs smoothly. If there is a creative, inspirational moment during one of the rehearsals, everyone tries to hang on to it so they can do it exactly the same way next time they rehearse the scene. The trouble is, it’s never quite as interesting in subsequent rehearsals, because it’s not the creative moment itself. It’s just a copy. Acting is exciting to watch because the audience is seeing a work of art being created before their very eyes, and if actors try to copy what they did yesterday, then the audience is only getting a reproduction of a work of art, not the original.
When actors make inspirational discoveries during the rehearsal of a scene, they shouldn’t try to recreate what they did, they should try to recreate how they felt at the moment of inspiration. The loss of an ingenious bit of business or an unusual way of saying a line will be more than compensated for by the creative life that sparks with electricity when actors are being ‘in the moment’ during a performance.
Rehearsals should not be an attempt to ‘get things right’ and make scenes run smoothly. And performances should not be about trying to repeat things exactly the same way each night. All rehearsals and performances should be voyages of creative discovery.
Actors learn the most by being allowed to act. It’s something that a lot of directors, particularly those who have never been actors, don’t understand. During the early stages of rehearsal, actors are struggling with quite a few unresolved investigations, so there is a lot on their minds. Talk about multitasking! They are trying to get to grips with the creation of a character; they are getting used to the other actors; they are becoming accustomed to the overall shape of the play; they are trying to remember their lines; they are taking on board suggestions that the director might have made. Maybe they’ve got an unfamiliar accent to come to terms with, or a difficult fight sequence. Maybe they are trying to get their fingers around a few basic chords on a guitar or the finger-stops of a recorder. There’s a lot on their minds. Directors should let them fathom it out. The biggest danger is for the director to try to get the actors to the end of the journey before they’ve had a chance to pack their bags. Give them time and they will work it out.
Learning the Lines
Actors can’t rehearse properly until all the lines have been thoroughly learned, because they can’t make the right connection with each other when they are reading from a script. So line-learning should be accomplished as soon as possible. Some actors seem to find it easier than others, but there is no trick to line-learning – it’s basically just a hard slog. Having a friend or another actor reading out the other lines can make it easier. And there is an app you can get for an iPhone called Line-Learner that could be helpful. If I can give any advice, I would say that actors should always learn their lines as a response to something. That makes them easy to remember.
However quickly actors learn their lines, it is essential that they learn them accurately. Sometimes an actor will end up using their own words instead of those in the script, but this is simply diluting the personality of the character as created by the writer. There is no excuse. The lines should be accurate. It’s important. As I said earlier on, writers think long and hard about which words to use. Give them the respect they deserve.
Explorative Exercises
The following exercises are useful soon after the lines have been learned. They will give the actors a chance to get used to working with each other without the pressure of trying to perform a scene.
Back to Back
The actors sit on the floor back to back with their eyes closed. They speak the words of the scene slowly, listening very carefully to each other.
This is to ensure, right from the start, that each actor is really listening to every word the other actor says. It’s so easy, with all the pressure of trying to remember their own lines, for an actor to miss the subtlety and detail of what the other actor is saying. This exercise really focuses the mind so the actors listen to each other without any distractions.
Hands on the Floor
The actors sit on the floor facing each other. They each place one hand, palm down, on the floor with their fingertips touching. As they play the scene they use their hands to express their emotions: touching, caressing, drawing away, etc.
With no other distraction except the movement of their hands, the actors are able to explore the shifting emotions of their characters during a scene. They have to be responsive to each other’s hand movements, and that helps them discover how they will each respond to the other actor’s emotional journey.
The actors stand facing each other as if the acting area were a large disc, balanced on a point at its centre. As the actors speak the words of the scene, they are allowed to move anywhere they like: towards each other, to the left or to the right, and away from each other. But if one actor moves forward, the other actor has to move forward as well in order to ‘balance’ the stage; if one moves away, the other has to move away; and if one moves to the left, they other also has to move to the left, etc.
This is to explore the shifting balance of status between the two characters. If one actor moves forward to make the scene more intimate, the other has to join in the intimacy. If the characters are quarrelling and one wants to reject the other, then they will both move apart. Each actor has to be responsive to the other actor, so neither is working in isolation. This is similar to the Hands on the Floor exercise but it takes it further. By focusing on the movements of each other, the actors are continually negotiating their positions and in that way they are able to tune in to each other. Each character has to be responsive to the other character’s objectives, without losing sight of their own objectives. It’s the essence of how to play a scene.
Reading In
The actors playing the scene each have a helper standing behind them with a copy of the script. The helpers read each line separately, followed by a pause as the actor thinks about how to play it. The actor then speaks the line. The helper then reads the next line, and the actor thinks of a new and interesting way to say this second line. They can say it any way they like. It shouldn’t be influenced by the mood of the previous line. The helpers and the actors continue from line to line.
This exercise gives the actors time to think about what they are going to say and helps them explore different ways of communicating without the pressure of making a scene flow. They are able to take the time to give each line its own weight and importance.
In this context, a ‘line’ is a phrase that has a completeness of meaning. It is not necessarily a whole sentence. ‘Hello, how are you? Will you be free for a meal this evening or are you doing something else?’ has four phrases: ‘Hello’, ‘how are you?’, ‘Will you be free for a meal tonight?’, and ‘or are you doing something else?’ Each of these phrases should be explored in isolation.
Pause for Thought
The actors play each complete phrase separately, but before they speak it out loud, they should take a pause in order to have time to think about how they would like to express the phrase. The manner in which they choose to speak the phrase does not have to bear any relationship to the manner in which they expressed the previous phrase.
This is an extremely laborious process and it will take a long time to work through a scene, but it stops the actors from generalising the dialogue. It’s like actioning the text on the hoof, but unlike that technique, where the actions are analysed and decided in isolation, the actors have to make their decisions on the spot in response to the way the other actors say their lines.
Vocalising the Subtext
The actors play the scene, but after each line they improvise the subtext out loud.
Improvising the subtext out loud will ensure that the actors are exploring their character’s inner thoughts, desires and emotions. These will be changing line by line as their character engages in a conversation with another character.
Speaking the Subtext
The actors play the scene, but instead of speaking the lines in the script they just improvise the subtext.
When two actors use this exercise it enables each of them to recognise the subliminal thoughts that the other character is having. In real life, we can often sense someone else’s underlying emotions and motivations when they speak to us, and obviously we respond to these subliminal messages.
Physicalising the Subtext
The actors play the scene, but, as they say the lines, they improvise physical gestures to express the subtext.
This exercise allows the text to be played at the proper speed while allowing the actors to demonstrate the subtext to each other, while continuing to explore it for themselves.
Acting the Subtext
The actors play the scene naturalistically, but allow the subtext to rise to the surface as they speak.
This is like laying the subtext on with a trowel. For instance, in Act Four of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, Yelena is about to leave and is saying goodbye to Astrov, with whom she has fallen in love. Just before she goes, she takes his pencil from the table and puts it in her pocket saying, ‘I’m taking this pencil as a keepsake.’ Now, it’s entirely reasonable for the actress playing Yelena to decide that the subtext of that line is ‘I love you. I hate to leave you. And I’m taking this pencil as a lover’s token which I will treasure for the rest of my life.’ So when she is asked to do this exercise, she may speak the line with all the passion of a lover, kissing the pencil and holding it to her breast, as she sighs and looks lovingly into Astrov’s eyes. This is allowing the subtext to rise to the surface and it is entirely non-realistic, but it helps the actors to understand the depth of thought or emotion that their character is trying to hide.
Actors often think that subtext should be used like this – or perhaps a diluted version of my example – but by definition subtext is the unexpressed thoughts and emotions beneath the surface of the dialogue. and it should be kept that way.
The previous four exercises allow the actor to think about the subtext; explore the subtext; demonstrate the subtext; and play the subtext, but they are all leading to this final exercise.
The actors play the scene naturalistically, but they continually think about the subtext without any form of demonstration.
This exercise brings the use of subtext closer to reality. In real life, we often try to keep our thoughts and emotions hidden as we speak. So in the example from Uncle Vanya above, Yelena would think about how passionately she loves Astrov as she says the line, but at the same time she would try to keep all that passion hidden as she simply tells him that she is going to keep his pencil as a keepsake. When actors are doing this exercise they should keep focused on the subtext, but never allow it to show.
Finally, of course, the actors will play the scene as it is written and the subtext will be imbedded into their psyche, just as it is in real life. What is affecting for an audience is when they can sense that there is something going on beneath the surface. When actors overplay the subtext, they are underestimating the power of the audience’s psychological radar, and as a result the audience doesn’t get so involved because it is being spoon-fed. But if the audience is allowed to detect extremely understated ‘messages’ for itself, it will feel as if it is part of the process. This is audience participation on an extremely subtle level.
I can’t let this go without flagging it up in a simple phrase:
Actors should keep the subtext ‘sub’.
Gobbledegook
The actors play the whole scene, line by line, using gobbledegook instead of the text.
Gobbledegook is a made-up language that doesn’t actually mean anything. (Some actors find it hard to speak gobbledegook, so as an alternative they can recite the days of the week or the colours of the rainbow.) The exercise will ensure that the actors are really trying to communicate with each other. It also helps them to understand the rhythms, moods and shifting relationships that happen during the scene.
Gobbledegook sometimes sounds Italian or Russian, and there is a danger that the actors might start playing cultural stereotypes. Or they might start trying to be funny. If either of these things happen, it’s important to remind them that the exercise is a serious exploration of how the characters communicate with each other.
Mime
The actors play the whole scene in mime instead of using any words at all.
This has a similar effect to using gobbledegook, but it is particularly useful for actors who like to express themselves physically. It will give all actors in the scene a clear understanding of their shared responsibility.
Whispering
The actors play the scene whispering the text to each other, but without necessarily standing close to each other.
This exercise is beneficial for several reasons. Firstly, the actors have to make sure they are communicating the sense of the dialogue with clarity and articulation; and secondly, each actor has to concentrate on what the other actors are saying in case they miss anything.
This exercise also has an impact on the urgency and dynamism of a scene, because the actors have to be fully focused on each other.
Blindfold
The actors play the scene with blindfolds on.
This is obviously more useful in a scene that doesn’t have too much physical action, otherwise it becomes an exercise in stumbling around, trying not to bump into anything. It works best in a scene where the actors are either sitting down or standing quite still.
The exercise is about listening. Without any visual distractions, the actors listen to the words more carefully and concentrate on each other more fully.
It’s also useful to prevent the actors from using excessive hand gestures to emphasise certain lines of dialogue. If there is no point in using gestures because no one can see them, the actors will start to use the words more emphatically to put their meaning across.
Double-time
The actors play the scene at twice the normal speed, but without losing the truth, the objectives or the desire to communicate their character’s thoughts to the other characters.
This exercise will sharpen the actors’ thoughts and ensure that they are pausing for the right reasons. Some actors use ‘dramatic pauses’ in rehearsal to give them time to remember their lines, but they should be so on top of the dialogue that they can speak it without having to search for the next line. This exercise will throw up any weaknesses in the actor’s memory.
But there is more to it than that. A double-speed run will sometimes bring a scene to life and make everyone realise that they have been rather indulgently slow. Some actors take too much time reacting to what another character has said and thinking about how they feel, before they speak their next line. Apart from making a scene incredibly slow, it is not actually what people do in real life. People usually speak as they think, letting the words express their immediate thoughts.
Actors should make their characters think and speak at the same time.
Variety of Styles
The actors play the scene in a different theatrical or cinematic style, e.g.
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Modern fantasy |
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American musical |
Physical theatre |
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Commedia dell’Arte |
Reality TV (Big Brother) |
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Costume drama |
Silent film |
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Epic theatre (Brecht) |
Soap opera |
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Fairytale |
Spaghetti Western |
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Farce |
The Matrix |
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Gothic horror |
The Simpsons |
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Grand opera |
Theatre of the Absurd |
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Greek tragedy |
Trainspotting |
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Hollywood Golden Age |
Victorian melodrama |
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Mills & Boon romance |
These variations can only be used once the actors can run a scene with confidence.
By exploring the nature of a scene in unexpected ways, the actors learn to jettison preconceived notions and ideas. It’s hard to be specific because every case is different, but discoveries are often made which would never have been revealed in normal circumstances.
This exercise can sometimes be used to add a particular flavour or mood to a scene – by choosing a genre which is an exaggerated version of something that lies buried within the scene that the actors are struggling to express. For instance, when Sampson and Gregory confront Abraham and Balthasar in the first scene of Romeo and Juliet, they may be finding it hard to capture the right mood. So they could try playing it in the style of a Spaghetti Western to see if that brings out the tension of the scene. Or they could try is as a farce to see if that will reveal the characters’ sense of humour.
Points of Concentration
Each actor is given (or chooses) one aspect of their character’s thoughts, feelings or desires to concentrate on fully while they run a whole scene. Then they take another aspect and run the scene again. This can be done several times. Each time is a ‘point of concentration’.
This exercise explores the complex layers of subtextual thought and mood within a scene by concentrating on each in isolation. For instance, during a scene a character may feel all of the following:
• A desire to be powerful
• Love for the other person in the scene
• The need to leave as soon as possible
• Sick
So, by running the scene four times, concentrating on one of these at a time, the layers of subtext build upon each other. You can, of course, choose your own ‘points of concentration’ depending on the nature of the scene.
A good example is the opening speech from Richard III which starts ‘Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this son of York.’
During this speech Richard is feeling all of the following:
• Ugly and unattractive to women
• Hated by everybody
• Bored because the war is over
• Ambitious to become king
• Overconfident that he will achieve his ambition
• Fearful of failure
• In a hurry to get what he wants
I’m sure that any actor playing the part will agree with most of these. Maybe they will even want to add more. But it can be very difficult to think of all these complex emotions and desires at the same time. In real life, they would be embedded in Richard’s psyche and he wouldn’t have to think about them, but an actor has to find each of these for himself. It would be useful to run through the speech seven times, each time concentrating solely on one of the bullet points above. This will help the actor build the many emotions, ambitions and fears that Richard is experiencing at the beginning of the play.
Playing a scene with a specific point of concentration can also be used later in rehearsals if an actor is having difficulty feeling or expressing some specific aspect of their character. For instance, in Act Two, Scene One of Hamlet, Ophelia comes to tell her father Polonius that Hamlet has been behaving in a very strange way. If the actress is having trouble feeling the shock of the experience as she relates it to her father, her point of concentration could be the look that Hamlet gave her as he walked out of the door, or even a mental picture of Hamlet in a straitjacket being locked in a padded cell.
Listening and Responding
When actors are rehearsing a scene or reading a script with the rest of the cast, they should listen to what the other characters are saying and how they are saying it. And then they should let their own lines be a response to what they have heard.
It sounds obvious, but this is vitally important. Actors are often so concerned about their own character and their own character’s objectives that they only half-listen to the other actors. They need to make sure that what they say is always a response to what they hear. There is more about this in Chapters 11 and 12, but it is so crucial for truthful acting that I need to flag it up now.
Actors should always listen to the other actors, and their lines should be a response to what they hear.
Thinking
Actors should make sure they are always thinking within the scene, even when they have nothing to say.
Yet again, this might sound obvious, but it’s not as easy as it seems. It requires a lot of concentration and is particularly important when an actor is in front of a camera. But don’t misunderstand this. Actors shouldn’t fall into the trap of demonstrating their characters’ thoughts. That is not what I mean at all. All the actor has to do is to think the right thoughts for their character, be present, and stay in the moment.
Rehearsals are the opportunity for actors to make wild experiments and to try out extraordinary ideas. There should be no fear of failure because there is nothing to fail. Everything should be about learning and discovery. My advice is to keep making adventurous choices, and not give up if they don’t seem to work. They can always be tried again from a different perspective. It’s only in the last few days of rehearsal that an unsuccessful choice needs to be abandoned.
Rehearsals are not there to polish a rough diamond: they are there to cut the jewel into a myriad of colourful facets.