ACTIONING

Part of your “Acting Toolbox”

Foundation/Reminder

◦ General given circumstances: Era, location, season, time of day, setting

◦ Specific given circumstances: Characters/backstories, relationships, what’s happening
◦ Objectives: What does character want, whose want is stronger (scene driver)
◦ Obstacles: What prevents the objective (often resistance from other character)
◦ Events/beats: Do any change the situation
◦ Any sub-objectives leading to main objective?
◦ Any internal obstacles?
Example #1
◦ A newsagent’s shop. BECKY (18) is standing behind the counter, checking off something on a list.
JOHN enters the shop. BECKY looks up.

J: Hi.
Could I get some headache pills?
(BECKY looks behind her at the row of medications.)
B: What sort?
J: Have you got any paracetamol?
B: No, sorry.
Just Nurofen and Anadin.
J: Okay then, could I have some Nurofen.
B: Are you over sixteen?
I’m not allowed to sell them otherwise.
J: Of course I am.
B: Do you have any ID?
J: No, I didn’t bring any.
Look, this is crazy, I’m twenty-two!
B: You don’t look it.
J: Come on, take a look at me.
Do I really look fifteen?
B: I could get into trouble.
J: Trust me, I’m twenty-two!
B: (doubtfully) Okay.
(She hands him the Nurofen.)
Foundation
◦ General AND specific given circumstances here can essentially be made up…
◦ Transactional event…John could have a SPLITTING headache, or it could be a migraine he typically gets…Becky
could be in any of a variety of situations requiring her working at that moment in a drugstore etc.
◦ MAIN OBJECTIVE:
◦ John -> To buy pills to cure his headache
◦ Becky -> To do her job properly
◦ SUB OBJECTIVES
◦ John -> Convince Becky he is of age
◦ Becky -> To assist John, then to make sure John is over sixteen
◦ BEATS
◦ 1st beat -> 1st slide
◦ 2nd beat -> 2nd slide
◦ Thoughts requiring intention -> separated by line
Example #1
◦ A newsagent’s shop. BECKY (18) is standing behind the counter, checking off something on a list.
JOHN enters the shop. BECKY looks up.

J: (I GREET) Hi.
(I SOLICIT) Could I get some headache pills?
(BECKY looks behind her at the row of medications.)
B: (I QUESTION) What sort?
J: (I PROBE) Have you got any paracetamol?
B: (I PLACATE) No, sorry.
(I CHEER) Just Nurofen and Anadin.
J: (I INSTRUCT) Okay then, could I have some Nurofen.
B: (I QUIZ) Are you over sixteen?
(I EDUCATE) I’m not allowed to sell them otherwise.
J: (I RIDICULE) Of course I am.
B: (I INVITE) Do you have any ID?
J: (I REJECT) No, I didn’t bring any.
(I UNDERMINE) Look, this is crazy, I’m twenty-two!
B: (I RESIST) You don’t look it.
J: (I CHALLENGE) Come on, take a look at me.
(I INTERROGATE) Do I really look fifteen?
B: (I APPEAL) I could get into trouble.
J: (I REASSURE) Trust me, I’m twenty-two!
B: (I ACCEPT) (doubtfully) Okay.
(She hands him the Nurofen.)
TIPS
◦ Avoid neutral verbs
◦ STRONG verbs to elicit reaction from your other
◦ There are NO throw away lines
◦ Choose verbs that express what your character is explicitly trying to achieve with a particular thought…
not what you maybe thinking or plotting under the surface
◦ The other character must experience the effect of the verb
◦ Lots of verb-options possible
◦ Helps prevent meaningless delivery of text
◦ Or “just singing” the words
Example #2
◦ A shabby shared living room in a rented apartment. Sunday morning. A battered black-leather sofa and
two mismatched armchairs. Mess, beer cans, rubbish. SAM (late 20s) dressed in T-shirt and boxer
shorts, is looking for something. He searches among the rubbish, then stops and thinks. The doorbell
rings. SAM answers it. It is FRAN, SAM’s girlfriend (early 20s).
F: Morning!
S: Hi.
FRAN steps into the apartment and stares around with distaste.
F: This place is a dump.
You should clean it up.
S: Why don’t you? (He resumes searching)
F: It’s not my flat.
F: Looking for something?
S: Nothing important.
F: If it wasn’t so messy you wouldn’t lose things.
S: Yeah thanks for that.
F: What’d you lose?
S: Nothing.
F: Must be something.
S: Just some money.
F: Money?
How much money?
S: Just some money, okay.
F: What money?
S: It’s a loan.
F: A loan?
Who from?
S: (after a pause) Rosie.
Foundation
◦ Some obvious verbs, but possible to
misinterpret intention without given
circumstances

◦ General GC: some of this can be made up… ◦ Sub Objectives:

dirty apartment clear ◦ Fran -> get Sam to clean apartment, then to find
◦ Fall, fourth floor, midtown, morning etc. out about the money
◦ Sam -> to find the money, then to avoid an
◦ Specific GC:
argument about Rosie
◦ Relationships: Fran is insecure about Rose
◦ Rosie previously lived with Sam ◦ Beats: (could be smaller ones)
◦ Fran doesn’t live with Sam yet ◦ 1st slide -> 1st beat
◦ 2nd slide -> 2nd beat
◦ Main Objective:
◦ Fran -> to be a larger part of Sam’s life ◦ Thoughts requiring intention -> separated by
◦ Sam -> keep everything from falling apart line
Example #2
◦ A shabby shared living room in a rented apartment. Sunday morning. A battered black-leather sofa and
two mismatched armchairs. Mess, beer cans, rubbish. SAM (late 20s) dressed in T-shirt and boxer
shorts, is looking for something. He searches among the rubbish, then stops and thinks. The doorbell
rings. SAM answers it. It is FRAN, SAM’s girlfriend (early 20s).
F: (I TEASE) Morning!
S: (I FREEZE) Hi.
FRAN steps into the apartment and stares around with distaste.
F: (I CHASTISE) This place is a dump.
(I GALVANIZE) You should clean it up.
S: (I SILENCE) Why don’t you? (He resumes searching)
F: (I REMIND) It’s not my flat.
F: (I QUESTION ) Looking for something?
S: (I DIVERT) Nothing important.
F: (I SCOLD) If it wasn’t so messy you wouldn’t lose things.
S: (I REBUKE) Yeah thanks for that.
F: (I PROBE) What’d you lose?
S: (I EVADE) Nothing.
F: (I PURSUE) Must be something.
S: (I PLACATE) Just some money.
F: (I PRESS) Money?
(I INTERROGATE) How much money?
S: (I DISMISS) Just some money, okay.
F: (I SHAKE) What money?
S: (I SATISFY) It’s a loan.
F: (I QUERY) A loan?
(I QUIZ) Who from?
S: (after a pause) (I SUBMIT TO) Rosie.
◦ Knowledge of given circumstances informs any subtextual tension and helps you choose the strongest
verb
◦ Play your action! Don’t be afraid to use varying aspects of your voice…

Which brings us to our songs and arias!!!

◦ Remember:
◦ All singers are actors!
◦ Every song is a scene with someone else
◦ It may not be explicit…make it so.
◦ Even a monologue is delivered to someone specific even if it has to be another aspect of yourself

Let’s try an example…

Music of the Night
◦ Given Circumstances!
◦ General: 1881, Paris, Opera House, Winter, Night, Underground, probably part of catacombs
◦ Specific: Christine has just been promoted from chorus girl to leading lady. New opera patron, Raoul asks her to
dinner; Phantom gets jealous. Phantom takes her away to his lair; she follows thinking he is an angel of music sent
by her deceased father.
◦ Objective: Get Christine to agree to sing my compositions…really, get her to love me.
◦ Obstacles: Raoul and Christine thinks I’m an angel
◦ Events/beats: separated by spaces…interlude and key change
◦ Sub-objectives: keep her asleep and under my influence
◦ Internal obstacles: disfigured, traumatized
◦ Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation
◦ Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
◦ Silently the senses abandon their defences

◦ Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor;

◦ Grasp it
◦ Sense it
◦ Tremulous and tender
◦ Turn your face away from the garish light of day
◦ Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light
◦ And listen to the music of the night

◦ Close your eyes

◦ And surrender to your darkest dreams!
◦ Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before!
◦ Close your eyes
◦ Let your spirit start to soar
◦ And you’ll live as you’ve never lived before.
◦ (I CALM) Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation
◦ (I INSPIRE) Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
◦ (I URGE) Silently the senses abandon their defences

◦ (I PLACATE) Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor;

◦ (I ENCOURAGE) Grasp it
◦ (I DEMAND) Sense it
◦ (I CARESS) Tremulous and tender
◦ (I INSTRUCT) Turn your face away from the garish light of day
◦ (I PULL) Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light
◦ (I PUSH) And listen to the music of the night

◦ (I PACIFY) Close your eyes

◦ (I ENSNARE) And surrender to your darkest dreams!
◦ (I COMPELL) Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before!
◦ (I SEDUCE) Close your eyes
◦ (I EXCITE) Let your spirit start to soar
◦ (I LURE) And you’ll live as you’ve never lived before.
◦ (TO PUSH) Before Lord God made the sea and the land, He held all the stars in the palm of his hand,
◦ (TO HUG) And they ran through his fingers like grains of sand,
◦ (TO STROKE) And one little star fell alone.
◦ (TO PULL) Then the Lord God hunted through the wide night air, For the little dark star on the wind
down there.
◦ (TO SHOVE) And he stated and promised he’d take special care
◦ (TO CRADLE) So it wouldn’t get lost again.