5. Mapping out emotions/ Clarifying characters through emotions
Pacing
Today we worked on pacing a scene with 2 people - Slowing down for action and reaction, speeding up back and forth dialogue to add suspense or show natural emotional responses, putting appropriate pauses for thinking, and character shifts.
Milking the beats
We worked more on milking our beats - trying to balance the big movements and character choices that need to happen for a stage roll, and at the same time, adding things to make the lines and scene more natural. We slowed our beats down to an extreme level at the beginning - waiting 3 seconds a beat during our first read through - then discussed what action to put in our beats to help extend them while making them look more natural at the same time - then, sped the beats up to 2 seconds, and mapped out where to push up against the other person's lines.
Using the other actor as a tool/ Give + Take
Today we also worked on the give and take of doing a scene with another actor. We talked about how it's your responsibility as an actor in a multiple character scene to make everyone else look good, to give them things to use in their own acting, and to help their lines sound and feel natural in the writing. If you go as big as you're supposed to, it allows the other actors to follow suit and further push you into where you couldn't take your character by yourself.
We also talked about using the things that are happening in real time - not ignoring things that you would naturally react to like giggling, falling, someone raising their voice, someone being defensive, or someone coming at you physically out of anger. We worked through our scene, building on each other's lines and action -- working on the give and take, how we could add to each other's lines and characters, as well as our own.
Mapping out emotions/Clarifying characters through emotions
We need to treat every scene in a play, musical, or film, like it is a significant plot device and character building moment for the overall piece. When we do this - mapping out a scene becomes crucial. When trying to clarify things about your character you have to ask "How would my character react in this scene? Why? What matters to my character? Why is this scene significant in the shaping of my character? How could I more clearly show a major characteristic of my character with the lines they say in this scene?". When asking these things, you give yourself more options and acting choices.
For example, in the scene we worked on today, Elle and Emmett can be discussing a case their working on and happen to disagree - or, with all of our character questions answered - Elle can be firmly holding to values that she knows are right, standing up for herself despite the fear of losing everything she's worked for at Harvard because her word means something to her. She can be making a point by taking a stand - and pushing her friend, who she knows also has values that mimic her own. She can be disappointed that he doesn't think of trust and integrity first, while knowing how important his job is to him.
All of these things lead our character Elle to be defensive, beg, disappointed, frustrated - all things that Ella can use when delivering her lines to make a more interesting character.
Emmett can be someone who has worked his whole life for the opportunity that has been placed in front of him - afraid that he's going to lose everything if he can't convince Elle to give him what he needs, also defensive because he knows she's right, while professionally torn by ethics of his profession and the competitive nature of what he has decided to do. He also cares deeply about Elle and doesn't want to ruin their friendship.
All of these things lead our character Emmett to be afraid, angry, defensive, and ashamed of what he's asking Elle to do by asking her to give up her friend's alibi.
Today was hard!! I pushed them both A LOT - and they did SO AWESOME!!