After working physically to explore impulses, articulation, and leads, actors began the very long process of creating characters for what will eventually be a collection of performative "New York Peoples".
The following is an example of a written exercise actors used to enter
EMOTIONAL CHARACTER LAND. This is the first in a series of exercises that will lead to rich and full character portraits for the stage and screen. Emphasis in this exercise was, as always, on SPECIFICITY (next stop is the physicalization of these characters).
Actors were given a picture (SEE ABOVE) of New Yorkers in a mundane scenario. They were asked to choose one person (or "character") from the the photo to focus on, and to write a point-of-view monologue based on what their particular character was thinking in the moment this photo was taken. In following with some of the key storytelling/acting elements we have been exploring, students were reminded that they must include essential details such as:
--what is this character's objective?
--where is he/she going? coming from?
--how does he/she feel about the people around him/her, the environment he/she is currently in?
.....And, in examining the specific details of the photo, actors were confronted with the following questions:
--if the chosen character is reading, what are they reading? if they are drinking, what are they drinking?
--what season is it above ground vs. what does the temp feel like underground?
Stay tuned for posts of these monologues!
