There are tons of acting methods and preparation techniques circling around these days. But which are the good ones? Which ones are useless? Why do we even need to use acting preparation techniques at all?
Read on to find out! The answer to the last one might surprise you.
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What People Get Wrong About Prep Work
Many people think that preparation for acting is all about getting things right. They think it’s about learning the lines as well as possible.
They think it’s knowing a million and one trivia facts about your character’s backstory. They think it’s ascribing an action to every line and memorising them all.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Learning lines is a necessity and must be done. Understanding your character is hugely helpful. Actioning is a wonderful tool to have in your toolbox.
So, what’s the problem?
The problem is that none of these activities really inspire creativity. They are all very logical and well thought out.
Unfortunately, great acting does not come out of logic. It comes out of inspiration and being connected, truly, to the character, not just in our minds but in our hearts. We have to feel it.
So, what’s the point of prep work, then? Doesn’t inspiration come in sudden flashes?
Why We Really Do Prep Work
Konstantin Stanislavski, the father of modern acting, knew that we can’t always rely on inspiration to just show up.
He also knew being creatively inspired and connected was the key to making great work.
He also knew we couldn’t just approach characters in a chaotic fashion and hope for the best. That was why he invented his system, known as the Stanislavski method.
The exercises Stanislavski devised are designed to get us into the creative flow state.
So are the works of the many great practitioners that followed. From awareness to relaxation to psychophysical flow, it’s all about improving our ability to enter that creative flow state.
So, why do so many actors not realise this, get taught it, or simply repeat the same old logical exercises with no passion?
Because creativity can be scary! We’re taught there’s something risky about it. We can’t control it as well as we can our logical minds. Creativity turns up, surprises us, and shakes us up. We respond to it, rather than having it respond to us.
That can be hard to get to grips with. For actors though, this is in fact the best and most exciting place to be.
The thing is, acting is not a test. This is not an exam, you’re not going to be stopped in the middle of a play to tell the audience your character’s favourite colour.
However, you will be expected to bring the character to life, and you can only do this when you’re creatively inspired and connected in the moment.
Methods For Getting Into A Creative Flow State
There are many simple methods you can use for getting into a creative flow state. Many of these have to do with connecting to your instincts.
We all have them; don’t think you don’t. They can just sometimes feel unfamiliar after so many years of suppression. Let’s explore some performance techniques and theatre techniques that can help you achieve this state.
Free Movement
Interpretive or free movement is a great way to get in touch with your instinct.
Simply allow your body to move however it wants to without planning, stopping yourself or hindering yourself through overthinking.
This is one of the essential rehearsal techniques in an actor’s preparation toolkit.
Freewriting
Freewriting is another great way to enter into a creative flow state. Here you simply set a timer and write your stream of consciousness without stopping until the timer goes off.
This technique can help you tap into your character’s thoughts and emotions.
Physical Relaxation
Our creativity and inspiration cannot flow through us if we’re physically tense.
So, it can be a good idea to work through each of the muscle groups one by one and release them of any tension.
Incorporating breathing techniques, especially diaphragmatic breathing, can significantly enhance this process.
Concentration
This is the golden ticket to creative flow. If you have the ability to hold your concentration without getting distracted, you will be able to stay in the flow for longer.
Try mindfulness meditation, Lee Strasberg’s relaxation technique, or sensory exploration. These method acting exercises can greatly improve your focus and presence on stage.
Check out my post on concentration here to find out more about these exercises.
Ritual
In my post about Why Acting Is A Spiritual Art, I talked about ritual as part of a spiritual acting process. In fact, ritual is really important to all of us in our lives.
Ritual signifies to our brain that we are moving from one state to another, and the place our brain needs to get into in order for that to work.
It can be really helpful to create pre-rehearsal and pre-show rituals in order to indicate to your brain that it needs to get into the creative flow state now.
Part of these rituals can simply be your physical and vocal warm-up. Those are great rituals to keep as they keep you from getting injured. It is also the case that we are able to process physical rituals better than anything else.
You could also meditate, say a prayer, recite affirmations, light a candle, or anything else that takes your fancy.
The simple act of having a ritual in the first place will make a big difference to your state of mind.
You can also create a post-rehearsal and post-show ritual to help yourself transition back into your everyday life.
Check out this great video to understand the true power of ritual.
FAQs About Acting Preparation Techniques
Why is preparation important in acting?
Preparation is important in acting because it allows us to do our best work.
Not only does it allow us to be confident in ourselves and the fact we’ve done the work, but it also allows us to enter the right frame of mind to create good work.
The Stanislavski system provides a structured approach to this preparation.
Why is it important to study acting?
Because if we take a lifetime figuring out something that somebody else already figured out then we will have wasted our time!
Acting practitioners are people who have dedicated their lives to understanding and developing their craft.
If we study their work then we can catch up, learn what they figured out and then build off it to go one step further.
Why are acting skills important?
Acting skills are important because, despite what many may think, acting is not all that easy. Not good acting anyway.
Developing acting skills helps us to improve our work and feel more confident in what we’re doing.
It also allows us to explore naturalism in acting, which is crucial for believable performances.
What are the main points of An Actor Prepares?
An Actor Prepares follows Stanislavski as he attends his acting classes. Much of it consists of his discoveries of what acting truly is and overcoming the same pitfalls most young actors still fall into today.
He explores connection, attention, movement, and engaging the mind creatively in order to give a truthful and rich performance. This book is fundamental to understanding the Stanislavski style of theatre.
Why is preparation important in drama?
Preparation in drama allows us to give an inspired and meaningful performance of whatever script we’re working on.
It allows us to interpret the script in the most valuable way we can and perform with confidence.
The Stanislavski method provides a framework for this preparation, helping actors achieve a more natural and authentic performance.
Summing Up Acting Preparation Techniques
As you can see, acting preparation is far more than simply learning lines or giving a well-thought-out performance. The carefully planned performance leads to emptiness.
The point of acting preparation is so that you can consistently, reliably, and repeatedly get your mind and body into a creative flow state.
This way, you will make consistently inspired, exciting, and meaningful work, without having to worry whether inspiration will show up or not.
It can be a great idea to make these exercises a part of your acting personal practice. I’ve even included the exercises in my Acting Personal Practice Printable – which you can check out HERE.
This printable will help you to actually incorporate these exercises into your practice rather than forgetting them or putting them on the backburner.
Thank you so much for reading and break a leg with entering the creative flow! Please feel free to send me an email if you have any questions about the Stanislavski method, naturalism techniques, or any other aspect of acting preparation.
