Practical Contemporary Practice/Final Major Project by Victoria Alison Carrington

Lesson 1:

victoriaac — 2020-10-01 17:48:47 UTC

(24/09/20)

The Metamorphosis: Stage Performance.

victoriaac — 2020-10-01 17:49:43 UTC

The Metamorphosis: Synopsis.

victoriaac — 2020-10-01 17:50:54 UTC

Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman, wakes up in his bed to find himself transformed into a large insect. He looks around his room, which appears normal, and decides to go back to sleep to forget about what has happened. He attempts to roll over, only to discover that he cannot due to his new body—he is stuck on his hard, convex back. He tries to scratch an itch on his stomach, but when he touches himself with one of his many new legs, he is disgusted. He reflects on how dreary life as a traveling salesman is and how he would quit if his parents and sister did not depend so much on his income. He turns to the clock and sees that he has overslept and missed his train to work. Gregor’s mother knocks on the door, and when he answers her, Gregor finds that his voice has changed. His family suspects that he may be ill, so they ask him to open the door, which he keeps locked out of habit. He tries to get out of bed, but he cannot manoeuvre his transformed body. While struggling to move, he hears his office manager come into the family’s apartment to find out why Gregor has not shown up to work. He eventually rocks himself to the floor and calls out that he will open the door momentarily. Through the door, the office manager warns Gregor of the consequences of missing work and hints that Gregor’s recent work has not been satisfactory. Gregor protests and tells the office manager that he will be there shortly. Neither his family nor the office manager can understand what Gregor says, and they suspect that something may be seriously wrong with him. Gregor manages to unlock and open the door with his mouth, since he has no hands. He begs the office manager’s forgiveness for his late start. Horrified by Gregor’s appearance, the office manager bolts from the apartment. Gregor tries to catch up with the fleeing office manager, but his father drives him back into the bedroom with a cane and a rolled newspaper. Gregor injures himself squeezing back through the doorway, and his father slams the door shut. Gregor, exhausted, falls asleep. Gregor wakes and sees that someone has put milk and bread in his room. Initially excited, he quickly discovers that he has no taste for milk, once one of his favourite foods. He settles himself under a couch and listens to the quiet apartment. The next morning, his sister Grete comes in, sees that he has not touched the milk, and replaces it with rotting food scraps, which Gregor happily eats. This begins a routine in which his sister feeds him and cleans up while he hides under the couch, afraid that his appearance will frighten her. Gregor spends his time listening through the wall to his family members talking. They often discuss the difficult financial situation they find themselves in now that Gregor can’t provide for them. Gregor also learns that his mother wants to visit him, but his sister and father will not let her. Gregor grows more comfortable with his changed body. He begins climbing the walls and ceiling for amusement. Discovering Gregor’s new pastime, Grete decides to remove some of the furniture to give Gregor more space. She and her mother begin taking furniture away, but Gregor finds their actions deeply distressing. He tries to save a picture on the wall of a woman wearing a fur hat, fur scarf, and a fur muff. Gregor’s mother sees him hanging on the wall and passes out. Grete calls out to Gregor—the first time anyone has spoken directly to him since his transformation. Gregor runs out of the room and into the kitchen. His father returns from his new job, and misunderstanding the situation, believes Gregor has tried to attack the mother. The father throws apples at Gregor, and one sinks into his back and remains lodged there. Gregor manages to get back into his bedroom but is severely injured. Gregor’s family begins leaving the bedroom door open for a few hours each evening so he can watch them. He sees his family wearing down as a result of his transformation and their new poverty. Even Grete seems to resent Gregor now, feeding him and cleaning up with a minimum of effort. The family replaces their maid with a cheap cleaning lady who tolerates Gregor’s appearance and speaks to him occasionally. They also take on three boarders, requiring them to move excess furniture into Gregor’s room, which distresses Gregor. Gregor has also lost his taste for the food Grete brings and he almost entirely ceases eating. One evening, the cleaning lady leaves Gregor’s door open while the boarders lounge about the living room. Grete has been asked to play the violin for them, and Gregor creeps out of his bedroom to listen. The boarders, who initially seemed interested in Grete, grow bored with her performance, but Gregor is transfixed by it. One of the boarders spots Gregor and they become alarmed. Gregor’s father tries to shove the boarders back into their rooms, but the three men protest and announce that they will move out immediately without paying rent because of the disgusting conditions in the apartment. Grete tells her parents that they must get rid of Gregor or they will all be ruined. Her father agrees, wishing Gregor could understand them and would leave of his own accord. Gregor does in fact understand and slowly moves back to the bedroom. There, determined to rid his family of his presence, Gregor dies. Upon discovering that Gregor is dead, the family feels a great sense of relief. The father kicks out the boarders and decides to fire the cleaning lady, who has disposed of Gregor’s body. The family takes a trolley ride out to the countryside, during which they consider their finances. Months of spare living as a result of Gregor’s condition have left them with substantial savings. They decide to move to a better apartment. Grete appears to have her strength and beauty back, which leads her parents to think about finding her a husband.

The Metamorphosis: Initial Research.

victoriaac — 2020-10-01 17:52:39 UTC

Swans are semi-regularly represented by ballet dancers; bugs – not so much. However, the Royal Opera House has presented a version of Franz Kafka’s greatest literary work. With just seven cast members, Arthur Pita’s The Metamorphosis ballet was first shown in the Royal Opera House’s intimate Linbury Studio Theatre (2011). The dance theater production won a South Bank Sky Arts Award; and Edward Watson won an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance for his portrayal of the main character.

A recording of the 2013 performance was broadcast online as part of the Royal Opera House’s #OurHouseToYourHouse digital series for one month from April 17, 2020.

The modern ballet production of The Metamorphosis, as choreographed by Arthur Pita, is just 80 minutes (sans interval). We meet Gregor Samsa, who lives at home with his parents and younger sister and spends his days working as a traveling salesman. Life carries on in a rut, until he morphs into a monstrous insect over night. The rest of the show focuses on how Gregor’s relationships with his family develop, or rather, fester.

“For me [‘The Metamorphosis’] has so many themes… someone being trapped, illness, being alienated, sexuality, rejection, growth, change… It’s never-ending.” – Arthur Pita, ‘The Metamorphosis’ choreographer

Nearly a quarter of the show establishes the daily routine of Gregor (Edward Watson): son, brother, employee and patron. (Spoiler alert: Yes, you really do watch his regular regime three times.) He heads to and from work, grabbing a coffee in the morning and a vodka on the way back, before returning home and dutifully watching his sister practice ballet. Gregor leaves the dinner table early, prompting a long face from his mother; the table is cleared and Gregor retreats to his room.

In the space of a short blackout meant to represent one evening, Gregor mysteriously morphs into an enormous insect. A few dribbles of black ink on his neck and chest are only costuming change; Gregor’s posture and movement are much more telling of his rapid metamorphosis into an invertebrate: his limbs are stuck in the air, extremities constantly shifting and moving, as if trying to sense the atmosphere like antennae.

“[After the transformation into an insect] I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t pick anything up… So we really, really deconstructed a whole human and made [the character] as insect and animal as we could.” – Edward Watson, Gregor Samsa in ROH’s ‘The Metamorphosis‘

Gregor’s absence prompts a colleague and his family to bust his door open. The colleague flees, and his family members shrink away in horror. Alone, contorts his body and writhes on the floor, before perching on the windowsill. His sister, Grete (Laura Day), reticently re-enters the room and futilely attempts to manipulate his body back into that of a human.

The unsuspecting cleaning lady (Bettina Carpi) stumbles upon Gregor next. At times she shoos him away, but her brusque matter-of-fact manner and willingness to confront Gregor allow her to usher him into bed. Her caring, yet business-like attitude, is like that of a medical practitioner, which starkly contrasts to the emotional responses of Gregor’s parents. His father (Neil Reynolds) refuses to enter his room and his mother (Nina Goldman) faints at the sight of him.

In a duet with his inanimate mother, we see Gregor’s longing to connect with her. He scuttles forward with her on his back, embraces her and raises her up with his legs – much like a parent playing “airplane” with a child. But his intentions are misconstrued when the family think he tried to attack his mother. They yell and throw objects at him until he withdraws back into his room. The most spectacular scene depicts Gregor’s internal emotional landscape. We don’t find skeletons in a closet, but rather, an obsidian figure that lurks beneath the bed and another that slithers down from the ceiling. The shadowy figures dominate him and mirror him (this definitely looks like the inspiration for the abstract climactic scene with Natalie Portman in Annihilation). They pose his body into insect-like shapes and roll him through a pool of black ink.

As his condition worsens, Gregor loses sympathy from his sister. Grete enters the room, screeching at him, as he curls up on the floor. Her unrestrained rage and disgust completely deflate him. His spirits remain low, even with a visit from the cleaning lady, who feeds him. Gregor slumps on the bed and makes his way out the open window.

His family members, dressed in black for his funeral, re-enter the room. Warm light pours through the window, where he made his fatal escape, and they face the outdoor world. In the novel, the family remains largely unrepentant, but this Samsa family looks remorseful for their second and final loss of Gregor.

The plot is absurd, but the themes of shame, isolation and rejection are sharply felt throughout Pita’s show. The stark set and lighting designs (by Simon Daw and Guy Hoare, respectively), as well as the atmospheric music (played live by Frank Moon), heighten the dramatic choreography.

“You can look at it in a lot of ways… Has [Gregor] gone mad? Has he had some kind of breakdown? Or is it just some kind of physical deformity – he’s had an accident?” – Edward Watson, Gregor Samsa in ROH’s ‘The Metamorphosis‘.

The Metamorphosis: Themes.

victoriaac — 2020-10-01 17:54:18 UTC

The Absurdity of Life Beginning with its first sentence, The Metamorphosis deals with an absurd, or wildly irrational, event, which in itself suggests that the story operates in a random, chaotic universe. The absurd event is Gregor’s waking up to discover he has turned into a giant insect, and since it’s so far beyond the boundaries of a natural occurrence—it’s not just unlikely to happen, it’s physically impossible—Gregor’s metamorphosis takes on a supernatural significance. Also notable is the fact that the story never explains Gregor’s transformation. It never implies, for instance, that Gregor’s change is the result of any particular cause, such as punishment for some misbehavior. On the contrary, by all evidence Gregor has been a good son and brother, taking a job he dislikes so that he can provide for them and planning to pay for his sister to study music at the conservatory. There is no indication that Gregor deserves his fate. Rather, the story and all the members of the Samsa family treat the event as a random occurrence, like catching an illness. All these elements together give the story a distinct overtone of absurdity and suggest a universe that functions without any governing system of order and justice.

The responses of the various characters add to this sense of absurdity, specifically because they seem almost as absurd as Gregor’s transformation itself. The characters are unusually calm and unquestioning, and most don’t act particularly surprised by the event. (The notable exception is the Samsas’ first maid, who begs to be fired.) Even Gregor panics only at the thought of getting in trouble at work, not at the realization that he is physically altered, and he makes no efforts to determine what caused the change or how to fix it. He worries instead about commonplace problems, like what makes him feel physically comfortable. In fact, the other characters in the story generally treat the metamorphosis as something unusual and disgusting, but not exceptionally horrifying or impossible, and they mostly focusing on adapting to it rather than fleeing from Gregor or trying to cure him. Gregor’s family, for example, doesn’t seek out any help or advice, and they appear to feel more ashamed and disgusted than shocked. Their second maid also shows no surprise when she discovers Gregor, and when the boarders staying with the family see Gregor they are mostly upset that Gregor is unclean and disturbs the sense of order they desire in the house. These unusual reactions contribute to the absurdity of the story, but they also imply that the characters to some degree expect, or at least are not surprised by, absurdity in their world.

The Disconnect Between Mind and Body Gregor’s transformation completely alters his outward appearance, but it leaves his mind unchanged, creating a discord, or lack of harmony, between his mind and body. When he first gets out of his bed after waking, for instance, he tries to stand upright, even though his body is not suited to being upright. He also thinks of going to work, despite the fact that he can’t by any means do so, and when Grete leaves him the milk at the beginning of Part 2, he is surprised to find he doesn’t like it, even though milk was a favorite drink when he was human. In essence, he continues to think with a human mind, but because his body is no longer human, he is unable at first to reconcile these two parts of himself.

As Gregor becomes accustomed to his new body, his mind begins to change in accordance with his physical needs and desires. Yet he’s never able to fully bring his mind and body into harmony. Gregor gradually behaves more and more like an insect, not only craving different foods than he did when he was human, but also beginning to prefer tight, dark spaces, like the area under his sofa, and enjoying crawling on the walls and ceiling. (Through these details, the story suggests that our physical lives shape and direct our mental lives, not the other way around.) But Gregor’s humanity never disappears entirely, and he feels conflicted as a result. This conflict reaches its climax when Grete and the mother move the furniture out of Gregor’s room. Gregor initially approves of the idea because it will make his room more comfortable for him physically. Without furniture, he’ll be able to crawl anywhere he pleases. But realizing that his possessions, which represent to him his former life as a human, provide him emotional comfort, he suddenly faces a choice: he can be physically comfortable or emotionally comfortable, but not both. In other words, his mind and body remain opposed to one another. Gregor, unable to relinquish his humanity, chooses emotional comfort, leading him to desperately cling to the picture of the woman in furs.

The Limits of Sympathy After Gregor’s metamorphosis, his family members struggle with feelings of both sympathy and revulsion toward him. Grete and the mother in particular feel a great deal of sympathy for Gregor after his change, apparently because they suspect some aspect of his humanity remains despite his appearance. This sympathy leads Grete initially to take on the role of Gregor’s caretaker—she even goes so far as to try to discover what food he likes after his change—and it leads the mother to fight with Grete over moving the furniture out of Gregor’s room since she holds out hope that he will return to his human form. Even the father, who shows the least sympathy of the family members toward Gregor and even attacks him twice, never suggests that they kill him or force him out of the house. Instead, he implicitly shows compassion for Gregor by allowing the family to care for him.

Eventually, however, the stresses caused by Gregor’s presence wear down the family members’ sympathy, and even the most caring of them find that their sympathy has a limit. One of those sources of stress is Gregor’s appearance. Grete is so upset and revolted by the way he looks that she can hardly stand to be in the room with him, and his mother is so horrified when she sees him as she and Grete are moving his furniture that she faints. In addition, Gregor’s presence is never forgotten in the house, causing the family members to feel constantly uncomfortable and leading them to speak to each other mostly in whispers. Moreover, the fact that Gregor cannot communicate his thoughts and feelings to them leaves them without any connection to his human side, and consequently, they come to see him more and more as an actual insect. All these factors combined steadily work against their sympathy, and the family reaches a point where Gregor’s presence is too much to bear. Significantly, it is Grete, the character to show the most sympathy toward Gregor, who decides they must get rid of him.

The Metamorphosis: Gregor.

victoriaac — 2020-10-01 17:54:51 UTC

Despite his complete physical transformation into an insect at the beginning of the story, Gregor changes very little as a character over the course of The Metamorphosis. Most notably, both as a man and as an insect Gregor patiently accepts the hardships he faces without complaint. When his father’s business failed, he readily accepted his new role as the money-earner in the family without question, even though it meant taking a job he disliked as a traveling salesman. Similarly, when he first realizes he has transformed into an insect, he does not bemoan his condition, wonder about its cause, or attempt to rectify it in any way. On the contrary, he quickly accepts that he has become a bug and tries to go about his life as best he can in his new condition. The narration in the story mirrors Gregor’s calm forbearance by never questioning or explaining how or why this odd transformation occurred or remarking on its strangeness. Instead, the story, much like Gregor, moves on quickly from the metamorphosis itself and focuses on the consequences of Gregor’s change. For Gregor, that primarily means becoming accustomed to his new body.

In fact reconciling his human thoughts and feelings with his new, insect body is the chief conflict Gregor faces in the story. Despite having changed into an insect, Gregor initially still wants to go to work so that he can provide for his family. It takes him time to realize that he can no longer play that role in his family and that he can’t even go outside in his current state. As the story continues, Gregor’s insect body has an increasing influence on his psychology. He finds that he is at ease hiding in the dark under the sofa in his room, like a bug would, even though his body won’t fit comfortably. He also discovers that he enjoys crawling on the walls and ceiling. But Gregor’s humanity never disappears entirely. He still feels human emotions and has strong memories of his human life. As a result, even though he knows he would feel more physically comfortable if his room were emptied of furniture, allowing him to crawl anywhere he pleased, Gregor panics when Grete and his mother are taking out the furniture, such as the writing desk he remembers doing all his assignments at as a boy. In a desperate attempt to hold onto the few reminders he has of his humanity, he clings to the picture of the woman muffled in fur so that no one will take it away. Ultimately he’s unable to fully adapt to his new body or to find a new role within his family, which is disgusted by him and ashamed of his presence in the house. Toward the end of the story, he even feels haunted by the thought that he might be able to take control of the family’s affairs again and resume his role as the family’s money-earner. Despite these hopes, he decides it would be best for the family if he were to disappear entirely, and so he dies much as he lived: accepting his fate without complaint and thinking of his family’s best interests.

Metamorphosis: Final Project Outcome.

victoriaac — 2020-10-02 07:45:39 UTC

Lesson 2: Stimulus.

victoriaac — 2020-10-02 08:19:49 UTC

'Imagine you were born in 1900.

When you're 14, World War I begins and ends when you're 18 with 22 million dead.

Soon after a global pandemic, the Spanish Flu, appears, killing 50 million people. And you're alive and 20 years old.

When you're 29 you survive the global economic crisis that started with the collapse of the New York Stock Exchange, causing inflation, unemployment and famine.

When you're 33 years old the nazis come to power.

When you're 39, World War II begins and ends when you're 45 years old with 60 million dead. In the Holocaust 6 million Jews die.

When you're 52, the Korean War begins.
When you're 64, the Vietnam War begins and ends when you're 75.

A child born in 1985 thinks his grandparents have no idea how difficult life is, but they have survived several wars and catastrophes.

Today we have all the comforts in a new world, amid a new pandemic. But we complain because we need to wear masks. We complain because we must stay confined to our homes where we have food, electricity, running water, wifi, even Netflix! None of that existed back in the day. But humanity survived those circumstances and never lost their joy of living.

A small change in our perspective can generate miracles. We should be thankful that we are alive. We should do everything we need to do to protect and help each other.

This message should reach everyone. Please help me spread it.'

Lesson 2 Stimulus: Image.

victoriaac — 2020-10-02 08:22:01 UTC

Lesson 2:

victoriaac — 2020-10-02 10:41:45 UTC

(01/10/20)

Why are actors so important in society?:

victoriaac — 2020-10-02 10:42:50 UTC

'The Oscars definitely took us on a ride with ‘envelope gate’ and the emotional speeches from winners like Viola Davis and Emma Stone.

It’s quite common for us to get lost in their films, their fashion and more often than not, their lives. However, how often do we think about what actors contribute to society? How do they impact us and why do people even pursue this line of work in the first place?

Fame and fortune may be the most obvious of reasons but it’s not necessarily the most accurate. More often than not there are other factors that create this calling that makes actors important to society.

‘An actor at their very core are story tellers. Art, acting and performance are an expression of life – our cultures, our worries, our love, our strengths, our weaknesses and our existential curiosity. It is political and spiritual in equal measure. It can stimulate debate, educate, dissect life or rise up against oppression. It is relevant because our culture and our art is our defining characteristic from the other animals we share the world with,’ explained Neil Rawlinson, the Creative Projects Manager of the Actors Centre.

Jonny Persey, the Director of the Met Film School shares a similar view regarding the importance of the arts to society.

‘We’re living in a time of big political and social change which bring a lot of uncertainty to our lives. This is the time when we need artists and storytellers who create works through which we can better connect to this new world, understand how we feel about it and decide what we are going to do. I believe that artists are the mirror of social change and societies therapists,’ he said.

Despite the effect actors can have on us and the wider world, the realities are extremely harsh for budding talents. Often faced with a lot of rejection, competition and ridiculously low pay, it can be a challenge to survive even when you’re starting out in the industry.

Equity, the union for performers, revealed in 2013 that a member survey showed that ‘at least 56% of its members earned less than £10,000 from being professional performers between November 2012 and 2013.’

Tori Johanne Lau, an actor in training, has experienced the negative side to the industry describing it as ‘hellish.’

She’s found that where some actors are subjected to less than pleasant experiences, they’re still required to remain professional with little to no sick days. In an industry that she believes exudes elements of racism, sexism and ableism, it can be a challenge to navigate your way through.

Despite this though, people still want to pursue acting and Lau is no exception. ‘I get extremely moved by good stories. I watched Fences the other day and it gave me a lot to think about, which I liked. I am emphatic by nature and always try to put myself in the situation of the characters to the best of my ability. There was a moment Viola Davies snapped a truth to Denzel Washington and I could feel her heart breaking and mine was breaking right along with her.’

This innate connection people have with telling stories is what continues to drive actors and now, there are a growing number of platforms that provide opportunities.

‘We know the screen industries are very competitive by nature. However, both in front of the camera and behind it the nature of opportunity has dramatically changed over the last ten years. The digital revolution has meant first of all that the number of platforms has rapidly increased. In both film and television there are now more programmes, stations, broadcasters, web casters than ever – and the economics mean that they can cater to more niche audiences. That means more content requiring more actors.

‘At the same time, there are more gatekeepers, and on web platforms the audience is becoming the gatekeeper. So, you can gain a following and an audience more quickly. It’s a very exciting time to get into this – though it’s important to remember that acting doesn’t give you high levels of job security!’ Persey explained.

The Actors Centre has also found that there is still strong interest when it comes to this line of work.

‘The Actors Centre has around 3,000 active members at any one time. Drama Schools are taking more people than ever before and more people are calling themselves actors than ever before - the UK’s largest casting platform (Spotlight) has over 60,000 members and the Union for actors (Equity UK) has over 50,000. It is safe to say that acting is a popular career dream for many, pursuable by many and achievable for some,’ according to Rawlinson.

News reports declared that diversity had won at this year’s Oscars ceremony. A huge step in the right direction when it comes to the representation of society, however it’s important to pay attention to the number of people in training as it will be these cohorts that become the next wave of talent. The Met Film School’s statistics are changeable particularly across their short course portfolio, which includes acting.

‘The film and TV industries, like us, are trying really hard to increase the representation of all sectors of society in front of the camera and to widen participation behind the camera. Things are changing, but slowly. There are many initiatives and the BFI’s new widening participation agenda is forcing companies to think really hard about the stories they tell as well as who they encourage and hire to tell stories and crew productions. Representation on screen will only change as the stories change, and stories will only change as the storytellers’ change, so it will be slow. I’m really glad that we’re all thinking about this and talking about it so much now. Interestingly, I think this year has also been a wake-up call to ensure that we include the more traditional white working class within that widening participation agenda,’ Persey said.

Rawlinson added that there’s no lack of diverse talent if we cast our eyes to the Actors Centre’s Alan Bates Award winners over the last 12 years but those that hold the ‘purse strings’, meaning the commissioners lack diversity within themselves as well as makers of performance.

There is a lot being done in terms of support for those looking to enter the industry and take an acting course though. The Actors Centre for example has been in the business of supporting actors for nearly 40 years. They provide an extensive programme of workshops and courses – roughly 1,700 a year – and they have a lot of benefits for members including access to studio and performance space, cross-over with their in-house Tristan Bates Theatre, networking opportunities and pastoral support.

At the Met Film School students leave with a filmed portfolio, practical knowledge and feedback from industry experts. Students also work with professional directors, casting directors and agents, which is a great opportunity to receive real-life feedback from professionals.

So, whether you want an introductory course to acting or you’ve made the decision to pursue a career, you can take comfort in knowing that not only is this area still thriving, but there are increasing opportunities and support in the form of acting schools.

Still unsure of whether you should become an actor? Rawlinson shared some valuable advice for those who may be considering this career path.

‘Acting is a lifestyle not a job, you need to want it. Be prepared for a rollercoaster with many ups and downs. Talent is needed yes, but proactivity, professionalism, the ability to build a network and a positive attitude are equally as important. Observe the world around you, analyse it. Watch other actors at work, see as much theatre and cinema as you can. Play, explore, learn…continually. Be nice to everyone.’' (1)

(1)

victoriaac — 2020-10-02 10:44:43 UTC

Unknown. (2019). Why are Actors so Important in Society?. Available: https://www.findcourses.co.uk/inspiration/hobby-fun-leisure-articles/why-are-actors-so-important-in-society-17405. Last accessed 2nd October 2020.

5 reasons why theater is still important:

victoriaac — 2020-10-02 10:46:39 UTC

'At Acting Studio Chicago, we appreciate and love all forms of acting, whether it’s for film or television, commercial acting or voice over work. But we especially love the theatre and we believe that theatre is still important. Acting for the stage is an all encompassing process that involves a great deal of collaboration from many different people. We at ASC believe that the art, process and effects of live performance are incredibly important in the current world of social media, digital technology and screens. Being fully present with a group of tangible, living, breathing people is important to the art of acting and for the human spirit.

Theatre helps us to see a different perspective from our own. We’re shown humanity, psychology, motivations, conflict and resolution. We as the audience get to witness the trajectory of persons other than ourselves. As artists, we put ourselves into emotional and intellectual situations that may never arise in our personal lives. Theatre promotes us to give power to truth, to take risks and to advocate for new and diverse voices.
Theatre reminds us that we are not alone. Not only are we sharing space and an experience with the artists who are performing, we are sharing the experience with fellow audience members. Movies and television don’t have the same intimacy or sense of participation. Sharing an experience with live actors and live audience members is not only valuable, it’s necessary for human connection.
Theatre is immediate, evolving and always different. Although the script may be the same every night, the performance is unique, each and every time it happens. No two performances are ever the same. In this way, everyone involved has a distinct and unique experience that can never be replicated.
Live theatre helps to promote social discourse, dialogue and potential social change. Theatre is a cultural phenomenon that demands that society examines itself in the mirror. We can study societal problems and attempt to find solutions. Coming together as a community to listen to opposing points of view is necessary.
Theatre promotes education and literacy. Studies have shown that students who participate in theatre do better in school.' (2)

(2)

victoriaac — 2020-10-02 10:48:14 UTC

Unknown. (Unknown). 5 REASONS WHY THEATRE IS STILL IMPORTANT. Available: https://www.actingstudiochicago.com/5-reasons-why-theatre-is-still-important-blog/. Last accessed 2nd October 2020.

Understand the importance of theatre in society:

victoriaac — 2020-10-02 10:50:00 UTC

'A theatre is an elitist art form and while going to the theatre you will get a wonderful opportunity to explore the human condition and gather together. It is the intricate part of the human history because it is having the capability to show the best and worst sides of human nature. In a modern world most of the people are having a question about why is theatre important and it is useful to improve creativity level. People might easily connect with the history through the stage and make an effective emotional connection to roots. The theatre is the most crucial one for many reasons such as

Self discovery
Expression
History and education
Performing arts
Creativity

Performing art is about being creative and it teaches people how to express ourselves more effectively.

How theatre is beneficial to society?

Performing art is form of the art in which artists might use their bodies, voices or inanimate objects to convey artistic expression. Basically performing arts are important one for many reasons like forming new opinions, receiving constructive criticism, solve problems better, perseverance and discipline. In performing arts, children might learn that they might work together in order to achieve common goal. All forms of the performing arts might allow kids to express any pent up emotions which they could be feeling.

According to the studies say that arts important in our community because it is an improved academic performance. Some of the studies report that performing art is really useful to children to enhance their grades in the academic subjects like English and maths. It is really useful to your kid in order to make a better career which they want. When it comes to theatre impact on society then it includes entertainment and other kinds of the factors.

Things to know about theatre

Theatre or theater is the collaborative form of the fine art which is using live performance to present experience of the imagined or real event. Music, dance, theatre, object manipulation and other kinds of the performances are present in the human cultures.

In fact the purpose of theater is to provide through joy to people. The theatre is a branch of the performing arts and it is concerned with the acting out stories in front of the audience. The main benefits of performing arts include improving life skills and academic performance. It is a specialized form of the fine art in which artists can perform their work live to an audience. Performing arts in school is one of the best ways to express their emotions and feelings via role play and acting.

Conclusion

Performing arts are offering wonderful numbers of the benefits such as self-presentation skills, higher academic achievement, self-expression, empathy, compassion, and problem-solving. It is really useful to teach children both collaboration and self-reliance with others to reach the goal. Performing arts are beneficial to promote interpersonal skills. Education is paramount importance of students. Useful numbers of the advantages are involved in the performing arts such as academic performance, make future plans, maximize confidence level and be self-aware.' (3)

(3)

victoriaac — 2020-10-02 10:51:29 UTC

World of Theatre. (2018). Understand the importance of theatre in society. Available: http://www.theatredumississippi.org/2018/07/importance-of-theatre-in-society/. Last accessed 2nd October 2020.

The "Actors" of Modern Society: The Cultural Construction of Social Agency:

victoriaac — 2020-10-02 10:53:32 UTC

(4)

victoriaac — 2020-10-02 10:53:50 UTC

John W. Meyer and Ronald L. Jepperson. (2000). The "Actors" of Modern Society: The Cultural Construction of Social Agency. Sociological Theory. Vol. 18 (1), 100-120.

Acting:

victoriaac — 2020-10-02 10:57:20 UTC

'Acting, the performing art in which movement, gesture, and intonation are used to realize a fictional character for the stage, for motion pictures, or for television.

Acting is generally agreed to be a matter less of mimicry, exhibitionism, or imitation than of the ability to react to imaginary stimuli. Its essential elements remain the twin requisites enunciated by the French actor François-Joseph Talma in his tribute to the actor Lekain (1825): “an extreme sensibility and a profound intelligence.” For Talma it is sensibility that allows an actor to mark his face with the emotions of the character he is playing and to convey the intentions of the playwright, the implications of the text, and the movements of the “soul” of the character. Intelligence—the understanding of the workings of the human personality—is the faculty that orders these impressions for an audience.

The essential problems in acting—those of whether the actor actually “feels” or merely imitates, of whether he should speak naturally or rhetorically, and of what actually constitutes being natural—are as old as theatre itself. They are concerned not merely with “realistic” acting, which arose in the theatre of the 19th century, but with the nature of the acting process itself.

The ephemeral nature of acting has left it without many practical foundations and only a few theoretical traditions. In the middle of the 18th century the German critic and dramatist Gotthold Ephraim Lessing drew attention to this difficulty: “We have actors but no art of acting.” In an artistic field where the measures of greatness are traditionally the subjective reports of witnesses or critics, the understanding of the art has naturally remained in dispute. It remains as true today as when stated by George Henry Lewes in his On Actors and the Art of Acting (1875):

I have heard those for whose opinions in other directions my respect is great, utter judgments on this subject which proved that they had not even a suspicion of what the art of acting really is.

Efforts to define the nature of an art or craft usually are based upon the masterpieces of that field. Without that necessary reference point, vague speculations and generalizations—without proof of validity—are likely. In the visual, musical, and literary arts, this foundation exists; the work of the great masters of the past and the present serves not only to elucidate the art but also to create standards to emulate. It is difficult to imagine what the present state of comprehension of music would be if only the music of today were available, and the achievements of Monteverdi, Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart had to be known only by hearsay. Yet, this is precisely the situation that exists in acting. The actor, in the words of the 19th-century American actor Lawrence Barrett, “is forever carving a statue of snow.” That is why the understanding of acting has not equaled the appreciation of it and why the actor’s creative process has defied comprehension.

Theories Of Traditions

Throughout the history of theatre, debate has continued over the question of whether the actor is a creative artist or simply an interpreter. Since the actor’s performance is usually based on the play, and the dramatist is conceded to be a creative artist, it is sometimes concluded that the actor must be only an interpretive artist. Some modern exponents of the actor’s creativity have indirectly accepted this view and have turned, therefore, to nonverbal theatre. But others deny that this recourse to primitivism is necessary in order to make acting a creative art. When composers like Schubert or Schumann created musical settings for the poems of Heine or Goethe, their music did not lose its essentially creative nature. Verdi used Shakespeare’s Othello and Falstaff for his great operas, but his music is no less creative for that. When an artist merely imitates the work of another artist in the same medium, that may properly be called noncreative; the original artist has already solved the basic problems of execution, and his pattern is simply followed by the imitator. Such a work can be considered merely an exercise in skill (or in execution). An artist in one medium who uses an art work of another medium as subject matter, however, must solve the problems posed by his own medium—a creative achievement. It is therefore quite proper to speak of a character as if he were the actor’s creation—of John Gielgud’s “Hamlet,” for example, or John Barrymore’s or Jonathan Pryce’s. Because a medium offers the potential for creativity, of course, it does not follow that all its practitioners are necessarily creative: there are imitative artists in every medium. But acting can only be understood after it is first recognized as a creative medium demanding a creative act. In “The Art of Acting” the American drama teacher Brander Matthews remarked,

The actor needs to have under control not only his gestures and his tones, but all other means of stimulating sensibility and these should be ready for use at all times, wholly independent of the words of the text.

In the same work he quoted with approval the words of the great 19th-century Italian tragedian Ernesto Rossi that a “great actor is independent of the poet, because the supreme essence of feeling does not reside in prose or in verse, but in the accent with which it is delivered.” And even Denis Diderot, the French philosopher of the 18th century whose famous Paradox of Acting (written 1773–78; published 1830) is dealt with below and who was himself a dramatist, stated:

even with the clearest, the most precise, the most forceful of writers, words are no more, and never can be more, than symbols, indicating a thought, a feeling or an idea; symbols which need action, gesture, intonation, and a whole context of circumstances, to give them full significance.

If the art of acting is regarded as merely interpretive, the external elements of the actor’s skill tend to be emphasized, but, when acting is recognized as a creative art, it leads inevitably to a search for the deeper resources that stimulate the actor’s imagination and sensitivity. This search presents difficult problems. The actor must learn to train and to control the most sensitive material available to any craftsman: the living organism of a human being in all of its manifestations—mental, physical, and emotional. The actor is at once the piano and the pianist.

Acting should not be confused with pantomime, which is a form of external movements and gestures that describes an object or an event but not its symbolic significance. Similarly, the actor is not to be mistaken for an imitator. Many of the best imitators are unable to act in their own person or to create a character that is an extension of themselves rather than an imitation of someone else. Neither is acting mere exhibitionism; the capacity for “showing off” or entertaining at parties is quite different from the talent demanded of the actor—the ability to put oneself into another character, to create through performance a nonexistent event and bring it to its logical fulfillment, and to repeat this performance not only when one is in a favourable mood but also at specified times and places, regardless of one’s own feelings on each occasion.

Genuine and feigned emotion

The most famous instance of supposed acting in ancient Greece was that of the actor Polus performing in the Electra of Sophocles, at Athens in the 4th century BC. The plot requires Electra to carry an urn supposed to contain the ashes of Orestes and to lament and bewail the fate she believed had overtaken him. Accordingly, Polus, clad in the mourning garb of Electra, took from the tomb the ashes and urn of his own son (who had recently died), embraced them as if they were those of Orestes, and rendered not the appearance or imitation of sorrow but genuine grief and unfeigned lamentation. Rather than mere acting, this was in fact real grief being expressed.

From antiquity, rival traditions of acting can be discerned—one stressing the externals of voice, speech, and gesture and the other looking to the actual emotional processes of the actor. Aristotle defined acting as “the right management of the voice to express the various emotions,” and this primacy of the voice as the actor’s outstanding medium has been widely accepted. “Dramatic ability,” he said further, “is a natural gift, and can hardly be taught. The principles of good diction can be so taught.” Aristotle did not fall into the common mistake of thinking that acting is only good diction; rather, he simply recognized that diction, unlike acting, can be taught. He was well aware of something more than diction in acting but he knew no way of training it. Aristotle saw good acting resulting either from a great natural quickness of parts or an enthusiasm allied to madness.

“By the first of these, we mold ourselves with facility to the imitation of every form; by the other, transported out of ourselves, we become what we imagine.”

The dichotomy noted in ancient Greece persisted through ancient Roman theatre and into modern times. On the one hand, there was a recognition of the need for the actor to be affected by the sensations he wishes to arouse in others; on the other hand, a need was also seen for a precise system of expression—the peculiar look, tone, and gesture appropriate to every emotion of the mind.Modern European acting began with the Italian commedia dell’arte, the earliest mention of which is in 1545. Until then, the actor was limited to illustrating the text by means of a narrow scheme of gesture and rhetorical speech. But in the commedia dell’arte the actor used only an outline, a plot; he improvised the play, giving free rein to the actor’s art, developing his own characters or masks that he repeated in each play. Each character became an extension of the actor’s own personality but elastic enough to respond to innumerable dramatic situations; thus, actors began to develop the distinctive stage character of the theatre, whereas previously the emphasis had been on its literary aspects. Since this demanded high skill, the actors joined into companies—in which, incidentally, women began to take major roles for the first time, female characters having traditionally been portrayed by men. The actors became professional, and, by doing so, they stimulated the development of modern drama.The essential requisite for the drama is its performance. The dramatist’s creation finds its fulfillment not in the writer’s study but on the stage. This fulfillment can best be achieved through the contribution of the professional actor. Nonetheless, after the formation of acting companies, actors continued to learn by doing. Their schools were professional companies; their classroom, the stage; their teachers, the audience and their fellow players. Schools of dramatic art, isolated from theatres or companies, are a relative innovation in Europe and the Americas.

In contrast, ancient traditions of actors’ training have continued unbroken for many centuries in India and Japan, where particular types of theatrical experience are prescribed. India’s textbook for actors, the Nāṭya-śāstra, has provided specifications for the representation of emotions down to the smallest gesture for nearly 2,000 years, and its influence is still visible in such dramatic forms as kūḍyāṭṭam, which has carried on the traditions of Sanskrit drama for about a thousand years, and in the kathakali dance drama, a relative newcomer that emerged contemporaneously with Shakespeare. The Nō theatre of Japan, presently divided into five distinct schools, is directly descended from the theatre of Zeami Motokiyo (1363/64–1443), an actor and author of Nō plays who codified the form in 21 treatises, the most influential of which is the Fūshi kaden (1400–18; “Appearance of Flower Transmission”), also known as the Kaden sho. Zeami’s teachings, originally intended for his descendants in the Kanze school of Nō, discuss both philosophical and practical considerations regarding actors’ training, and his concerns for constant training and discipline anticipate many modern approaches to acting.

Diderot’s Paradox of Acting

The most significant statement on acting is Diderot’s Paradox of Acting. Because of its polemic brilliance, it remains the most widely known essay on the subject. In the 20th century it provided the guiding precepts for the influential work of the French director and actor Louis Jouvet. Outside France it has found little acceptance within the profession, though its famous paradox—that in order to move the audience the actor must himself remain unmoved—is still highly regarded.

However disputable the solutions it proposes, Diderot’s essay contains an excellent description of the actor’s problem. What bothered Diderot was the unsolved problem of how the actor, if he were full, really full, of feeling, could play the same part twice running with the same spirit and success and yet be worn out and cold as marble at the third performance. Diderot confirmed this phenomenon by noting “the unequal acting of players who play from the heart. Their playing is alternately strong and feeble, fiery and cold, dull and sublime.” This was the case with an actress who in her day was the outstanding example of emotional acting. “She comes on the stage without knowing what she is going to say; half the time she does not know what she is saying; but she has one sublime moment.” Diderot knew that actors do feel and experience; but he also knew that some actors refused to recognize the need for craft, for training.

Diderot asked how the actor, if he is himself while he is playing, is to stop being himself: how he is to catch just the point at which he is to stay his hand? Diderot demanded unity in a performance; he demanded respect for the author’s concept, and he understood the difficulty of repeating a performance. He demanded a definite course to the passion—a beginning, a middle, and an end. In Diderot’s day, however, the problem of developing a technique for creating inspiration in the actor remained unsolved.

The difficulty of solving the problem is illustrated by the work of the 19th-century French teacher François Delsarte, whose influence was widespread not only in France but also in the United States. Delsarte became dissatisfied with routine acting techniques. He observed their mechanical and stultifying character and realized that under the stress of natural instinct or emotion, the body assumes appropriate attitudes and gestures quite different from those described by his teachers. But when he attempted to formulate laws of speech and gesture, on the basis of years of diligent observation and study, he created a series of elaborate pictorial descriptions that were just as mechanical as those he had originally criticized. Knowledge of affective behaviour had not advanced far enough to serve as an aid in solving the problem of the actor: there was still too little understanding of human behaviour, of the relation between the conscious and unconscious, and of the role of the senses.

Stanislavsky’s contribution

It is in this context that the enormous contribution in the early 20th century of the great Russian actor and theorist Konstantin Stanislavsky can be appreciated. Stanislavsky was not an aesthetician but was primarily concerned with the problem of developing a workable technique. He applied himself to the very problems that Diderot and others had believed insoluble: the recapture and repetition of moments of spontaneity or inspiration, which could not be controlled and repeated at will even by many of the greatest actors. In his work as director of the Moscow Art Theatre, he often experienced those flashes of intuition or inspiration that stimulate the imagination and turn something that one understands with the mind into an emotional reality and experience. Stanislavsky described such a moment occurring at a low point in the rehearsals for Chekhov’s Three Sisters, when “the actors stopped in the middle of the play, ceased to act, seeing no sense in their work.” Suddenly something incomprehensible happened: an accidental sound, of someone nervously scratching his fingernails on the bench on which he sat, reminded Stanislavsky of a scratching mouse, setting off an entire sequence of previously unconscious memories that put the work at hand into a new spiritual context.

Later, in examining parts he had played, Stanislavsky became aware of how much his characterizations had been based unconsciously on his memories. With the passing of time, however, the memories and the feelings aroused by them were lost, and he began to repeat mechanically the fixed appurtenances of the role—the movements of the muscles, the mimetics of the face, eyes, arms, and body, and the physical signs of absent emotion. This led him to the perception that creativeness on stage demands a condition that he called “the creative mood.” To the genius on stage, this condition almost always comes of itself, and less talented people receive it less often. Although everyone on stage received the creative mood sometimes, none seemed able to control it with his own will.

Stanislavsky’s description of the problem thus far had reached the point at which all previous examinations had stopped. By going further and inquiring into technical means for controlling the creative mood, Stanislavsky laid the foundation for the modern approach to the actor’s problem. Stanislavsky had no intention of creating inspiration by artificial means; rather, he wanted to learn how to create favourable conditions for the appearance of inspiration by means of the will. He emphasized that other artists may create whenever they are of a mind or feel inspired, but that “the artist of the stage must be the master of his own inspiration and must know how to call it forth when it is announced on the poster of the theatre.” If he is unable to find a conscious path to unconscious creativeness, the actor is forced to rely on the superficial aspects of scenic craft and theatrical cliches.

Stanislavsky believed that the problem could be solved through advanced psychology, especially the concept of “affective memory” described by the French psychologist Théodule Ribot in the 1890s. Although there has been confusion and misunderstanding about it, and its very existence has been questioned, the concept of affective memory is of prime importance for the understanding of how spontaneous and emotional experiences occur and can be repeated on the stage.

Affective memory is the reliving of a past experience—with the accompanying positive or negative response—triggered by an analogous experience in the present. Something that has brought pain is anticipated with displeasure the second time. This displeasure, which is felt immediately, rather than remembered, is like a residue of previous appraisals. Affective memory may be linked directly to the memory of a traumatic experience, as the same situation or a similar one recurs, or to an experience that bears little apparent relation to the original, if the memory has been repressed. Of course, affective memories may stem from pleasant experiences as well as unpleasant ones. The concept of affective memory has found a place in several schools of psychology, including the Freudian and the Pavlovian, though different explanations have been offered.

The concept of affective memory is essential to an understanding of how the actor functions and the faculties that have to be trained to develop his talent. It is his unusually sensitive affective memory that enables the actor to respond to events that must be imagined on the stage and to repeat performances. This point was stressed by Stanislavsky’s great pupil Yevgeny Vakhtangov, who emphasized that literal emotion—emotion that derives from the presence of an object that actually stimulates it—cannot be controlled and cannot be relied upon to provide the level of response that is required in every performance.

The use of affective memory is not limited only to acting. Wordsworth defined poetry as originating from “emotion recollected in tranquility.” Marcel Proust, in a long passage in Swann’s Way, brilliantly described the working of affective memory and illustrated precisely the way in which it can be recalled. Instances of its presence can be multiplied from all the arts—literary, visual, or musical. But, though in the other arts it can function unconsciously, the actor must learn to use it consciously to satisfy the unique conditions under which he must create.

The “Method” is the name by which the totality of Stanislavsky’s ideas have become most widely known in the United States, where they were chiefly promulgated by the director, actor, and teacher Lee Strasberg, first through the Group Theatre, established in the 1930s, and later through the Actors Studio in New York City. The Method represents a development of Stanislavsky’s procedures based not only on his writings but also on his actual achievement in his major productions. It includes the work of Vakhtangov, who demonstrated that Stanislavsky’s ideas apply to the essential problems of the actor in any style and not only to the realistic style most often associated with them. The Method became widely known in the mid-20th century largely through the work in films of actors such as Marlon Brando, Rod Steiger, and Geraldine Page, who had studied at the Actors Studio. These actors made a powerful impression and showed a remarkable ability to bridge the gap between stage, screen, and television to an extent that aroused excitement and interest in the rest of the world. So strong was the fusion of performer and role that many of the traits of the character were confused with those of the actor, which led to serious misunderstanding. But at mid-20th century an American style of acting was being born.

Critics who feel that the Method was only one of Stanislavsky’s continually developing theories now generally refer to the more complete tradition of Stanislavsky’s thought and work as the “System.” While the term Method can apply to Stanislavsky’s work up to the early 1920s, it largely ignores his later developments—in particular, his embrace of the “method of physical action” in the 1930s. This was a technique that put greater emphasis on the body, with the reasoning that there is a physical aspect to thought and a mental aspect to action; by concentrating on the physical requirements of a part, an actor would become aware of a character’s reasoning. In regard to rehearsal, Stanislavsky described his intentions thusly:

“Start bravely, not to reason but to act. As soon as you begin to act you will immediately become aware of the necessity of justifying your actions.”

The lesson of the Method seemed to be that a character could best be built from the inside out, using, among other techniques, affective memory, which would allow the actor consciously to draw upon genuine emotions from the past. In practice, however, the development of the “method of physical action” arose from Stanislavsky’s continued questioning of his own research and was founded on the various discoveries of his own career. The System as it evolved is far from its popular image as a simple technique for introspective character development dependent for success on the personality of the actor; it is rather a process designed for the constant renewal of the actor through the renewal of the Method itself.

Later developments

Stanislavsky was fully aware of alternative ideas regarding the work of the actor; he encouraged, for example, the early work of such a resolute experimentalist as Vsevolod Meyerhold. Meyerhold set out, in rebellion against Stanislavsky’s naturalism, to train actors for the production of highly stylized plays, such as the Symbolist dramas of Maurice Maeterlinck. His synthesis of styles gave rise to a training system known as “biomechanics.” Borrowing from the commedia dell’arte, as well as such alien influences as Japanese Kabuki, Meyerhold sought to create an actor of athletic accomplishment who could be used by the director as a formal element in the production of a play.

The theatre since World War II has been influenced chiefly by the ideas of Antonin Artaud, Bertolt Brecht, and Jerzy Grotowski. Artaud, a French avant-gardist director, actor, and playwright, exerted an enormous posthumous influence on contemporary theatre through his writings. There he proclaimed the “theatre of cruelty,” which is based on the extreme development of gesture and sensory responses by the actors so that they can communicate with the audience at a more profound psychological level than is possible through words. Artaud’s ideas achieved international attention in the 1960s through the productions of Peter Brook and the Royal Shakespeare Company, especially The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade, which called for emotional states verging on hysteria from most of the cast during each performance.Contrary to the opinion of many, Artaud thought of the theatre not as a psychological but as a plastic and physical domain and of the actor as an “athlete of the heart.” For every feeling, every mental action, and every leap of human emotion, there is a corresponding breath that is appropriate to it. Grotowski has pointed out that, if Artaud’s principles are analyzed in a practical way, they lead to “stereotyped gestures, one for each emotion.” Questionable as some of Artaud’s specifications might be, his achievement was to remind actors and directors that in addition to an internal truth, which the early work of Stanislavsky emphasized, there was such a thing as an external truth: what the audience sees is what it believes and feels.

Through his plays and the remarkable productions of the Berliner Ensemble in East Berlin in the 1950s, which represent the most important contribution to theatre of the post-Stanislavsky period, Bertolt Brecht generated ideas about acting that have received wide prominence and have usually been counterposed to those of Stanislavsky. Whereas in Stanislavsky-inspired productions the actors often seem to be exaggerating their individuality, Brecht’s characters struck many observers as existing primarily as representatives of a class—in some cases showing self-effacement to the point of dehumanization. Brecht himself, however, denied that his ideas were opposed to those of Stanislavsky. Calling his approach epic realism, he stressed that the stage of a realistic theatre must be peopled by live, three-dimensional, self-contradictory people, with all their passions, unconsidered utterances, and actions. Brecht mentioned some of Stanislavsky’s procedures to which he felt indebted—the creation of the given circumstances that motivate the beginning of an event, the emphasis on creating the activity of the day that helps to define the actor’s behaviour, and the individualizing of the characters that make up a mass.

Brecht’s most significant contribution to concepts of acting was his theory of the Verfremdungseffekt, usually translated into English as “alienation effect,” though it has also been translated as “distanciation.” The aim of the technique, as Brecht described it, was to “make the spectator adopt an attitude of inquiry and criticism in his approach to the [incidents portrayed]. . . . The actor does not allow himself to become transformed on stage into the character he is portraying. He is not Lear, Harpagon, Schweik; he shows them.”Through maintaining a distance between the actor and the character, it should become possible for actors to comment implicitly upon the characters they are playing, even to address the audience directly about the character. By abandoning the concept of total transformation, the actor can speak his part “like a quotation,” though “at the same time he obviously has to render all the quotation’s overtones, the remark’s full human and concrete shape; similarly the gesture he makes must have the full substance of a human gesture even though it now represents a copy.” A Brechtian actor must not only have the ability to assume in a convincing manner the character he is portraying, but he must also be able to step aside from the character, providing commentary as necessary while sustaining the believability of the situation.

Following Brecht and Artaud, the Polish director Jerzy Grotowski made the most thorough effort to rediscover the elements of the actor’s art. From the early 1960s to the mid-1970s it was Grotowski’s work with the Polish Laboratory Theatre that most stimulated and excited theatre professionals, though not all were in sympathy with the stripped-away concept of staging that he called “poor theatre.” He rejected the idea that theatre should attempt to match the spectacle and effects of film and television and declared that the primary element of theatre is the relationship between actor and spectator. The theatre can exist without makeup and without a separate stage; it can exist without lighting and sound effects; but “it cannot exist without the actor-spectator relationship of perceptual, direct, ‘live’ communion.”Although he credited Stanislavsky with having posed the most important questions, Grotowski was not satisfied either with Stanislavsky, who let natural impulses dominate, or with Brecht, who was too much concerned, Grotowski felt, with the construction of the role. To Grotowski, the actor is an individual who works in public with his body, offering it publicly. The work with the actor’s instrument consists of physical, plastic, and vocal training to guide him toward the right kind of concentration, to commit himself totally, and to achieve a state of “trance.” The actors concentrate on the search for “signs,” which express through sound and movement those impulses that waver on the borderline between dream and reality. By means of such signs, the actor’s own psychoanalytic language of sounds and gestures is constructed, in the same way as a great poet creates his own language.

In his search for the basic elements of acting, Grotowski turned to the French actor Charles Dullin’s rhythm exercises, Stanislavsky’s “method of physical action,” and Meyerhold’s biomechanics and to the training techniques of the Peking opera, India’s kathakali dance, and the Japanese Nō theatre. He emphasized, however, that he and his company were not merely accruing techniques but were using physical and mental exercises to free the actor from blocks, eliminating obstacles between the inner impulse and the outer reactions.

The Actor’s Qualifications And Training

In view of the diversity of approaches to the actor’s problems, it may seem difficult to arrive at any useful generalizations that are valid for all of them. Even among theatre groups that approach the production of a play from a fixed style or a fixed scale of expression, as in Kabuki and classic Oriental theatre generally, the same basic concerns are apparent. The following is an attempt to set down an approach that has proved successful in a variety of professional procedures.

The qualifications of the actor are generally thought to be a good physique, a retentive memory, an alert brain, a clear, resonant voice with good articulation, and controlled breathing. While looks and the even more important element of personality are undoubtedly factors, their characteristics are difficult to determine; they are usually recognized after the actor has become successful rather than before. Many actors do not possess them offstage but seem to ignite them as soon as they begin to perform. The central element of the actor’s talent, as differentiated from his means, is a special sensibility (“fire,” “enthusiasm,” “spirit,” in the words of 18th-century theoreticians), an ability to respond to imaginary stimuli and situations, which makes it possible for him to enter into the experience and emotions of the character he is to represent. These elements have always been recognized as distinguishing the great actor but were assumed to be beyond the reach of the ordinary actor; they were regarded as elements “born in him” and not susceptible to training. This is precisely the area of the modern training of the actor.

The first stage in the training of the actor’s control of his physical, mental, and psychical resources is the ability to relax. Because this ability seems to have little to do with the final achievements in acting, it is often disregarded, but it is basic to any expenditure of will and energy on his part. In a state of physical or mental tension, or both, the actor cannot think, the commands he gives himself are not transmitted, sensation is stifled, and expression is inhibited. The process of relaxation serves to clear the actor of the unnecessary pressures that he has accumulated before the moment of acting begins, to free him of blocks or interferences that may inhibit sensory responses. Physical and mental energies are comparatively easy to train, but sensory control is much more difficult. Relaxation is not a static state or effort. Often in the initial stages of training the actor is subject to strong eruptions of unconscious impulses. He must learn to continue the relaxation, to force his will to maintain his effort on the action of the nerves and the muscles.The converse of relaxation is concentration. Everything the actor does demands concentration. His training proceeds by work with imaginary objects: working with real objects often leads to pantomimic or to physical imitation, but the actor may begin with them in order to learn how to respond with his entire organism and to apply such responses to his work with imaginary objects—the real medium of the stage—as he would to real ones. This capacity to respond to stimuli that come not from outward reality but from the promptings of one’s own imagination may be seen to some extent in every human being; something akin to it is found in psychology in the study of conditioned reflexes, of automatic and spontaneous reactions, and of behaviour patterns. In heightening the sensory awareness and stimulating the senses to respond more strongly in life, the actor acquires the ability to recreate any object, sensation, or experience in the imagination.In strengthening his concentration, the actor uses not only will but also a process of self-awareness by which he trains the instrument that is his body and voice to respond to his commands. The very process of concentration and of commitment and involvement must include awareness. The more the actor learns to master concentration, the more aware he becomes.An additional factor is the development of the actor’s sense of truth—a faculty particularly stressed by Stanislavsky and by followers of his System. The growth of self-awareness is useless if it is not accompanied by a correct evaluation of what is true and what is false. If the actor must rely on outside judgment and remain dependent on it, he may become insecure and lose his spontaneity and responsiveness. His mastery of inner relaxation and concentration helps him achieve a combination of spontaneity, commitment, and awareness. Thus, the actor’s involvement and his awareness, rather than being in opposition to each other, are in accord.

The actor’s sense of truth is also involved in another major area of the actor’s training—his work with actions (the way he behaves physically on the stage), sometimes called the “business” of the actor. Some idea must supply an incentive or intention to pull together what could otherwise be a series of disconnected and unrelated physical deeds. Some purpose, some aim must motivate the actor’s will and energy. Any performance thus may be seen as a series of actions—as the score of the play—which must be carried out not simply physically but logically and truthfully. They must accomplish their purpose anew each night at every performance rather than merely repeating the external movements.To develop spontaneity, to train himself to behave logically and truthfully, and to listen and respond to his partner, the actor practices improvisation—dramatizing contrived situations without a script. Improvisation is of enormous importance in the process of training and also of performance. It teaches the actor to speak rather than to read his lines, and it breaks his unconscious adherence to conventional theatrical patterns of behaviour. It forces him to use his senses and often to discover not only the logic but also the significance of a scene. It compels the actor to work creatively and prevents him from reverting to skillful but mechanical repetition.By means of exercises that may be remote from the actual roles he plays—such as the “song and dance” (in which a song is rendered syllable by syllable unrelated to the way in which it would usually be sung, thus helping to break the unconscious habits of the actor that affect his performance) or, conversely, the spoken “inner monologue” (in which the actor speaks out what is happening to him at the moment, unrelated to the play), or others—the actor not only intensifies his capacity for experience, but also frees his blocked, or inhibited, impulses. He is enabled to deal with his own subjection to automatic habitual forms of behaviour and mannerisms and to acquire new means of expression, corresponding to the true nature and strength of his impulse.

The basic means of the actor, which have traditionally served as the primary area of his training, are voice and body gesture. The actor’s voice must be flexible and expressive of all situations and experiences. It must be able to deliver a “poor” voice or a vulgar, rough, angry, or harsh voice. It must vary as much as the events to be created. His attitudes must be those of the character—of a human who may be ill at ease, slovenly, awkward, debilitated, or natural—giving no indication that it is being accomplished by a skilled craftsman. The methods used to train these tools of the actor derive from other fields, such as from the training of the singer’s voice and of some forms of dance and pantomime. These contain many useful exercises for the strengthening of the respective muscles of the voice and body. But while the technical accomplishment in the singer and in the dancer may represent a large part of what is appreciated in their performances, in the actor the very fact of the accomplishment must remain hidden. Technical accomplishment should go unnoticed by the audience.

The Actor’s Approach To His Role

Stanislavsky suggested that the actor, in approaching his work on a scene, ask himself four questions: (1) who he is (character), (2) where he is (place), (3) what he is doing there (action and intention), and (4) what happened before he came there (given circumstances). The answers to these questions provide the actor with the necessary background for his performance, helping him to create the scene. In approaching the play in its entirety, the actor must subject his role to more intense analysis: he must search for the spine, or the kernel, of the play as well as its division into separate sections or units of actions. He must discern the beats of the play (i.e., the smallest units of dramatic action into which each role can be divided) as well as the rhythms of the play as a whole, and he must determine what adjustments must be made in his performance for each of the other characters. For some plays an additional element is necessary: the overall mood, or pervading texture, that surrounds the play or out of which the play stems. The attempt to determine it, however, may lead to an excess of verbal and mental gymnastics that are of little actual value, unless the actors have been trained in the proper procedures. The actors must act out the elements involved in the analysis in order to receive any concrete benefit from it; otherwise it may remain superficial or merely intellectual.

Another area deserving attention is the rehearsal process. This is primarily the time in which the director’s conception of the play must be harmonized with those of the actors; it is of immense importance that the actor approach the rehearsal in a creative frame of mind, ready to enlarge both his own and his colleagues’ interpretations. Without a logical sequence of rehearsals, the actor’s creativity cannot be properly stimulated. Without an understanding of the psychology of the rehearsal procedure, much of the work of the actor and the director may be defeated in production. There are, for example, significant possibilities in the reading rehearsal, in which the actors, usually seated in a circle, read aloud from the script and discuss its meanings as they proceed through it. There is enormous value in improvisation, when it is understood and used correctly. The relation between the individual actor and the ensemble is welded during the rehearsals, and it is during rehearsals that the director “blocks” the scenes and the actors memorize their lines.

Styles of performanceIn an effort to bring new life to plays of the past and present and to advance the imaginative possibilities of theatre, there has been a rediscovery of “style” in the 20th century. Style is the attribute of any complete achievement; it is not merely the manners and customs of a particular period. Such manners may be more strikingly elegant compared with those of the present, but they remain only manners. The Elizabethan form of theatre had conflicting styles within it, judging from a description of them in Hamlet, and so did the Greek and the French classical theatre. Even in Kabuki and Nō theatre there have been conflicts of styles like those in Western theatre.Style is not, as is sometimes assumed, the opposite of realism. Neither is it necessarily characterized by an expansiveness or broadness in acting. Style is the angle from which reality is observed. It is an attribute of all creative activity—not just of period or classic plays. The search for the specific content and reality of a play leads to style. The search for style in itself or in the traditions of the past often leads to empty forms.

Just as style should not be identified with a particular period, neither should it be associated with specific playwrights. Such terms as Shakespearean style or Chekhovian style actually refer to the theatrical conventions traditionally associated with those dramas—a rhetorical and “larger than life” manner in the first and a static “mood” in the latter. These elements are little related to style; otherwise great Shakespearean and Chekhovian productions could be re-created generation after generation in precisely the same way. The fact is that those dramas must be continually re-created from the new views of each emerging generation.The term style is often used incorrectly in reference to the theatrical conditions that simulate the original concept, structure, and dynamics of a play. The rediscovery in the 20th century of the Shakespearean stage, for example, led to a new quickness and fluidity, a nearly cinematic technique, in presenting Shakespeare’s plays, but these techniques should not be interpreted as the original and therefore correct style of production. Shakespeare continues to be presented in a vast range of styles, even by the Royal Shakespeare Company, which has offered A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a circus and The Merry Wives of Windsor as a 1950s suburban morality play.Practice has shown that the use of methods traditionally associated with particular types of theatre may bring a fresh understanding to totally unrelated theatrical forms. Ariane Mnouchkine’s use of Oriental styles in her Paris productions of Shakespeare, for example, was particularly successful in transmitting the ideas of Shakespeare to a French audience notoriously dubious of Shakespeare’s charms.

Techniques of performance

The fundamentals of the actor’s art remain the same no matter how bizarre the dramatic context: the actors may portray abstractions, for example, as in Stanislavsky’s 1908 production of Maurice Maeterlinck’s allegorical fantasy The Bluebird; they may play a band of actors producing a play, which they then proceed to perform in a vivid theatrical fashion, as in Yevgeny Vakhtangov’s production of Turandot, a play by the 18th-century Italian Carlo Gozzi; they may invade the stage as people who demand that their story be told to an audience, as in Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author; or they may assume the distorted attitudes appropriate to an Expressionist world, as in the classic horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920).

The growth of motion pictures, especially the rise of the “talkies,” beginning in 1927, greatly affected acting, as theatre talent was diverted from the stage. The requirements of acting in motion pictures, television, theatre, and opera are basically the same, although some of the techniques are different. It is possible to put strips of film together and create a performance that never was actually given. The performance is created by the director rather than by the actor. There have been performers in motion pictures who were thus completely products of the camera and contributed little from an acting point of view, depending rather on their physical charms and personality. Others, however, have been authentic actors, who developed a style perfectly suited to the medium; Charlie Chaplin, for example, ranks as one of the greatest actors of all time in any medium.

Despite the technical demands that are unique to each medium, the properly trained actor moves easily from one medium to another without any diminution of his talent. In the past, those who were trained in the rhetorical and theatrical gesture approach sometimes found difficulty in making the transition to films. The theatre can diminish the impact of action and voice, requiring a heightened intensity to project emotion and meaning to the audience. The camera, however, exaggerates action and emotion. Some actors find it difficult to perform scenes out of sequence, as is usually done in films, and for other actors the close-up can be intimidating. But the fact is that actors training for films usually use the same exercises as theatrical actors—working with imaginary objects and partners, performing appropriate physical and psychological tasks, and others. Moreover, most of the preeminent actors of the 20th century, such as Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Louis Jouvet, Katharine Hepburn, Dustin Hoffman, and Al Pacino, have been outstanding in both film and theatre.The contemporary theatre is characterized by many plays that demand more dynamic and more imaginative physical actions of the actors than previously and that utilize a diversity of audiovisual effects and multimedia devices, particularly in musicals. Under the need to fulfill these demands, acting could easily revert to its old-fashioned externalized forms. In addition, the development of repertory theatres in North America, Britain, and elsewhere, with their eclectic repertoires and their combinations of contemporary and classic plays, could lead to a search for meretricious “style” rather than for genuine content. These pitfalls may be avoided, however, in much the same way as those that faced the actor in previous epochs, by understanding the true fundamentals of the art of acting.' (5)

(5)

victoriaac — 2020-10-02 11:11:20 UTC

Ned Chaillet. (1998). Acting. Available: https://www.britannica.com/art/acting. Last accessed 2nd October 2020.

Lesson 2: Actor Performance Evidence.

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Zoom Interviews: Sasha Woodward (Questions).

victoriaac — 2020-10-07 09:54:57 UTC

- How do you think the Performing Arts Industry will survive within the current climate?
- How do you think theatres/venues will look in 10 years?
- What is your opinion on the Government claiming that the Performing Arts Industry isn't of the same importance as other occupations?

Zoom Interviews: Amy Dowden (Questions).

victoriaac — 2020-10-14 13:26:03 UTC

- Has there ever been a time in your career in which you'd considered not being in your current profession?
- What skills would you say are key when working within this industry?
- Do you have a 5 year plan? And if so, what is it?
- Are there any elements of your profession that you don't enjoy? Or would change if given the power to?

Zoom Interviews: Lewis Church (Questions).

victoriaac — 2020-10-14 13:28:28 UTC

- Has there ever been a time where you have wanted to write about a certain topic but have been advised or decided not to? If so, what?
- Do you think that your occupation is competitive?
- What is your favourite element of your job? And what is your least favourite?

Lesson 3: Final Project Outcome

victoriaac — 2020-10-14 13:35:04 UTC

Zoom Interviews: Sasha Woodward (Research).

victoriaac — 2020-10-14 13:39:25 UTC

Training: Phil Winston’s Theatreworks.

Theatre includes: Ensemble in The Prince of Egypt (Dominion); Cats (Kilworth House Theatre); Remembering The Movies (UK Tour); Cinderella (Imagine Theatre) and, for English Youth Ballet, Swan Lake; Giselle and The Nutcracker.

Television includes: Semi-finalist with Dane Bates Collective on The Greatest Dancer (BBC); soloist on Got to Dance (Sky 1).

Other Work Includes: The Works at Viva Blackpool 2015-2018 (Phil Winston’s); Move It Main Stage (Dane Bates Collective); soloist at The ADFP Awards (Dane Bates); dancer at The Carl Alan Awards; dancer at Euro Disney(Classic Academy of Dance); dancer at Free Radio Live Concert Main Stage (LG Arena; 2013-2014).

Awards: IDTA Theatre Awards - Modern Winner; IDTA Theatre Awards - Theatre Craft Winner; IDTA Theatre Awards - Modern Jazz Winner; South Staffordshire Junior Ballet Champion.

In addition to these appearances and training, Sasha is a fully qualified dance teacher who runs workshops and classes in Wolverhampton (Sasha Woodward Workshops).

Zoom Interviews: Sasha Woodward (Results).

victoriaac — 2020-10-14 13:39:47 UTC

Zoom Interviews: Amy Dowden (Research).

victoriaac — 2020-10-14 13:40:53 UTC

Amy Dowden is a ballroom and Latin American dancer from Wales. Dowden and her dancing partner Ben Jones are the current British National Champions in Latin American Dance. Dowden was a finalist in the seventeenth series of Strictly Come Dancing with Karim Zeroual in 2019.

New to the Strictly family in 2017, Amy made history by being the first ever Welsh professional to enter the Ballroom. She may be a long way from her hometown of Caerphilly, but that hasn’t stopped her setting her sights high.

Amy’s students say she can be strict and is quite the perfectionist, which her first dancing partner Brian Conley quickly found out! However, the duo only made it to week four of the competition. Amy faired better the following year with actor Danny John-Jules, the pair scored the very first 10 of Strictly 2018, but sadly their journey was cut short in week eight of the competition.

Amy first started dancing at the age of eight, and hasn’t looked back since. She was the 2017 British National Champion and remains one of the highest-ranking Ballroom and Latin American professional dancers in the UK. Amy is also a four-time British National Finalist and in 2015, she reached the semi-final of the World Championship.

While she’s fairly new to the Strictly family, Amy’s a familiar face to many of the team, having crossed paths with many of her fellow Pros on the competition circuit.

Zoom Interviews: Amy Dowden (Results).

victoriaac — 2020-10-14 13:41:05 UTC

Zoom Interviews: Lewis Church (Research).

victoriaac — 2020-10-14 13:41:19 UTC

Dr Lewis Church is an academic and writer based in London. He completed his PhD in the Drama Department at Queen Mary University in 2017. In 2020/21 he is an Associate Lecturer at Birkbeck University of London, and has previously taught at Edinburgh University, RADA, Queen Mary University of London and the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

His research has been published in PAJ, The First Line and Punk & Post-Punk. Other writing has been published in Something Other, The Art Story, Hackney Citizen, Exeunt and Loose Lips, and by SPILL Festival of Performance, Steakhouse Live, Daily Life Ltd and [performancespace]. He is the lead writer for the international arts and health initiative The Sick of the Fringe, and has reviewed and reported from festivals including the Edinburgh Fringe (2016-2020), Adelaide Fringe, Manchester International Festival, Raindance Film Festival, the London International Film Festival, the East End Film Festival and many others.

Lewis has worked as an artistic collaborator with Ron Athey, Sh!t Theatre, Daniel Oliver, Xavier De Sousa, Vaginal Davis, Franko B, Bobby Baker, Stacy Makishi and others at venues across the UK and Europe. He has also secured major funding and support for Something to Aim For, Le Gateau Chocolat, Hunt & Darton and HighRise Theatre from Arts Council England, Wellcome Trust and other sources.

Zoom Interviews: Lewis Church (Results).

victoriaac — 2020-10-14 13:41:32 UTC

Lesson 3:

victoriaac — 2020-10-14 17:42:48 UTC

(08/10/20)

Acting Jobs and Opportunities:

victoriaac — 2020-10-14 17:55:58 UTC

As a lot of you possibly know already, “acting” is a general term and it has some sub-categories. In other words, there’s are many different types of acting jobs and opportunities that present themselves once you start pursuing this career (or even before you do). Being aware of what types of acting jobs are out there waiting for you is very beneficial for every budding artist as you can — and should — go after as many of them as you can when you’re just a beginner.

FILM ACTING

Screen, and in particular film acting, is one of the most popular fields of acting that everybody in today’s business is trying to break into. There’s a lot of opportunities in this area: aside from feature films produced by major studios, actors can audition for parts in independent films, student films, short films and any number of other similar, smaller budget projects. However, even with so many available choices in the field of film acting, the competition is fierce.

TV ACTING

Another type of screen acting is for television. This one can sail along with film acting, as anybody who’s pursuing a career in one of these fields ultimately is getting jobs in both. Television productions are naturally on a smaller budget scale, and there are fewer opportunities for those seeking to act just in television. The next best thing to TV jobs for actors who are just starting out would be web series and online projects.

THEATRE ACTING

Stage is always a place where actors are required, and many do seek acting jobs exclusively in theatre. However, the number of projects and opportunities available depends on the city you’re trying to work in. London and New York are the two best options for those seeking to become professional stage actors, which Chicago, San Francisco and Manchester dragging along a little behind.

VOICE OVER ACTING

Another type of acting that most articles in this field can try and explore is voice-over. We have talked about voice-over acting multiple times, and it has already been established, contrary to popular belief, this field is not just a supplemental thing. Voice over as a business stands strong on its own, having a huge number of projects constantly being developed with just as wide range of competition as film or theatre acting has. But it sure is something that most actors should try and look into.

COMMERCIALS ACTING

Never look past the commercials acting opportunities. Some actors build a career in this fields while others use it as a first step into the business and a way to make some extra cash. Commercials usually require an actor to have some training, and as we previously established, improvisation skills are essential. Once you get yourself booked for a good national commercial gig, it could easily pay your rent in royalties for years and years (depending how long it runs for).

EXTRA/BACKGROUND ACTING

Last and ~~not~~ least is extra or background acting. This is the type of job that every starting actor should experience but not pursue as a career choice if they are serious about their path as a professional performer. While it does fall into almost the same category of show business, background work isn’t really acting per se and will not help any aspiring actor’s career. We’ve discussed this more widely in Acting Handbook.

So there you go, four major types of acting jobs and opportunities that every aspiring actor should try to pursue to some extent while eventually prioritizing the one field they’re most passionate about. All of them have something in common (aside from a huge chunk of competition), but at the same time, all these acting jobs are very different. (6)

(6)

victoriaac — 2020-10-14 17:59:03 UTC

Unknown. (Unknown). Types of Acting Jobs and Opportunities. Available: https://actinginlondon.co.uk/types-acting-jobs-opportunities/. Last accessed 14th October 2020.

The Role of the Actor in Society Should Not Be Underestimated:

victoriaac — 2020-10-15 08:34:18 UTC

If you are in a show this season—“A Christmas Carol,” anyone?—don’t underestimate your contribution to the well-being of those in the audience or alongside you onstage. You are pulling people into a performance, providing a respite from the complex and sometimes excruciating reality outside the theater doors.

Actors are storytellers, temporarily extinguishing our worries as they play out alternate realities on stage or screen. Sometimes a performer holds up a mirror, shining light on hidden societal sins, but often he or she helps us escape, reminding us of happier times or our greater human potential. With actors carrying our frustrations, fears, desires, and hopes, we can let go of the fight—at least for a little while.

The role of the actor in society should not be underestimated. Although it’s easy to get caught up in celebrity and fame, the timeless function of the actor is to take on communal pain and provide catharsis, or emotional and spiritual purification, for every person in the audience. Actors are essential to the psychic health of our world.

While sometimes maddening as a career, acting remains a sacred art. (7)

(7)

victoriaac — 2020-10-15 08:35:06 UTC

Jackie Apodaca. (2013). The Role of the Actor in Society Should Not Be Underestimated. Available: https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/role-actor-society-underestimated-49577/. Last accessed 15th October 2020.

Top 8 Acting Practitioners Every Actor Should Know:

victoriaac — 2020-10-15 08:51:24 UTC

There have been many 'methods' of acting throughout the ages. Now, there are as many methods of acting as there are actors in existence. Acting is ultimately a very individual process. However, these 8 practitioners found a way to successfully communicate to others what they have found to work in their process. Many actors have found that the process of these practitioners worked for them.
Here are your top 8.

8. SANDFORD MEISNER

There are quite a few Americans on this list, but few with such a devoted legacy of students. There was a clear idea of making sure that the actor was always finding the heart of the scene outside of themselves. He defined acting as "Behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances." Robert Duvall, the late William Esper, and the great acting teacher Larry Silverberg were all students of Meisner, who they reverently refer to as 'Sandy'.

7. UTA HAGEN

Her thorough and tangible approach to acting was summed up in her book 'Respect for Acting'. A must read, and available on Audible. Her suggestions for character research have become the norm for many an acting class. She continued to perform while she became renowned for her teaching. If you are a teacher, you must watch her interact with students.
Some videos of her teaching, cigarette in hand, are easily found on YouTube.

6. MICHAEL CHEKHOV

Our first non-American. Not to be confused with the playwright Anton Chekhov, Michael was the nephew of the renowned playwright. He challenged his teacher's methods and even got them to come over to his point of view. Michael Chekhov worked deeply on the subtext and imagination, often bringing in rigorous physicality so the actor could access it more fully. Gregory Peck, Marilyn Monroe, and Clint Eastwood were among his students.

5. LEE STRASBERG

Back to America. Lee Strasberg was one of the founding members of the Group Theatre in the United States. This group was responsible for cornering the market for America on acting for a number a decades. Backstage magazine described his method as "using personal recollections and replicating sensations to colour a character’s emotions." This is called emotional memory or emotional recall. He is credited for coining the phrase 'Method Acting'. Students include Dustin Hoffman, Sally Field, and Jon Voight.

4. SIR PETER HALL

Lets fly across the pond to the UK. Sir Peter Hall may not seem like he should be on this list, however, in my opinion he should be on every list. A director and founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Peter Hall helped maintain the traditional approach to classical texts, but also believed the best thing to happen to acting in his lifetime was 'honesty'. His book 'Shakespeare's Advice to the Players" is a must for any actor whether they are doing classical and contemporary text. He famously directed Dustin Hoffman as Shylock in a production of "The Merchant of Venice". Hoffman, after using all of his improv 'method acting' skills to prepare for the Shakespearean character, threw his hands up in defeat and said "You can't improvise this s&!t". Sir Peter then coached him how to make the heightened language work for him. Directors often make the best acting teachers. Unlike most actors, directors spend their lives perfecting their ability to communicate to actors and bring the best performances possible out of them.

3. RUDOLF LABAN

Straying slightly from strict acting methods, Laban, initially a dance practitioner, became known for his exhaustive and effective movement analysis. Much of live theatre is becoming increasingly physical. Playwrights like Helen Edmonson and plays like "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" use heavy physicality, verging on dance, to express the inner life of the characters. He details all aspects of human movement and has it broken down into accessible labels. It is quite possible that Laban is taught in theatre schools just as much, if not more than dance schools.

2. STELLA ADLER

The last American on our list, she founded the Stella Adler School of Acting. Also a member of Lee Strasberg's Group Theatre she left after disagreements mainly with the concept of emotional memory. She understood the importance of the balance and complement of the internal and external life of the actor. Much like Meisner, she believed deeply in the power of the imagination for the actor. Students of her and/or her school include Martin Sheen, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Christoph Waltz.

1. KONSTANTIN STANISLAVSKI

Without Konstantin Stanislavski, most of these people would not have made the list. The teacher of Michel Chekhov and the primary inspiration for the Group Theatre in America, Stanislavski applied the science of psychology to acting. Founder of the world renowned Moscow Art Theatre and author of 'My Life in Art', 'An Actor Prepares', and 'Building a Character' all roads seem to lead back to Stanislavski. Constantly perfecting his method over his lifetime, his books and his classes early on relied heavily on emotional recall which he later rejected. Michael Chekhov moved in this new direction in which Stanislavski put Stella Adler at ease with her decision to leave the Group Theatre.

Though these may be my top 8, it should not limit anyone in finding the person or method that works best for you. Much like these practitioners themselves, there is vicious debate between methods. Many people have a problem with the phrase 'method acting' itself. This list may also be vastly different in a different part of the world. Ultimately, it is the actor's relentless pursuit of unattainable perfection in the craft of acting that will bring them success in performance. (8)

(8)

victoriaac — 2020-10-15 08:58:14 UTC

Eric Domuret. (Unknown). Top 8 Acting Practitioners Every Actor Should Know. Available: https://edomuret.wixsite.com/website-1/post/top-8-acting-practitioners-every-actor-should-know. Last accessed 15th October 2020.

Zoom Interviews: Suzanne Priest (Research).

victoriaac — 2020-10-21 14:16:31 UTC

Training:

2018 - 2019 | The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, MA Movement: Directing and Teaching
2005 | Westminster Education, Advanced Skills Status (AST) in Dance
1999 - 2000 | Brighton University, PGCE Dance
1999 | Premier Training, Diploma in Personal Training and Sports Therapy Massage
1992 - 1995 | London College of Dance, BA (Hons) Dance

Memberships:

One Dance UK

Imperial Society for Teachers of Dancing (ISTD)

Experience:

Experience whilst on the MA Movement: Directing and Teaching

2019 Movement Tutor placement with BA Acting. Planned and delivered workshops aiding the actors to explore falling and sequential movement as part of Movement Fundamentals 1st year degree programme. Mentored by Debbie Green.

2019 Movement Placement with BA Acting: Stamina development programme. Devised and taught stamina-based dance episodes within a wider programme targeted the physical training of the actor. Mentored by Vanessa Ewan.

2019 Movement Director: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Arts Educational Schools. 2nd Year BA Acting. Director: Julie Spencer

2019 Movement Director: The Magic Flute, Waterperry Opera Festival. Director: Laura Attridge

Productions:

2018 Movement Director: ‘Macbeth’, at The Crescent Theatre - 2ndYear Actors. BOA. Dir: Michael Penn

2017 - 2018 Producer: Alice in Wonderland and Pinocchio – children’s Christmas productions at The Old Rep Theatre

2011 - 2014 Co-Artistic Director / Choreographer of ModusandMotusYouth Dance companies

2003 - 2017 Choreographer & Movement Director: Musical Theatre and Dance Showcases. BOA & The BRIT School

2008 - 2011 Choreographer:Two-Fold Youth Dance Company

2004 - 2005 Choreographer:Annual Children’s Entertainment Awards(ACEA), London.

2000 - 2002 Choreographer:Momentum Youth Dance Company

1994 Choreographer:Birmingham Mystery Plays. Channel Theatre Company

Teaching:

2011 - 2018 Birmingham Ormiston Academy (BOA) & The Old Rep Theatre (BOAT) - Creative Director: Learning and Participation / Movement Tutor (2017-18) - Director of Musical Theatre & Quality Assurance Manager, Dance Teacher (2015-2017) - Director of Production Arts & Assistant Head-Teacher, Dance Teacher (interim) (2013-2015)

2008 - 2011 Curriculum Leader for Dance: Solihull Sixth Form College

2006 - 2008 Acting Head of Performing Arts / Head of Dance: Swanshurst School and Sixth Form, Birmingham

2005 - 2006 Deputy Director of Arts College and AST Dance - Hillcrest School and Community College, Dudley

2002 - 2005 Director of Dance: The BRIT School, London

2000 - 2002 Head of Dance: Earls High School / Halesowen College, Halesowen

Performing:

1995 - 1999 Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines: Featured Dancer, Dance Captain, Company Manager, Assistant Choreographer

1994 - 2000 Various UK / Overseas: Tours, Pantomime - Dancer, Dance Captain, Assistant Choreographer

Teacher-Trainer, Examiner and Further Accreditations:

2017 - present Imperial Society for Teachers of Dancing (ISTD): Lead Tutor of Level 6 Diploma in Dance Pedagogy

2017 - present Arts Council of England – Arts Award leader accreditation (Bronze and Silver)

2014 - Recipient of Dance UK Mentorship: Dance Leadership Mentoring Programme for Teachers

2008 - present AQA GCSE Dance - Accredited Set Phrase dance trainer

2008 - 2012 Trinity College London: Teacher Trainer on Diploma in Dance Teaching and Learning (DTAL)

2007 - 2015 British Ballet Organisation (BBO) Lecturer / Teacher Trainer on PTLLS, DTLLS and Teacher Diploma courses

2006 - 2017 AQA GCSE Dance Team Leader/ Examiner and A Level Dance Examiner

2005 - 2016 National Dance Teachers Association (NDTA) - Strategic Leadership Group / Treasurer

2008 - 2009 NHS / NICE Programme Development Group: Dance advocacy for NHS guidance in Physical Activity for CYP

Biography:

Suzanne Priest is a Midlands / London based dance teacher, movement tutor and movement director.

After a career as a professional dancer performing in concerts, cruise ships, cabaret and UK Tours Suzanne forged a successful career as a teacher and choreographer in performing arts education. Positions have included Director of Musical Theatre and Technical Theatre at Birmingham Ormiston Academy (BOA); Director of Dance at The BRIT School and other leadership and creative roles related to the design and delivery of performing arts and movement related courses across the 11-19 age range. Suzanne choreographs youth dance companies believing all young people deserve access to highly quality movement experiences and training.

Following extensive experience of working in dance and musical theatre, Suzanne is developing her practice working with a range of performers, actors and actors-in-training as a movement director and movement tutor, combining her passions for experiential anatomy, all forms of dance, choreography, contact improvisation, body conditioning and music.

Suzanne is currently completing her MA Movement: Directing and Teaching at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Skills:

Classical Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary and Tap Dance; Body Conditioning; Choreography; Contextual and Historical Dance; to pre-professional level. Qualified Personal Trainer and Sports Massage Therapist. Piano - Grade 6. Elementary Labanotation Certification.

Zoom Interviews: Suzanne Priest (Questions).

victoriaac — 2020-10-21 14:16:49 UTC

- What opportunity has posed the biggest influence within your career?
- How do you update your skills within the industry to keep up with developing trends?
- How do you see the future of performance? For both students and professionals.

Zoom Interviews: Suzanne Priest (Results).

victoriaac — 2020-10-21 14:17:03 UTC

Zoom Interviews: Maddy Boyse (Research).

victoriaac — 2020-11-04 17:37:05 UTC

"I am Madeleine Boyse, a 2020 Graduate in BA Acting and Physical Theatre from East 15 Acting School. I have all the traditional skills and training of an acting course, plus training in mask, mime, clowning, puppetry, aerial and harness.

Since the pandemic has drastically changed the future of this industry, I have decided to stay in Southend and continue to work with the local community on more social political issues rather than move to London.

I am currently working with a group of people creating ‘Let’s Talk’ (Socially distanced) events and producing the Voices For Change Documentary premiering on the 10th October, as part of the Southend for BLM Team.

Another way I’m trying to use my creative training within the community is by working with a local arts space, The Folded Space, run by Creatives for Creatives. We’re working together for the opening of their new venue at the end of October including a site specific walkabout performance which I will organise and create myself. I can then use this as part of a developing portfolio of walkabout and immerse festival/theatre work

I have already had a variety of experiences in this area, from live art in gallery spaces, to being part of dance troupes touring summer festivals, and performing immersive theatre at Glastonbury, Boomtown and many other festivals. Just before lockdown, I was preparing a solo movement/corporeal mime performance, which I plan to revisit once the theatres re-open.

I also have a company, Tailwind Theatre, with other East 15 Graduates.

This year we are working towards performing at Southend Fringe and Camden, plus an Italian Physical Theatre festival next summer. This show will explore what connection has become & its commodification .I am also working towards having a collective of performers to tour our own walkabout/immersive theatre at summer festivals in Europe which I hope will provide opportunities to comment on the sustainability of how we live.

Since graduating one of the main things I have realised is that I want my creative work to coincide with my wish for social change and ecological/political activism rather than pursue the traditional post acting school career path.- I want to be creating, devising and writing work that opens up difficult conversations and that tries to make steps towards change.”

Zoom Interviews: Maddy Boyse (Questions).

victoriaac — 2020-11-04 17:38:10 UTC

- You spoke about wanting your creative work to coincide with your wish for social change - what would this social change be? Or an example of such.

- What experience has had the most influence on your personal development?

- What would you say are some pros and cons of working within the creative industry?

Zoom Interviews: Maddy Boyse (Results).

victoriaac — 2020-11-04 17:41:52 UTC

Lesson 4: Actor Performance Evidence.

victoriaac — 2020-11-04 18:52:57 UTC

Lesson 4:

victoriaac — 2020-11-04 19:53:07 UTC

(15/10/20)

Lesson 7: Spoken Word Extract.

victoriaac — 2020-11-05 18:07:29 UTC

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victoriaac — 2020-11-05 19:27:35 UTC

pg38 - pg46
http://portglasgow.inverclyde.sch.uk/GetAsset.aspx?id=fAAzADUAMQAyADEAfAB8AEYAYQBsAHMAZQB8AHwANQB8AA2

Lesson 5: Teaching (Discussion regarding Stanislavski teaching at Higher Education)

victoriaac — 2020-11-05 19:29:44 UTC

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Lesson 5: Teaching (Stanislavski Quiz)

victoriaac — 2020-11-05 19:48:01 UTC

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victoriaac — 2020-11-05 19:49:01 UTC

Quiz Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zxn4mp3/test

Lesson 5: Teaching (Stanislavski Method)

victoriaac — 2020-11-05 21:26:04 UTC

Unit: Stanislavski Teaching.

victoriaac — 2020-11-05 22:15:50 UTC

Lesson 6: Influencer Task (TikTok - 'A day in the life of a UNI student during a National Lockdown')

victoriaac — 2020-11-07 22:08:09 UTC

(I do not own the rights to this music)

BSDC Safer Live Lessons (Staff):

victoriaac — 2020-11-07 22:10:05 UTC

BSDC Safer Live Lessons (Learners):

victoriaac — 2020-11-07 22:10:29 UTC

BSC Safer Live Lessons (Learners - 2):

victoriaac — 2020-11-07 22:11:23 UTC

Breaking Tradition: Reaching For The Avant-garde In Theatre For Young Audiences.

victoriaac — 2020-11-07 23:03:16 UTC

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victoriaac — 2020-11-07 23:06:56 UTC

Hoppe, Meredith, "Breaking Tradition: Reaching For The Avant-garde In Theatre For Young Audiences" (2009). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 4148. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/4148

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victoriaac — 2020-11-07 23:10:58 UTC

Tan, Sooi. (1995). Breaking tradition; Women stars of Bangsawan theatre. Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia. 151.

Women Stars of Bangsawan Theatre:

victoriaac — 2020-11-07 23:12:39 UTC

Bangsawan was the first popular urban commercial theatre form in

Malaysia. It was one of the new cultural forms that emerged in response to rapid social, economic, and political changes caused by British colonial expansion into Malaya in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The first indigenous theatre form in Malaya to be modelled along Western lines, bangsawan engendered the development of the first Malay orchestra and the first Malay popular music in the country. As commercial theatre, bangsawan was heterogeneous, innovative, and constantly adapting to new situations and new audiences (Tan 1993). Unlike traditional theatre,

which was performed to propitiate spirits, the function of bangsawan was to entertain, and to make money for its proprietors and performers.

Performances were publicized through advertisements in newspapers and

leaflets.

Being commercial theatre, bangsawan depicted its performers not just as actors and actresses but as stars (bintang), that is, as professionals who worked as entertainers. Unlike performers of the traditional theatre, who

usually had other sources of income such as farming, acting was a full-time occupation for the bangsawan stars. It was the stars that established a company's reputation.

Through bangsawan, women performers became stars.

The heroine (sripanggung) was a key member of the troupe; she was one of its stars. Outstanding stars won awards. The Straits Echo (9 November 1932) reported that 'Mr. Lim Choon Sim [...] awarded a gold medal to Miss Jacoba [of the Rose Opera] for being the best Kerncong singer he had ever come across. Miss Jacoba was also given a medal by the management of

the park.' Popular bangsawan artists such as Miss Tijah, Miss Salmah, Miss Maimoon, Miss Norlia, and Miss Jacoba were sought after by recording companies such as His Master's Voice, Beka, Columbia, Pathe, Odeon, and Parlophone. Recordings of their songs were advertised in local news- papers. These stars became household names. They were not simply wives or mothers of someone but were seen as having individual personalities of

their own.

Through bangsawan, women were afforded the unprecedented oppor-

tunity for self-expression in public.

In contrast, in Malay village society of the early twentieth century, the female child was brought up to be a good daughter, wife, and mother.

This orientation was reinforced through formal education teaching girls sewing, basketry, matting, weaving, cooking, and dressmaking (Manderson 1980:103-5). A young woman's movements outside the home were limited. She had to assist in the cooking and washing, take care of her younger brothers and sisters, and help in the rice fields (Manderson 1980:15-6).

Although women bangsawan performers still cooked, sewed, and took care of the children during the day, their activities were not at all limited to household chores and raising children. As veteran actress Menah Yem put it, 'During the day, I cooked, washed clothes, and took care of the children. At night, I was free to work (cariduit).'

Bangsawan stars were recruited at a young age. For instance, the Kinta

Opera Co. boasted of its Miss Echon, a 'nine-year-old actress' who sang English songs (Straits Echo, 3 January 1925), while Genani Star Opera had its 'Baby Star Miss Nani' (Straits Echo, 7 November 1925)

The apprentice learnt that to make it in the world of bangsawan, she had to win recognition as a star. If she succeeded, the rewards were substantial. Stars earned more money, and were often presented with gifts or large tips by wealthy admirers. It was commonly reported that individuals in the

audience would fall in love with the performers and shower gifts on them. 'Lovesick youths' were known to 'pass their photographs up to their favourite actress' and to throw 'a good deal of money [...] to her on stage' (Malacca Guardian, 9 May 1932). If the performers were good, special honorary titles were bestowed upon them. Menah Yem was known as the 'Queen of Dance'; Ainon Chik, the 'Greta Garbo of Malaya'; and Purita Clarino, the 'Jazz Queen'. Initially newcomers played small, undemanding roles. Young children were given children's parts or other minor roles. Minah Alias clearly

remembered her less-than-spectacular debut as an actress:

'It was a performance staged by Genani Star Opera, owned by Tan Kam Choon and managed by my father, Nani. I was eight years old and was very excited when I was called upon to replace Ainon Chik, who was sick. I was to be a "jungle child" in the play "Ginufifa". To my dismay, the leaves with which I was covered were full of ants. I was feeling so itchy that I forgot my part. Instead of pulling the antelope's tail, I pulled his horns. The head came off and I fell.' (Star, 15 December 1984.)

If the young recruits showed ability, they were allowed to sing or dance in the extra turns. Minah Alias was praised for her efforts in the turns at a performance in 1925 (Times of Malaya, 13 October 1925): 'Miss Nani [Minah Alias], the four-year-old daughter of the stage director [Nani], was the first to give an extra turn. Her song and dance were charmingly performed. Later she gave another turn during which

she forgot a part of the words but achieved a triumph with her winsome smile.'

Ainon Chik also started her career performing as a singer and dancer in the extra turns. She recalled singing songs like 'I wanna go where you go' and 'You were meant for me'. She also acted children's parts in such stories as 'Musalma' and 'Jambatan Patah'. To make a name for themselves, apprentices had to persevere, observe, learn from the wings every night, and strive to become stars. They had to

diversify their interests and familiarize themselves with all the roles, songs, and dances. According to Ainon Chik, she used to sit at one side and observe the more experienced performers. During the day, she studied Malay, Western, Chinese, Hindustani, and Arabic songs, Malay dance and

kuntau (Chinese art of self-defence using sticks), and adat istiadat (rituals) of the Malay court from the other performers. 'We also watched Hindustani movies, observed and imitated the dancing and singing,' Saniah added.

Minah Alias and Saniah made clear that bangsawan roles were com-

mitted to memory, there being no scripts to study. Before any new or major play was performed, the director would call all the actors and actresses together, narrate the story to the cast, and then assign roles. It was left to the performers to improvise the dialogue and the accompanying actions, relying only on their ingenuity (kebijaksanaari).

Through these improvisations, women performers learnt to be more articulate. Women actresses also earned their reputation through 'excellent stage-craft, lovely songs, and clever dialogues' (Straits Echo, 24 May 1934).

Strict discipline was the rule. Typically, after lunch the apprentices would practise dancing and singing with the leading actors and actresses till about 5 o'clock. After a short rest, a bath, and a meal, they would prepare for the evening's performance. Some of the more fortunate or promising ones were sent to Indonesia for

their apprenticeship. Minah Alias, for example, lived in Java and studied dance, music, and acting with the famous Miss Riboet for ten years. The training was demanding and rigorous. Waking up at five in the morning to jog, she also was required to attend to some household chores. At 1 o'clock, the practice sessions began at which Minah Alias learnt Balinese dances, folk dances, and dances of the kraton (palace). At night, she

performed with the Miss Riboet Orient Opera.

For the child apprentice, formal schooling was an irregular matter. As the troupes were always on the move, there was scarcely any opportunity for the children to register at school. It was pointless, anyway, for in a matter of weeks they would move to another town.

Female apprentices were indeed different from ordinary village girls who helped in the house and sometimes went to school. Instead, bangsawan apprentices spent their days practising singing and dancing and learnt how to act different women's roles. At night, they were called upon to dress up,

sing, and act. They went through a different socialization process from

ordinary girls. Bangsawan was both school and life for those who came to it as children and young women.

Bangsawan women were in a sense freed from the constraints imposed

on the daily life of other Malay women, but they were confined by a new set of rules. Besides attending to household chores, they had to adhere to strict discipline and rigorous training. Nonetheless, bangsawan women had

more avenues for self-expression than village women. They were

constantly learning new songs, new languages, improvising new dances, mixing with other ethnic groups, and travelling throughout the peninsula and neighbouring countries. All this opened their minds. (Continued within full text)

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What do you predict are the future trends for the acting industry?

victoriaac — 2020-11-07 23:30:20 UTC

'The future trends for the acting industry is decentralization. Films and TV are now shot wherever it makes the most economic sense, primarily based on tax incentives. With actors being able to be trained online through Skype and other face to face online teaching methods, there will be more trained acting pools in various locales and casting will be done completely online. I taught literally hundreds of SAG professional actors in a class called Acting in Films in New York and Los Angeles which was listed in the Backstage Acting Schools and Coaches issues every year for over a decade. I am thinking of making my class available remotely via online for pay and would do so if enough people asked me to do it.

Productions will end up saving money by casting locally, using well-trained local actors. Very rarely will you even have to come in for a callback. Directors may even cast directly through a new highly advanced system for casting finally created by the Screen Actors Guild which I envision and may or may not use Casting Directors to sift through the actors on that system. It might just be an assistant.

Casting Directors will have far less power and they will not be able to control the casting process with their long term favorites. I am fine with that because I almost always get cast if I make it to the director and have a hard time getting through the Casting Directors. They seem to have a different vision for the same project and ultimately it is the Director’s vision that truly matters. I experienced it myself, hiring a Casting Director who had a different vision for each role than me. They brought in wonderful people each one perfect for another role, not the role they brought them in to do. It was a strange situation. When Directors can view actors directly and make casting decisions for themselves, there may be more opportunities for more actors to be cast, not just the “favorites” for that Casting Director.' (13)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-07 23:32:37 UTC

Yitzi Weiner. (2018). Predicting Future Trends in the Acting Industry With Larry David Eudene. Available: Predicting Future Trends in the Acting Industry With Larry David Eudene. Last accessed 7th November 2020.

What The Future of Media Means For The Future of Acting Careers:

victoriaac — 2020-11-07 23:33:11 UTC

1. The Internet is blowing up barriers that once protected legacy media companies

Once upon a time, you could count the number of media companies on two hands. Only a few major movie studios and TV networks had the resources to produce and market content, setting up significant barriers for anyone with a Hollywood dream.

Today, however, digital streaming outfits like Apple and Netflix completely dwarf cable networks like AMC, while YouTube generated more than double CBS’ ad revenue in 2016. Not only are the Apple, Netflix, and the YouTubes of the world investing heavily in creating new content, they’re also making money off that content.

That’s creating more opportunities for new talent to reach audiences in more creative ways than ever, and establish a name for themselves in the process. The streaming services are knocking down barriers, providing access to more actors, and making it easier than ever for aspirants to break in.

But there’s a flipside to this seemingly positive development.

Legacy companies like CBS, ABC, FOX, etc. can’t afford to whiff on content any more.

They’re cutting production budgets, ordering fewer new shows, and softening commitments. Nobody is willing to go all in on a failure, and they simply don’t have the air time to keep churning out new shows until one becomes a hit.

And the thing is, those legacy companies are still the ones that pay the big bucks (for now). If you want to become a megastar, you still more than likely need to be employed by a network or major studio.

This has created an interesting dichotomy: It’s easier now than ever to have a career as an actor, but tougher than ever to break out from the pack and have a huge career.

More actors than ever are working regularly, yet it’s still an enormous challenge to become a household name in a world supersaturated by media.
The floor has been raised and the ceiling has been lowered.

2. Younger TV viewership is collapsing

Kids just don’t watch TV anymore.

Traditional TV viewership in the US is down 15% overall since 2012, and by a whopping 40% in the coveted 18–24 and 25–34 age brackets. These young people grew up in a world revolutionized by Facebook, Twitter, and Netflix and believe traditional cable just isn’t worth the money.

A WiFi connection and a couple of $10/month subscriptions give them immediate access to more content (some of it exclusive!) than they could ever consume in a lifetime.

Why spend $30/month for cable to watch the new episode of one show every week when you can pay one third of that and see that same episode 24 hours later on Hulu?

Actors, agents and managers still glamorize and prioritize landing a pilot on a major network over landing a limited series on YouTube, and for good reason. The pay is considerably better, the industry exposure more valuable, and an actor will still be seen by more consumers overall on CBS than YouTube.

But for how long?

Those 20- and 30-somethings will soon age into new brackets and bring their viewing habits with them.

Today’s children are tomorrow’s 18–24 year olds and they’ll bring with them their dedication to YouTube. Many of them will have grown up in a household that didn’t even have cable to begin with (cable subscriptions have declined each of the past 5 years).

Soon, we’ll reach the point where the chief content consumers learned to consume content online.

For actors, this means no gig should be dismissed or undersold.

Your YouTube Red movie may not pay huge dividends today, but that relationship could pay off in spades down the line.

Representatives will likewise look more to modern content producers to launch their clients’ careers. Within a few years, it may be better for an actor to make one viral video — to put eyes on their brand — than to score a 7/13 Series Regular on an ABC pilot.

That’s pretty wild to think about.

3. There is huge growth in “social stories”

Social media has grown exponentially for a number of reasons, but the biggest may be the most fundamentally human: We are all storytellers.

The world’s biggest YouTube stars, Instagram models, and infectious Twitter feeds all tell stories in unique, creative, empathetic ways. There are virtually no boundaries to human interaction today (we can argue this philosophically another time).

You, as an actor and/or creator, can connect with and influence people in a matter of seconds, without ever making eye contact.

It’s not just a coincidence that Snapchat and Instagram have invested so heavily in their “Story” platforms.

People like to check in on one another, see what’s happening in the world, and nurture their own human experience by comparing it to others’.

The most successful social media stars learned how to tap into these new storytelling mediums to make meaningful connections with people in mere seconds. They do this basically by being themselves, but also by engaging with followers to stay relevant and active in their lives.

They make viewers feel like they’re a part of the story — not just a passive bystander.

For actors, building a social media presence and learning how to convey stories through these platforms are invaluable skills. Not just to hone your craft, but to appreciate the challenges and pitfalls of telling compelling stories.

That’s why I put together my Social Media Guide for Actors in the first place.

What’s truly mind-blowing when I think about how the future of media is changing the entertainment industry is the realization that all of this is likely just the tip of the iceberg.

We’re at a watershed moment for actors, creators, producers, executives, agents… all of us in the entertainment business. It’s crucial that we all — and actors especially — take a step back to see where the digital world is taking us, and how we can capitalize upon the change and appreciate the ride. (14)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-07 23:36:14 UTC

Brian Medavoy. (Unknown). WHAT THE FUTURE OF MEDIA MEANS FOR THE FUTURE OF ACTING CAREERS. Available: https://brianmedavoy.com/future-of-media-means-for-acting-careers/. Last accessed 7th November 2020.

The Evolution Of Modern Theatrical Production:

victoriaac — 2020-11-08 10:41:09 UTC

Underlying the theatrical developments of the 19th century, and in many cases inspiring them, were the social upheavals that followed the French Revolution. Throughout Europe the middle class took over the theatres and effected changes in repertoire, style, and decorum. In those countries that experienced revolutionary change or failure, national theatres were founded to give expression to the views and values of the middle class, whose aspirations in these cases coincided with a more general movement of national liberation.

In western Europe a different pattern of development emerged, varying considerably in each country but having the unified features of a demand for “realism” on the stage, which meant a faithful reflection of the life-style and domestic surroundings of the rising class in both its tragic and its comic aspects; an adjunct to this development was the demand for increased decorum and cleanliness in the auditorium.

In England, where the Industrial Revolution was more advanced than in the other European countries, the middle class had to struggle for its own theatres against the entrenched power of the two patent houses (licensed by the Crown), Drury Lane and Covent Garden, which had enjoyed an almost total monopoly of dramatic theatre since 1660. As early as 1789, attempts were made to evade the legal restrictions on building new theatres.

The Reform Bill of 1832, which enfranchised the propertied middle class and established its political power, led to the Theatres Act of 1843, which gave London a “free theatre.” The expected flood of new theatre buildings did not occur, and no major building took place for 16 years. This is probably because there were already sufficient illegal theatres in operation when the act was passed. The boulevard theatres of Paris experienced less trouble in establishing themselves.

The rise of the middle-class theatres caused the decline of both the patent houses in London and the Comédie-Française—the national theatre of France. After much political struggle, centring particularly around censorship, the Comédie-Française, unable to compete with the boulevard theatres, capitulated and presented the plays of the new school for the new audiences.

As the new class came into the theatres, the theatres were cleaned up. Samuel Phelps at The Sadler’s Wells Theatre instituted audience controls that drove out the old audience and paved the way for respectability. The Bancrofts, as representative as any of the new movement, took over the run-down Prince of Wales’ Theatre, cleaned up the auditorium, and placed antimacassars on the seats. They also dropped the melodrama and attracted a wide audience with the social comedies of Tom Robertson, making a considerable fortune in the process.

Throughout the 19th century, cities throughout Europe and North America exploded in size, and industrial centres attracted labour to their factories and mills. The working-class suburbs of cities and the industrial towns created their own demand for entertainment, which led to the construction of large theatres.

Accelerating this change was the growth of the railways. The pattern of theatre was disrupted in England as productions were mounted in London and sent on tour. The old provincial stock companies folded and theatres became touring venues rather than producing houses. A breed of managers arose who made money from the possession of the bricks and mortar property rather than by presenting their own productions. In the United States the Theatrical Syndicate established great fortunes from the New York theatres and the almost unlimited touring circuit that the railways opened up. The change in status from enterprise to industry gave rise to the commercial theatre systems of the West End in London and Broadway in New York City.

Improvement in travel in general made it possible to increase the links between the two systems early in the 20th century, and the exchange of productions further extended the possibilities of profitable exploitation.

Modern theatre began around 1885 with the revolt of the younger generation against the material injustices of society. Those in revolt founded so-called independent theatres to present a more critical or scientific view of the workings of society or so-called art theatres to rise above vulgar materialism with the establishment of aesthetic standards. The independent theatres took the Meiningen Players as their starting point. The art theatres looked to Wagner for inspiration.

The new Naturalism

The first of the independent theatres was the Théâtre-Libre (“Free Theatre”) founded in 1887 by André Antoine, who made his living as a clerk for the Paris Gas Company. The Théâtre-Libre was an amateur theatre with no home of its own. It hired rooms or theatres where they were available and sold tickets for its performances to a closed membership. In this way it avoided censorship. Antoine’s original intention was to present plays that had been rejected by the Comédie-Française, and thus the repertoire was eclectic. The major impact the group made was with a number of naturalistic plays. The theatre was at this time lagging behind literature, and, although Émile Zola had written an essay entitled “Naturalism in the Theatre” in 1881 and had produced what is seen as the first Naturalist play, Thérèse Raquin, in 1873, no theatre devoted itself to a Naturalist policy until Antoine founded the Théâtre-Libre.

Following on the scientific developments and the philosophical skepticism of the 19th century, the social reformers of the last two decades of the century probed into the causes of human behaviour and postulated that the meaning of human character was to be found in its interaction with the physical, social, and economic environment. The new theatre demanded “truthfulness” not only in the writing but also in the acting and stage setting. The actors were expected to ignore the audience and to behave and speak as though they were at home. Antoine is normally credited with being the first to require an actor to turn his back on the audience; from this style of acting arose the concept of the “fourth wall” separating the stage from the audience. Behind this “wall”—invisible to the audience, opaque to the actors—the environment portrayed was to be as authentic as possible. Antoine himself designed rooms and then decided which wall would be “removed.” In The Butchers, he hung animal carcasses on the stage.

It is possible, however, to overestimate Antoine’s commitment to Naturalism, since a great deal of his repertoire was not naturalistic and the descriptions of several of the Théâtre-Libre presentations show an imaginative experimentation with lighting effects that goes well beyond creating realistic temporal and atmospheric conditions. The first production of the Théâtre-Libre had no scenery at all but only a few pieces of furniture borrowed from Antoine’s mother, yet it was this production that set the Naturalist style. Zola, the philosopher of the movement, had deplored the fact that the Naturalist theatre began by creating an external representation of the world instead of concentrating on the inner state of the characters. Strindberg showed that a few carefully selected properties could suggest an entire room. With the ideas of Antoine and Strindberg, the days of flapping canvas doors and kitchen shelves painted on the walls of the set came to be numbered. The more natural and detailed the acting became, the more it clashed with a painted background.

Antoine’s innovations did much to establish the principle that each play requires its own distinct setting. In 1906, as director of the state-subsidized Théâtre de l’Odéon, he produced classical plays in which he strove for realism not by means of period decor and costume but by re-creating theatrical conventions of the 1600s.

The new pattern of theatre set in France was imitated in Germany during the same period. Otto Brahm modeled his theatrical society, the Freie Bühne, founded in Berlin in 1889, after Antoine’s Théâtre-Libre. Its first production was Ibsen’s Ghosts. On the basis of this and other examples, it could be said that Ibsen pioneered the repertoire, Saxe-Meiningen the staging methods, and Antoine the organizational form for a range of small, independent theatres springing up throughout Europe.

With both ideological aims and theatrical tastes in mind, members of the German middle-class theatre audience formed an organization called the Freie Volksbühne in 1890 for the purpose of buying blocks of tickets and commissioning performances and even productions for its membership, which included a large working-class element. Early in its history the organization split between the Freie Volksbühne, who were attempting to make theatre available to a wider audience, and the Neue Freie Volksbühne, who had specific Socialist attachments and policies. Eventually the two arms recombined and were able not only to subsidize performances but also to build their own theatre and mount their own productions.

During the 1890s in France, a similar program of democratization was attempted. One of the prime movers in this was Romain Rolland, whose book The People’s Theatre (Le Théâtre du peuple, 1903), inspired similar movements in other countries.

In England the works of Ibsen aroused great interest and attracted the attention of the censors. The first English independent theatre was organized by Jack Thomas Grein, and its first production in 1891 was Ibsen’s Ghosts. Grein’s intention of finding British writers of the new drama was frustrated until the arrival of George Bernard Shaw, the most famous Ibsenite of them all, in 1892, with his first play, Widowers’ Houses. Shaw remained the mainstay of the independent theatre movement in Britain. His preeminence in the independent theatre in England coupled with the success of Arthur Wing Pinero in the commercial realist theatre led to a major innovation in staging in England. Both playwrights participated in the casting of their plays, which in Pinero’s case led to a break away from the old stock company casting and the institution of casting to type. Shaw was able to impose his own interpretation and stage direction on the production of his plays.

Russia also followed the pattern of the independent theatre movement that developed in France, Germany, and England (see below Developments in Russia and the Soviet Union).

Reactions to Naturalism

The Théâtre-Libre had scarcely been established when the reaction against Naturalism got under way. Symbolism developed out of a total opposition to the philosophy that lay behind Naturalism. It sought an intuitive and spiritual form of knowledge, regarded by its proponents as higher than that which science could provide. If Naturalism attacked the materialist values of society from a critical and reformist standpoint, Symbolism rejected them altogether. In their manifesto of 1886 the Symbolists suggested that subjectivity, spirituality, and mysterious internal forces represented a higher form of truth than the objective observation of appearances. The Belgian Maurice Maeterlinck, the most successful Symbolist playwright, gave as his opinion that an old man sitting at his table, surrounded by silence, was more dramatic and true-to-life than the lover who strangles his mistress in a tirade of jealousy. The Symbolists drew for example and inspiration on Wagner and on the later plays of Ibsen. They were influenced by the poets Mallarmé and Baudelaire, and the latter’s poem Correspondences, which finds comparative values in colours and musical notes, is often seen as the first manifesto of the movement. The expressive paintings of Gauguin were also influential.

The first of the Symbolist theatres was the Théâtre d’Art started by the French poet Paul Fort in 1890. Fort was principally concerned with the power of the poetic text but nevertheless made some ingenious contributions to staging. In his production of the Frenchman Pierre Quillard’s play The Girl with the Cut-off Hands (1891), the actors intoned their lines behind a gauze curtain, backed by a gold cloth framed with red hangings. In front of the gauze, a girl in a long blue tunic repeated the actors’ lines and commented on their feelings. This is the first instance in which the setting of a play derives entirely from the ideas of the director and the designer rather than from tradition or from direct evidence in the text of the play itself. The setting for The Girl with the Cut-off Hands is a visual image, suggested by the play but not dictated by it. It is a poetic vision and does not place the play in a specific context.

In 1893, Aurélien Lugné-Poë founded the Théâtre de l’Oeuvre. Guided by the belief that the spoken word creates the scenery, Lugné-Poë attempted unity of style instead of illusion of place and employed such painters as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Maurice Denis, Odilon Redon, Édouard Vuillard, and Pierre Bonnard. Lugné-Poë’s production of Maeterlinck’s play Pelléas and Mélisande typified his technique—no furniture or props were used; the stage was lit from overhead, most of the time to a level of semidarkness;a gauze curtain created the illusion of mist; and backdrops painted in gray tones conveyed a general air of mystery. The one production of the Théâtre de l’Oeuvre that has had the greatest historical significance was not seen as anything more than a scandalous, schoolboy joke in its own time. Alfred Jarry’s Ubu roi (“King Ubu”) was produced in 1896, with nonrealistic settings and costumes. All the scene settings were displayed simultaneously on a backdrop, and the costumes and makeup were deliberately grotesque, as was the acting style, an amalgam of buffoonery, the horror of Grand Guignol, and extravagant mock-tragedy.

Far from posing an alternative to the materialist values of the bourgeois audience, the first line of Ubu roi attacked the audience’s values head on. When Firmin Gémier, in the title role, advanced to face the audience, looked directly into their eyes, and uttered the first scandalous word of the text, “merdre” (“excrement”), a pattern was set that has been followed by many avant-garde theatre companies throughout the 20th century. The dialectics of conflict had shifted from being contained within the stage area to being opened between the stage and the auditorium. If an attack on the audience were to be mounted effectively, however, the separation of stage and auditorium had to be diminished. Various attempts were subsequently made either to contain stage and auditorium in a single unified spatial area or to adapt existing spaces in order to break through the barrier imposed by the proscenium arch.

The influence of Appia and Craig

The two most important theoreticians and designers of the non-illusionist movement were the Swiss Adolphe Appia and the Englishman Edward Gordon Craig. Appia began with the assumption posited by Wagner that the fundamental goal of a theatrical production was artistic unity. Appia felt, however, that the incongruity of placing three-dimensional actors in front of two-dimensional settings, which many of the stage reformers rejected, was intensified by the mythic, symbolic nature of the Wagner operas. He concluded that there were three conflicting elements in production—the moving three-dimensional actor, the stationary vertical scenery, and the horizontal floor. He categorized stage lighting under three headings: a general or acting light, which gave diffused illumination; formative light, which cast shadows; and imitated lighting effects painted on the scenery. He saw the illusionist theatre as employing only the first and last of these types. Appia proposed replacing illusory scene painting with three-dimensional structures that could be altered in appearance by varying the colour, intensity, and direction of lighting. The solid structures, according to Appia, would serve to create a bond between the horizontal floor and the vertical scenery and enhance the actor’s movements, which were rhythmically controlled by the music of the score. The lights, too, would change in response to the musical score, thus reflecting or eliciting changes in emotion, mood, and action. In creating a scene, Appia conceived of light as visual music with an equal range of expression and intensity.

Appia elaborated his theory through a series of proposed designs and mise-en-scènes (complete production plans) for Wagner’s operas. He was brutally rebuffed by Wagner’s widow, who considered his projects the work of a madman. Intensely shy, he created only a few designs and realized even fewer productions. His influence spread largely through his three books on staging and lighting design published from 1899 onward, one exemplary performance in a private theatre in Paris in 1905, and his collaboration with Émile Jaques-Dalcroze. Jaques-Dalcroze was a fellow Swiss who developed, and published in 1906, a system of physical exercises that he called eurythmics, intended to inculcate in the student a sense of rhythm and control over it. The exercises made liberal use of space and grew into an expressive dance movement. For Appia, eurythmics became a part of his integrated system of production. In 1912, at Hellerau on the outskirts of Dresden, as part of one of the first garden city developments in Europe, a large hall was built to the design of Appia and Jaques-Dalcroze. Stage and auditorium were united as a single rectangular hall without proscenium or separate lighting. The walls and ceiling were hung with translucent silk through which beams of light filtered. The lighting equipment comprised 10,000 lamps, all controlled by a gigantic console capable of fine gradations of intensity. Appia designed an abstract scenic architecture of platforms and steps that could be arranged in a variety of combinations. Every trace of illusionistic scenery was dispensed with, and the setting served only as a structural foundation for the rhythmic, gymnastic movements of the players. The few performances, which were interrupted by the outbreak of World War I, were attended by many of the leading innovative directors in Europe at that time.

The use of diffuse light solved one of the most vexatious problems of electric lighting—how to blend the individual beams. This problem was equally trying in the illusionist theatre, where the consciousness of separate lightbeams coming from distinct mechanical sources ruined the naturalistic effect. The backdrop remained as a large, finite, painted expanse that any reasonable amount of light revealed to be of a different order than the three-dimensional pieces in front of it. It also necessitated, because of the critical rising sight lines from the stall seats, a series of hanging borders to mask the top limits of the cloth. As lanterns began to be hung on bars above the stage, the number of borders increased. The Austrian producer Max Reinhardt is credited with the frustrated cry, “Will no one rid me of this dirty washing?”

To address this problem the lighting designer Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo constructed a dome that backed the stage area with a gentle curve and overhung the stage. At first he covered the dome with white translucent cloth, an extension of an earlier experiment in which he hung strips of cloth from the ceiling of the stage and diffused light through them. Later the dome had a plaster surface and the lights were diffused by reflection, playing on its inside surface. Instead of a flat, restricted backdrop there was now a spacious vault that created an impression of indeterminate distance. The dome was expensive and very cumbersome to maneuver and was soon replaced by a cyclorama (horizon or sky-cloth), which is still used today. This consists of a cloth stretched over a semicircular framework to mask the rear wall and corners of the stage. Some modern theatres have been built with a permanent plaster cyclorama.

The Fortuny dome and the cyclorama became essential tools of the scenic illusionists, but their invention served the anti-illusionists equally well, as they gave a sense of space beyond the finite limits of the stage, gave solidity to the stylized decor, and silhouetted the rhythmic action of the players against a background of diffused light. Edward Gordon Craig, the son of the designer Edward Godwin and the actress Ellen Terry, began his career as an actor in Irving’s company and became a designer at the turn of the century, just before the publication of the first of his many books on the theatre. Craig and Appia met in 1914 and shared a deep admiration for each other’s work and a great deal of agreement on conceptual matters. There were, however, certain crucial differences. The most fundamental of these arose out of their differing backgrounds. Appia began his work with Wagner, and for him the music dominated and controlled the work. Craig was an actor before becoming a designer and director, and for him all the elements of production were of equal value. Appia had no apparent interest in theatre history, whereas Craig had an abiding interest in it. Appia was a retiring, contemplative thinker; Craig was a polemicist.

Whereas Appia’s work followed a continuous developing line, Craig’s was characterized by a restless experimentation. His early productions of Purcell and Handel operas at the start of the century explored the use of the “frieze” or “relief” stage—a wide, shallow stage surrounded by drapes, structures in geometric shapes, and a lighting system that dispensed entirely with footlights and side lighting and used only overhead sources. In order to facilitate this and make colour changes possible, Craig devised an overhead bridge accessible from both sides. Although Craig’s designs stressed vertical planes as against Appia’s horizontal ones, in the operas he utilized a series of levels for the action. His designs for Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas used no wings or borders. The back drape ascended to the flies (space over the stage from which scenery and lights can be hung), and the proscenium was very low in contrast to the great width of the stage. The sides of the setting were enclosed by curtains hung at right angles to the proscenium arch. What impressed many of those who were present was the use of colour symbolism in the costumes, settings, and lighting and the extraordinary consistency with which Craig manipulated all of the elements of the mise-en-scène.

One of Craig’s most interesting scenic innovations was a flexible structure made of hinged screens, which permitted a fluid readjustment of space during performance. He experimented with movable proscenium arches for adjusting the stage opening to suit the play or scene. His experiments with all sorts of materials and the effects of coloured light upon them greatly increased the resources of the stage. He proposed placing the lighting control booth at the rear of the auditorium, which is the current practice, to allow the lighting engineer to coordinate the lighting to the actors’ movements.

Perhaps Craig’s main contributions to the development of staging were his advocacy of the need for one artist to control the production and his insistence upon the study of theatre history. The controlling artist for Craig, unlike Wagner and Appia, was to be the director. If the theatre was ever to become a mature art form in its own right, rather than a haphazard conglomeration of bits and pieces of other art forms, it needed a controlling genius to discipline and coordinate the interaction. Craig’s own productions bear out his ability to realize this scheme, and he encouraged the work of a group of gifted directors who followed him.

In the process of working out his thesis, Craig addressed himself to the question of the actor. The actors of Craig’s day (like the theatres and their machinery) were ill-equipped for carrying out his production schemes. For the Purcell productions, he used a high percentage of amateurs who could be taught to carry out his instructions. The professional actors of the conventional late-19th-century theatres were not very sophisticated in their technique. Craig was not alone in complaining of the inadequacy of the established actors in light of the new theatre. The French Symbolists debated whether the actor would have to be banished from the stage before any serious theatre could be created. Even Eleonora Duse, the great Italian actress, declared that for the theatre to be saved all actors would have to die of the plague. Craig’s writings were virulent in his scorn for the actor whose idiosyncrasies constantly imposed themselves between the work and the audience, whose wayward, fickle emotions and feelings constantly sentimentalized and diminished the theatrical effect. He was not opposed in principle to all actors; his admiration of Irving, his mother Ellen Terry, and Duse was profound, and he considered Isadora Duncan a supreme artist, but he did promote the concept that he called the Übermarionette (“Superpuppet”). Craig’s intention is not fully clear—whether he envisioned mechanical figures that would defy the physical restrictions of the human body or, as seems more likely, puppets that would be controlled from inside by human beings, children, or dwarfs. Nevertheless, he joined a growing chorus of people calling for the elimination of individual actors’ idiosyncrasies and the “dematerializing” of the stage and propelled these demands into public debate.

Although the Übermarionetten were never realized, the principle was accepted. Later directors such as Meyerhold, Reinhardt, and Copeau recognized the necessity of a studio-school attached to their theatres and of regular training for the actors in advanced techniques, if they were to be able to realize their concepts on stage and eliminate the interference of actors’ own egos and emotions. From this flows the present acceptance in the West of a long and intense period of training as necessary for all actors entering the profession. The Eastern theatre, which Craig and those following him have continually returned to study, has always understood this necessity.

Craig’s understanding of theatre history was linked to a revival throughout Europe of the study of theatre history. Craig’s opinion was that it would be impossible to create a new theatre without making a serious study of previous theatres. He ascribed the short life of some innovative theatres to the fact that they had not adequately studied their predecessors. The study of theatre history spread widely enough to embrace the long-established Oriental theatre forms. Craig’s own productions drew on Japanese theatre, the Greeks, and the Baroque and Romantic periods. The most important effect of this research and use of theatre history was to liberate stage production from the narrow confines of contemporary style and fashion. If the past could be incorporated into the present, an almost limitless range of production possibilities was opened up. This liberation, in turn, increased the demands made upon the actors.

Other developments in the study of movement

The Frenchman François Delsarte laid stress on a connection between mental attitude and physical posture and discovered that one’s emotional state is communicated through one’s physical appearance. Eventually Delsarte codified his observations in a chart of gestures, which was used as a guide for expression and characterization by many amateur theatre companies in the middle years of the 20th century. The further elaborated discipline of reflexology, which seeks to analyze mind–body interaction, was developed by a variety of philosophers and psychologists and was very influential in the early years of the Soviet Union (see below Developments in Russia and the Soviet Union).

Another theorist of movement, the American-born dancer Isadora Duncan, was the daughter of a disciple of Delsarte, and reflexology was at the heart of Duncan’s dancing. It is not surprising that, in addition to Dalcroze’s eurythmics, Duncan should have inspired the development of educational dance. Reflexology is also the root from which spring the contemporary areas of drama therapy and the use of games and improvisation in actor training.

Duncan rejected the narrow and inhibiting classicism of the Russian ballet and returned to the Greeks for inspiration. Her dances were realizations of “soul-states,” which she regarded as emanating from the solar plexus. By using her feelings and physical responses to the music as the impulse for movement, she removed dance from the domain of the highly trained ballet dancer and demonstrated its wider potential.

Duncan’s work was important to those searching for answers to the problems posed for the actor by non-Naturalist theatre, since it showed a way to gain direct access to deep feelings without resorting to psychological analysis. Unfortunately, though, Duncan offered no systematic prescription for accomplishing this. Duncan herself was a sufficiently disciplined artist to impress Edward Gordon Craig as a solo performer. What her approach lacked, however, was a disciplined framework by which other performers could be trained and an extension of the movement vocabulary that might widen the range of theatrical purposes to which it could be put.

Development of stage equipment

From a technical point of view, the harnessing of electric power exerted a greater influence on stage design and production techniques than any other single invention. Stage lighting, as opposed to mere stage illumination, became raised to the status of an art form and revolutionized stage decoration, stage design, and stage form in that order. For the first time since the theatre moved indoors during the Renaissance, adequate and safe illumination became possible. But beyond mere function and safety there was inherent in the medium a flexibility and subtlety that has allowed it to become an integral part of scenic effect and to heighten visual expression for artistic purposes.

Beyond the development of stage lighting and the theories and techniques pioneered by Appia and Craig, electricity provided the solution to many of the problems that were arising with respect to scene changing. The demand for rapid changes of cumbersome naturalistic sets coincided with demands for a dematerialized stage that could flow smoothly from one symbolic vision to another. In addition, those seeking to “retheatricalize the theatre” wanted an open stage on which scene changes could be accomplished simply and rapidly. New inventions and instrumentation made practical many of the theoretician’s ideas, and these were adapted by designers, directors, and stage engineers on both sides of the Atlantic, with the greatest centre of innovation being Germany.

In 1896 Karl Lautenschläger introduced a revolving stage at the Residenz Theater in Munich. Elevator stages permitted new settings to be assembled below stage and then lifted to the height of the stage as the existing setting was withdrawn to the rear and dropped to below-stage level. Slip stages allowed large trucks to be stored in the wings or rear stage and then slid into view. New systems for flying were developed. Hydraulic stages made it possible to raise sections of the stage, tilt them or even rock them to simulate, for example, the motion of a ship. All of these mechanisms required larger backstage facilities, higher flying towers, greater depth and width of stages, and increased understage space.

German theatres began as early as 1890 to incorporate mechanized orchestra pit apron lifts, which provided a means for altering the point of contact between stage and auditorium (actor and spectator). Confrontations between actor and audience were the prime concern of Georg Fuchs, who founded the Künstler Theatre in Munich in 1907. He held that, in order to be relevant, the theatre must reject the picture-frame stage and the Italianate auditorium. He proposed an indoor amphitheatre in which, on a projecting stage, the action could be thrown forward into the audience space. According to Fuchs, the stage designer should not try to produce an illusion of depth since depth is part of the theatre architecture and cannot be added by scenery. Fuchs’s view was the culmination of the search for three-dimensionality that had passed through five essential stages since the 18th century. At first, an illusion of depth was achieved by painting perspective scenery on canvas; then the ground plan of the set was rearranged to envelop the actor with the set. The third phase was the introduction of objects for the actor to touch. With Appia and Craig there came the realization that an actor’s movement manifests itself in contrast to inanimate objects, such as platforms and other masses. Fuchs introduced the final phase joining the playing space to the area in which the audience is situated. In Fuchs’s theatre, designed by Max Littman, the acting area could be extended forward by covering the orchestra pit, and the size of the stage opening could be changed by adjusting the inner proscenium, which had a door at stage level and a balcony above. The floor of the stage was divided into sections, each of which was mounted on an elevator so that it could easily become a platform. Four cycloramas, surrounding the stage, could be changed electrically. (15)

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Unknown. (Unknown). Theatre - The evolution of modern theatrical production. Available: https://www.britannica.com/art/theater-building/The-evolution-of-modern-theatrical-production. Last accessed 8th November 2020.

Acting: Evolution of Acting

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In the ancient Greek theater, acting was stylized; indeed, the large outdoor theaters made subtlety of speech and gesture impossible. The actors, all men, wore comic and tragic masks and were costumed grotesquely, wearing padded clothes and, often, artificial phalluses. Nevertheless, there were advocates of naturalistic acting even at that time, and actors were held in high esteem. In the Roman period actors were slaves, and the level of performance was low, broad farce being the most popular dramatic form. The tragedies of Seneca were probably read in declamatory style, rather than acted on stage.

During the Christian period in Rome, acting almost disappeared, the tradition being upheld by traveling mimes, jugglers, and acrobats who entertained at fairs. In religious drama of the Middle Ages, an actor's every gesture and intonation was carefully designated for performance in church, and, as with the later pageants under the auspices of the trade guilds, the actors were amateurs.

Modern professional acting began in the 16th cent. with the Italian commedia dell'arte, whose actors improvised convincing and entertaining situations from general outlines. During the Restoration period in England, Thomas Betterton and his wife Mary were famous for their naturalness of delivery, as was Edward Kynaston. Their contemporaries, Charles Hart, Barton Booth, and James Quin, however, were well known for their lofty, heroic acting, a style that became dominant in the first third of the 18th cent. In the mid-18th cent. Charles Macklin and his pupil David Garrick introduced a more naturalistic style, and similar movements took place in France and Germany.

The old declamatory method did not really die out until the early 20th cent., and such great 18th- and 19th-century actors as Lekain, Sarah Siddons, Edmund Kean, and Junius Brutus Booth would probably seem overly histrionic to modern audiences. Part of the reason for the persistence of bombastic acting was the star system that existed until high standards of ensemble playing—common in popular repertory theaters since at least Shakespeare's time—were set by the Meiningen Players in 1874. Important late 19th-century actors, varying considerably in the naturalism of their acting styles, were Edwin Booth, Dame Ellen Terry, Henry Irving, Eleanora Duse, and Sarah Bernhardt. (16)

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Acting: Acting in the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries

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Acting in the 20th and 21st cent. has been greatly influenced by the theories of the Russian director Constantin Stanislavsky. An advocate of ensemble playing, he believed that an actor must strive for absolute psychological identification with the character being portrayed and that this identification is at least as important as mastery of voice projection or body movement. Stanislavsky's theories were popularized in the United States by the Group Theatre and later by Lee Strasberg at the Actors' Studio, which produced a generation of extremely naturalistic actors, notably Marlon Brando. The emergence of motion pictures and television has offered unprecedented opportunities and challenges for actors, the sensitivity of camera and microphone making subtlety of voice, expression, and movement absolutely essential. (16)

Evolution of Theater structure:

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How theatre has changed over the years:

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In the beginning, it was all Greek

If you went back in time to an Ancient Greek theatre, it wouldn’t just be the language that confused you. Ancient Greek performers were always men, even in female roles, and they always wore masks. Alongside the main characters, there was always a Chorus. The Chorus was a group of actors who didn’t take part in the action but instead behaved like a character’s conscience.

They were there to provide advice and complain “I told you so!” when someone did something wrong. All plays were split into tragedies and comedies. Tragedies were always about Ancient Greek myths and legends. Spoiler alert: most of them had a sad ending. Comedies parodied real-life people and political situations. Even back then, plays were an effective way to comment on the political establishment. These comedies were usually very graphic and extremely bawdy, which the Greeks loved.

Dark Medieval days and morality plays

We’re lucky we can still look back on how the theatre has changed over the years. For a while there it looked like theatre might disappear forever! As Christianity became more popular, people began to see theatre as immoral. It was a sinful, pagan pursuit that needed to be stamped out. When theatre did eventually make a comeback, it was in the form of religious morality tales.

Throughout the Middle Ages, it was common to re-enact Bible stories at different times of year, as part of religious festivals. But then came the Protestant Reformation. Early Protestants felt religious plays were wrong and began to ban them throughout Europe. For playwrights, it was a moment of crisis that led to a burst of creativity. Suddenly, they had a chance to think outside the box.

Shakespeare and the rowdy Elizabethans

We can’t talk about how the theatre has changed over the years without mentioning William Shakespeare. It was around this time that he and his contemporaries entered the scene. They had a huge influence on theatre and their masterworks are still staged at The Blackpool Grand Theatre today.

Queen Elizabeth I was a major supporter of theatre, and it was during her reign that the first permanent playhouses began to open.

These open-air structures were similar to the theatres we have now, with semi-circular galleries and a pit below.

The difference is that the cheapest tickets were down on the floor since you were likely to get rained on down there. Playhouses were rowdy places where plenty of drinking and fighting took place, so they were loathed by Puritans and the City of London authorities.

It’s a good thing The Queen was such a big fan, or we might never have even heard of Hamlet.

Spectacular ‘Machine Plays’!

The Puritans did eventually have their way and theatre was once again banned for 18 years. When it returned in 1600, comedy came into fashion in a big way. As we explore how the theatre has changed over the years we can see that in some ways it didn’t change that much. A thousand years after the first plays were staged, people still loved bawdy, explicit comedies about society. That was the hallmark of what became known as Restoration Comedy.

Later in the Restoration period, theatres began to stage so-called ‘machine plays’. These larger-than-life productions were a mixed bag of action, musical numbers, elaborate costumes and special effects like trapdoor tricks and fireworks.

19th Century Rise of Realism

Social realities have always influenced how the theatre has changed over the years. In the past, theatre had been a welcome distraction from the daily grind. By the time we reach the 1800s, playwrights became interested in reflecting real life with all its struggles and quirks. Russian playwrights were especially good at depicting the brutal realities of working-class life on stage.

Writers like Ibsen, meanwhile, started asking big philosophical questions in plays that were mostly symbolic. It was a bit much for some in Britain, who preferred witty social comedies by Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw.

Experimenting into a new millennium

By the 20th century, many playwrights simply wanted to reject everything that had come before. Avant-garde became the new watchword, which was liberating for some and alienating for others. Even for lovers of traditional theatre, though, this experimentation was an important step.

It allowed playwrights to innovate and bring ideas together in new and unexpected ways. Old stories and classic plays could be re-imagined as something completely fresh and therefore more relevant.

Blackpool’s Iconic Theatre The Grand

Nowadays at The Blackpool Grand Theatre, every performance reminds us of how the theatre has changed over the years. Theatre companies are modernising plays that were written in Ancient Greek. They’re reinventing Shakespeare favourites with surprising settings and casting choices. Musicals and comedies are as fun and silly as ever, but the staging is even more spectacular thanks to the wonders of technology.

Young playwrights, actors and directors are getting the chance to throw their diverse voices into the mix. There’s one thing that hasn’t changed, though. The theatre is still a place where everyone can come together, no matter who they are, to laugh and cry and be amazed by each other’s stories. (17)

Medieval Theater:

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Shakespeare Theater:

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Royal National Theatre:

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Theatre The Grand:

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 14:18:40 UTC

Unknown. (2020). How theatre has changed over the years - Blackpool Grand Theatre. Available: https://www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/how-theatre-has-changed. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

For Better or For Worse: How Acting Has Evolved Since the 1930s

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 14:20:43 UTC

I. 1930s-40s: Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, Henry Fonda

“I'm a Spencer Tracy-type actor. His idea was to be on time, know your words, hit your marks and tell the truth.” ~ James Garner

From the dawn of the moving picture there has always been acting. People moving in front of the camera representing what it is to be human. There have been movie stars ranging from Mary Pickford to Philip Seymour Hoffman, the ones who bring acting to the masses and make us feel something.

After the advent of talking pictures in 1927, modern acting truly took off in the 1930s and 40s. Hollywood’s studio system churned out movies and made actors into icons. Gary Cooper was the quiet All-American (Sergeant York), Cary Grant was the quintessential bachelor (The Philadelphia Story), Spencer Tracy had candid looks (Boy’s Town), and Henry Fonda was the plain-speaking everyman (The Grapes of Wrath). Each one had his trademark that they did not deviate from. They stuck to their prototype and it made them highly successful.

“Compare Brando with several of his noted predecessors, such as Cary Grant or Robert Mitchum," says Richard Brody in an article for The New Yorker, "who seem not to become the roles they play but to turn the characters into versions of themselves. Their roles aren’t put-ons, but they do put them on: they don their roles like costumes while continuing, manifestly and even brazenly, to be—themselves.”

It’s not that they never played against type (Grant and Fonda are case and point), but in some way they always seemed to retain who they were. There was never weight loss, special diets, or elaborate make-up jobs. There was rarely even a foreign accent.

The result was that stars were often hard to separate from their on-screen identities. In the words of Cary Grant, “I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be until finally I became that person. Or he became me.”

It is, in a way, more risky as an actor to be yourself rather than to take on a far different role, because the whole world sees who you really are. With that comes vulnerability, along with a big payoff if you get it right. To this day, fans are devoted to these early Hollywood stars for just this reason. They feel like they knew the men themselves.

II. 1950s: Marlon Brando, James Dean, Montgomery Clift, Paul Newman

“[Brando] was the bridge between the heroic screen purity of earlier stars such as Cary Grant, Gary Cooper and Henry Fonda and a generation of gritty, conflicted anti-heroes played by the likes of Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman.” ~ Associated Press on Marlon Brando

In the 1950s a strange thing began to happen thanks in part to acting gurus like Konstantin Stanislavski, Lee Strasberg, and Stella Adler. From these origins “The Method” style of acting found its roots and slowly made its way from the stage onto the sets of Hollywood. And there was no figure more integral to this emotionally moody acting revolution than a young man named Marlon Brando, who worked under the tutelage of Adler. He led the charge with this new style of acting that captured the angst and rebellion that defined a post-war generation (A Streetcar Named Desire, The Wild Ones, On the Waterfront).

“What set Brando apart was the way that technique unleashed his inner conflict," said one eulogizer after his death in 2004, "The same qualities that made Brando a world-class actor also made him, by some accounts, a world-class pain. The method seemed to harness his anger, warmth, insecurity, charm, cruelty and weakness -- separating those traits from the eccentric streak that would define him later in life.”

If Brando was the tip of the spear, there were several other men who followed hot on his heels -- the first being James Dean. Most people know that Dean’s life was cut tragically short at the age of 23 and that he made only three films (East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, Giant). What was it that made him such an electrifying screen presence? Dean studied some drama at UCLA, but it was his time at The Actors Studio with Lee Strasberg which seem to be truly formative. Co-founder of the studio and director Elia Kazan spoke of Dean in this way:

“Everything this kid does should be delightfully anarchistic, odd, original, imaginative, eccentric, full of longing, and with sudden mood alterations. He is the unexpected personified. He goes directly to the heart of the matter.”

John Steinbeck famously disliked Dean, but told Kazan that he was perfect for the part of Cal in East of Eden for these exact reasons. Much like Brando, he had a moodiness and emotions that were always being drawn upon, ready to be unleashed at any given moment when you least expected it. He was a rallying figure for younger generations, capable of stealing scenes with his improvising or remain content in his brooding. There was no one quite like him.

One of the forerunners who is often criminally forgotten is Montgomery or “Monty” Clift, who had an important impact on this new wave of actors in his own right. An argument was made in The Telegraph that he was in fact better than Brando and more tragic than Dean:

“There’s a toughness about his work that the other two lack – even Brando, with his heft and animal magnetism, could appear to be conducting an internal conversation about acting technique with himself. These days, Dean’s acting can look flighty and neurotic. But Clift genuinely projected: he portrayed loners, defying convention and resisting the mainstream; he was at his best playing principled idealists whose will could not be bent.”

In films like A Place in the Sun (1951) and From Here to Eternity (1953) he portrayed characters who rivaled Brando and Dean in both tragedy and intensity. It should be noted that Clift struggled with alcoholism and he similar to Dean died young at 45. David Gritten of The Telegraph further conveys that, “Clift preferred to portray different characters convincingly, rather than seek variations of himself.” This point is potentially important because it suggests that Clift was one of the harbingers of things to come in the 1970s and beyond.

The final prominent member of this era was Paul Newman, who had a very different legacy than his three other contemporaries. He too perfected his craft under Lee Strasberg and after James Dean’s death he got many of the roles that would have gone to the other actor. Yet the argument was made that he did not portray the angst and generational conflict as convincingly. The Independent suggested the following:

“It was hardly Newman's fault that he so closely resembled Dean and Brando. He had been taught by the same teachers. If he wasn't a natural screen rebel, he soon learned how to be a very convincing one. The detachment and air of opportunism served him well in films like Sweet Bird of Youth, where he played a gigolo returning to his hometown, as the unscrupulous womaniser in Hud, or as Fast Eddie in The Hustler. Newman's trick was to take narcissistic and often cynical characters and to give them just a hint of vulnerability.”

Newman broke with Dean and Clift in that his career lasted 50 more years, well into the 2000s. He surpassed Brando using his charm and winning smile to continually endear himself to the masses (Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), while Brando was losing popularity and gaining weight in his later years. So in a sense Paul Newman transcended these generations proving that they are not hard and fast categories because some actors are timeless no matter what generation they fall in.

III. 1970s-80s: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman

“My dear boy, why don't you try acting?” ~ Laurence Olivier to Dustin Hoffman, on the set of Marathon Man

For much of the 1970s and 80s the New Hollywood landscape was dominated by directors such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Arthur Penn. It was a generation further defined by Robert De Niro in roles as loner Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver and boxer Jake La Motta in Raging Bull. De Niro got his acting training in under Stella Adler while also spending some time at The Actors Studio. So it was from the same background as Marlon Brando that Robert De Niro came from, making it rather ironic that he played the younger Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II. De Niro would become the model of later generations for his full commitment to his craft. For example, he lost weight for Taxi Driver, gained over 40 pounds for just the latter half of Raging Bull and he had his dentist purposefully ruin his teeth for his villainous turn in Cape Fear. Now that's commitment.

Arguably one of his greatest rivals, also hailing from New York, was Al Pacino who got his break in the same The Godfather films.

“As Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II, the movie that really made him, you could barely hear his voice," says The Guardian, "Pacino, so young and grave, did the 'Method' - he didn't act so much as inhabit his characters. He expressed himself in the tiniest gestures. He showed ambiguity with consummate economy, saying one thing with his voice and something completely different with his eyes.”

Both De Niro and Pacino portray characters prone to violence that is so often explosive and personally destructive. What set Pacino apart is the contrast between his demeanor and his action. De Niro is often more formidable as a tough guy, while Pacino can be just as imposing thanks to his black hole eyes. They are full of ice cold emotion that allow him to shift between the status quo and corruption in an instant.

Jack Nicholson is often remembered for being a constant presence courtside at Laker games. However, he is also one of the big name actors of the 1970s and of all time with 3 Oscars to his name. In an interview with Esquire Jack talked about how he is still not considered by some to be a Method actor and yet he considers himself a real student of it, using the techniques in his acting. It fits when you look at roles like Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) and even The Joker where he brims with psychotic tendencies and cruel humor. He has a different approach than De Niro and Pacino, but he represents the same anti-establishment stance that came out of the New Hollywood movement.

The opening quote by Sir Laurence Olivier was famously directed towards Dustin Hoffman, because the younger actor went three days without sleep in order to become the character he was playing in Marathon Man (1976). It illustrates the clash between Old and New Hollywood ideals. Olivier came from the tradition of classical acting in England and before Brando he was considered the best with over 10 Oscar nominations. By the 1970s Hoffman had made a name for himself in memorable dramas like The Graduate (1967) and Midnight Cowboy (1969).

He lacked the looks, voice or presence of Olivier and yet he too had become a respected actor. This probably would never have happened in The Golden Age of Hollywood, but in the 1970s his style of “acting,” which was laughable to older veterans, brought life to many memorable characters. He had the grittiness and the inner conflict that reflected the new age of Vietnam and social unrest. So as Olivier and others began to age gracefully, Hoffman and his contemporaries kept holding onto their intensity. They were an indication of things to come.

IV. Modern Era: Christian Bale, Daniel Day-Lewis, Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger

“Now, in the post-Method age, actors seem expected to inflate or stretch or shrink or compress themselves to fit the character.” ~ Richard Brody in The New Yorker

Meryl Streep might disagree with me, but it seems like every year she is taking on a new role, a new persona, in which I lose her inside of a part. To her credit she is quite convincing and she does not have an astounding 19 Oscar nominations for nothing. My question is this. Is Meryl Streep more realistic or inspired than one of her earlier counterparts? Does her miraculous morphing into Julia Child or Margaret Thatcher make her a superior actor?

In the modern age there are many actors who refuse to break character and attempt to immerse themselves in a role like Daniel Day-Lewis, Christian Bale, Jake Gyllenhaal and even the late Heath Ledger. They are the heirs of the De Niro and Pacino era. Their approach to the acting craft makes them prone to angry outbursts (Exhibit A: Christian Bale on the Terminator: Salvation set), however they also produce some dynamic work bursting with passion and channeling artistic inspiration. There are obvious pros and cons. Have they gone too far or is it simply part of the creative process to get as realistic as possible? Again, is their type of acting superior or just different from the classic stars of yesteryear?

Christian Bale may now be known for box offices smashes like The Dark Knight Trilogy, but there is no doubt he maintains the method of his predecessors. The most glaring example is his role in The Machinist (2004) where he shed a whole lot of body weight, living off solely coffee, cigarettes and apples. Even more recently in American Hustle (2013) he added a belly, a new comb-over and a Boston accent. In Bale you can also see some of the angst and the brooding fury of earlier generations.

In the modern era no actor has received quite the acclaim of Daniel Day-Lewis who has transformed himself from Oil Tycoon Daniel Plainview to our 16th president Abraham Lincoln -- two men on the complete opposite spectrums of humanity. For both roles he received Oscars. After picking up the 3rd statuette The Independent did their own analysis of Day-Lewis:-

“To call Daniel Day-Lewis a method actor is to understate the case...Stars tend to be defined by their immutability. John Wayne was always John Wayne. Cary Grant described the secret of star acting as becoming ‘as familiar in people’s lives as their favourite brand of tea or coffee.’ Day-Lewis, though, makes hardly any films and rarely repeats himself. When he does appear on screen, it’s always bound to be in a radical new guise.”

Jake Gyllenhaal is sometimes forgotten, but he still is a worthy addition, made evident by his most recent performance as Leo Bloom in Nightcrawler (2014). He augmented his creepy portrayal as the crime photographer with a gaunt figure and leaned out face that felt strangely unnerving. At times it was hard to remember that this was the same man who starred in Zodiac (2007) and Source Code (2011). He was just so weird in a oddly captivating way.

For his part Heath Ledger will forever have his legacy solidified for his tour de force as The Joker. After his death and subsequent Oscar nomination the parallels with James Dean became even more prominent. What Ledger did though was arguably even more involved than Dean. He supposedly spent a month alone in a hotel and much like Daniel Day-Lewis he would not break character on set during filming. He was fully invested in the role of this villainous figure and it paid heavy dividends at least on the award circuit.

Acting has progressed just as film has progressed, but the question is, has it gotten better, worse or is it just different? I attempted to look at the evidence and give a basic case study of how acting has evolved by highlighting four actors from four different eras. The 1930s and 40s was the age of the Hollywood studio Star who used their iconic personas to win audiences over with their plain, everyday authenticity and charm. The 1950s saw the advent of younger actors who went through more training, funnelling their emotions into some of film’s most iconic roles of all time. The following decades gave the opportunity for a wave of anti-stars to come to the forefront. They pushed the trade further than anyone else before and we can see this trend being continued even right now. Actors are devoted to their profession. They are devoted to their roles, going through physical regiments and training to get everything just right.

So whether you’re a Classic Hollywood purist or all about the method or partial to the modern method, there is no doubt that acting come in all shapes and sizes. With all those varying approaches there are also, conveniently, numerous conflicting viewpoints. Some are in favor of the old ways while others are content with the direction acting is taking. That’s for every person to decide on their own. I’m open to both, I just hope that acting does not go the way of CGI where technology completely removes the human element from the screen entirely.

For now I think it can still be said that actors share one common goal--to reflect a little piece of humanity that audiences can take away with them. That’s what acting is after all, taking a character and injecting him or her with a little bit of who they are. The degree at which actors don a part may have increased, but I think at the end of the day all great actors do one thing well. They place a magnifying glass to reality. (18)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 14:25:02 UTC

Tynan Yanaga. (2015). For Better or For Worse: How Acting Has Evolved Since the 1930s. Available: http://blog.colaborator.com/main/article/for-better-or-for-worse-how-acting-as-evolved-in-1930s-40s. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

How has the craft of acting changed over the last 70 years or so?

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 14:29:45 UTC

Well, there are at least a couple of things going on. Actors today are not realistic. If you watch their performances side-by-side with video tapes of actual people (who aren't performing), you'll see differences. Most of them will probably strike you as small, but that's because you were raised to think of them as small (or to not even notice them). In other words, modern actors are representing reality in a way that fits your mental model of reality. Some that you think of us utterly real will probably seem fake to your grandchildren.

Each generation has its own "realism," and performances that seem hokey to us seemed almost like documentary footage to our grandparents. This is because each generation focuses on different disparities between real life and acting.

In my own life, I've experienced something similar with special effects. I'm 48, and when I was a kid, the original "Star Trek" was on TV. The special effects seemed good, as did the jerky stop-motion animation in films like "Jason and the Argonauts." Many of us still like that animation, but not because it looks real. Strangely, it did look real to me when I was younger, but it doesn't now.

That said, there was a sea-change in movie performances that occurred in the middle of the 20th Century, and it mostly happened due to the sway of Method Acting. Method started getting introduced in the 1920s, but that was too late for actors in Clarke Gable's generation. It didn't really become a force until the 1950s.

Method was a bastardization of techniques developed by the Russian director Constanstine Stanislavski around the turn of the Century. Alas, only a small amount of his writing was translated into English back then, so Americans like Lee Strasberg* (a guru to actors of Brando's generation) brought a version of it to America, filling in gaps with their own ideas of what they thought Stanislavski was teaching.

[*You can see Strasberg in "The Godfather, Part II." He plays Hyman Roth. He's also surrounded, in that film, with actors trained in his system.]

Method centers around using your own memories as prompts for performances. So, for instance, an actor pretending to drink hot coffee would try to recall what that really felt like, rather than performing a stylized gesture that looks good.

The popularity of Method Acting has waned, but almost all (Western) actors nowadays are trained in some version of Stanislavki's techniques. Even non-trained actors learn it through the osmosis of working with trained actors.

Stanislavski's main idea is that actors should never try to evoke an emotional state. They shouldn't try to "be happy" or "be angry," and they certainly shouldn't strike poses or speak in "poetic" voices. Rather, they should "play actions."

An action is a tactic you use to achieve a goal. So, for instance, a modern actor wouldn't try to "be sexy;" instead, he'd try To Seduce. Modern acting seems real because what you're watching is mostly actors doing real things. When the drill sergeant in "Full Metal Jacket" is berating the grunts, he's not trying to appear menacing; he's actually trying To Break those Actors Down. To some extent, such performances are not acting. You're watching people trying to achieve goals.

Directors trained this way (as I was) speak to actors in terms of goals. I would never tell an actor to "be more aggressive." Rather, I would tell him to "conquer his opponent." Goals instead of states.

I don't believe any actor (or director) sticks robotically to one system, but these ideas, from Stanislavski and Method, of using "sense memory" and "playing actions" are entrenched in the theatre and film community, and that entrenchment happened starting in the mid-20th Century.

Put another way, we are all children of Freud (a contemporary of Stanislavsky), whereas people born in the early 20th Century and before weren't.' (19)

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Marcus Geduld. (2013). How has the craft of acting changed over the last 70 years or so?. Available: https://www.quora.com/How-has-the-craft-of-acting-changed-over-the-last-70-years-or-so. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

Simon Callow on the changing styles of acting:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 14:36:26 UTC

'I have been acting for 35 years now, and going to the theatre for nearly 50. During those 50 years of watching it, thinking about it, writing about it, doing it, the most startling change has been in acting style, from the great actors of my youth (Laurence Olivier, Edith Evans, Alec Guinness, John Gielgud, Peggy Ashcroft, Donald Wolfit) to the firebrands of today: Lyndsey Marshal, Anna Maxwell Martin, James McAvoy, Tom Hardy, Jonathan Slinger. There is no question that Slinger's Richard III speaks an entirely different language from Olivier's 1944 performance. Whether it is better or worse is a meaningless consideration; it's hard to argue that we are getting better or worse at acting - but there is, unquestionably, such a thing as evolution. Acting changes: the acclaimed performances of one generation can seem hilariously inept to its successors.

In the early 19th century, the actor Edmund Kean swept away years of tradition with a terrifying degree of emotional realism, verging on incoherence (Coleridge remarked that watching him act was like seeing Shakespeare "illuminated by flashes of lightning" - this was not necessarily meant as a compliment). Marlon Brando had a similar effect 150 years later, making the rough-diamond realism of Bogart and Cagney seem mannered. Olivier did the same thing for the classics in the 1930s; Charles Laughton had a similar impact on the West End. The effect of these radical new actors is always the same: they seem to show up the artificiality, or the predictability, of the acting of the day. They suddenly appear more real - for a while. Eventually, they seem comfortable, familiar, even stale. Then a new actor, realer than real, bursts through, and they are yesterday's men.

Sometimes, this is a question of personality: an actor can seem like a new type, a type that is everywhere, in the street, in clubs, at supper - everywhere, that is, except on stage or screen. Then one of them finally makes it into those media, and immediately becomes iconic. Ben Whishaw, Trevor Nunn's last Hamlet, was such a person: electric, alienated, self-destructive. So was Noël Coward in his day. When he first appeared on the London stage as an adult, he seemed to epitomise all the bright young things of the mid-1920s: he was light, quick, brittle, cynical, electric. He was now.

In the sphere of classical acting, Olivier, presently regarded as weirdly exotic - all spitted consonants, flapping hands and rolling eyes - had a similar effect. The reigning Shakespearean actor of his generation was John Gielgud, who presented his doomed princes and thwarted lovers with extraordinary grace and intelligence, with pathos and wit, charm and a lovely sense of the ridiculous. Enter Olivier, a very different person and an utterly different actor. His notion of acting was above all physical. He brought sex and danger; he sought not to charm and seduce his audience, but to overwhelm them with his brilliance and originality. He wanted them to think him real.

Was Gielgud not real, in his way? Certainly. But for young contemporaries, it was a pallid reality compared to Olivier's animal energy. Gielgud, with typical - even reckless - generosity, invited the younger man to alternate the roles of Romeo and Mercutio with him. No one in the audience doubted that they were witnessing a contest between a reigning champion and his young challenger.

The young challenger made all the running, though by no means won all the prizes. His approach was regarded as primitive. "Mr Olivier does not speak the verse badly," observed critic James Agate, "he does not speak it at all." Even his sense of character was regarded by many as crude. But Olivier, with the impatience of the interwar generation, had no time for abstract nouns: nobility, beauty, truth. He was interested in things you could touch, smell, feel. Gielgud admitted that the sight of Olivier standing under that balcony in Verona, consumed with desire and intoxicated with love, contained an essence of the character and the play that was eluding him. Audiences thrilled to this. Curiously, though, it was not for his realism that Olivier became known, but for his theatricality. By a cruel trick of destiny, it was the rather perfumed and hyper-refined Gielgud who - at the end of his life, by playing characters on film and television essentially as himself - ended up being regarded as the more real of the two.

Sometimes, a shift comes not from an individual performer but from an idea or theory. John Fernald, director of Rada from the mid-1950s, wanted to encourage a different sort of actor: less middle class, with an emphasis on the regional. Actors such as Albert Finney, John Hurt, Glenda Jackson and Anthony Hopkins began to appear, different in appearance, voice and tone from the acting establishment of the day, who all seemed very grand and imposing. The new actors didn't want to seem a race apart: they wanted to imitate humanity as they saw it.

New playwrights had appeared, too, in the wake of the revolution at the Royal Court, writing about a different sort of reality. When Peter Hall created the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1960, he extended this sense of social realism to the classics. Giving the part of Hamlet to the young David Warner, who looked and sounded like every student at every new university, was a bold statement; its success seemed to signal the end of the Gielgud lyrical-romantic and the Olivier heroic-romantic approaches.

Other changes came from physical factors. A new generation, brought up watching television, concentrated on creating a greater intimacy with audiences. Smaller theatre spaces started to proliferate: the Fringe, as opposed to the now impoverished repertory theatres, became the stamping ground of the young actor. The plays got smaller, too; as it became harder to finance works with large casts, playwrights reined in their ambitions. There was less emphasis on a star, more focus on the company. The political theatre of the 1970s and 80s - Joint Stock (of which I was a member), 7:84, Red Ladder - often had elaborate democratic structures designed to guard against dominating personalities. This filtered through to the mainstream.

The huge rise in the significance of musical theatre brought with it sophisticated microphones, so it is now possible for a singer's slightest murmur to reach the furthest seat. This had an effect on performances: less physical effort was required, but the actor's sense of climbing a mountain was lost. In America, non-musical theatres are increasingly miked. While great intimacy is achieved, the breadth - the physical excitement - of the performance is hugely reduced.

Contemporary actors have been discouraged from exploring the possibilities of acting. Where verisimilitude is the essential criterion, the results will tend to be photographic. Actors brought up in the theatre of the past - and that includes many of us still practising - have a more painterly approach: one that acknowledges the element of artifice, but seeks to intensify the expressiveness. The dimension of imaginative fantasy in acting, so stressed by the great Russian teacher Michael Chekhov, has been sidelined into what is absurdly called "physical theatre" - as if theatre could ever be anything but. It would be salutary perhaps to reintroduce the old phrase once used to describe an original approach to a character: "a creation", rather than a mere interpretation. But would today's public buy it? I have a horrible feeling that if Edmund Kean or Laurence Olivier were to step on to a stage tomorrow to give one of their greatest performances, the audience would collapse in giggles.

Rejection, jealousy and revolution

In the 1590s, a change in acting is signalled in Hamlet. The young prince has written a scene for the players. He speaks to them about "the purpose of playing" - the aim is to hold "the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure".

Clearly, acting was on the move - and Shakespeare was writing for this new sort of actor, who was growing away from formulaic presentation of stock characters, emotions and gestures. The new actor's job was, in Shakespeare's radiant description, to imitate humanity.

I should imagine that every actor since would be happy to sign up to that. But it isn't so simple. Every generation believes - must believe - that it has found the secret to creating credible life on stage, and this requires that its predecessors' approach be rejected.

In 1741, David Garrick, a 24-year old from Lichfield, set the town on fire with his Richard III. The established actors were not best pleased, but their reaction was more than jealousy. "If the young fellow is right," the great tragedian James Quin reportedly said, "I, and the rest of the players, have all been wrong."

They sensed that Garrick's acting was revolutionary. He conveyed the illusion of thought on stage. For him, emotion followed thought, a principle he demonstrated at parties, asking guests to shout an emotion - "Jealousy!" "Anxiety!" - which he would instantly portray.' (20)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 14:45:57 UTC

Simon Callow. (2009). Simon Callow on the changing styles of acting. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/may/11/simon-callow-theatre. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

The Origins of Acting and "The Method":

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 14:47:57 UTC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfPz1c07IsQ (21)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 14:49:00 UTC

Filmmaker IQ (2015)

The Origins of Acting and "The Method". 29 April, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfPz1c07IsQ (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

The Future of Acting:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 14:53:53 UTC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixxQmym4IRA (22)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 14:54:11 UTC

Casting Actors Cast (2019)

#85 The Future of Acting. 19 November, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixxQmym4IRA (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

Joaquin Phoenix On The Traditional Rules Of Acting And Why He Has His Own:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 14:56:21 UTC

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Salon (2018)

Joaquin Phoenix On The Traditional Rules Of Acting And Why He Has His Own. 15 June, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTp5iqy6sBg (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

Antonin Artaud and the Theater of Cruelty: Crash Course Theater.

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CrashCourse (2019)

Antonin Artaud and the Theater of Cruelty: Crash Course Theater #43. 13 January, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK_vZuLYHcw (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

How Stanislavski Reinvented the Craft of Acting:

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Lux (2017)

How Stanislavski Reinvented the Craft of Acting. 30 October, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB1fPZX5Zgk&t=404s (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

Bertolt Brecht and Epic Theater: Crash Course Theater.

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:02:47 UTC

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:04:00 UTC

CrashCourse (2019)

Bertolt Brecht and Epic Theater: Crash Course Theater #44. 18 January, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7fqMPDcKXM (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

Sanford Meisner - Meisner Technique:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:06:50 UTC

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:07:13 UTC

FabbricaEsperienza (2016)

Sanford Meisner - Meisner Techique. 11 August, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBJMZ4COkMw (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

WHAT IS THE MEISNER TECHNIQUE? (Acting Coach NYC):

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:09:39 UTC

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:09:56 UTC

John Windsor-Cunningham (2013) WHAT IS THE MEISNER TECHNIQUE? (Acting Coach NYC). 12 September, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgje3PtoQXg (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

Uta Hagen's Acting Class:

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Jamie Marsh (2015)

Uta Hagen's Acting Class part 1. 5 October, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SseJhOPV9nY (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

Michael Chekhov & the Moscow Art Theater:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:13:49 UTC

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:14:04 UTC

Michael Chekhov School (2019)

Michael Chekhov & the Moscow Art Theater. 27 May, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbK3pSfpd9I (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

50-Minute Documentary on LEE STRASBERG: 'The Method Man' (1997).

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:16:35 UTC

Eyes On Cinema (2014)

50-Minute Documentary on LEE STRASBERG: 'The Method Man' (1997). 21 December, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npQm7-GjRQs (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

Remembering theatre giant Sir Peter Hall - BBC Newsnight:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:18:21 UTC

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:18:41 UTC

BBC Newsnight (2017)

Remembering theatre giant Sir Peter Hall - BBC Newsnight. 13 September, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_17gxhYnSE (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

Peter Hall in conversation with Nicholas Hytner:

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:21:00 UTC

National Theatre (2014)

Peter Hall in conversation with Nicholas Hytner. 23 April, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUZq2vDcqaU (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

Laban Movement Analysis:

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Samantha Skene (2017)

Laban Movement Analysis Made simple. 30 September, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUL_NM8aPik (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

Stella Adler: Using imagination to think about a play, setting and social class.

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:28:04 UTC

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:28:21 UTC

Principe Turandot (2013)

Stella Adler: Using imagination to think about a play, setting and social class. 25 December, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjNCdjWee5k (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

Stella Adler Acting Method & Technique:

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:30:05 UTC

The Actors Academy (2017)

Stella Adler Acting Method & Technique. 1 January, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eadazrBpjso (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

Acting - What is it? How to do it? Why do it?:

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TEDx Talks (2019)

Acting - What is it? How to do it? Why do it? | David Wenham | TEDxSydney. 12 September, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvXehZX81Fw (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

The essence of acting:

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TEDx Talks (2014)

The essence of acting | Mirjana Joković | TEDxCalArts. 15 September, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZFGNo7RgJw (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

Stanislavski Acting Мethodology:

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MercatorInfogr (2015)

Stanislavsky Acting Мethodology. 28 September, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaanuRvpfFU&t=6s (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

Stage Acting: Theories of Acting.

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:44:16 UTC

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SCC Digital Video Productions (2010)

Stage Acting: Theories of Acting. 5 June, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x74W1Sddhk (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

Introduction to Drama Therapy:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:47:01 UTC

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 15:47:18 UTC

NYU Steinhardt (2012)

Introduction to Drama Therapy. 24 October, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DULKnm1SFhE (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

The Future of Acting:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 16:04:25 UTC

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Will actors become obsolete in the future, as CGI is improving?

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 16:06:01 UTC

'In one sense there will be actors even with CGI. The voice actors will probably still lend their acting to the animation. Likewise the animators still lend a human hand and creativity to the ‘acting’, although animators are a different artist to actors. They too have a deep understanding of human responses but don’t wish to be seen.

The movie The Congress (2013 film) - Wikipedia explores this very question.

Until the day that artificial intelligence creates movies we are left with an advanced form of animation. The CGI has voice, movement (through MOCAP) and animators all working on character creation. So why do it and make it realistic? For novelty? For economy? To create ‘Lara Croft’ game type characters who are totally owned and created by the studios? To get characters to be more extreme than possible with real people? To pander to directors who can’t play well with others and who want to micro control every aspect of performance?

There is a theory of the Uncanny Valley Uncanny valley - Wikipedia that maps human emotional response to the realism of representations. It holds that there is a serious dip in acceptance as realism is approached. People find the almost real very creepy. I wonder if this valley will shift as people become more familiar with realistic 3D animations.' - Ross Brannigan.

'No, I don’t think so. Digital animation is proving that it can convey visual emotion pretty well, but that’s still relying on actors for the voice work, and while we’ve made great strides, there’s still a distinct uncanny valley. Even the work done on the cgi Tarkin in Rogue One has a distinctly unreal quality, and that relied on an actor to create the performance.

Additionally, it’s ostensibly less work and less money to get an actor to do another take or ten than it is to render a dozen different cgi sequences for the same scene. And cgi is not something that’s going to, for instance, take over live theater, because that’s a completely different medium.

And then there’s the human factor. It is the job of actors to make people feel something for the characters they portray, and that job is legitimately difficult. It’s why we have as many acting awards as we do, why people make such a big fuss when an actor goes method and does something extreme. There’s a basic sense of one human relating to another. “Oh my God, Anne Hathaway starved herself for Les Misérables, that is so intense of her, I’m impressed, I could never do that. Oh my God, poor Leonardo di Caprio is putting himself through hell on The Revenant, will someone please just give the man an Oscar before he gets himself killed?” If you take actors out of the equation, what connection is there?' - Sam Marchiony. (42)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 16:09:42 UTC

Ross Brannigan, Sam Marchiony. (2016, 2017). Will actors become obsolete in the future, as CGI is improving?. Available: https://www.quora.com/Will-actors-become-obsolete-in-the-future-as-CGI-is-improving. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

Watch: The Future of Acting in the Technological Age.

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 16:10:43 UTC

In the 2013 film “The Congress,” Hollywood studios digitally scan actors and then make films starring computer-generated characters. It’s a futuristic vision that is, in fact, happening on a much smaller scale right now as advancements in 3D scanning, motion capture and digital rendering are blurring the line between human and hologram.

In its first episode of The Creators Project’s new series “ReForm,” we meet researchers such as Paul Debevec, who is introducing the world to the concept of the 3D actor with “Digital Ira,” which he’s created in collaboration with Activision.

Actor Stephen Lang, who played the villainous Colonel Quaritch in James Cameron’s “Avatar,” explains what it’s like to see your 3D replica. “They’re able to capture all of your expressions, 360 degrees, all the follicles of your hair and everything, so it can basically duplicate you… It’d be strange if like, 30 years after I’m dead, I show up doing porno,” he jokes in the episode. (43)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 16:12:37 UTC

Paula Bernstein. (2015). Watch: The Future of Acting in the Technological Age. Available: https://www.indiewire.com/2015/05/watch-the-future-of-acting-in-the-technological-age-61540/. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 16:14:16 UTC

Creators (2015)

ReForm | Hollywood's Digital Clones. 19 May, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTC3k9Iv4r0&feature=emb_title (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

The Future Of Acting - The Great Acting Blog:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 16:16:27 UTC

“We have to be optimistic. The moment actors start thinking otherwise, they’re dead. You simply have to believe you have a future.” – Peter O’Toole.

'Peter O’Toole is a god of acting, he is a great actor, his performance in Becket is one of my favourite of all time, so when he speaks, I listen. However, I was quite shocked by the statement above, it never occurred to me that somebody as fabulously successful and bravura as O’Toole ever had to worry about having a future as an actor, certainly I would never have guessed that he would ever have had to place his chips on being optimistic.

I’ve never really liked “optimism”, it’s similar to “being positive”, it just seems desperate, as though we are powerless and can only accomplish anything because of luck, or because of some outside force doing us a favour. I much prefer to try to see things as they really are, then plot a course of action in response to the conclusions of my analysis, and proceed from there. Optimism is linked to the frustrations of the casting process, where the actor is having to appeal to someone, whilst knowing there are dozens of other actors lined up behind him, waiting to do exactly the same thing – then after the casting, the actor is left hoping he is the one who will be picked, and if he is passed over on this occasion, then he must hope something else turns-up, and the process starts all over again. The actor copes with being demeaned in this way only because it is the accepted norm. The point is however, we can easily see how the actor is reduced to sitting around trying to be “optimistic” about the future. The trouble is, optimism is only a hop, skip and a jump away from wishful thinking, and wishful thinking is, we know, the opposite of hard thinking – but wishful thinking is what keeps people volutarily participating in a system which does not necessarily serve their own best interests, ie: “I have absolutely no control over what is happening to me, but I’m sure something’ll turn up”. Wishful thinking is thinking that one day you’ll have a career like, well, like Peter O’Toole, even though you may not possess the capability to actually make it happen. As I mentioned in my blog on Why Actors Quit, without a concrete and energising goal (and for the goal to be concrete and energizing, accomplishing it needs to be within the actor’s power), the actor will not be able to overcome the obstacles he will inevitably encounter – he needs powerful reasons to keep fighting – optimism, positive thinking, wishful thinking, self-help mantras, vague hope, are not concrete, and they are not energizing, they may, like cigarettes, seem to offer momentary relief, but ultimately they are empty and lead to self-deception.

For my own view, the acting world has changed radically from the days when O’Toole was coming up. The last 10 years has seen an explosion in the number of people going into acting, and arguably there has been a dimunition in the volume of work available. Like the rest of our culture, getting a decent education and working hard is no longer enough. We are moving into an era when eveyone needs to be an entrepeneur, and that includes actors. Infact, in the case of acting, I think we will see the emergence of more and more “actor-auteurs”, wherby the actor is the unmistakable author of the work, such as Charlie Chaplin or Woody Allen. This will happen largely because of the reason I mentioned above, that there is just so much more traffic on the old career paths than there used to be and actors will be forced to be more innovative, but also it will happen because it’s now doable: the cost of production has been coming down and down and down to the point where a professional quality feature film can be produced with a literally zero budget, and then we have the emergence of micro-distribution, where an audience can be found and nurtured. The actor doesn’t need to believe he has a future, the actor needs to create one for himself.' (45)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 16:17:57 UTC

James Devereaux. (2012). The Future Of Acting. Available: http://jamesdevereaux.com/the-great-acting-blog-the-future-of-acting/. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

Will CGI replace all actors in the future?

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 16:20:50 UTC

In the age of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where all your colourful, wondrous superheroes and villains come to life, CGI on actors is more prevalent than ever. Not only can Paul Bettany become Vision or Ralph Fiennes become Voldemort, but cinema can now create any actor it want.

One of the most infamous examples in recent years is the late Paul Walker. Walker, the co-star of the Fast and Furious franchise met an untimely death in a car accident during the time where the film’s seventh instalment was still being filmed.

After permission from his family, it was decided to craft a fitting tribute to the actor using CGI. A CGI face of Walker was created and put onto the body of a completely different person. If it wasn’t for the process making headlines, audiences would’ve been none the wiser.

This creative choice brings up the consideration of where Hollywood is going. Are filmmakers of the future not going to bother casting? Is it going to be as simple as getting the permission of the actor to use their likeness, sending them a big cheque and popping their face onto the coffee guy on set?

Actors like Robin Williams have actually put legal protections on using their likeness. CGI can’t be used in any capacity to bring the beloved actor back to our screens. Paul Walker is an example of permission being granted, Williams is an example of it being denied.

As this method of filmmaking gains more attention, actors will start either signing contracts to say “yes, you can” or “no, you can’t” in the whole CGI game. Of course, both these examples are of actors whom have passed away.

None other than Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr. himself, is a living example of this practice. Believe it or not but RDJ wasn’t actually on set all that much for Iron Man 3. Remember the final scene of the film, where he stands on the edge of his destroyed home and gives an epic monologue? Well, he wasn’t actually there, it was a stunt double with Stark’s gorgeous face slapped on.

RDJ and people of similar calibre, the people who are both in super high demand, and super busy have the opportunity to just cash in on people paying to use their likeness.

Saturation issues aside for a moment, imagine how much money RDJ could make staring in twice as many films a year and only having to be on set half as much. That’s a money-making method we would seriously consider if we were an A-lister.

Still though this involves paying a stunt double, what if you don’t even want to do that?

In this movie, Smith goes up against a younger version of himself, a version entirely made by CGI. No stunt double here, every appendage, every hair follicle, every sinew is made by a computer.

CGI in Hollywood has three ‘levels’ right now. You have altering the actual actor to look slightly different such as Voldemort or Samuel L. Jackson in Captain Marvel, you have changing a stunt double to look like someone else, like Paul Walker, and you have an entirely synthetic actor like young Will Smith.

Will these processes outshine good old acting though? Do remember, it’s only the theatrical talent of an actor that prompts filmmakers to want to use their likeness. Marvel had no intention of replacing RDJ during Iron Man 3, it was more a case of making sure he got as much screen time as hoped for.

The way the landscape looks right now, CGI actors won’t replace actors, but they will supplement them. It’s impossible to replace an actor, they’re personalities off screen as much as they are on screen.

Take Carrie Fisher at the 2009 and 2016 Comic-Con for example, actors can turn up in the flesh off-set to entertain their fans, to build hype. The 20 or 30 people who worked to design the CGI Carrie Fisher would not generate as much hype. It’s important in cinema to build an off screen personality people vibe with, something that the non-existent young Will Smith could never do.

Right now, actors are not a dying breed. CGI in fact makes them stronger than ever, they can have more screen time, look younger, or just use their time more effectively. Once the world’s most CGI actor wins an Oscar is probably when we will see a major shift in the industry. (46)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 16:26:13 UTC

Josh Corder. (2019). Will CGI replace all actors in the future?. Available: https://www.esquireme.com/content/37409-is-cgi-going-to-replace-all-actors-in-the-future-an-investigation. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

Unscripted telly and sci-fi escapism: How COVID-19 will change the future of film and TV.

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 16:27:47 UTC

Industry-halting events have happened before – so what can WWII and the 2007 writers strike teach us about next year's on-screen hits?

Somewhere in Leavesden Studios, just outside London, a Batmobile is sitting under a tarpaulin, waiting for the coronavirus to end. While Batman himself (R-Patz) is keeping busy with pasta, most other actors, directors, producers, cameramen, costumers, gaffers and SFX techies are sat nervously checking their phones to see if they’ve still got a job.

TV productions around the world have been shut down. For an industry that runs on such tight schedules and long lead times, the global lockdown is more than just a hiccup. We don’t know yet if cinemas are even going to survive coronavirus, but if they do – we can be sure that the films they show are going to look a whole lot different.

And once we’ve sat through months of depressing news alerts on TV, are we really all going to get excited about another Chernobyl? A new series of The Walking Dead? Or will we all have an even larger appetite for grim and grimy apocalypse stories? Will romcoms have the same sparkle when we’re all just jealous of two people getting to meet up in a public space? Will sci-fi escapism hit it big – the public craving anything that helps us forget about the worldwide recession for two hours?

If anyone knows the answer, it’s history. The coronavirus might be a new disease, but the film and TV industry has seen it all before.

The Great Depression saw at least one in five people unemployed. The industry collapsed. Suicide hit an all-time high. But more people went to the cinema than at any other time in history. During the early 1930s, between 60 and 80 million Americans dropped by their local theatre every week.

Clearly, people wanted something to take their mind off things. You might only have a dollar left in your pocket but why not use it to sit in a comfy chair for a few hours and scoff popcorn? That said, most of the movies made during the ’30s were a long way from dumb fun.

Times were tough outside the cinema but they were much tougher on the big screen, with a new wave of social realism bringing audiences gritty films about gangsters, prisoners and life on the streets. In fact, films were so hard-hitting during the first half of the decade that Hollywood had to introduce a new censorship code to stop films getting too violent. When Walt Disney released Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs in 1937, the film opened on the same day as a grim Czechoslovakian drama about the plague called Skeleton On Horseback. A new age of fantasy cartoon filmmaking had been born, but people were still in the mood for something really miserable.

In the late ’40s, things got dark again. America’s economy was booming but the whole world was reeling from the horrors of World War II. Worthy Oscar winners like The Best Years Of Our Lives looked back at what the world had just been through, and war movies became a staple at the cinema, but film noir was the big new trend – introspective crime thrillers about complicated heroes who didn’t give a damn about anything. The mood even rubbed off on good old-fashioned Westerns (the Marvel movies of the day), and cowboys of the late ’40s and early ’50s started shooting people in the back and spitting on the floor for no reason. At the same time, sci-fi was born out of nuclear fears to offer something a bit more fun at drive-ins and matinee shows – splitting the audience into those that wanted to forget the news and those that wanted to wallow in it.

Look deeper and we see the same pattern repeated across the whole of the 20th Century. Another scary recession in the ’70s gifted us Taxi Driver and The Godfather alongside Jaws and Star Wars – new waves of heavy-hitting social commentary surfacing right next to films that take you out of the cinema seat; bitter sips of cold coffee next to great big cartons of sugary popcorn.

Maybe the new Batman movie will offer a glimpse at what’s to come when it (eventually) lands in 2021 – another pricey superhero movie, sure, but one that we’ve already been told will be “darker, broodier and more intense” than any of the others. When lockdown eases, expect a load of weighty, worthy films about how horrible life is as well as silly action movies about something else, anything else, completely different.

But what about TV? The small screen hasn’t been around as long as the big one, and it’s only recently caught up to the same scale. Arguably, TV is now an even greater cultural force than the cinema – especially after the global pandemic has kept us all on the sofa.

The best lesson we can take from TV history came in late 2007 when the WGA writers strike put a stop to all US productions for over three months. There were some obvious victims at the time (short seasons for the likes of Breaking Bad, Lost and 30 Rock – and cancellations for others like Heroes and Pushing Daisies which never really recovered from the furlough), but the major shockwaves were felt afterwards.

Faced with empty schedules to fill, producers turned to the one new genre that didn’t involve any writers, talent, money or studio space: reality TV. The format had been around for a few years already, but the first half of 2008 saw a boom like never before – with shows such as American Idol, Big Brother and pretty much anything set on an island dominating the airwaves on both sides of the Atlantic. Once audiences got a taste, there was no stopping it.

But things have changed. If we can’t afford to book a holiday to a nice sunny locale, do we really want to watch some Insta star’s ex-boyfriend walking up the beach in slow motion? If our favourite local restaurant didn’t survive the lockdown, will we enjoy seeing first daters flirt over a fondue?

The likelihood is that reality TV will get even more macro. The writers strike taught us that production companies are always keen to jump on the cheapest trends possible, and the cheapest and trendiest of the last few months has been the webcam. What started with Joe Wicks workouts and Ellen DeGeneres’ living room has finally dragged the mainstream down to the DIY level of YouTube, TikTok and Twitch – platforms that were already swallowing up younger audiences year on year. Just as in 2008, expect TV to go back to the people – only this time, the real power will be in the hands of anyone with a camera and enough followers.

The other result of the writers strike, of course, was a second boom in ‘prestige’ TV. Shows like The Sopranos and The Wire had already started the revolution, but the three month hiatus gave a lot of writers the time they needed to pen their own masterpieces. By the start of the next decade, The Walking Dead, Sherlock, Justified, Boardwalk Empire, Homeland, Black Mirror and Game Of Thrones were all in production – with many more to follow. Assuming that at least a few bored writers stuck in lockdown now are using their time to write something worthwhile, we can safely rely on another crop of great TV over the next few years. Will zombies and nuclear wastelands still be fair game? Of course they will, just ask anyone who grew up after World War II. There’s nothing half of us want more after a global catastrophe than to watch stuff about how it all could have been a lot worse (the rest can binge webcam Dinner Date instead…)

And so the pattern repeats itself again. Just like every other time in history that we’ve suffered through gloomy headlines and periods of social change, the division between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ TV and film will get wider and blurrier. Great new waves of serious cinema might emerge, but only alongside equally big waves of bright and breezy movies designed to make us forget that we’re watching it over a face mask. ‘Good’ TV will reach new heights – but only as ‘bad’ TV goes downhill.

What are we going to be watching over the next few years? The same stuff we were watching in 1930, 1945, 1973 and 2008 – the very best and the very worst of what we’re all thinking right now. (47)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 16:31:52 UTC

Paul Bradshaw. (2020). Unscripted telly and sci-fi escapism: how COVID-19 will change the future of film and TV. Available: https://www.nme.com/features/coronavirus-future-of-film-and-tv-changed-2668860. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

Acting After COVID-19 Lockdown: What Do We Know?

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 16:40:56 UTC

Although it’s part of a performer’s mental arsenal to roll with the punches, the pandemic is a pretty tough right-hook in the mouth of the performing arts. Getting together in big groups looks to be off the table for the time being, and although there’s been plenty of online theatricality (thanks to the National Theatre and many others), it’s clear our post-lockdown world might look very different. Here’s what we know – and what we don’t yet know – about life in the performance industry across theatre, cinema, and television as the world tackles the aftermath of the COVID-19 shutdown.

Theatre

What we know
UK Theatres won’t be open for a while yet - it’s looking like 4 July at the very earliest. They’re part of the last phase of the government’s three-step exit strategy for reopening the country and we won’t even get to phase three unless the virus is kept under control. Crucially for theatres, venues will only be allowed to open if they meet guidelines on social distancing, so inevitably that’ll mean big changes.

Most theatre owners will be hoping social distancing will be temporary as it’s unlikely to be financially sustainable in the long run. Staggered audience seating is something being actively considered by many UK theatres, grouping people in households and then keeping at least one seat free between groups. It’s already being deployed in various countries including New Zealand and Portugal, and the Berliner Ensemble theatre in Germany posted a photo of their bold new seating arrangement on social media that could become commonplace, though it’s still a shock to see it.

Online booking will be the norm, if it’s not already, and most venues are seriously upping their cleaning regimes, so expect the gentle whiff of Dettol to be a new but essential part of your theatre-going experience.

The pandemic has been tough on actors, who often move from job to job and aren’t employed on a permanent basis. Without theatres opening up for business, actors aren’t being paid, and one thing we do know is that that’s not good news.

What we don’t know
There’s been quite a bit of well-informed chat about the theatre sector shrinking in the post-Coronavirus world, and it’s hard to ignore. If social distancing remains in place then venues will have to sell less tickets which will mean less revenue unless they hike up prices significantly. The Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh has announced all jobs are at risk of redundancy, and the Nuffield in Southampton has already gone into administration as a result of the virus.

Theatre bosses are already warning about their future prospects. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre told MPs it was “critically vulnerable and at risk of closure in the wake of Covid-19.” Talking to the BBC, the boss of the Young Vic Kwame Kwei-Armah said he thought most venues would get to the autumn without government funding but no further: “It's almost impossible economically to socially distance a theatre. In order to social distance at two metres, we would lose three-quarters of our audience. And then we have to work out how you create safe space for the rest of the staff, backstage and in a rehearsal room, and then we have to work out what the public appetite might be towards coming back into a theatre.”

Uber-producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh agrees: “For major producers both sides of the Atlantic, the truth is until social distancing doesn’t exist any more, we can’t even plan to reopen,” he told the BBC.

They’re not the only ones feeling worried about the future. Playwright James Graham (Quiz, This House, Ink) told the PA news agency: “I don’t even know if there will be a theatre or film industry that we can recognise when this is all over. It’s a collective art form; you need people around you to see it and do it, and there is no middle ground now – if it’s going to survive in any form it will need an aggressive government bailout and you either do or you don’t do it, there is either theatre or there isn’t anymore.”

And if theatre is made to adhere to social distancing rules, might the whole traditional idea of theatre have to be rethought? For some people, the sharing of a communal cultural experience with a large group of strangers is theatre’s whole point – if you can’t get together and be in the same space, how does theatre work?

But on a more positive – and perhaps pragmatic – note, concert promoter Álvaro Covões, speaking of the new live performance guidelines in Portugal, said that although they are not sustainable in the medium term, it was important to work with the limitations and “play the game” for now: “Necessity heightens resourcefulness,” said Covões. “What we need to do is financial engineering.” And while Portugal has not been hit anything like as hard as the UK or US by Coronavirus, and is climbing out of lockdown sooner, the lesson is no less relevant to theatres here: do as much as you can, as soon as you can, as safely and innovatively as you can, and even though it may not be financially viable, it may just keep you in the game for long enough to survive.

Cinema

What we know
UK cinemas have been closed since mid-March and just like theatres, they’re unlikely to open until 4 July at the very earliest. Vue, one of the UK’s biggest cinema chains, has already set out its post-lockdown opening strategy and hopes to open mid-July, perhaps with the release of Christopher Nolan’s new blockbuster, Tenet. With social distancing measures still in place, Vue plans to let families sit together, stagger screening times, and enhance their cleaning regime.

For those of us behind the scenes or onscreen, film sets have been in lockdown just like everywhere else. It’s hard to think of how a socially distanced film or TV set might operate in practice, but very slowly, production is starting to gear up and the hope is to get some UK productions back on the road by late June or early July.

The government has backed the British Film Commission (BFC)’s production guidelines issued on 1 June as a roadmap for how film and TV production might start up again. They cover everything from social distancing and personal hygiene to travel, catering, stunts, hair and makeup. It’s hoped UK-based shoots such as Disney’s The Little Mermaid and Warner Bros’ The Batman will return to Pinewood by mid-June. The Advertising Producers Association (APA) has also issued new guidance as to how ad-related shoots might resume.

Elsewhere, the Avatar sequel is reportedly filming once again in New Zealand, Tyler Perry is up and running in Atlanta, and Netflix is in production in Japan, Iceland, and South Korea, and is planning to do more in Sweden and Norway by July.

Hollywood studios are certainly talking the talk when it comes to life after lockdown. Epidemiologists and other public health specialists are suddenly in demand on sets to provide practical ways of dealing with large crews who work in small spaces, and other issues like how to do makeup, how to even think about filming a sex scene, or a fight scene, and so on. Appropriately, Contagion director Steven Soderbergh has been asked to help create on-set guidelines for the Directors Guild of America (DGA).

In general, industry figures expect smaller crews, hand sanitizer everywhere, testing, and lots of CGI for crowd scenes to become the norm once production properly kicks off. Sadly, it seems the heady days of grazing at the craft services table are well and truly over. Writing in the LA Times, Netflix boss Ted Sarandos called this new normal a “restricted reality,” and he’s not wrong.

What we don’t know
Still uncertain is whether people will physically go into cinemas, but one thing we do know is that the audience appetite for movies is still healthy. People want to watch films, though it’s possible the pandemic might prompt some big changes. When Universal couldn’t show Trolls World Tour in cinemas, it decided to release the big-screen blockbuster on streaming platforms instead. Cinema chain Odeon was furious, accusing the studio of “breaking the business model,” and it decided to ban all Universal films from its screens. The film did well despite not being in cinemas, so could this be a business model studios might be keen on in the future? Certainly, Warner Bros and Disney are sending their summer 2020 titles like Scoob! and Artemis Fowl straight to VOD platforms. Streaming could be one of lockdown’s big winners.

Genre-wise, might the pandemic and social distancing cause an increase in animation and green-screen work or CGI-heavy blockbusters, and a dearth of intimate, human dramas? Can we expect a constant diet of animated space dramas from now on? On the plus side, are we about to enter a boom time for voiceover artists? Only time will tell.

From a production point of view, it’s still quite unclear how it will work for actors, crew, and technicians day-to-day. Is social distancing practical on a financially pushed set? Big films might usually have 300-plus people on set and yes, they are all actually doing something – so can remote or staggered working really work long-term? Might that mean less jobs, more doubling up on roles? There are now plenty of guidelines but as actress Anna Kendrick joked, some look like they were written by someone who’d never been on a film set.

Television

What we know
Just as with film sets and theatre, TV production has also ground to a halt due to Coronavirus. Big, prestigious UK shows such as Line of Duty and Peaky Blinders were the first to close. Of course some television has continued, with self-shot innovations such as ITV’s Isolation Stories and BBC’s Unprecedented being notable, but on the whole there’s been a lot of repeats and not a lot else. You know it’s a crisis when both Coronation Street and EastEnders are forced to stop production (although both are set to return “within weeks”).

Essentially, TV production faces the same challenges as being on a film set. It’s a collaborative business and involves lots of people working together in close quarters, which sadly is just what viruses love. Pact (the indie producers’ trade association) and the UK’s major broadcasters have joined forces to issue guidelines on how to get production going again. They involve actors doing their own makeup and staggered lunch breaks, where everyone has to bring their own utensils. Outdoor filming is preferred, the emphasis is smaller crews, and stars accustomed to being driven to locations may now have to drive themselves.

One final, positive note is that all the zooming and home-shot footage on our TV screens at the moment really drives home why we really need well-trained, talented professionals on and behind our screens.

What we don’t know
As with the film industry, the television industry has been given the green light to get back to work, though it still remains to be seen how production will commence and thrive in the future. Will TV shows look very different for the foreseeable future? Might productions – and therefore crews – be smaller? How will drama productions work in practice? Will older actors be affected by the guidance? Will actors generally be happy doing their own makeup?

Perhaps the critical ingredient is that for whatever problems television faces, demand is not one of them. And for that reason, it seems probable that the industry will figure out ways of making it work. And in doing so, it could unleash a new wave of technical and creative innovation. (48)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 16:46:20 UTC

Bex Palmer. (2020). Acting After COVID-19 Lockdown: What Do We Know?. Available: https://www.backstage.com/uk/magazine/article/acting-after-covid-19-lockdown-70880/. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

25 top theater minds dream the future: What will the post-pandemic stage look like?

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 16:50:24 UTC

No one knows when the theaters will reopen, when actors will be able to rehearse in safety or when audiences will feel confident that attending a show won’t kill them. It could be months away. It could be more than a year.

One thing that’s certain is that theater will return. Man, Aristotle observed in “Poetics,” is an imitative animal. We learn through mimicry, a form of acting, and through enactment, the basis of drama. The stage isn’t simply a leisure time extravagance. It springs directly from that reflective consciousness that distinguishes human nature.

But while no virus can defeat this art form, the theater will have to change to meet the challenges of a transformed world. While we’re mourning the loss of playgoing among the myriad other losses exacted by this pandemic, I’ve asked artists to imagine the future. How might we rethink basic structures (economic, architectural, aesthetic) in this period of forced reprieve? How might fresh vision transform crisis into opportunity?

At the end of “Angels in America,” Harper, flying off to San Francisco for a new beginning, leaves us with this thought: “In this world, there is a kind of painful progress. Longing for what we’ve left behind, and dreaming ahead.” Artists, those virtuosic dreamers, help us navigate our way into the unknown while not letting us lose sight of the trail we’ve left behind. Our stages may be dark for the foreseeable future, but the theater of new possibility is open for contemplation. These written responses to my query have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Luis Alfaro, playwright (“Oedipus El Rey,” “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles”)
I am most excited about a post-pandemic theater that embraces its literal beginnings to find itself; sound and movement; an actor and language; story in space. A deck, a chair, a performer? I would love to see our reentry, a symbol of our ability to recover, rely on the simple virtuosity of the actor telling our stories. That would mean we would have to think of our audience. A Los Angeles theater that looks like its community would demand that a county of over 10 million, with 185 recognized languages, replace its leadership, the radical act in a radical time would demand that boards, artistic directors, etc., reflect their community. I am personally not thrilled to go back to the theater we had; it doesn’t look like this city. This pandemic pause has been a meditation that should move into action.

Patti LuPone, two-time Tony-winning actress
I don’t know how art will change. Maybe it will be joyful because we’re back in our theaters. Maybe playwrights will write hilarious comedy. What I do know is if we are to return to our beloved stages, they must be cleaned, sanitized and fumigated. More often than not when theaters are renovated, the backstage, the dressing rooms, the fly floors and the alleys are neglected. We work in perpetually filthy environments. It’s essentially a petri dish. It’s time theater owners take a hose and cleaning fluids to our workspace. In fact, the workforce backstage and the audience out front will be safer. And that’s what we need if we’re ever to return to our beloved theaters, where we’ll feel totally safe, protected and healthy.

Michael R. Jackson, playwright, composer, lyricist and 2020 Pulitzer Prize winner for drama (“A Strange Loop”)
The COVID-19 pandemic has ruthlessly exposed all longstanding, preexisting inequities in our world. It’s almost like we’ve wandered into the kitchen late at night, flipped on the light switch and found every surface covered in roaches. But instead of skittering to hide, the roaches just linger and stare back defiantly. So whenever we are able to gather together again, I would like to see theater (inclusive of musical theater) that is willing to ask more pointed, imaginative, theatrical and potentially self-implicating questions about the nature, history and complexity of this infestation.

Quiara Alegría Hudes, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright (“Water by the Spoonful”) and author of the book for the Tony-winning musical “In the Heights”
I have a lot of dreams for the theater. One is to start a new playwriting training/program/pod/amoeba where playwrights and architects are in a lab together. Playwrights must then not just write plays but also design and physically build the performance space for that particular play.

I come from a line of carpenters and builders, and my brother, Forrest Hudes, has taught me how the form of a piece of furniture dictates and limits our relationship to space. I think this a lot about theater. I love going to a fancy theater. Possibly my favorite fancy theater memory is “Jerusalem” — I was in proscenium heaven. This was the big event, the entertaining, moving art I go to Broadway to see. There was the catharsis, there was the laughter, there was the spectacle. He drank a raw egg!

But I worry that theaters are too fancy and that what that means is that little emotionally dangerous can happen in those fancy spaces. It’s too easy. Too bougie. Too operatic. I worry that regional theater’s capital projects have become aesthetically numb and force a play delivery system where eight very different plays in a season nonetheless develop an aesthetic sameness. It becomes too predictable, too safe, too sanitized. There is no edge or wonder walking into a theater lobby.

I want rough spaces. I want surprising spaces. Spaces where I don’t necessarily know what I will experience when I show up.

Yazmany Arboleda is an artist who is helping me run my prison writing project, Emancipated Stories. I asked him to help me conceive how to make a physical gallery of our collection for Signature Theatre’s lobby this fall. It would include a performance element — some of the Emancipated Stories read aloud. His first instinct was that the audience arrives and the theatergoers have to assemble the performance space together, as their first act. I had never told Yazmany about my dream when he shared his idea. So there’s something in the zeitgeist perhaps ...

I also think of Meshell Ndegeocello’s remarkable “Can I Get a Witness?” at Harlem Stage. She transformed the place into a rock ’n’ roll church. Pews and amps and a huge tapestry of James Baldwin as the altar. I am reminded of my mother’s own religion — Lukumí (popularly known as Santería). It is a living room practice. There are no prebuilt churches you attend. You must build the church — the altars — yourself. In your living room. In your backroom. In your sunroom. In your basement. At your entryway. Out of the rough-hewn stuff of our lives, you must find safe places to worship and earn your worship through being a builder.

I crave theater made out of the rough-hewn stuff of our lives. A theater of junk and reclaimed nooks. A theater of secrecy and sacredness and participatory respect. A theater where we earn our experience by shedding complacency. A theater that no one in their right mind could label content.

As an undergrad, I wrote a musical about Yoruba worship in the New World. It ended with the couplet: “In every lonely place find love / in every love find thunder.”

I am craving the lonely place that makes the love more salient, if less lovely.

Tarell Alvin McCraney, playwright (“The Brother/Sister Plays”) and Oscar winner for “Moonlight”
I wish I could at this point give prognostications on the industry or the necessity of our art and our connection to the audience. Currently, I have had my mind stayed on “being present.” Looking at the world and being as grateful for what I can be, as mindful of what I cannot control, and as open to joy as possible.

This weekend, we had funerals for my mother’s sister and my grandfather’s sister. One we know for sure was COVID-19 related. The next day was Mother’s Day, and looking at my cousins, the same ones who were there for me when my mother died years ago, I tried to bring them comfort and make sure they knew they‘d done their best. Still, the hardest part was knowing that it, the loss of a parent so suddenly, so swiftly, does not get easier, that the heartbreak does heal but surely scars and that the best thing I can actually do for them right now is hug and hold them close — but via Zoom, and masks, and gloves and texts and social distancing; flowers sent via essential delivery service and checks sent in the mail would have to do.

Emily Mann, playwright, director and outgoing artistic director of McCarter Theatre
First of all, I do not believe we are ever “going back to normal,” if that means returning to making theater the way we did before the pandemic. I am exhilarated by the forced reset. It demands asking the essential question — is theater necessary? Just as we did in the ’60s and ’70s, inspired by Peter Brook’s “The Empty Space” and Jerzy Grotowski’s “Towards a Poor Theatre,” we will have to strip down to what is fundamental to making great theater. Some of the most important work of the 20th century came out of this movement.

Plagues have closed theaters before. And they reopen, often stronger than before. Shakespeare wrote “Macbeth,” “Lear” and “Antony and Cleopatra” during his quarantine, his finest work. I am excited to see what the future brings to our beloved and besieged art form after this period of enforced meditation. We will have to demonstrate why we are necessary.

Michael Cerveris, Tony-winning actor of “Fun Home”
Lately, I’ve been asked to offer words of encouragement to scores of high school and college theater students during teleconferencing classes and graduations. And despite my daily grappling with despair, I do see in this dark, chaotic time reasons for great optimism. When the rules no longer apply, we can write new rules. Young people especially will have a great deal to say about our future, and I do hope they’re taking time to imagine a better world and a better theater now — while they seem to have some time on their hands.

I have always believed the act of theater to be an act of service, and at its best, a selfless one. Writers, actors, directors, designers, craftspersons, staff, front of house and producers all work (ideally) in service of a shared idea, and the performance is offered in service of the audience for the greatest possible good of the community. So in imagining the far off, post-pandemic theater, I most want to see a theater with its priorities wholly focused on human beings and community.

If we have to talk about “show business,” I’d like that business to care first about the well-being of the humans that make it and receive it. That means putting fair wages and healthcare before profits. It means prioritizing salaries over spectacle and valuing creativity, simplicity and ingenuity over lavish producing, marketing, self congratulating and selling. It means getting rid of the ideas of performance as product and audience as consumer, and caring more about comfort, safety and accessibility for the greatest number and variety of people.

I hope thinking of the future of theater (itself an act of almost reckless courage these days) might also lead us to rethink the way commerce and capitalism have distorted the making of theater. I’d like the everyday, working-class, front-line workers we currently and deservedly revere, from hospital staff to sanitation workers and grocery clerks, to be able to see theater as an art with a place for them as well. That means it would be both affordable and focused on inclusivity and telling the widest variety of stories.

I’d like to see a nationwide flourishing of the regional theater movement, with local theaters considering how best to earn the title of an essential service in their particular community, while being supported and valued by that community and the government. A WPA Federal Theatre Project for a new century, perhaps.

And while I believe there should be room for everything from entertainment to enlightenment, I’d personally like to see a turn from plays and musicals of easy snark and cynicism toward works of compassion and activism. I guess, fundamentally, I want the theater to assume (or regain) the mantle of leadership in showing us a better way to live together. That means leaning into discomfort, embracing uncertainty, asking deep questions, questioning the status quo, rigorously making more room and ceaselessly trying to reflect and see our shared humanity.

One last thought from a not-quite dinosaur: I don’t think an unfettered embrace of technology is the way forward for our storied, most human of art forms. For now, I’m rereading “The Empty Space” and “Towards a Poor Theatre.” And not just for their titular aptness.

Lynn Nottage, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright (“Ruined,” “Sweat” )
Optimism is what’s dragging me through these pandemic days that have stretched into months. It has given me time to think about how and why I want to return to making theater. It is my hope that when we’re able to gather en masse that we rethink the tyranny of the proscenium stage and our dependency on making theater in traditional and exclusionary spaces. No doubt, people will desire robust and healing storytelling, but we have to ensure that we create an environment where theater is accessible to everyone.

It means rethinking where and how we bring theater to audiences, and pushing institutions to seek out more expansive, inventive and accessible ways of presenting the work of theater artists. I’d love for theaters to create at least one mobile or site-specific show in each of their seasons, a work that can be presented in a variety of venues, from gymnasiums to nail salons to neglected spaces. Too often the architecture of many arts institutions has shrunk the vision of artists and the reach of our work, and perhaps this is a moment to question and challenge whether the dominance of expensive proscenium stages is limiting the natural evolution of theater.

Young Jean Lee, playwright and director (“Straight White Men,” “The Shipment”)
My No. 1 wish for theater in the aftermath of this crisis is for our industry to become more aware of the ways in which we perpetuate economic inequality through our approaches to hiring, gatekeeping and funding. Also, now that we’ve finally started opening doors to more people who aren’t white men, the next step is a truly intersectional approach to diversity that is open not only to women and a handful of ethnic groups but also to the many other marginalized groups that are still relatively invisible.

Rachel Chavkin, Tony-winning director of “Hadestown” and artistic director of the Team
I would like to see childcare centers established, staffed by a mixture of professionals and parent members, that provide care for children of workers in the entertainment industry — ranging from dressers to actors running to an audition to directors and dramaturgs. I would love in general to see universal childcare, something Elizabeth Warren has spoken about extensively and potently, and I think via the Actors Fund or a new organization we could absolutely make this happen and make a wild difference in the lives of those working in the arts. I also want to see the strong resumption of individual artist grants from the NEA and state arts agencies, as well as foundations across the country.

Bart DeLorenzo, director and founding artistic director of the Evidence Room
I fear that theaters will be among the last to reopen, but I hope that this purging absence will reveal how much we all need this ancient form. For our sanity, humans must gather in groups and experience our world together. I hope that theaters will recognize the power of their own communities and evolve into social hubs — not just 8 p.m. play boxes — and more richly and deeply interact with their audiences, finding new and better ways to engage them.

I hope that theaters become more local, telling their community’s stories, and get better at developing community artists to tell them. Like [Mayor] Eric Garcetti when he says, “Shop local,” I’d love to see a new Los Angeles theater that’s by and for Los Angeles and that owes little to last year’s Broadway fashion. And I hope that every community comes up with its own special renaissance — learning from outside, but less outright duplicating — so that we have as many new, different healthy theaters of the future as there are communities.

Reed Birney, Tony-winning actor of “The Humans”
Whenever I would watch one of the avalanche of post-apocalyptic movies that have inundated us in the last 20 years, I would wonder about what it might actually take in real life to send us into that dark world. We are told in those movies it is usually something monumental: a meteor crashing into our planet, aliens colonizing us, a detonated nuclear bomb. Zombies galore. Then, on Friday, March 13, our world changed overnight by a lethal version of the common cold. The Andromeda Strain. And we are told our world is now forever changed.

Am I naive to hope that this might be the reset that artists have dreamed of forever, the utopia of love and peace and generosity of spirit that has always inspired us? It is now clear we could not have continued as we had been. We now know what it would take. But I would love to think that when the plague clears, we are left with a world where the stories we tell are finally life-affirming and unifying and joyous and fun. It probably can’t happen, given human nature and what history has taught us, and would there be any dramatic stories to tell in a world without conflict? Can a world populated with simple, lovely Eloi exist without the dreaded Morlocks? Who knows? But I would love to think that having survived 2020, our vision will be too.

Julia Cho, playwright (“Aubergine,” “Durango”)
Before the pandemic, I saw the phrase “extinction event” everywhere, referring to ecosystems, disciplines, entire modes of inquiry. And now here we are, and to be honest, I am afraid. And yet. When I think of theater in the future, I imagine an unrecognizable landscape lighted by the explosion of all the stories we told ourselves in the dark, detonating at once. I don’t know what that land will look like, but I believe it will be somewhere we’ve never been.

Annie Dorsen, director (“Passing Strange,” “A Piece of Work”) and a 2019 MacArthur fellow
One of the democratic reforms Pericles is supposed to have made in Athens was to introduce public fees. These were not fees paid by citizens, but fees paid to them. They enabled working people to participate in politics (i.e., to take time off work for civic duties) and to attend the theater, the cost of tickets covered through a special fund. This is a great idea. Rather than limiting public subsidy to theater institutions for the creation of work, we should also subsidize attendance. A yearly stipend, say, for each resident of the U.S. — in Athens, the fees were offered only to citizens, but we should obviously not accept that restriction — to spend on theater. Some money would flow through the familiar pathways to fortify the supply side, and some new funding would be made available to drive demand. I’m not sure if I’m joking.

What I really hope for now, and for the months and years that we will call “after,” is that we use our time well. We should not jump too quickly to put everything back the way it was. We have an opportunity to imagine and institute entirely other ways of doing things. The big question: What role should theater play in the strengthening or reconstructing of our commons? We are mostly alone now, in our private lives, in our different circumstances. Soon, we will need to come back together, to rebuild a shared world. Artistic communication has an essential role to play in establishing the terms of our cooperation.

Snehal Desai, artistic director, East West Players
The questions that are resonating with me the most right now are: What do our communities need, both now and once we get on the other side of this pandemic? How can we show value beyond entertainment in our communities? How can wellness and healing be lifted up in the work we do going forward? How do we bring people together safely? How will we acknowledge the social and structural inequities laid bare and most of all the grief we have yet to truly process?

Coming out of this I hope we are able to challenge the idea that size of space, money and glossy production values equate to quality, value or transformative art for our communities. We will also have to interrogate a business model where three significant income streams (ticket revenue/subscriptions, holiday shows and in-person fundraisers) will not be something we can rely on in the ways we did pre-COVID. Community, government and private foundations are going to need to step in and support us if we are to survive, and we will need to innovate the way we produce to have any sort of future going forward.

What we are learning from our counterparts in other parts of the world is that we need to be prepared to open and close on short notice for the foreseeable future. For this to be feasible and at all fiscally possible, new work, original work and local artists are going to be what give us that flexibility.

Kristy Edmunds, executive and artistic director, Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA
The future of theater is now a daily discussion with colleagues and makers, and for urgent reason. Some center on sharing survival strategies for bridging this period before picking back up where everything was left off. There are frequent reminders that the theater has lasted through the ages and will rise again once the curtain goes up. Others are embracing a more radical re-imagining for how theater can adapt to new frameworks. With the truth of how vulnerable our economic balancing act is has been made vivid, we see the impact across every sector of our interdependent communities.

In this excruciating pause, artists and leaders are using the suspension of our overpressurized operating models to address the gaping cracks and inequities along America’s cultural sidewalk. This is the most epic project we have undertaken in our lifetimes — to collaborate on a future that will not be as unevenly distributed as the past has been.

John Iacovelli, Emmy award winning scenic designer
I don’t know what will get me back into a normal theater in the next year. I think the transition will be difficult. Many theaters, big and small, will not recover. Some audiences will never return. Here are some other thoughts on how to survive in the short run:

Recommendation No. 1: Use local talent. I understand places like the Wallis, the Broad Stage, Center Theatre Group and South Coast Repertory want the best theater practitioners — not just in the Southland but anywhere. That is why 80% to 90% of the actors, designers and directors who work at those institutions are from the ZIP Codes around Manhattan. Yet I can envision full seasons of artists that have L.A. and Orange County ZIP Codes. Directors such as Cameron Watson, Jessica Kubzansky, Michael Michetti and Casey Stangl. Scenic, lighting, costume, projection and sound designers such as Cricket S. Myers, Tom Buderwitz, Sibyl Wickersheimer, Denitsa Bliznakova, Brian Gale and David Murakami. Actors like Rob Nagle, Anne Gee Byrd and JD Cullum, whom we normally see at the Road, Skylight and Antaeus. There is such a wealth of talent I could easily put together whole seasons of both classics and new plays where we could save the cost and danger of air travel and the expenses of hotels and per diems.

Recommendation No. 2: Streaming is the new normal. NT Live has taught us how to do thrilling and engaging live productions on film. Just look at the wonderful experiences in their broadcasts of “Frankenstein,” “The Lehman Trilogy” and “Follies.” Our theaters could do this too and have a whole other revenue stream.

Recommendation No. 3: Theaters will need to be redesigned for easier access, more aisles, fewer seats. If history has taught us anything, that is after an economic downturn, there will be fewer actors onstage with fewer scene changes and fewer costumes. More weight will be on lighting and projection design. Poor theater will feel more poor. This is when political and polemic theater could help get audiences back into the theater. Think of Brecht coming after World War II and even plays like “Marat/Sade” or the musical “Hair” as a tonic to a troubled age. This could be a new age for striking drama (if we let it.)

The Wallis responds:
John Iacovelli’s comment that the Wallis hires 80% to 90% of its actors, designers, writers and directors from New York is factually incorrect. Only 25% — at most — of our theater productions’ actors, designers, writers and directors are non-local. Additionally, the majority of artists in the Wallis’ music, dance, cinema and family productions and presentations are based in the Los Angeles artistic community. In particular, this season’s dance programming was specifically curated by Artistic Director Paul Crewes to feature only Los Angeles-based dance companies.

Yuval Sharon, artistic director, the Industry
To imagine post-quarantine performing arts, I like to contrast two images of mass gatherings that have been happening in the last few weeks: the anti-Netanyahu protests in Israel, and the anti-governor demonstrations happening in Sacramento and Orange County.

While the ones in California try to reclaim “normalcy,” with unmasked bodies pushing together to replicate protests in the “good ol’ days,” the Israeli protest had its own aesthetic beauty, with everyone 6 feet apart and following lines on the floor. You could almost confuse the image with the chorus staging of an opera. (“Boris Godunov” leaped to mind.) The Israelis who came out to protest worked with their circumstances, ensuring that everyone could stay safe, and the result was that their urgent message was delivered with so much more force.

I think the performing arts will need both qualities — the embrace of circumstances and a vital sense of urgency — to reclaim art’s role as essential to our lives and our civic identity.

Christopher Shinn, playwright (“Dying City,” “Where Do We Live”)
I’d like to have hopes and wishes for a post-pandemic theater, but it feels futile to entertain any. I think this has less to do with our industry and more to do with our society in general. We seem unable to imagine meaningful new ways of organizing ourselves — the corporate superego hangs over all of us, all the time. Our culture is no longer a space for shared dreaming and debate, it’s a game. And all there is to do with a game is try to win — which we do with greater or lesser enthusiasm depending on our level of sociopathy.

Adam Greenfield, incoming artistic director, Playwrights Horizons
Right now, charting a course for the future feels like a game of sudoku in which the starting clues keep changing squares. Or maybe it’s like drawing a picture in sand with a stick at high tide? For me, the last eight weeks have been consumed largely by making plans and then revising them, as new facts and forecasts continuously change the outlook.

As I prepare to begin leading Playwrights Horizons this summer, when we celebrate 50 years in existence and plunge into the institution’s second half-century, this pandemic has forced all of us in theater to rethink our models and practices, and to imagine new templates for the event of live storytelling and the means by which we experience it. Along with the waves of uncertainty and heartache, I’m feeling a certain liberty in the task of reinventing. I find myself wanting to distinguish the modern theater institution and all of its packaging from what’s most fundamental to the art form: actor, stage, audience, text. Considering the austerity measures we’ll no doubt face, I put my faith in the strange, resilient chemistry at theater’s core.

I just reread “The Empty Space” and “Towards a Poor Theatre,” neither of which I had cracked open in two decades. I cling to Charles Ludlam’s gorgeous manifesto about theater as “a humble materialist enterprise which seeks to produce riches of the imagination, not the other way around,” and to Jane Jacobs’ ideas about what makes cities thrive — which, to me, have always doubled as a road map to making a theater that’s vital.

I hope that we see a return to what’s essentially theater and that we manage to cultivate a renewed awe about it. What I hope not to see is a widespread embrace of Zoom theater or streaming theater or video theater as an alternative to the live event. I hope that our message to the world as a theater community is that the event of live theater can’t be re-created or approximated digitally.

For Playwrights Horizons specifically, I keep going back to our name, which signals a commitment to following playwrights toward the future, the “horizon.” Confronting the tricky question of what theater might be on the other side of this, my instinct is to look to artists — particularly writers — to illuminate the paths forward.

Sarah Ruhl, playwright (“Eurydice,” “In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play”)
I suppose what I wish for the theater is a remembrance of the ancient, ritual form — less emphasis on “content” and the new — and more emphasis on ritual. Why do we come, why do we gather? It feels very clear in the age of Zoom theater why we gather. We are an art form of bodies meeting in space. Budget for sets be damned. We show up at a place and time when others show up at a place and time because place and time matter.

Perhaps the communities around theaters will need different things from the art form. They might be hungry for food as well as theater. Theaters might have to start being in the business of handing out free bread along with their art as they did in Chicago in the ’60s under the tutelage of Joyce Piven and as Bread and Puppet Theater still does.

Theaters might have to redefine employment during a time of mass furloughs — they’re going to have to find a way to pay artists as best they can. We might need theater soup kitchens. We might have to make soup, bread and theater and give it out to people who need it. We’re going to have to see less money spent on couches for the set and more money spent on the bodies that procure those couches from second-hand shops. We might have to redefine what counts as sustenance in the theater.

Mara Isaacs, producer (“Hadestown”)
Rather than return to a commoditization of the work (which had become the pre-pandemic norm in both nonprofit and commercial sectors), we must reinstate rigor in place of complacency, commit to equitable practice and foster diverse, authentic, accessible and unique experiences that cannot be replicated in any other form.

Joe Mantello, two-time Tony-winning director
I keep getting asked the question: “When will things return to normal?” and I’m just not sure there is a going back — certainly not to the way it was before. Perhaps that’s a good thing?

I’ve been considering the notion of a pause and what we can learn from it. A void allows space for us to examine the thing that’s missing. And if we fully experience that absence, contemplate the loss, perhaps when the new day arrives we will all — artists and audiences — discover a newfound appreciation for something we’ve taken for granted for far too long.

At least I hope so.

Diane Paulus, artistic director, American Repertory Theater at Harvard University and Tony-winning director of “Pippin”
When we reopen, I hope we will see every theater demonstrating how essential we are by providing the space for vital civic dialogue about a vision for the future and the world we want to be. I hope to see a great outpouring of plays and musicals that help us overcome the trauma of this pandemic, that address our shared humanity and that imagine how we can do better. With a newly understood commitment to public health, our facilities will need to be breathable and reflect the highest standards of “healthy buildings” strategies. I hope we will maximize the impact that theater can have as a form of public health.

Stephen Sachs, artistic director, Fountain Theatre
All of us in the American theater will be forced to redefine what it means to be an “essential” worker. When theaters reopen in a post-pandemic world, it will be critical for us, as theatermakers, to advocate how theater is essential for public health. How we have a vital role to play in the national recovery. For healing, for comfort, to express anger and outrage. Sadness, hope, laughter. Our theaters will provide a place to regather as a community and find meaning and human connection. Our art will be essential. (49)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:02:05 UTC

CHARLES MCNULTY. (2020). 25 top theater minds dream the future: What will the post-pandemic stage look like?. Available: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-05-19/coronavirus-reopening-theater-future. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

How Actors Can Continue Marketing Themselves During COVID-19:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:25:41 UTC

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:26:00 UTC

Backstage (2020)

How Actors Can Continue Marketing Themselves During COVID-19. 16 April, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7pKi9RS0JI (Accessed: 9th November 2020).

How the Entertainment Industry Is Dealing With Coronavirus—the Latest:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:28:05 UTC

With the World Health Organization declaring coronavirus, COVID-19, a pandemic, and governments all over the world locking down industries and cultural centers, entertainment organizations in the United States are bracing for measures limiting crowd sizes. From Broadway to movie theaters to labor unions, industry leaders are bracing for entertainers and audiences to get sick—and for an industry that relies on social gatherings to undergo long-term financial effects.

Over the past few days, the United States has experienced a surge in diagnoses of the flu-like coronavirus across regions. With no vaccine available and specific demographics vulnerable, the nation has seen schools and universities cancel classes, businesses limit services, and the stock market plummet.

SDC and AGMA Unite to Plan Workplace Safety Standards
The Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) and the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) recently announced a collaboration for creating scientifically rooted guidelines for their members to safely return to work after over 80 days of COVID-19 shutdowns. SDC, which represents theater directors and choreographers, and AGMA, which represents opera singers, choral singers, and dancers, have retained the services of Dr. Mark Cunningham-Hill, Dr. Laura S. Welch, and Dr. Stephen J. Anderson. Cunningham-Hill, who has advised the company Johnson and Johnson during prior pandemics, will lead the team.

Between the two unions, hundreds of workplaces sign collective bargaining agreements that implement union work standards nationwide—from commercial theaters to regional non-profits.

“Whether in the rehearsal hall, backstage, onstage, or in the theatre, SDC members and our collaborators need to know that the producers and theatre companies we work with have and are following science-driven guidelines for a safe workplace,” said Evan Yionoulis, president of SDC. “There is much to be done, and we are pleased to be able to work with this expert medical team as we rebuild the means to share live stories of our common humanity, so necessary in this time.”

Other unions have initiated such an effort to outline COVID-19 specific workplace safety and health guidelines. Actors’ Equity recently held a press conference where they hinted as to what safety standards they’ll be seeking before actors can return to work in theaters. SAG-AFTRA, along with other film and television unions, has submitted a guidebook of terms and suggestions to the state governments in California and New York.

Shutdown Closes “Frozen” For Good—Equity Responds with Urgent Warning
Broadway has experienced its first major casualty from the COVID-19 shutdowns: “Frozen.” Leaving roughly 34 actors unemployed along with dozens of crew and craftspeople, the musical adaptation of the mega-hit Disney animation is the first running Broadway production to close after the Great White Way went dark in mid-March. (Two other productions, which were in previews, have also closed.)

Mary McColl, executive director of Actors’ Equity said the news, “should be an all hands on deck moment for Governor Cuomo, Mayor De Blasio, and Congress.... The arts and entertainment sector drives the economy of New York, just like it does in cities and towns across the country. Decisions made in the days and weeks ahead will shape the future of the arts sector for years to come. Public officials at all levels must think much more boldly about supporting the arts or our entire economy will be slower to recover.”

“Frozen,” which opened in 2017, was the most financially at-risk of Disney Theatrical’s current offerings on Broadway, which includes the long-running “The Lion King” and “Aladdin.” Although “Frozen” will be loaded out of the St. James Theater in Manhattan, the continental tour of the production will continue once road houses reopen, Disney Theatrical reports.

SAG-AFTRA Foundation Releases $4 Million in Aid
According to a May 11 update from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation President Courtney B. Vance, the Foundation has allocated $4 million in emergency aid funding for union actors.

Early in the COVID-19 crisis, when social distancing measures brought virtually all in-person gigging to a halt, the nonprofit wing of SAG-AFTRA opened its disaster relief funding operations for newly unemployed and economically at-risk union members.

According to Vance, hundreds of applications are still in review, and it can take up to three weeks to receive assistance once an application is approved.

Broadway Will Remain Closed Until September
The Broadway League, representing Broadway producers, has released a statement confirming that Broadway will remain closed until Labor Day in early September. Despite initial hopes that curtains could rise again in mid-April and then again on June 7, the push-back announcement is unsurprising for one of the nation’s most iconic entertainment attractions and one of New York City’s most significant economic drivers.

“Today the Broadway League took a difficult but necessary action to put the safety of everyone from the audience to the actors and stage managers first,” said Mary McColl, executive director of Actors’ Equity Association. “Before our members can safely return to work, we will need new protocols that protect audiences and workers alike.”

The extended closures highlight the singular damage that COVID-19 safety measures have inflicted on the entertainment industry, which often inherently requires close proximity on stage, off stage, and in the house, with an audience of predominantly older patrons—considered an especially virus-vulnerable population—and tourists.

Ticket holders will receive an email about refund or exchange options from theater box offices.

Entertainment Unions Demonstrate Unity as Uncertainty Grows
At a May 6 press conference by phone, leaders from the big 10 entertainment unions addressed the impacts of COVID-19 on their workforces.

Union leaders representing actors, directors, writers, electricians, grips, and crew members agreed that the entertainment industry would likely be the last sector to return to business as usual, and a COVID-19 vaccine will allow such a return.

“Here’s the reality: Because of the nature of the industry, arts and entertainment professionals may likely be some of the last workers able to return safely to their jobs,” said Liz Shuler, the AFL-CIO’s secretary-treasurer. “And when they do, they’re not going to be returning to ‘normal’; it’s going to be a very different approach to the industry. It’s going to change dramatically.”

The presidents of SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity agreed that Congress needs to do more to provide protection for unemployed actors and increase arts funding in future relief packages.

In other COVID-19 theater closure news, the iconic Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis announced that productions won’t return to their stages until March 2021.

Film and TV Production Returns to Denmark and Sweden—With Strict Guidelines
Several weeks into a global lockdown to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, the successes and failures of different governmental approaches are coming into view. While Hollywood is still shut down, film and television production has revamped in Sweden and Denmark.

Industry guidelines in the nordic countries prevent the number of crew members on set, social distancing, online-video casting, and reduced craft services. When it comes to filming scenes that involve kissing, simulated intercourse, or other intimacy, there are no set guidelines, Variety reports; however at-risk actors, such as older workers, are not recommended for filming at this time, and crowd scenes are off the table for now.

So far, both countries—with small population sizes—have seen less-dramatic impacts on their societies from COVID-19 due to a controversial approach emphasizing proactive measures among the citizenry. Schools in Denmark have already reopened, and Sweden left much of its economy open while imposing strict social distancing.

In Australia, the long-running soap opera “Neighbours” is resuming production with six-foot social distancing standards maintained through creative camera positioning, and clever editing, Variety reports.

It is unclear when the film and television production industry will resume its regular schedule in the United States, as well as other parts of the world.

New Data Follows COVID-19’s Impact on Artists, Sees a Shift to Digital and Online Programming
Thirty-four percent of cross-spectrum arts organizations in the United States have reduced their artist workforce, according to Americans for the Arts, one of the nation’s most robust advocacy organizations. The data, shared with Backstage, is being assessed on a rolling basis after the organization opened a snappy COVID-19 impact survey on March 13, asking the arts and culture industry to share how their functions have been depressed by the pandemic.

So far, Americans for the Arts estimates that nonprofit arts organizations, the employers of professional artists nationwide, have collectively lost up to $4.5 billion—with the number rising daily. Virtually all polled organizations have canceled events, and 29 percent have had to dig into reserve funding to stay afloat.

“There does not seem to be any geographic variation in where the losses are being observed, as performances and exhibitions and work across the disciplines have largely come to a standstill,” a spokesperson for Americans for the Arts told Backstage. “The one ‘geographic’ exception where we are seeing an increased arts presence is digitally and online.” Forty-seven percent of arts organizations have increased online access to programming, the statistics indicate.

The COVID-19 economic impact survey remains online for organizations to submit data on on-the-ground impacts. In partnership with Artist Relief, Americans for the Arts is also conducting an anonymous 15-minute survey for artists and creative workers. “Respondents so far have included practicing artists, teaching artists, creative workers, culture bearers, and hobby artists,” Americans for the Arts told Backstage. Initial results from the artist survey are expected within a few days.

Actors' Equity Warns Theaters—Don't Reopen Too Fast
With health experts advising vigilant social distancing for the foreseeable future, the nation's union for stage actors and managers has sent a warning to producers—don't open your theaters before the COVID-19 virus is under control.

“Any employer who wants to begin theatrical productions needs to have a comprehensive plan in place that protects not just the actors and stage managers, but ensures that everyone who works in the theater has a safe workplace,” said Mary McColl, Equity's executive director. “It is unclear under the current circumstances how that can happen. Equity will use all of our available resources to ensure that no one is asked to work in an unsafe environment.”

The union is encouraging its members to report employment offers to their regional office to be assessed by Equity staff. “We want theaters to reopen,” a message to membership stated. “[B]ut, that has to happen while keeping you safe and healthy.” It is unclear which theaters the union is referring to regarding productions or reopenings in the upcoming weeks.

Broadway Will Stay Closed Until Early Summer
When it comes to a Broadway revival, June 7 is now the proposed date for actors, and industry workers alike to return to work—and for audiences to return to their seats. The date is, however, by all expert accounts arbitrary—the nation’s return to life sans social distance will be determined by efforts to contain COVID-19, the novel coronavirus.

“Our top priority continues to be the health and well-being of Broadway theatregoers and the thousands of people who work in the theatre industry every day, including actors, musicians, stagehands, ushers, and many other dedicated professionals.” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League. “Broadway will always be at the very heart of the Big Apple, and we join with artists, theatre professionals, and fans in looking forward to the time when we can once again experience live theatre together.”

On March 12, the League announced the closure of all Broadway theaters in compliance with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s limits of crowd-sizing. At the time, the League anticipated a mid-April return to the Great White Way. Since, the League and unions represented Broadway workers from actors to ushers hammered out a deal allowing union members to get payments during the shutdown.

Box office representatives will contact ticket holders, the League reports.

It is estimated that Broadway contributes $12 billion to New York City’s economy.

Deadline for SAG-AFTRA Dues Extended and Late Fees Suspended
SAG-AFTRA—the nation’s union for screen and media talent—has announced a program allowing members to delay dues payments if they have experienced a disruption in work because of the coronavirus.

“As working people, we know the great difficulties our members are facing,” said union President Gabrielle Carteris. “In order to relieve some of the financial stress so many people are dealing with at this time, the Finance Committee worked to provide much needed relief.”

Members experiencing hardship can establish an installment payment plan and extension through their union representative. Members will also be immune from late fees and demerits during the COVID-19 crisis.

The union is, however, encouraging members who can afford to pay membership fees on time to do so by the original due date, May 1. If some members are capable of providing on-time payments, the union will be able to continue its relief aid SAG-AFTRA argues.

The union has also announced that with a return to normalcy seeming farther and farther away, SAG-AFTRA has entered a resource conservation mode, stripping the operations down to essential functions such as residuals payments, contract negotiations, and organizing.

Emergency Union Funding Opened for Stage Actors and Managers Actors’ Equity, the nation’s union for stage actors and managers, has christened the “Emergency Curtain Up Fund” dedicated to supporting union members who are at-risk because of COVID-19 work cancellations. The union initiated the fund with $500,000 that will be distributed to members through the Actors Fund. Equity will match an additional $250,000 to incentivize small-level donations from supporters.

“Everyone who works in theatre has had their shows postponed and are worried about how they will make rent next month, to say nothing of other essentials like groceries and health care,” said Mary McColl, executive director of Equity. “It is imperative that we do our part by creating the emergency Curtain Up Fund and we hope that everyone, from theatre lovers to audience members, actors and producers, will contribute right away to support Actors Fund’s vital social services and financial aid programs.”

Emergency aid for screen actors is available through the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and is also facilitated by the Actors Fund.

DGA Announces Two-Week Pay for Below-the-Line Members The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has announced successful negotiations with major studios to provide two weeks of pay for below-the-line union members such as assistant directors, unit production managers, and production assistants for television and film. The union reports that negotiations for relief funding for directors have yet to be solidified since shoots for television and film have been canceled to limit the spread of COVID-19. DGA has also suspended consequences for late dues payments until July 1 and reports that residual payments are being fast-tracked.

2020 Tony Awards Postponed Was it inevitable? Yes. Does it still hurt? Absolutely. The 74th Annual Tony Awards is officially postponed with a new date yet to be revealed. “The health and safety of the Broadway community, artists and fans is of the utmost importance to us,” read a statement from Tony producers, American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League.

Fourteen days after Broadway was shut down over COVID-19 concerns, the postponement acknowledges two realities of the pandemic crisis. In essence, the Broadway season is upended, and New York City will take a while to get back to normal—likely months New York Governor Andrew Cuomo suggests.

Broadway’s biggest night (and biggest commercial) was scheduled to be broadcast on CBS from Radio City Music Hall on June 7. Producers say they will determine a new date once Broadway reopens.

The Broadway League and COBUG Reach Deal to Get Broadway Actors Paid
Broadway actors and stage managers, represented by Actors’ Equity, will receive payments of 150% of the Broadway minimum salary for the week of the shutdown, it was announced. For this week and next, union members will get the Broadway minimum wage—including contributions to health and pension plans via the Equity-League trust thanks to a deal struck by the Broadway League and the Coalition of Broadway Unions and Guilds. “We are a community that cares about each other, and we are pleased that we can offer some relief,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League. “Once we are past this challenging moment, we look forward to welcoming everyone back to our theatres to experience the best of live entertainment together once again.”

Rep. Adam Schiff, and Other Members of Congress, Propose Relief Funding for Entertainers
In a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Representative Schiff, along with 36 other congresspeople—all Democrats—called for financial relief for independent contractors and freelancers in the entertainment industry.

“The unique freelance nature of work in film, television, theater, and live music means that a large number of the professionals who make these productions possible work only sporadically—often with extended periods between paying jobs—and count on income from each project to make ends meet,” the members of Congress wrote. “As a result, many of them can’t qualify for traditional unemployment benefits or paid emergency leave, yet will now be unable to cover their basic expenses due to lost work.”

SAG-AFTRA clarifies that laid-off union members could likely qualify for unemployment, but the amount would be “low or insufficient,” a spokesperson adds. Recently, Actors’ Equity advised laid-off members to file for unemployment status with their state’s department of labor.

Casting Society of America and SAG-AFTRA Foundation Host Online Panel for Self-Taped Auditions During COVID-19 Crisis
On Friday, March 20, the Casting Society of America (CSA) and the SAG-AFTRA Foundation—the nonprofit wing of the nation’s union for screen and media talent—are hosting a live-streamed panel on tips and tricks for auditioning online for union members.

With Broadway Closed, Tony Awards Could Be Postponed
For every day that the COVID-19 crisis forces our world to cope with changes in routine life, more staples of American culture wobble in a domino effect of doubt. The latest event up for speculation is the Tony Awards, Broadway’s annual awards show that celebrates workers in the commercial theaters of New York and acts as one of the most beloved ambassadors (and advertisements) for shows on the Great White Way. With timetables of social distancing extending by the hour, few can tell when events will get back to normal and when Americans will be allowed to gather safely again. With Broadway shows shut down (with a novel mid-April reopening date), the process for Tony voters seems impossible to meet.

Neither the Broadway League nor the American Theatre Wing, producers of the annual awards show, have yet to comment on how the COVID-19 pandemic could impact the CBS-broadcasted show. However, as days inch on, theater artists have found opportunities for innovation in these unprecedented times, perhaps the Tony Awards will be no different. Only time will tell.

Theaters Across the Nation Consider Streaming Productions to Your Home
Some theaters are starting to get creative in a time when social distancing measures have banned large gatherings. San Fransisco’s American Conservatory Theater (ACT) is offering virtual tickets for video-streamed, one-time presentations of their productions “Gloria” and “Toni Stone.” Next door, Berkley Rep will also be recording and streaming performances of “School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play” and “Culture Clash (Still) in America” for ticket holders using the BroadwayHD platform. In Houston, the Alley will be broadcasting its production of “1984” for a limited time to paying audiences.

Several theaters around the country are sprinting to pull together the infrastructure to record and stream the performances that would otherwise be playing on stages in front of live audiences. While streaming technology is more ubiquitous than it was before, producers (be they professional theaters or schools) need to clear legal hurdles like getting permission from art unions or playwrights. Broadway Licensing and Playscripts, however, has removed one obstacle by making several productions available for educational and amateur programs to livestream through YouTube, Facebook, or Vimeo.

“These new streaming agreements help protect the economic security of Equity members with additional weekly salaries and health care contributions,” says Mary McColl, executive director of Equity. “When theaters go dark, actors and stage managers face tremendous economic uncertainty. A streaming agreement can be a win for everyone, from the audience to the actors and stage managers.”

However, concerns of licensing or residuals aren’t the only topics looming over the streaming option. Theaters are urged by union leaders to ensure that actors aren’t put at risk during performances that require close proximity on-stage or off-stage in the dressing rooms. Teachers are encouraged by theater and education advocates to consider student privacy if productions are launched onto the world wide web.

As estimates of how long social distancing measures could quarantine culture in the United States expand, streaming productions could become a common practice for, hopefully, a temporary time.

In a breaking statement, Equity encourages professional producers interested in streaming performances to contact their offices.

Emergency Relief Fund Opened for SAG-AFTRA Members
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation, a non-profit wing of the national union for screen and media talent, is utilizing the union’s Motion Picture Players Welfare Fund to open disaster relief funding for member actors.

“Even in the best of times, the life of a performer can be a struggle,” says Foundation President Courtney B. Vance. “But these are unprecedented times. With hundreds of productions going dark, many of our fellow SAG-AFRA members will face even greater hardship than usual.”

The foundation is partnering with the Actors Fund to administer emergency relief services for union members on the ground in entertainment epicenters like New York and California.

Equity Calls on Producers to Postpone Auditions
In light of new federal regulations strictly limiting public gatherings nationwide, Actors’ Equity has called on producers who haven’t done so already to cancel auditions. Spring is typically a hot season for Equity principal auditions (EPAs) and chorus auditions (ECCs); however, with Broadway productions closed and theaters suspended, all industry activities have come to an abrupt halt within the span of a few days. Cancellations have been implemented nationwide to avoid the viral spread of coronavirus, COVID-19. In a press conference this afternoon, the president encouraged Americans to drastically curtail social activity.

The Actors Fund Offers Live-Streamed Concerts to Raise Spirits and Awareness
Looking for entertainment during self-isolation and quarantining? With theaters closed across the United States, the Actors Fund, the nation’s multifaceted human services organization for entertainers, has announced its partnering with Seth Rudetsy and his husband, James Wesley, to produce a daily online show showcasing famous actors—and the Fund’s initiatives. However, given recommendations for strict social distancing to stop the spread of COVID-19, the performances will be filmed in the actor’s home.

“Stars in the House” will be live-streamed on the Actors Fund’s website at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET starting the evening of Monday, March 16. “Our main concern is raising spirits and helping the Fund help those who are suffering,” says Rudetsy who’s cultivated a cult following through SiriusXM Broadway.

“We’re hoping that everyone watching will not only enjoy the amazing singing and the inside Broadway stories, but also donate to ActorsFund.org/Donate.”

New York City Increases Restrictions to Theaters, Restaurants, and Bars
A week ago, New York City’s entertainment industry was operating with business as usual. By late last week, Broadway was shut down along with other major venues due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, after a weekend of additional shutdowns and emergency declarations at the federal, state, and local levels, NYC (along with New Jersey and Connecticut) is banning gatherings of 50 people or more.

Off and Off-Off-Broadway houses that were in limbo under shutdown guidelines because of their intimate audience sizes are now suspending runs. Movie theaters are closing their doors. Restaurants and bars in the Big Apple are only permitted to serve take-out, and, after a long delay, NYC Public Schools have ceased in-person instruction.

The restrictions and shutdowns are all designed to “flatten the curve” of coronavirus, helping to avoid surges to hospitals and demands on medical supplies. Social distancing, scientists and public officials plea, buys time as governments nationwide brace themselves for an onslaught of severe infections. While these tactics might buy time for healthcare providers, economists worry such measures will put workers, companies, and nonprofit theaters out of business.

New York state governor Andrew Cuomo was asked about the economic impacts of the additional shutdowns on “60 Minutes” last night. “What value do you put on human life?” the governor responded. “[W]e say here it’s invaluable. And if you say, ‘Well, we’re gonna lose 5,000 more people,’ I say close the restaurants. I say close the stores. I don’t wanna lose 5,000 more people.”

Broadway Cancels Performances Until Mid-April
Broadway announced its lights would go dark as of 5 p.m., March 12. The development comes after New York state governor Andrew Cuomo ordered state-wide crowd limits in response to escalating concerns.

“Our top priority has been and will continue to be the health and well-being of Broadway theatregoers and the thousands of people who work in the theatre industry every day, including actors, musicians, stagehands, ushers, and many other dedicated professionals,” said Broadway League president, Charlotte St. Martin. The league represents producers and theater owners of New York’s professional commercial theater.

Audition Season + Cancelled Auditions
Springtime is audition season, and many actors are worried about how coronavirus will impact hiring. As government officials and organizations step up social distancing measures, several theaters and casters have canceled auditions, including the Broadway and touring production of “Aladdin,” Walt Disney live shows, Music Theatre of Wichita, and Shakespeare Theatre of D.C. With prohibitions on large-scale events increasing, more audition cancellations are likely to follow nation-wide. It is too early yet to tell if the productions are planning to be rescheduled or are in jeopardy.

Actors’ Equity has updated guidelines for waiting rooms and audition halls in addition to warning members not to show up to an audition if they’re feeling ill. “We know this is a difficult thing to ask for many of you, but hope you will take this practice to heart as an act of solidarity that can help keep not just your fellow members and EMCs [Equity membership candidates] healthy, but also Equity staff and countless others around you,” stated the union.

The union is also suspending its demerit policy (or “strikes”) if actors miss an EPA [Equity principal audition] until April 15.

The Film Industry Postpones Premieres
The highly anticipated addition to the blockbuster James Bond franchise, “No Time to Die” has been pushed to a Thanksgiving season opening. With additional cancellations or postponements anticipated to follow, movie theaters are now experiencing mandated shutdowns and experts are projecting a $5 billion loss to the industry because of the virus’ effects. And while it might seem like streaming companies like Netflix would see a boom with the rise of social distancing and isolation, experts remind stockholders that revenue doesn’t rise when services are subscription-based.

Actors’ Equity Association Calls for Relief Funding
Actors’ Equity—the nation’s union for stage talent and management—released a statement calling on governments limiting public gatherings to provide relief funding to arts organizations and artists.

“Limiting public gatherings also means the prospect of lost income, health insurance and retirement savings – to say nothing of the financial crisis those workers will face if their workplace closes down, due to a pandemic,” said Equity President Kate Shindle. “Now is the time for Congress and local governments to put workers first with a strong economic relief package to ensure that everyone who works in the arts and entertainment sector has access to healthcare and unemployment benefits. Payroll tax cuts won’t help those whose theaters are now dark. For every middle-class actor you see onstage, there are dozens more working behind the scenes and in an administrative capacity.”

Shindle’s statement references President Trump’s recent proposal to eliminate payroll taxes for the remainder of the year, to avoid a severe economic downturn as a result of the virus’ impact on businesses.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG) Calls for Action and Assistance
Citing the economic impacts of coronavirus as a threat to nonprofit theaters around the country, the Theatre Communications Group is calling for Congress to provide federal relief to arts and entertainment organizations that will be walloped by falling ticket revenues. Along with the Performing Arts Alliance, TCG has created an online campaign to send messages to politicians in D.C., encouraging artists to be “as specific as you can about the current and projected impact on your theater.”

Yale Rep Cancels Remainder of Season
Yale Rep, considered one of the nation’s most prestigious theaters, has announced that the remainder of its season is canceled. “It is absolutely heartbreaking that the company of ‘A Raisin in the Sun,’ which has done some of the most remarkable work I have seen in my 18 years in this job will not have the opportunity to perform,” said dean of the Yale School of Drama and Yale Rep’s artistic director, James Bundy. “Likewise, it is painful to imagine what could have been, as the creative team and actors cast in ‘Testmatch’ have been preparing for rehearsals.... These decisions were not made lightly, but we deem them necessary to support the University’s efforts to respond to the spread of COVID-19.”

Tom Hanks Announces Coronavirus Diagnosis
On Twitter, one of America’s most famous and beloved actors, Tom Hanks, announced that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, have been diagnosed with coronavirus during travels in Australia. The megastar reports that he and Wilson will be tested and isolated in the coming days, writing, “Not much more to it than a one-day-at-time approach, no?” Some observers hope that Hanks’ announcement might personalize the dangers of the virus for apathetic or conspiratorial onlookers.

SAG-AFTRA Releases a Statement on “neXt” Production in Chicago
Fox and Disney recently informed the Chicago cast and crew of the production “neXt” that a person on the set tested positive for COVID-19. The union reports that they are “working with the production company regarding this matter to determine the timeline and scope of potential exposure to members and others,” and have sent a notice to Chicago-area members.

SAG-AFTRA Cancels or Reconfigures In-Person Meetings
In an update from union President Gabrielle Carteris and Executive Director David White, the nation’s union for screen, broadcast, and media talent announced that all in-person meetings would be canceled, postponed, or reconfigured. Union leaders encourage membership of over 160,000 not to attend SAG-AFTRA functions if they are feeling ill and to follow social distancing guidelines.

First, Regional Stages Encourage Cleanness—Now, Suspending Shows
After sending out updates of health and sanitation modifications (like added hand sanitation stations and enhanced cleaning), regional theaters are now sending out updates announcing temporary closures. From the Old Globe in San Diego to the Huntington in Boston, performances have stopped in their tracks, and ticket holders have been offered refunds or vouchers.

The Humana Festival of New American Plays, scheduled to take place from late March to mid-April at the Actors Theatre of Louisville has been suspended.

Oregon Shakespeare Festival Goes Dark
One of the nation’s only regional theaters to employ actors and artists year-round, OSF, has announced all events at the festival are canceled in light of state policies prohibiting crowded gatherings. The theater, considered the largest classical ensemble in the country, is offering patrons exchanges, vouchers, and refunds.

Boston Establishes Relief Fund for Artists
Boston mayor Marty Walsh’s Office of Arts and Culture has announced a municipal service for relief funding to artists living in the city. Awarding individual grants of $500 and $1,000 to individual artists whose creative practices have been squelched specifically by COVID-19, Boston becomes the first major city in the United States to establish such a fund. Applications for the grants are now open and will be accepted on a rolling basis. (51)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:32:33 UTC

Alex Ates. (2020). How the Entertainment Industry Is Dealing With Coronavirus—the Latest. Available: https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/coronavirus-impact-broadway-film-industry-hollywood-70258/. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

Reasons Why Acting Workshops Are Necessary:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:34:30 UTC

You never hear a newbie coming into the league of professional sport — be it athletics, boxing, basketball, football, etc. — saying they want to compete alongside other athletes who trained for years to get where they are. You don’t see people who never held a guitar in their hands go to Bloc Party saying they want to be their bassist. So why would you even think that you can become the next big thing without at least going to a few acting workshops or an acting class?

Forget all the stories about current movie stars getting to where they are without any kind of acting training whatsoever. They are all made up by their publicists to stir the pot. If you don’t know how to blow into harmonica properly, you can’t play. If you don’t know how to do a certain move, you can’t be part of a dance group. If you don’t know how to keep the flow of an improvisation skit, you cannot be part of stage comedy performance. If you don’t know how to immerse the audience into the scene you’re doing, you can’t be an actor.

Unless you’re dreaming of becoming the next reality TV superstar, to become a working and good actor, you have to train. You cannot compete with or support others without learning some professional skills.

Reasons Why Acting Workshops Are Necessary

Consider your actor’s classes as physical training, as the way of getting and staying in shape. If you would want to lose fat or gain muscle, you would go to the gym and train — the same applies to acting. To become better, you go to acting classes, acting coaches, acting workshops, drama schools, acting universities — anywhere with the possibility to get out there and act. For starters, it won’t matter whether you’re doing acting workshops in London, or Los Angeles or Zimbabwe; just do them.

We as actors need to be challenged at all times, otherwise we go stale, we do not grow as artists and we hit a plateau. Acting training will provide you the challenge that you as an actor desperately require. It won’t allow you to stop growing. But you mustn’t be afraid of facing new challenges; you can never stay within your comfort zone. Never limit your acting abilities — go out there and look for something new and different.

“If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” – Bruce Lee

To add to the previous paragraph, acting training will always keep you on your toes. More importantly, this will help you to stay in touch with your inner humanity and keep your emotions right where you want them to be. Actors are selling life to the audience, therefore, they need to be alive at all times so that the process would be successful. It’s all about the connection between your body and your soul.

Just a few days ago we talked about How to Have More Confidence at Auditions. One of the answers to that is acting workshops, classes and any kind of performance training. Performing on a daily basis means fighting your self-consciousness, learning how to stop judging your character and yourself, how to lock all your anxiety, nervousness and fears far into the back of the closet, or better yet — get rid of them forever.

Aside from the inner advantages mentioned above, there are additional perks for always staying in training.

You will find a circle of people where you are always accepted. This community will provide you with support and understanding; you can always depend on someone to go to for advice on your acting, or just life in general — be it your acting coach or your classmates. You’ll build relationships with other actors, share ideas and thoughts on your work and future career. There’s nothing better out there than having someone to talk to who’s as passionate about this crazy job as you are.

You will meet people from the industry. They might be currently established known acting teachers, or casting directors, agents, directors, producers and actors. They can also be someone with the big future, the next big thing, or just have some great connections in the show business. Knowing these people will help advance your career. But don’t befriend them for who they might know; get to know them, learn from them and respect them — take time to build a true relationship with that person, and you both might benefit some day.

At the end of the day, in every single one of your acting workshops you can observe others, both as people and as actors. Observation is one of the key skills an actor can have.

Furthermore, you can see what your partners are doing well and where they’ve gone wrong. Learn from their mistakes and their greatness. This will shorten your road to becoming the next great performer by miles. (52)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:35:57 UTC

Unknown. (Unknown). Reasons Why Acting Workshops Are Necessary. Available: https://actinginlondon.co.uk/reasons-why-acting-workshops-are-necessary/. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

Advantages and Disadvantages of an Acting Career:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:40:36 UTC

Before you go to study theater courses, you should be fully familiar with the nature of the profession. Most teenagers who want to become artists and dream to enter the theater, are sure that this is a very simple profession that does not require certain mental and physical costs, and brings only fame. And who does not want to be famous, and at the same time do almost nothing? Today we will talk about the profession of the actor and will focus on the pros and cons of this kind of occupation.
The advantages of the acting profession

First, it is a very interesting profession. After graduating from the school of public speaking and becoming an artist, you will be able to constantly rotate in the circles of creative people, each of whom is unique and inimitable personality. Your life will be constantly painted only with the brightest colors. Theater and cinema – it is extremely fabulous and fascinating world. You will be one of the first who will learn about everything new that happens in the cinema and theater. In addition, you will be able to make something worthwhile in the art of our country.
Secondly, becoming an actor, you will win fame and national love. You will be recognized on the street. You will have your own fans and maybe even a fan club.
Third, working as an actor, you will be able to see new countries. Theatres always go on tour to different cities. Sometimes artists touring in other countries. If you plan to become a film artist, it is no less exciting profession. Most of the films are shot not only in our country, but also in other countries.
Fourthly, only in the acting profession everything is possible. As an artist, you can stay in the role of completely different people, including robbers and bandits. And no one will punish you for that. You can also try yourself in different professions and in the role of people with different characters, conducting business negotiations will no longer be a problem for you. On stage, you can be a stupid and funny person, and no one will think badly of you. Artists can play people of the opposite sex. For example, if you are a man, you may have to play the role of a woman on stage. Than not fascinating and informative experience? To make sure of this and decide whether you need such a profession, you can first visit the Newmark Theater to feel the atmosphere and understand whether you like it.
Fifth, the actor’s profession is one of the most socially significant. From the stage of the theater you will be able to convey to the mind and soul of the audience their views on life, philosophical position. The profession of an actor plays a special role in the formation of the future generation, its education and development.

In addition to all these advantages of the actor’s profession, it has its disadvantages.

First, the acting profession is often associated with the risk of physical injury. Actors on stage and in the cinema perform the most incredible tricks. Sometimes the stunt guys do it, but only if the stunt is associated with the risk of their lives.
Secondly, the actor is not only a profession, but also a lifestyle. Artists are fully committed to art and creativity. Actors are often compared to monks. People in this profession often do not have free time that they could devote to their personal life, their family. That’s why we often hear from the media about failed marriages of artists. Some people don’t get married or don’t get married at all.
Third, becoming an actor, you should immediately tune in to the fact that on your creative path you will have to wait not only for fame and success, but also black stripes associated with a lull in career and popularity. To avoid this, you have to constantly work hard on yourself, on your talent. You have to constantly learn something, learn something new. For example, to attend a training for the development of creativity.It is recommended to engage in acting from an early age, for example, to visit a theater Studio for children. The only way you can constantly be on the fashion wave among the most popular actors of our country. (53)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:42:19 UTC

Unknown. (Unknown). Advantages and Disadvantages of an Acting Career. Available: https://newmarktheatre.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-an-acting-career/. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

Mental health in the arts: Are we talking about it enough?

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:46:42 UTC

A career in the arts sounds a lot better than being a maths teacher doesn’t it? No disrespect to the maths teachers of course, but who wouldn’t love to spend all day writing, or performing in front of admiring audiences, or be actually getting paid to be good at dancing. Or playing the trumpet. Imagine being paid to play the trumpet?

But before we get ahead of ourselves, and offend any more maths teachers, there’s something worth reflecting on. If you want a career in the arts – as an actor, say, to use one example – get ready.

You’ll pay the audition fees for drama school, just to be seen (if you can afford them that is. If not, good luck). You’ll prepare, perform your heart out, and be awarded a place. You’ll train hard for years, hoping to be spotted, and then… you’re out in the world. You’ll join the queue for auditions, trying to get work, saddled with debt, probably working other jobs to make ends meet. You’ll try to weather the knockbacks, waiting for an opportunity. You land a job, you perform every night and build a new family with your company. Twelve weeks later – it’s over. You’re unemployed, and it starts again. Searching for the next job. Who knows the next time that someone will say yes to you?

There’s more. Added to this lifestyle of instability and uncertainty, there's the fact your pay is low or maybe even non-existent, the unsociable hours mean you’ve barely seen your friends, family or partner, and someone's written a tweet saying that they never thought that Hedda Gabbler was that shrieky, and to be honest, a bit fat.

The conditions that come with working in the arts, be that as an actor, musician, writer, or anything inbetween, can be precarious and very stressful. Do we reflect enough on the huge burden this can place on somebody’s mental health? One in four people in the UK will experience mental health issues at some point their life; we must be alert to the fact that the nature of some of these industries may have their own impact.

Cal Strode from the Mental Health Foundation said that “conditions in the arts and entertainment industry can often undermine workers’ mental health and wellbeing, with insecure contracts, low rate of pay and anti-social working hours. Further compounding harsh working conditions, performing artists are often asked to work for free, or ‘for exposure’. Maintaining a healthy sense of self can be difficult if your work, passion and skills are consistently devalued in this way.”

He continued: “A 2015 report by Victoria University in Australia found that performing arts workers experience symptoms of anxiety ten times higher than the general population, and depression symptoms five times higher, saying that these statistics can be directly attributed to financial insecurity and poor working conditions.”

The possibility for mental health to be adversely affected by the conditions working in the industry was recently recognised when the charity ArtsMinds was set up. After a number of suicides in the industry, Equity, The Stage, Spotlight and the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine collaborated to create a resource and a space for those seeking support for mental health issues.

“Depression and other mental health problems have always been issues for those who work in our industries,” said Malcolm Sinclair, actor and president of Equity. “The stress of short term contracts, irregular work, frequent rejection and the basic pressure to perform can all make life extremely difficult. The great advance is that people now talk about it rather than hiding it away like a guilty secret. It is after all an illness like any other and needs to be treated.”

“ArtsMinds is leading the fight and Equity is proud to support it; in fact, it’s an obligation to our members that we do so,” he said. “Resources must be in place for those in need to quickly find support. When called upon, the Union immediately responded. There is a lot of working to be done.”

Speaking to a number of different people working within the arts industry, it was clear that mental health struggles were common. Whilst everyone’s story was different, all had one thing in common: they were unsure about what support was available for them.

One actress who wished to remain anonymous told me that she suffered from depression for a period of time at drama school. She was keen to stress that she didn’t attribute this to the course, but is now able to see the difficulty in applying yourself as an actor can be when you are experiencing mental health problems.

“Your tool is yourself and your self is confused and lost. No other form of professional training is based so heavily on self-examination,” she said. “Every time I received feedback on what I was doing I took it as an extreme criticism, rather than the simple observation that it was. It was as if I had a tape player in my head that converted what anybody said to me into the words ‘you’re horrible, you’re awful, you’re rubbish, I don’t like you.’”

She said that with support from the school and her family, as well as a course of SSRIs she began to successfully recover. One of her coping mechanisms has been having structure and staying busy – “and herein lies the problem as a professional actor. The career so often doesn’t lend itself to structure and busy-ness.”

She says that her self-worth drops when she isn’t using the skills and talents she believes are her strongest attributes, which made a recent year without work particularly hard. “When there is nowhere to channel that energy I guess it gets converted into anxiety or dread. God, the dread. And yes, you can send countless emails and go to the theatre and take classes and pitch projects but believe me after even a few months of rejection it feels as though you are simply throwing all that energy into a blackhole. You become drained and disillusioned. You feel entirely powerless.”

Hearing ‘no’ after an audition had never been a problem before, because “after five years of decent work, I believed the yes was always going to come, but this year I lost that belief. And each no crushed me.”

Some attitudes don’t contribute to feeling able to admit you’re finding it tough. “It is believed that these feelings are par for the course; ‘you knew what you were signing up for’. ‘But you’ve worked loads, it’s someone else’s turn’. ‘That’s showbiz’. ‘Come back to me when it’s been two years, love’. These are real responses from friends,” she says. “But the struggle isn’t just a cliche when it is in fact your reality. There should be more room for people to discuss the difficulties of this industry without fear of their feelings being dismissed or belittled.”

She cites the Honest Actor blog and podcasts as the best example of an outlet for being able to talk in this way, but “in terms of accessible help, counselling, support? If that exists, I haven’t come across it.”

Whilst working as an actress, she had another job to support herself, “but my status with them has always been informal, and in January they said they couldn’t keep me on and that final safety net of continuity was pulled from under me.”

Although she was still able to work for them intermittently, “I was in no position to negotiate any terms – I have worked for them on and off for five years and never received any holiday pay – because I was still desperately clinging to the hope that an acting job would come and keeping my position flexible made that hope real. To switch to a contract with set hours that I couldn’t slot auditions into would have felt like a nail in the coffin for my career.”

Taking on a low-paid acting role recently meant she had to go through “a period of about six weeks of working seven days a week in order to be able to afford to do the play. But honestly, compared to the anxiety and dread I felt for the 10 or so months leading up to it, the stress of balancing the books in order to do what I love was easy; it was actually a welcome concern. It gave me a purpose and structure and finally a channel and release for all that anxious energy.”

Loz Garratt is a musician who has experienced struggles with depression. He says that “the nature of freelance work is precarious anyway, and with something as unsuccessfully unionised as music, the unpredictability of scheduled work has definitely sometimes made things worse for me.”

Lots of time sitting around during the day and anti-social hours aren’t conducive to a positive mental state, he says, along with the attitudes of other people towards his work. “I think sometimes your sense of self can get a bit battered by feeling that what you do is dismissed by a lot of people for not being real. They associate people who play music for a living as ‘wasters’ – and there is a feeling that whilst people love and enjoy live music, theatre or art, they don’t see it as a full-time career or think we deserve to be paid well for it.”

Conditions around touring were hard work – Garratt says that being away from his support network was difficult, and it put a strain on his relationship. “It was just generally fairly overwhelming. Lack of sleep, sometimes not being able to eat well and a sense of claustrophobia are very common while touring.”

He lists exercise and meditation as some of his biggests coping mechanisms, and also being able to be upfront with his bandmates. “I can recognise now when I need a bit of time to myself to reset, and I’m open about that. I find it also takes the pressure off me to be ‘on form’.”

Having therapy “definitely helped me see not to wrap my personality up in what I do and realise they are separate things. Nowadays I feel my sense of self-worth is spread a little wider,” he says. “I know that I could really stack a huge gig or have a huge argument with someone in a rehearsal for example and I’m still a fundamentally good human being, and that whilst I love music, it’s not the be all and end all.”

Conversations are starting to take place about mental health in the industry, but “it’s definitely still the elephant in the room,” he says. “There’s huge alcoholism in the classical music and West End scenes which I’m convinced is largely due to numb anxiety, or as a coping mechanism for being depressed.”

“I also think it’s still such a male dominated industry, and that presents its own problems. Part of the reason that it took me so long to seek help was that I had a typically ‘male’ mindset of ‘I should be able to sort this out myself’, and I would largely consider myself to be unburdened of feeling the pressures to fall into my gender stereotype!”

Annie Siddons, who recently took her show How Not to Live in Suburbia to the Edinburgh Fringe, adds that the highs and lows of working in the arts can take their toll.

“The highs are incredibly high,” she says, from feeling you’ve touched people to getting full houses and good reviews,” which is one of the reasons people stick it out. The lows are very low. For all the factors already mentioned, the fact you’re completely the driver of your own work, that you work very long hours doing about six people’s jobs, that you can feel very unsupported by any kind of infrastructure.”

Some areas – live art, comedy, cabaret and spoken word – can be open spaces for conversations around mental health. “But theatre can be pretty macho and gung ho, because the show must go on mentality is predicated on overriding how you’re feeling, temporarily, to do your job, and that’s important,” Siddons says. There’s also an issue with the structure of traditional rehearsals: “it’s a Victorian, male, capitalist model – the long hours culture and the short rehearsal periods.”

Jonathan Antoine, an opera singer who came second in the 2012 series of Britain’s Got Talent, had a breakdown whilst at school, from which point he started to have therapy. Whilst exceptionally grateful for the strong support network he has had, he says “I do not, however, believe the creative industries are conducive to a positive mental state.”

He says that it can become easy to get downtrodden when you don’t get the response you want for your work, and cites his experiences with reality TV as part of the problem too. “I have a strong core fanbase but the overwhelming popularity (74 million YouTube views and counting) that came with Britain’s Got Talent didn’t last,” he says. “In an industry where a new artist cannot shift records even with YouTube and live TV metrics like that, it is very, very easy to beat yourself up and feel that a lack of success is your own fault.”

Performance-maker Sophie Winter, who has had anxiety for the past 15 years, says that being in the arts can be really isolating. Without formal structures like a HR department, “you have to rely on friends and family, and that’s a bit tough because sometimes they might not get it,” she says.

“I think some people see working in the arts as a bit of a ‘hobby’ because it’s a job that we also happen to love. This drives me absolutely nuts: working this hard for this many hours is definitely not a hobby – it’s work, and yes I don’t often get paid for the time I put in, but that definitely does not mean that it’s a hobby,” she adds.

Winter also points to the financial constraints of working in the arts industry. “Applying for funding is becoming increasingly more difficult as well – the pot of money from the Arts Council is depleting,” she says. “It’s just a given now that you often end up putting your own money into creating work, or you don’t put it on at all. And then it’s a huge gamble, as you might not get that money back. The long hours, lack of money and lack of support make being in the arts a precarious business which definitely leads to a strain on my own mental health.”

What solutions are out there for those struggling with mental health issues as they navigate a career in the arts? All those I spoke to were in agreement that a policy of openness needed to be in place in companies and venues so that anyone was able to feel comfortable talking about it if they were finding it hard. Some suggested that orchestras or theatres should have a counsellor available, and then wondered if this might already be the case – either way, they were unclear about what options were actually available. A charity like ArtsMinds, providing a concrete structure specific to the industry for those who need help, may then be the first of its kind; how needed it is. (54)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:47:11 UTC

Jessie Thompson. (2018). Mental health in the arts: Are we talking about it enough?. Available: https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/arts/mental-health-in-the-arts-are-we-talking-about-it-enough-a3344721.html. Last accessed 17th December 2019.

Backstage Staff - Acting Highs and Lows:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:49:29 UTC

'For our annual spotlight on acting schools, Back Stage asked a baker's dozen of top thesps to discuss how their training and technique inform their work, helping them as artists to scale exhilarating mountains or ford treacherous waters. What follows is a host of sound and practical advice, hard won on the field of battle, from a group of actors all working at the top their game.'

Stephen Lee Anderson—Concentration is Key

Less than an hour before the first preview of Paul Simon's Broadway musical, "The Capeman," a small bomb was dropped on Stephen Lee Anderson. An actor he was understudying had lost his voice. And Anderson, who also was playing the role of Virgil, was being asked to play both roles that night.

It seemed impossible. At one point only a 30-second interval existed to change costumes and shift into the second role. Still, the actor formed a battle plan. He and the crew worked out the details of his quick-change, and also concealed lines of dialogue inside his personal props, such as a newspaper and a Bible.

Anderson pulled it off—and continued to for several nights thereafter. But the fast planning and steel-plated nerves it took didn't come naturally. Concentration has always been a problem for him. Fortunately, while studying at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London many years earlier, Anderson had been helped to find ways to enhance his powers of focus.

"I had a teacher there who said, 'I want you to do more chess, and I want you to read mystery books.... They could see that my energy was so high that I had a hard time settling down and concentrating. Same with my stiffness. I was very stiff, so they took me out of ballet and put me into jazz—more free movement—and into a swimming program."

At the end of his time at Webber Douglas, his vocal instructor, Patsy Rodenburg, told him that he needed to get into a rep company. Anderson eventually joined the Denver Center Theatre Company, and considers that "rep" stint to be his real training. He learned a great deal watching seasoned actors prepare for a role. For instance, he noticed that many of these veterans could easily feed him his own lines whenever he "went up."

"They knew that text—they knew that scene. Not just their own lines, but what was coming at them. That's something, as a young actor, I had to learn."

In addition to his work with classical text analysis and "basic Stanislavski" scene study, Anderson has polished his vocal and movement techniques over the years. He's continued to loosen up physically, too, through yoga and tai chi study. His early training as a singer has also been helpful. And taking on a teaching role for a time at the Denver Conservatory helped him internally reinforce the techniques he was mastering.

Anderson believes he was wise not to rush too soon to Manhattan: "I had worked over a decade or so in the regional theatre before I even got to New York. I think that's the main thing that really helped me."

In New York, he has appeared in straight plays as well as musicals, both on and Off-Broadway, including "The Kentucky Cycle," "Footloose," and, most recently, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."

But one of the roles he's proudest of was that of the loquacious Inquisitor in Bernard Shaw's "Saint Joan," back in Denver. For that role, he put all the articulation, breathing, and projection exercises he'd worked on to expert use.

"I was very proud that I got through that, 'cause that was a lot of words.... I felt I did the best I could at that given moment."

Still, Anderson would like the chance to repeat this role, say 15 or 20 years from now, when he has fine-tuned his technique even further.

Mark Dundas Wood

Lynn Cohen—Find Your Objective

Veteran actress Lynn Cohen contends that "any good actor worth his salt never stops training"—a credo that she has lived by. Initially, Cohen studied at Northwestern University with the legendary Alvina Krause, a Strasberg-Meisner disciple, who was "strong in technique and Method." Later, she honed her craft further with the New York City-based Michael Howard (who was Actors Studio-trained). More recently, she studied with world-renowned voice teacher Patsy Rodenburg, who has worked with such notables as Judi Dench and Ralph Fiennes.

Cohen maintains that the major virtue of training—and the more eclectic the training the better—is that it gives the actor options. "Training puts you in a position to make stronger choices and feel confident about them. Perhaps, even more important, training allows for freedom and flexibility. And that's very important if you are working with inexperienced actors or a director who is not very good, or even one who is very good, but has a different approach than the one you are used to."

Most of Cohen's training has emphasized the idea that the best way to achieve truth in a scene is for the actor to find his objective—e.g., what do I want from the other character and then how do I go about getting it? And Cohen emphasizes that she will always go back to that approach, especially when in doubt.

Within that framework, however, there are varying schools of thought, Cohen acknowledges. "Some teachers talk about the importance of finding the character's inner life, including what he or she may have had for breakfast. My feeling is, if it helps, use it. The goal is to make the scene work when nothing is working, and that's where training comes in—whether it's knowing how to recall an emotion or determining what the character had for breakfast."

Cohen is perhaps best known for her recurring role as the crazy Ukrainian on the TV show "Sex and the City." Among her voluminous credits are André Gregory's film, "Vanya on 42nd Street"; the world premiere of Arthur Laurents' play, "My Good Name," at the Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor; and the current workshop of a musical version of the film, "Dirty Dancing."

One of her more successful moments on stage, she recalls, stemmed from an accident that the director liked so much he wanted to see it incorporated into the performance. "I was playing Paulina in 'The Seagull.' In this version, the doctor Paulina is in love with is on a swing. I come charging in towards him and, this particular time, I crashed into the swing. He fell off the swing and toppled on top of me and it worked—and that's what we had to repeat, nightly. It was a physical bit of business, but it had to become organic, and my training helped."

Training also kicks in when the going gets rough and concentration is called for in order to negotiate the unanticipated rugged patches. "I was working on a soap with a particularly cruel director who doesn't like actors," Cohen recalls. "When a young actor asked him a question, he snapped, 'When you are the new kid on the block, you do not ask questions.' The young actor froze and so did the rest of us.

"I decided the only way to get through this was to listen very carefully to the director, find out exactly what he wanted, and then reproduce it without further discussion. Although I still addressed the questions of what do I want in the scene and how do I get it, I was able to focus and reproduce technically—thanks to my training—what the director was looking for."

Simi Horwitz

Kathleen Early—Accepting the Givens

Recently, Kathleen Early wrote a thank-you note to Susan Shaughnessy, one of her professors at the University of Oklahoma. Shaughnessy's course, "Departures from Realism," included text analysis and scene study of playwrights ranging from Brecht to Ionesco. Students learned to look at any play, however abstract or absurd, on its own terms—to accept the givens in any particular dramatic world.

This training turned out to be peculiarly useful for the Texas-born Early, who this season performed the character of Girl in Off-Broadway's "The Play About the Baby" by Edward Albee. Early credits Shaughnessy for helping her become freer to experiment during rehearsals and to opt for unusual, unexpected choices in a scene. She recalls playing Viola Spolin theatre games in this class, and practicing relaxation and focus exercises. Some of the techniques Early picked up then helped her make the transition from the cocoon-ish atmosphere of educational theatre to the workaday world of professional acting:

"In educational theatre, we would always get together as a group before a show, and we'd always warm up together and we'd always make the connection. There was something wonderful about that—that environment. In a professional environment, a lot of people go out and smoke a cigarette for their warm-up.... So you start figuring out what you have to do in order to carry that over. Can I connect with the actors in another way before the show, without having to do an 'exercise'?"

Early apprenticed at Actors Theatre of Louisville, did both regional work around the country and showcases in NYC, and toured for TheatreWorks/USA. But "The Play About the Baby" proved a breakthrough role. The show provided both highs and lows. As the young couple toyed with and psychologically battered by an older man and woman, Early and David Burtka (Boy) were put in an extremely vulnerable position. They were emotionally (and physically) naked during much of the play. But going through the wringer varied from performance to performance.

"There are times when I feel that it's not up to par," Early remarked, shortly before the play closed. "Every once in a while real tears aren't there. You feel the tears—your body feels the tears—but for some reason they don't come out. It's almost enough to make you cry, the fact that they're not there! There was actually a period of time that was really hard. You get frustrated and think, gosh, what if it never happens again. What if I've lost it?"

Practicing some of the listening exercises she's learned helped Early get back in touch with the emotional reality of the moment. But off-the-wall distractions didn't help. One night, at a point in the play when Early was facing full front, an audience member got the notion to wave at her. "There are tears streaming down your face, and there's somebody cocking their head to the side and waving, like, 'Did she see me?' Yes, I see you! That hurts!"

The highs in "The Play About the Baby" outnumbered the lows, however. Working with Brian Murray (Man) and Marian Seldes (Woman) was a joyful experience and helped make Early's own performances soar. Seldes' ability to avoid judging an audience, even one that seemed fidgety or inattentive, especially impressed Early.

"I feel like I've had a class every day for the past nine months," she says.

M. D. W.

Robert H. Fowler—Using Today's Reality

Robert H. Fowler is currently appearing on Broadway in the ensemble of "The Producers," a very demanding show. Those lucky enough to have seen it may remember Fowler as Officer O'Houlihan. If you caught the public television special, "Recording The Producers," you may have seen his turn as an unhappy accountant singing "Old Man River." Like any Broadway musical, "The Producers" has a relentless performance schedule, and requires performers to show up daily in top form and good voice. Technique is essential to surviving the run.

Fowler studies a technique known as "transformation acting" with teacher Sande Shurin. "Her technique allows me to acknowledge everything that's going on, and turn it over to the role. It keeps me present in the scene. It helps me to create the world of the play, but allows for daily differences. It allows me to bring what's going on today into the scene," says Fowler.

How does that work? In practice, it's about accepting today's given reality—the lousy commute, the head cold, the joyful news—and let your character have that kind of day within the given circumstances of the play. Some techniques offer the actor tools to block out or rise above these daily distractions. On the contrary, the transformational acting technique Fowler depends on offers actors a way to fold these daily events and the feelings they produce right into the role. It's an alternative to the more self-contained techniques that aim to eliminate or insulate the actor's feelings from the character's feelings.

Auditioning with this technique has been the acid test. At no other time does an actor more want to be at his cheerful, relaxed best. Life does not always cooperate. "I had an audition for 'Aida,' " says Fowler, "and it had been a very rough day. I got in there to sing, but I'd forgotten the words! Or so I thought. But I knew the song, so I just started, and the words were there. It felt like a conversation, where I didn't know what I was going to say next. Like it was my song, and I was making it up on the spot. When I finished, the person behind the desk told me they'd heard that song five times that day, and that was the first time they 'got it.' It changed the way I audition. Sometimes I try too hard at auditions. This taught me that I can be with whatever is happening."

Fowler also likes the way his technique helps him to interact with his fellow actors, who may or may not be using anything like the transformational acting methods he uses. "I know it gives them something to work with, as well as giving me something to go on. It makes me more present, as we have to connect to continue. Otherwise, we'd be in two different plays. It helps me listen and makes me want to play ball."

That's the best thing any technique can do.

Catherine Castellani

Arthur French—Make Your Own Decisions

A nimble character actor, Arthur French has played in everything from "The River Niger" to works by Wole Soyinka, LeRoi Jones (now Amiri Baraka), and Charles Fuller to the Working Theater's recent "Free Market" this past June. The winner of a 1997 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Performance describes his training as solid, yet flexible enough to always provide a foundation for his characters.

French's training was never burdened by youthful, starry-eyed images of fame, however. In fact, he came to his interest in performing long after entering adulthood. "I worked for the department of social services," he says. "One day, I'm sitting in front of the TV and looking at the people, and I began thinking, 'Well, I can do that.' But it still took a long time before I really committed to it. When I finally left my job [after succeeding Douglas Turner Ward in 'The River Niger' on Broadway], I would have had quite a career ahead of me."

First, French was a moonlight student of Peggy Feury "who was doing what Strasberg was doing—people like Lily Tomlin and Martin Landau studied with her. But the names never meant anything to me; that wasn't what was interesting to me. The biggest advantage I had was that I knew I knew nothing at the time."

Having initially entered the business without ego or expectation, French made himself available for various non-acting jobs, a wise-before-his-years choice that endowed him with even more perspective on his craft. "I did all the stuff people didn't want to do—I would build sets, I would stage manage. This way, I got more a full sense of what [theatre] is all about."

Soon, however, he began working with the American Community Theatre in Harlem "doing plays, and being thrilled when I got my five dollars." From there, he landed a role Off-Broadway in a play called "Raisin' Hell in the Son" at the Provincetown Playhouse and "much to my to shock and surprise, I was now a professional actor [thanks to an Off-Broadway contract]. I mean, I never thought of it!"

That play, like others written and produced during the civil rights movement and upheavals of the '60s and '70s, provided French with another kind of training, he says. As a Negro Ensemble Company actor, for example, French and his colleagues "worked on new plays with new things to say—and you couldn't separate what was happening on stage from what was happening in the country. You learned to communicate ideas."

Over the years, more roles arrived—from "Death of a Salesman" with George C. Scott to Melvin van Peebles' "Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death"—and French continued using his Strasberg-heavy training. "You come up with your own 'method' of doing things, whether the situation is something close or something you have to research or something you understand through 'private moments,' " he says. "A role is something to approach internally."

French currently teaches a scene study class at HB Studio, completing, in a sense, the circle of his journey. "I try to get my students to make their own decisions," he says. "I ask them to figure out what do they want, what are you trying to accomplish—to try, more than anything, to let them make their own decisions. They have to think things through." Ever avuncular, when French says that he encourages his students to "be hard on themselves," his tone is constructive, warm, and guiding. "I ask them, 'Why are you making the choice that you're making?' When you say 'I love you,' do you mean 'I hate you,' and when you say 'I hate you,' do you mean 'I love you'?"

Leonard Jacobs

Anita Hollander—Internalizing Discipline

Anita Hollander blends techniques she studied at Carnegie Mellon University, at the London Academy of Musical and Dramatic Arts, and with individual teachers. She finds the physical aspects of performing—the study of movement and development of the body as an instrument, particularly through the Alexander Technique and tai chi—to be as important as working on one's approach to character development.

Hollander says she would feel this way even if she didn't face unusual circumstances. She lost a leg to cancer during her early years of performing. Nevertheless, she has performed—even danced—with and without her artificial leg, in musical productions and straight plays in New York, regionally, and in Europe, and has many broadcasting credits. She has worked with Joanne Akalaitis, Philip Glass, Al Carmines, John Rubinstein, Joseph Chaikin, and Ruth Malaczech, among others, and created the title role in the world premiere of "Gretty Good Time" at the Kennedy Center. She also presented her one-woman show, "Still Standing," at the White House and Off-Broadway.

In terms of character development, Hollander notes that the American and British approaches differ. Here, the tendency is to look into the character first. "I create a road map: Who am I? What do I want? What is my obstacle?" In Britain, "The word comes first. The playwright is more honored. You study the script, then find how your character fits into it." She combines both approaches.

The Alexander Technique—which focuses on re-training one's breathing habits—has proven important for Hollander in strengthening vocal production, physical alignment and control, grace, and balance. Tai chi supplements this. Her teachers, Judith Liebowitz, who had polio, and Troop Mathews, who also had one leg, were particularly helpful in pointing out ways the Alexander Technique could prove helpful.

Hollander has also studied the Linklater Technique and Cicely Berry's approach, both of which focus on using the full body in voice production. "It's important for actors to see what works for them and to find the best teachers of those approaches," she says. "Training can prove invaluable.

"You internalize discipline," she says, "That strengthens every performance. There are nights I've given a great performance and others where I haven't, but even on the weaker nights the discipline of hard practice and firm grounding in technique carries you through."

She laughs upon recalling the most extreme example she ever experienced of this phenomenon. "I once fell asleep on stage, during a performance of 'Death and the Maiden' at the Summerfun Theatre in Montclair, N.J. I think my working on technique so hard during rehearsals kept one part of my mind alert to my cue. I snapped awake and carried on."

While this was one of those freak moments that make for good dinner party stories, Hollander feels that more ordinary versions of this sort of thing happen to performers all the time. "If you have worked hard to perfect your craft and every aspect of the character the script, and the show, it will carry you through." Of course, there are many good nights when the hard work involved does far more than "carry you through." "It all pays off the times when it all goes right," she says. "Exploring, staying open to approaches that work for you, and disciplining yourself to develop those will lead you to give performances you'll enjoy and be proud of."

Esther Tolkoff

Kim Hunter—Keep Growing

Long before winning the 1951 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for "A Streetcar Named Desire," legendary actress Kim Hunter was a Florida high school student studying acting in the apartment of Charmine Lantass Camine.

One of the first of the Actors Studio actors, it was here that Hunter acquired the basics of her craft. From Camine, she learned "overall acting technique—voice and body, even fencing—and the point was that one trains every part of one's self to be able to do what one wants with it. All characters are different, and as an actor you're frequently going to be asked to do a lot of things you wouldn't ordinarily be prepared to do. You have to know how to use your interior, with the tools you have available."

Arriving in California, Hunter became affiliated with the Pasadena Playhouse, putting her craft to work in productions of "The Women" and "Arsenic and Old Lace" (the latter with Raymond Burr) and then segueing into films. That change of medium posed some obstacles to Hunter; all that stage training left her unsure how to act in two-dimensions.

"My first film, 'The Seventh Victim,' was the director's first film also—we were both new to what we were doing. It was very odd to adjust to—the silence drove me crazy, plus you don't rehearse. To have absolutely no sound was very weird."

"It then became clear," Hunter says, "that in film you deal with things more realistically. When you're talking to whomever, it's as if you're in the room talking to them, not on stage projecting to the balcony, yet you still have to reach your audience." Learning to adjust her technique to accommodate the peculiarities of film thus comprised a second phase to her training.

Coming to New York, Hunter then gravitated toward the newly founded Actors Studio, where her all of her training ultimately coalesced. "The Actors Studio was formed as a safe place for actors to work, to explore what they do, to fall on your face, to learn, to not be perfect all the time," Hunter says. Also, then as now, the training is rather less pedagogical than personal. "The idea is you find the part, you choose the scene, then you do it. Then you explain your intentions, and the actors watching give their response as to whether they felt you accomplished what you set out to do."

Finally, the focus would shift to the "moderator," who in Hunter's time was typically her favorite director, Elia Kazan. "I found he would get to know you personally as well as he could, and in all sorts of areas," Hunter says. "So whenever he wanted something in particular—emotionally or whatever—he knew what button to push. It was always private—he never did that in front of anybody. His aim—as teacher as well as director—was to fulfill the play."

Her five years spent at the Actors Studio worked for Hunter because "one is constantly trying to grow, so I always took lessons, voice, and went to dance class—to keep my body functioning as well as I could."

Her extensive training had particular application to a production Hunter prefers to keep nameless that she did Off-Broadway at the Theatre de Lys, now the Lucille Lortel. "There were two of us in it, and I had to play the bitch of all time. I found her and I did her, but it wasn't easy. We all have things we hate and don't approve of, and much of the time we don't express this in our lives, so to do it on stage is very exciting—and remember, it's the training that allows you to do it. Always remember that you learn by doing—you should never forget that."

L. J.

Larry Keith—Looking at Life with an Actor's Eye

Veteran stage and film actor Larry Keith recalls when he was a young performer in the '60s, understudying Henry Higgins in Broadway's "My Fair Lady."

"I learned about how you preserve yourself vocally," Keith remembers. "That guy's never offstage. He has seven songs, and he drives with energy. You had to have your voice placed properly so you could survive. And you didn't have a mike."

So what did Keith do?

"What every actor knows how to do," he responds. "You use the facial mask and vocal resonance. You keep out of the throat and off the chords and keep the focus forward…how you get the voice to sound so it will carry."

Keith—who's currently playing on Broadway as Herr Schultz in "Cabaret"—indicated that his experience has proved that it's not so important looking at a high moment or low moment in his acting career. The value rises from understanding how you meet all challenges through philosophy and preparation.

"I haven't had as much formal training as others," he confides. "I went to the American Theatre Wing and studied after I got out of the service: acting, body movement, voice; I started as a singer. So, vocally, I had pretty good command of my instrument as a beginning actor. I took voice lessons, voice production lessons, voice projection lessons. I took a Shakespeare class with Phillip Burton, Richard's adopted father."

He remembers with particular fondness learning from Bobby Lewis of the Group Theatre. "He was a wonderful teacher and a wonderful man."

Still, Keith emphasizes, "Much of what I learned, I learned by doing: what worked and what didn't; how to break down a part. Really basic stuff: asking myself, 'Who am I in this role? What do I want? How will I go about getting it?' All the questions that begin the analysis.

"A lot of characters I respond to intuitively," he continues. "When it works intuitively, you don't need a technique. You need that when things don't work intuitively; when you want things to make sense, and it helps you get organized."

The key, Keith believes, comes from "a place of understanding and truth inside you. To a young actor, the more life experiences you have, the better. The more you know and read, the better."

That means learning about music, art, literature, and studying everything with "an actor's eye."

"Any terrific actor I've ever seen, I've found to be extremely well-educated in more fields than acting," he reports. "That's the life force you use to fill the vessel that's the actor. You've got to look at life with the actor's eye. Sometimes, when having trouble solving a part, you may find it out there: an experience you never expected. Maybe somebody's behavior at a party, and you say, 'Oh, yeah! That's it!' You never know where it's going to come from."

So this veteran actor advises the young performer to meet challenges by remembering the basics: "Keep physically fit," he prompts. "Be prepared; keep your acting skills sharp; and take responsibility."

When on stage, learn how to use and focus your energy "so it's at your command when you need it."

And always remember that on stage you're involved in collaboration: "Listen," he insists. "Be in the moment. Don't go to the next moment until the moment you're in is finished. And don't play the end of the play until you get there."

Roger Armbrust

Michael McElroy—Working from Physicality

Michael McElroy, currently playing the title character in "Blue" Off-Broadway at the Gramercy Theatre, studied at Carnegie Mellon University, where the philosophy was to expose students to a range of techniques—Stanislavski, Meisner, many others—and to encourage drama students to combine the aspects that suited them and then work out one's own approach. "What I find works best for me," he says, "is to go from the outside in, by which I mean working on a character's physicality first. My teacher, Mel Shapiro, was a major influence on me in developing this approach.

McElroy explains, "In portraying Blue, for instance, my character is an African-American singer who came up in the '40s, '50s, and '60s. There was a certain style of movement, a way of moving his hands, of dressing. Once I have the outward movements down, I find that the words just come out of my mouth naturally, the way that character would say them. I feel as if I've become that person.

Many aspects of his character in the musical, "Violet," which he performed at Playwrights Horizons, were based in large part on McElroy. "I know that from playwrights Jeanine Tesori and Brian Crawley. But the character's actual life was very different from mine. He was a serviceman, and he lived in the racist atmosphere of the South in the 1960s, so he was a much more guarded person than I am. I tend to move quickly, doing many things at once, talking rapidly. What I concentrated on most intensely here was moving more slowly—getting up from a chair more slowly, speaking more slowly. This was hard work, but I felt that the more I mastered that aspect of the character, the more I became him. It worked very well."

McElroy, who has also been seen on screen in "Stonewall," on TV in "Spin City" and "All My Children," and in regional theatre in "Angels in America: Parts I & II," is a strong believer in the importance of training, study, and discipline. He feels fortunate to have studied at Shaker Heights High School in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, which focused on the performing arts and gave him a strong sense of the importance of technique even before he got to Carnegie Mellon.

"Every actor has nights when it's technique and training that get you through. You can't just get up there and give a good performance steadily, night after night, week after week. When I was in 'Rent,' we'd do two shows a day, three days in a row, and then two more evenings with two days off. Inevitably, there are times you're feeling ill—I performed when I had respiratory infections—or you're upset about something that happened to you that day. Sometimes you're in a production where you don't get along well with the person you're playing off of. It's strong technique, a thorough preparation of your work on the character and his movements that gets you through it without the audience being aware of any of these things. I would tell any beginning actor not to minimize for a minute the importance of working hard on one's technique and applying it to your work on the character you're portraying. That will carry you through."

E. T.

Crista Moore—Staying in the Moment

For Crista Moore, acting training (whatever the school) is most useful in navigating "those moments when you feel like an alien on stage, especially in a long run where there's the added danger of becoming stale." She makes the observation that these problems can occur even in a role for which you are well suited. She cites her gig as Louise in "Gypsy," opposite Tyne Daly as Mama Rose, as the classic case in point.

"I really did relate to the material, in particular that emotionally heavy dressing room scene, where Louise declares her independence. It's the showdown between Louise and her mother and it's a wrenching encounter. But there were nights when I was exhausted or sick." She pauses. "Generally, after six months in a show, you may have to find something new to fuel the fires. What was working before no longer is.

"Acting training," she continues, "helps you concentrate, relax, not get distracted, and not push. My training, in particular, has helped me be in the moment on stage and listen. For me, that's always been the key."

Moore was twice nominated for a Tony Award for her work in "Gypsy" and "Big," and will soon be seen on screen in Todd Solondz's still-untitled new film. She played the title role in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" at New York City Opera, appeared Off-Broadway in "Birds of Paradise" and "Rags," and regionally at Geva in "My Fair Lady" and Alan Ayckbourn's "House and Garden," at the Coconut Grove Playhouse in "Substance of Fire," and at the Cleveland Play House in Molnar's "The Guardsman." Her primary acting teacher has been Fred Kareman, with whom she has studied for 12 years. "His approach is Meisner-based. He does not emphasize objectives—what do I want in a scene? Instead, he focuses on listening and answering truthfully. Keeping you in the moment.

"But the actor's major goal, from his point of view, is serving the author's intent. Kareman believes the actor uses his imagination to do any part, whether or not he relates to it personally. That's not to say the actor doesn't personalize the role in order to make it truthful. But the actor's truth must relate to the material."

She offers an example. "If the character is devastated because she has lost her boyfriend and the actress can't relate to that experience, but can relate to the anguish accompanying losing a job, she substitutes that experience."

She has also studied acting with Alan Langdon, who taught at Circle in the Square and was a champion of finding objectives in a scene. "Besides understanding what other actors are talking about, learning about 'finding objectives' is useful when I'm working on classics and the material and language may be a little removed."

Nonetheless, Moore stresses, whatever technique or combination of techniques an actor uses, he always puts his own stamp on it in order to make it workable, to make it his own. "Most actors have techniques that are eclectic."

The place where training is most useful, she asserts, is in the face of those characters "you simply don't understand and/or have limited time to figure it all out. When you're working on TV, for example. There are added problems on TV because so much time is spent just sitting around, waiting. It's so exhausting and so easy to forget your lines. That's when acting training really helps you focus."

S. H.

Donna Murphy—Make It Work for You

"I heard of Stella Adler from somebody from my hometown, Topsfield, Mass.," says Donna Murphy, the two-time Tony winner who began singing at a single-digit age and commenced professional training at just 18. All along, she says, "I knew I wanted to pursue a life in theatre—but I also knew I needed training."

In coming to New York to study with Stella Adler, Murphy says that it wasn't just training that she acquired—she faced one of the biggest challenges of her life.

"Studying with Stella was stupendous and life-changing," Murphy says, "because New York is a complicated place to be for an 18-year-old who's star struck and ready to grab any opportunity to be on stage. She was very intimidating, and saw things in a black-and-white way in terms of what was art, what's the responsibility of being an artist. She felt the actor's work is an ongoing re-negotiation with yourself, that every choice is of great importance, that you need to commit and invest in choices. She used to say, 'Your talent is in your choice,' which is true."

So fond and fervent are her recollections of Adler—legendary for reducing her students to tears—that one might assume the star of such musicals as "Passion" and the revival of "The King and I" remains a confirmed Adler acolyte. Yet because singing was clearly as large a part of her life and ambition as dramatic acting, Murphy had to reconcile various approaches to accommodate her goals, a process she often found bedeviling. Between her freshman and sophomore year, she experienced an "epiphany," realizing that while she had "the capacity" to understand Adler's instruction, she "wasn't ready to go there." Learning how to hear her views and make them work for her was among her first and highest hurdles.

"There was a core of Stella's work having to do with teaching you about your own responsibility to become a certain kind of human being—one aware of the size of issues in the world, an artist who becomes a kind of sponge for humanity. Again, that's a lot for an 18-year-old, and I first found myself a bit paralyzed in studying with her. I thought, 'If I can't be great, then I don't want to do it at all'—and that confusion kept me from taking some risks.

"Then I realized I wanted to know how to go beyond what I thought I might know about a scene. It was a wakeup call: learning how to listen, take extensive notes, dare to fail. I learned the importance of being really awake, really being passionate about being interested in what you're doing, and to get past what you think you're supposed to be interested in."

A self-confessed "research queen" who relishes delving into character—a rarity, perhaps, among some musical theatre performers—Murphy doesn't teach, but she does suggest students be patient while training. More important, she says, is to know that "you're in a new environment" and to check the desire "to show what talent you have" with having everything you thought you knew about your talent "questioned and deconstructed."

L. J.

James Murtaugh—Use a Variety of Techniques

After spending the last 35 years working as a union actor with the kind of regular work that many other performers envy, James Murtaugh still relies on the training he got as a college student (and from a variety of acting teachers he has studied with since he left college, including Gene Frankel, George Morrison, Milton Katselas, and Wynn Handman). Perhaps that is why he is a recognizable face to theatregoers, television viewers, and such respected dramatists as Alan Ayckbourn, Richard Nelson, and Brian Friel.

On television, Murtaugh plays recurring roles on both "100 Centre Street" and "Ed," and in the last year has guest starred on "The Sopranos," "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit," and the forthcoming HBO film of "The Laramie Project." On top of that schedule, he also finds time to participate in an average of five staged readings each year with The Actors Company Theatre, maintain his membership in Ensemble Studio Theatre, and serve on the board of the Players Club.

Murtaugh talked about how he continues to use a variety of exercises he has picked up over the years—some of which come in handy before he gets the job, and some after he gets it.

"Before you go into an audition, you definitely need to relax," he says. "There's such pressure during an audition; it can be terrifying and it can immobilize you. You must keep your muscles relaxed or you'll be overwhelmed and won't be able to audition properly. I do Feldenkreuz relaxation exercises for that, which I learned a long time ago."

Then, once he gets cast, Murtaugh says he uses a variety of techniques.

While he was acting in one long-running Off-Broadway hit, he says he found himself relying on his training more than once. "In any long run, there are things that stop working for the actor, motivations that don't work as well as they did," he said. "During the run of 'Other People's Money,' when something started to not work for me, I could rely on my training to help me find new motivations and keep the show fresh."

Other moments that called for solid grounding came less expectedly in the run, and were the sort of thing that can drive an inexperienced actor to distraction.

"There was one performance," he recalls, "when one of the other actors was having stomach problems. Suddenly she just left the stage in the middle of the scene, because she had to. The rest of us couldn't leave or end the scene until she came back, but, fortunately, we were all grounded and had experience doing improv, so we just, well, vamped.

"We talked, and we talked, and she came back, and we finished the scene. I don't think the audience ever knew."

Mike Salinas

Christianne Tisdale—The 10 Distinctions

Christianne Tisdale has performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally. She spent four years at Yale as an undergraduate, but only one in the famous Yale graduate acting program before beginning her career. Finding herself launched as a professional was a mixed blessing. "There I was in 'Beauty and the Beast' with no technique. Just me," says Tisdale, who played Belle. Since then, she has built a flexible and enduring foundation beneath "just me" that has served her well.

Tisdale studies with Sande Shurin, using what Tisdale calls the "10 distinctions" as the steel and cement of that foundation. "The 10 are presencing (or what's sometimes called emotional body), situation, livingness, character, psyche, stylistic and cultural truths, interior monologue, turning points and transitions, intention/action, and taking risks," Tisdale says. As a list, it may not convey much, but as a system of acting it has saved Tisdale more than once. "I was a standby in 'Triumph of Love,' and I got thrown on in previews for Susan Egan. She played four different characters and was always on stage. I kept a piece of paper in the quick-change area (I had lots of costume changes), and on it I wrote the situation, the intention, and the livingness for that scene. It worked so well." Her colleagues, Betty Buckley and F. Murray Abraham, gave Tisdale high praise after the performance, happy to be working with a standby they could rely on to perform.

More than just a tool to keep an actor oriented, the "10 distinctions" have rescued Tisdale in building a character. "I did a beautiful musical called 'Fermat's Last Tango,' a part written for me [by composer Joshua Rosenblum and author Joanne Sydney Lessner]. I played two roles: a kinky television news reporter, and Euclid. The father of geometry—that Euclid. I could not get a key into that character. It was two weeks into a four-week rehearsal process, we were opening in New York, and I had nothing. I'm trying, and it's not working, it's not working, it's not working. I went back to the first distinction, 'emotional body,' and I surrendered. I gave up. And then this little obnoxious character comes out and starts making shapes: Look! I'm a triangle! Look! I'm a rhomboid! Which is a tough one, if you've never tried it. And that became my physical body, Euclid's search for the perfect shape. Oddly, I got more TV auditions out of that, doing this huge physical comedy, than I've gotten doing delicate, fine work!"

A far cry from "just me" and yet still very much herself, Tisdale continues to train in the "10 distinctions" technique and to enjoy her time in the studio. She has yet to find a limitation in it. "I've done four new musicals in a row, and it comes in just as handy doing that as it does doing Shakespeare." Every actor wants a toolkit like that.

C. C. (55)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:50:57 UTC

BACKSTAGE STAFF. (2001). Acting Highs and Lows. Available: https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/acting-highs-lows-46728/. Last accessed 10th December 2019.

Tips For Surviving The Acting Industry:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:52:27 UTC

Woody Allen wrote: "Showbusiness is not so much dog eats dog, as dog doesn't return other dog's phone calls."

Acting isn't all about feeling the character and being in the moment. If you can't get a job, it's not about much at all. Acting is only possible if somebody's prepared to sit and watch you do it. To survive emotionally and professionally, you've got to both earn a living and nourish your beleagured self-esteem.

Your chances:

The statistics are terrifying, with something like 92% of the profession out of work at any one time. What the figure doesn't reveal is that the same 8% tend to work continuously while the same 92% never get a look-in.

The trick therefore is to be in the top 8%. The big break from out of the blue does very occasionally occur, but statistically it's about as likely as winning the lottery, and the last thing you want to end up as is one of those serially unemployed actors sitting nursing a pint in some dingy pub complaining about why their agent doesn't pull their bloody finger out.

Drama school or university:

Plenty of people make it without going to drama school. Some never study at all, while some study at university. Oxford and Cambridge supply a constant stream of genuine talent, as do one or two others (Manchester, Durham), but beware courses on offer at minor universities and colleges of further education. Despite their claims, most are a waste of time. Don't kid yourself that two years spent at Uttoxeter Polytechnic's foundation course in the dramatic arts will get you noticed once you leave. It won't.

The same, to a lesser extent, is true for drama schools; there are maybe five or six decent establishments that offer superb training and are regularly monitored by those in the profession looking for talent - RADA, of course, Central, Lamda and one or two others - but beyond those you should be wary. A little sleuthing will soon reveal whether these less august enterprises have produced anybody you've ever heard of.

The first few months:

Your greatest asset is your novelty value. When you finally become a professional, for six months or so (or at least until the next wave of graduates and wannabees are disgorged from their training and trample all over you), you're brand spanking new, and this is your best chance of getting a foothold. Everybody - producers, agents, directors - wants to be the one to discover the next big thing, so you'll be paid levels of attention that, however slight, will seem a distant memory even a year later.

In the old days the profession allowed a slow, steady approach: a bit of experience in a provincial repertory company (maybe combining bit parts with some stage management and tea-making for the director), after which you could find your feet and advance to bigger parts and bigger theatres. But nowadays only a handful of regional venues produce their own work, and in this novelty-obsessed celebrity culture, getting noticed while you're still shiny and pink is more important than ever. Don't squander this precious resource.

Getting an agent:

A good theatrical agent is worth their weight in gold, but a duff one (and there are plenty) is profoundly detrimental. You're waiting for them to get you a job, while they're waiting for you to get one off your own bat so they can cream off a handy 10, 12.5 or even 15% of your earnings for doing sod all.

Approach an agent like you would any other work interview: your CV should be crisply presented, suggesting you're the real deal rather than a loser. Remember, agents will be receiving tens of supplications a day, so your approach needs to pass muster during their cursory initial scrutiny. Poorly presented or badly spelt CVs accompanied by fuzzy photographs will go straight in the bin.

Track down a copy of the actors' directory, Spotlight (spotlight.com), and flick through the thousands of entries to see which actors are represented by whom. That in itself should put you off. But if it doesn't, you'll soon see which are the better agencies. If you haven't got much personal experience, try approaching an agent who's small and unglamorous enough to want/need to work for you, but who isn't just a repository of deadbeat clients who can't get noticed elsewhere.

Your initial approach should be concise, with a decent mugshot attached. If you're involved in a show, however humble, it's always good to mention because it gives them something to come and see. Don't add lots of pointless credits to bulk out your resume (Baby Bear in Goldilocks with the Beaconsfield Dramatic Society Pantomime in 2005) as it will only mark you as desperate.

Follow up with a call a couple of weeks later if you haven't heard anything, but don't pester.

Networking:

The business is oiled by whom you know, and thus the most likely source of employment is meeting possible employers and future allies in unlikely circumstances. In between jobs, do all you can to put yourself about and keep your skills sharp. If there's a something going on in a pub or a workshop, or even a rehearsed reading, take it - you never know who might be watching or participating. I've lost count of the gigs I've got through meeting directors and actors who've remembered me, sometimes months or years later when they're in a position to offer paid employment.

The Actors Centre in Tower Street, central London, is a great place to keep your hand in - for a modest subscription they offer a dizzying range of classes, workshops and projects in every facet of acting, from voice, movement, audition technique, working on TV, singing in musicals: plus you never know who you're going to meet in class or in the canteen. The service is open to all. In other words, stay busy. Inertia is the biggest enemy of both your skill and your drive to find work.

Keeping going:

Q: Why don't actors look out of the window in the morning?

A: Because they'd have nothing to do in the afternoon...

The defining difference between amateur actors and professionals is not, as some might believe, talent (I know some fine amateurs and some shocking pros), but that pros are prepared to cope with the nightmare of not knowing where the next pay cheque is coming from. Penury undermines the most burning enthusiasm, so do anything within reason to keep some money coming in. Plenty of thesps I know work part-time in box offices, or as ushers, or even backstage. It also keeps you vaguely in the swim as regards what's happening and where.

Any job that allows you time to accept last-minute auditions is worth its wait in gold - temping work, office receptionist etc - so a knowledge of a PC and a winning smile are useful skills in staving off the bailiffs. Waiting tables and pub work, too, might allow you the flexibility you need to pursue job auditions when the phonecall comes.

Above all, find out what's going on and where. What productions are being cast? What plays are being lined up? Who's directing what and when? If you know the plays in question and which parts you might be suitable for, you can target your begging letter for maximum impact.

As well as trawling the internet, Production and Casting Report (PCR) is a good investment if you can afford it - a regular digest of what's being lined up in the business (pcrnewsletter.com/pcr).

In the meantime, swimming, running, yoga - all the old standbys will keep you feeling good about yourself and give you the energy and optimism to get up the next morning and begin the battle afresh. Go to see plays whenever you can - it can be expensive, but there are always good deals and cheap seats if you know where to look and who to ask. It's also a great source of potential material for your own audition pieces.

Finally, be honest with yourself as to how you're coping. The best rule of thumb I know about how I'm dealing with unemployment is how early each day I switch on the television. If I find myself watching re-runs of Cash in the Attic at 10am, I know it's time I took hold of myself.

Auditions:

The only thing you can influence in auditions is your own readiness. So be prepared. Choose your pieces carefully and look for speeches that the casting director won't have heard ten thousand times already. You may think you can do "To be or not to be" more inspirationally than anyone in history, but you will be up against the stiffest possible competition. Learn them thoroughly enough that you won't be stopped dead in your tracks by distractions such as someone's mobile phone ringing mid-sentence. Make sure you know the names of the individuals who are interviewing you. Research the project you're being seen for so you can talk intelligently about it if asked. And don't be late. If much of this sounds obvious, you'd be surprised at how many auditionees don't bother with even the most basic preparation.

How long to pursue your dream:

Most actors don't quit the business: the business quits them. The most common complaint about the acting game is that the profession is unfair. It isn't: but it is indifferent. It gives everything to some, and nothing to others, and it's not going to explain why. There's no point complaining: nobody's listening.

The old maxim still holds true: if you can think of any other career that would give you the same sense of satisfaction or peace of mind, do that instead. You'll get little of either as an actor. But if you really do feel life is meaningless without "shouting in the evenings", as it was once deliciously described, then my advice is to give it a go. No other profession has much security either nowadays, so you may as well try your luck.

A final thought. A circus parade is processing through the town. At the back is an old bloke whose job is to shovel the manure from all the circus animals into a big bag slung over his shoulder. A passer by asks him how long he's been doing the job and how much he gets paid, to which he replies 50 years and £50 a week. "Well why on earth don't you stop doing it and find a better job instead?" asks the passer-by.

The old bloke's reply is stark and simple: "What, and give up showbusiness?" (56)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:53:08 UTC

Michael Simkins. (2009). When the going gets tough. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/may/09/tips-surviving-acting-industry. Last accessed 10th December 2019.

Out of character: how acting puts a mental strain on performers:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:54:33 UTC

Performers are twice as likely as the general population to experience depression, according to the 2015 Australian Actors’ Wellbeing Study. Many suffer from performance anxiety and report high levels of stress arising from work-related pressures such as low income and job insecurity.

Research over many years has acknowledged that those drawn to working in the arts tend to be highly vulnerable to depression and anxiety. However, there are contributing factors to the strikingly high levels of anxiety and stress specific to the acting community. These include the deep emotions they are often required to access and express when playing a role and the strong identification they can form with their characters.

I recently conducted research into the stresses incurred by acting students at the country’s leading drama schools. Most of the acting teachers I interviewed acknowledged that their students did not take the time and space to separate themselves from their roles. This resulted in emotional hangovers, which often caused extreme moods and difficulties in their personal lives.

Although it became clear that more still needs to be done to safeguard these acting students’ wellbeing, mental health issues in the arts – along with other stressful workplace environments – are fortunately now being given more significance. Many performing arts schools and companies are actively seeking to address their artists’ mental health and wellbeing concerns.

Getting in character:

Getting into character is not just as simple as “putting on” or “taking off” a role. Performing arts scholar Mark Seton argues that playing a character is a complex process that cannot be separated from the life of the actor.

Sometimes actors are unable to let go of the emotions associated with their characters. This boundary blurring can result in them carrying the role into everyday life – with negative effects.

One acting teacher described how a gentle, polite male student became rude and aggressive during the time he played one of the men involved in a re-enactment of the Anita Cobby murder. The teacher had to point out to him that “seepage” seemed to be taking place between him and the character.

Actors frequently tap into their personal histories to evoke the emotions required to play a role. This can be traumatic if it triggers deep issues or elicits difficult experiences and memories.

One drama school director disclosed that he had to be very careful when choosing plays if they involved domestic violence or sexual assaults because he was aware some of his students had lived through these experiences. It could be emotionally dangerous for them to act out such scenes.

The 2015 Australian Actors’ Wellbeing Study found that almost 40% of actors surveyed had difficulty shaking off intense emotional and/or physical roles.

Although strategies have been developed to help actors detach from the roles they play – to de-role – in my experience and in my research, actors or acting students rarely use these practices. It has long been acknowledged that heading to the bar for a drink after a performance is the traditional way for actors to unwind after performances. The 2015 study found that, perhaps unsurprisingly in light of this fact, actors’ alcohol consumption was high.

How to de-role:

There are many ways to warm down from a performance. Actors can participate in a brief feedback session with cast members. This can involve sharing how the performance has gone as well as other procedures such as deep breathing, visualisations or physical releases.

Other de-roling suggestions include ritualistically disrobing in order to consciously let go of the costume and the character by leaving them both on the rack. Any post-performance sense of closure that actors can create is helpful if it assists them in leaving their characters in the dressing room.

It could involve the use of a symbolic talisman that is carried only when playing the role and left backstage, or the singing of a little tune that represents to them a sense of completion. Whatever works!

The teachers I interviewed maintained that more needed to be done to help acting students better differentiate between the theatre space and the space outside the stage door. This would reinforce healthier work habits, which could eventually transfer into the profession.

Performing arts companies paying attention:

The 2015 study resulted in the establishment of an Actors Equity Wellness Committee. Its aim is to educate the industry about mental health and wellbeing while providing resources for those who may be at risk.

More performing arts companies are employing psychologists. The Australian Ballet and contemporary dance company CO3 have resident psychologists to assist with dancers’ mental wellbeing.

Theatre productions are more frequently using the services of psychologists – particularly if the subject matter is dark or difficult and likely to trigger psychological or emotional reactions in the actors. Cases in point are recent productions of Sarah Kane’s 4.45 Psychosis, an exploration of mental illness, and a dance-theatre production, Good Little Soldier, which dealt with the family of a Vietnam vet suffering from PTSD.

Drama schools tend to rely on their instructors and affiliated university counselling services to help students with mental health issues. Sydney drama school NIDA has had a resident counsellor one day per week for many years – and he is always booked out. My research suggests that specialised counselling services are an essential backup for students in all areas of the performing arts.

In the future artists will hopefully suffer a little less for their art in order to provide audiences with their best work. (57)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:55:04 UTC

Leith Taylor. (2017). Out of character: how acting puts a mental strain on performers. Available: http://theconversation.com/out-of-character-how-acting-puts-a-mental-strain-on-performers-86212. Last accessed 12th December 2019.

OnStage Blog - The Actor and Mental Health:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:55:46 UTC

'The work of the theatre requires us to be vulnerable. It requires us to bare our souls, and to open ourselves up to the collaborative experience we have with our partners. A lot of actors are empathetic people, who can feel and vibe off of the emotions of others. This can also be very draining. It causes us to be somewhat more sensitive, and if we are not treating our mental health with same effort as other things and putting it at the back burner, you’re going to find yourself at a breaking point. And it’s ok to stop and breathe and ask for help in the midst of the chaos!

I’m someone who will openly tell you that depression and anxiety have been a struggle for me pretty much my whole life one way or another. And it’s something that so many people also go through, and don’t talk to each other about much either. I remember a particular experience when someone not very close to me asking me was asking where I was heading to when bumping into them on the street. I was on my way to see my therapist for an appointment later at night.

I thought in my head “I can’t tell him I’m going to a doctor, it’s too late, “do I need to tell them I’m on my way to ‘therappppyy???’ I found myself lying saying I was going somewhere I wasn’t, because I thought I’d be opening up a can of worms if I revealed I was going to see a therapist. As if it was this Big Bad thing, but it’s not. As if he would think I have all these issues since I see a therapist, when I don’t really see myself as a wreck or anything, I just have a little less serotonin then the average person. It’s just as normal as being physically sick with a cold and needing to be checked in with the doctor and tune some things and settle some things. And I’m glad I recognize now that it’s not something I need to be embarrassed about our ashamed of!

It’s literally as simple as you needing aspirin when you have a headache, if you are struggling with anxiety and mental health issues, it is totally acceptable to be taking medications that can help you. Talk to your doctor and be open to those possibilities because they are nothing to be ashamed of.

Mental health is so important, and self care is so important. Self awareness to know that it’s okay to ask for help is important. And please, ask for help. I’ve done it, and it is worth it— there are people out there to relate to and share stories with. You just have to reach out, keep striving. Winston Churchill said, “if you’re going through Hell, keep going.”. There are solutions! And everyone is worth it to keep striving and just keep loving!!

And that’s what make theatre so amazing, and it’s why people like you and me love it. We see us. It’s a healing experience that takes us out of our everyday lives and for just a few hours takes us elsewhere. It’s something we all appreciate and love about theatre. I am so excited to be joining Onstage Blog as a contributing writer, and I would like to contribute my time on here to connecting and telling stories that are important.' (58)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:56:06 UTC

Christopher Peterson. (Unknown). The Actor and Mental Health. Available: https://www.onstageblog.com/voices/2019/5/15/the-actor-and-mental-health. Last accessed 10th January 2020.

Actors highly vulnerable to mental health problems:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:56:26 UTC

New research from the University of Adelaide is raising the curtain on the not-so-glamorous aspects of being a professional actor, with psychology experts finding that Australian actors experience a wide range of threats to their mental wellbeing.

Researchers from the University's School of Psychology conducted in-depth interviews with a group of 20 Australian professional actors, after realising that little had been done to understand the psychological experience of the acting profession in this country.

The results are now published online ahead of print in the journal Australian Psychologist.

"There are many positives associated with acting, such as feelings of personal growth and a sense of purpose in the actors' work. Many of them see it as a 'calling' and couldn't imagine doing anything else professionally; they feel driven to do it," says lead author Alison Robb, who has been conducting this research as part of her PhD in Psychology at the University of Adelaide.

"However, we also found that actors are highly vulnerable to depression and symptoms of anxiety.

"Their mental wellbeing is threatened in a range of ways, such as: a lack of autonomy in their profession, lack of control over their employment and general working environment, complex interpersonal relationships, a high level of self-criticism, a high level of criticism by family and friends for their choice of profession, and a heavy drinking culture.

"Actors also report experiencing vicarious trauma through their acting experiences – they are so emotionally, intellectually and physically engaged in their roles that it can be difficult to switch off. Some report having nightmares and intrusive thoughts related to their roles," she says.

Ms Robb – who herself is a former theatre director – says acting has a false reputation of being a glamorous profession.

"Many professional actors find themselves out of work for long periods of time. This creates a high level of instability in their lives, adding to feelings of anxiety," she says.

"They usually have no control over whether or not they get a particular role. If they aren't successful, they can feel demoralised and humiliated. When they do find work, it's often for very little money."

Ms Robb says these findings are relevant to both the acting profession and to psychologists.

"Quite opposite to the Hollywood stereotype of the attention-seeking, neurotic actor who is always in therapy, our research has found that Australian actors are extremely unlikely to seek help for the problems they're experiencing.

"As clinicians, psychologists need to think about how to apply their services to people with particular needs. Actors are such a group, and our recommendation is that psychologists find a way to reach out to them in a meaningful way," she says. (59)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:56:56 UTC

David Ellis. (2016). Actors highly vulnerable to mental health problems. Available: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-07-actors-highly-vulnerable-mental-health.html. Last accessed 10th January 2020.

How arts can help improve your mental health:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:57:44 UTC

We are facing huge public health challenges in the UK. Mental ill health accounts for more than 20 percent of these challenges, more than cancer and cardiovascular disease.

As the number of people with long-term conditions increases and with an ageing population who may experience high levels of physical inactivity and social isolation, innovative and effective treatments are needed, more than ever!

The arts seem to have an important role to play in this – through offering help, promoting well-being and creating a space for social connection.

We’ve looked at the added value of the arts and how they can keep us happy and in good mental health:

Being engaged in the Art:

Do you recognise a feeling of joy that you can get when taking part in cultural activities such as music, museums, dance groups and theatre?

Getting involved with the arts can have powerful and lasting effects on health. It can help to protect against a range of mental health conditions, help manage mental ill health and support recovery.

There are many ways to engage in arts and improve your mental health:

Art and health programmes led by artists and musicians can deliver health benefits through participatory arts programmes and arts engagement in everyday life.
When we talk about the arts, we include visual and performing arts, such as traditional craft, sculpture, digital art, text, dance, film, literature, music, singing, gardening and the culinary arts.

"Arts and creativity are an important part of the programmes we run at the Mental Health Foundation, art can be a different and fun way to express and talk about emotion." Jolie Goodman, Programmes Manager for Empowerment and Later life.

Arts can make a powerful contribution to our mental health:

Engaging in the arts seems to be growing in popularity as a way to improve your wellbeing. Participating in the arts can enable people to deal with a wide range of mental ill health conditions and psychological distress.

The best part is that it helps people to improve their mental health through creativity. Making art is helping many people express themselves, without having to use words.

Arts can create a feeling of community:

The arts also help at a community level. As we age, we might face isolation through a loss of social connections, such as friends, family and workplace - as well as other limitations such as decreasing physical health.

Through getting involved in arts programmes, people in later life can rebuild their social connections and extend existing support in their communities. Getting in touch with others helps in alleviating loneliness and isolation. This is also true for care homes, where arts activities can help increase social interactions between residents and residents and staff which can improve mood and wellbeing.

At the Mental Health Foundation, we are starting a new project. Creating Communities is an 18 months project funded by the Mercers Trust. We are facilitating peer groups in partnership with Anchor Hanover Housing using creativity and access to the outdoors to improve wellbeing and social connectedness for tenants in different types of later life housing scheme. In terms of creativity we will use paintings that people may be familiar with to begin conversations about emotion and build on these.We will help participants to use different materials to produce artwork that is relevant to them. Even if they don’t think of themselves as creative, we want to create an environment that encourages them to have fun and be playful. It may be that people are interested in bringing their memories to life.

The arts valuable role in mental health is being recognised:

More and more people now appreciate that the arts and culture can play a valuable role in helping people who have mental health problems.

As we’ve noted: engaging in arts, social activities and interaction within our communities can help with major challenges such as ageing and loneliness. It can help to boost confidence and make us feel more engaged and resilient. Besides these benefits, art engagement also alleviates anxiety, depression and stress.

The arts and health economics – it just makes sense:

Since it can be used as a non-medical approach to preventing mental health problems it could help save money in the health service and social care.

Making art can enable people to take greater responsibility of their own health and wellbeing by helping maintain levels of independency and curiosity and improve the quality of life by bringing greater joy. (60)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 17:58:05 UTC

Dorien Eising. (2019). How arts can help improve your mental health. Available: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/blog/how-arts-can-help-improve-your-mental-health. Last accessed 13th January 2020.

Mental health woes are rife in the arts – no wonder:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:00:30 UTC

The arts have always been linked to mental health, often in the form of stories about tortured artists. The sad life of Vincent van Gogh is but one example.

A report by Victoria University, Working in the Entertainment Industry, released in August 2015, investigated the mental health of professionals working in this sector.

It suggested that mental health problems are widespread and have more to do with insecure and harsh working conditions than romantic ideas of misunderstood genius or workers’ existing illnesses.

With the release in December last year of reports from the Productivity Commission and the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption, industrial relations look set to become a focus of the political agenda in 2016.

It is therefore worth considering if there are any lessons about mental health that can be learned from this most “flexible” of work places.

Not as entertaining as it looks:

Working in the Entertainment Industry was written by researchers Dr Julie van den Eynde, Professor Adrian Fisher and Associate Professor Christopher Sonn. It was commissioned and funded by Entertainment Assist, which supports the mental health of workers in the entertainment industry.

The report identified performing artists of all kinds, performing arts support workers and broadcast, film and recording media operators. A comprehensive survey combined questionnaires, demographic data and open-ended explanations to build a nationwide picture of the industry.

The report reveals that these workers suffer from the effects of uncertain employment, low pay, shift work and the need to be willing and able to work at all times and under all conditions.

The sector’s employees have three-times the level of sleep disorders than the general population. This causes serious flow-on effects on their relationships with family and friends.

Arts workers also experience symptoms of anxiety ten-times higher than the general population, and depression symptoms five-times higher.

They have higher rates of suicidal ideation, planning and attempts than the general population, and their use and misuse of drugs and alcohol are significantly greater.

These are shocking statistics which, as with studies of other industries, can be directly attributed to financial insecurity and poor working conditions.

In addition to this, workers in the entertainment industry contend with some unique experiences, the most bizarre of which is being asked to work for free.

All work, no pay:

In 2013 Kylie Minogue’s production company advertised for dancers to appear in her latest music video for the reward of “exposure”. When the story hit the news the company responded quickly and offered monetary payment.

This high-profile incident may well have been the genuine mistake the company said it was, but it struck a nerve because it is sadly by no means an isolated one.

All workers in the entertainment industry, but particularly artists, are frequently asked to work for no payment. I was recently invited to present an interactive art installation for a whole day in another city for the “in-kind support” of “exposure” to festival goers.

It is difficult for people to maintain a healthy sense of self when they are consistently told their labour and skills are worth, quite literally, nothing.

Over the past couple of decades, artists and others in the entertainment industry have increasingly operated as small businesses, negotiating their own pay and conditions independently of the MEAA union.

But this deregulated market place has clearly failed. David Throsby and Anita Zednik’s research on artists’ incomes shows that wages were static in real terms from 2000/1 to 2007/8, with the negative income gap with other Australian workers growing. Working in the Entertainment Industry confirms this trend.

What the arts contribute:

While wages languish in the entertainment industry, the arts have been rebranded as the Creative Industries, and variations on that theme. For example, the Victoria Ministry for the Arts, formerly known as Arts Victoria, is now called Creative Victoria.

This worthy attempt to highlight the immense contribution that the arts make to our economy and cultural lives is unfortunately not matched by commensurate support for the people who are the engine room of this public good.

Artist David Pledger has called for a strike by artists to highlight their mostly underpaid contribution to society, but this is difficult to realise in a deregulated, fragmented sector where everyone is an independent contractor who cannot afford to turn down work.

Learning to live with it:

It is common to hear artists ruefully acknowledge that no-one is forcing them to work in this industry. This “freedom” to take or leave chronic underpayment is reflected in a sharp decline in the number of entertainment workers over the age of 30.

When the normal things in life that cost money come up, such as buying a house or raising children, years of training and experience are abandoned. To remain in the entertainment industry requires a personal accommodation with poverty and destructive working conditions.

Public discussion of the Working in the Entertainment Industry report has largely focused on how people in the sector can best cope with the poor mental health outcomes that stem from their work, most importantly by acknowledging the problem and seeking help.

Similarly, the recent conference Making time: arts and self-care workshopped a practical list of coping strategies for frazzled arts workers.

While these responses are useful and valid, it is striking that more has not been made of the need to change the causes of this human resources problem.

Accepting that damaging industrial conditions in the entertainment sector is a given is like offering overburdened office workers colouring books to practice mindfulness instead of allowing them to go home on time without fear of seeming uncommitted to their jobs.

Conditions in the entertainment industry actively undermine workers’ autonomy and security and contribute to very poor mental outcomes.

The current federal government would do well to consider this before it replicates such conditions in other workplaces. (61)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:00:50 UTC

Jennifer Andersen. (2016). Mental health woes are rife in the arts – no wonder. Available: https://theconversation.com/mental-health-woes-are-rife-in-the-arts-no-wonder-54386. Last accessed 13th January 2020.

After the Show: The Many Faces of the Performer.

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:02:34 UTC

Creativity researchers aren't so confused. They have long-ago accepted the fact that creative people are complex. Almost by definition, creativity is complex. Creative thinking is influenced by many traits, behaviors, and sociocultural factors that come together in one person. It would be surprising if all of these factors didn't sometimes, or even most of the time, appear to contradict one another.
As creativity researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi notes in his 1996 article for Psychology Today titled "The Creative Personality", creative people "show tendencies of thought and action that in most people are segregated. They contain contradictory extremes; instead of being an "individual", each of them is a "multitude."

To me, some of the most fascinating contrasts are those found in creative performers- those who are constantly on stage and in the public eye.

Out of Csikszentmihaly's list of 10 complex personality traits of creative people, which were based on interviews with a wide variety of creative people, I think these three are the most relevant to creative performers:

1) "Creative people have a great deal of physical energy, but they're also often quiet and at rest. They work long hours, with great concentration, while projecting an aura of freshness and enthusiasm...This does not mean that creative people are hyperactive, always "on." In fact, they rest often and sleep a lot. The important thing is that they control their energy; it's not ruled by the calendar, the dock, an external schedule. When necessary, they can focus it like a laser beam; when not, creative types immediately recharge their batteries. They consider the rhythym of activity followed by ideleness or reflection very important for the success of their work."

2) "Creative people tend to be both extroverted and introverted. We're usually one or the other, either preferring to be in the thick of crowds or sitting on the sidelines and observing the passing show. In fact, in psychological research, extroversion and introversion are considered the most stable personality traits that differentiate people from each other and that can be reliability measured. Creative individuals, on the other hand, seem to exhibit both traits simultaneously."

3) "Creative people's openness and sensitivity often exposes them to suffering and pain, yet also to a great deal of enjoyment. Most would agree with Rabinow's words: 'Inventors have a low threshold of pain. Things bother them.' A badly designed machine causes pain to an inventive engineer, just as the creative writer is hurt when reading bad prose. Being alone at the forefront of a discipline also leaves you exposed and vulnerable."

These three seeming contradictions- energy/rest, extroversion/introversion, and openness/sensitivity- are not separate phenomena but are intimately related to one another and along with other traits form the core of the creative performer's personality. (62)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:02:54 UTC

Scott Barry Kaufman. (2010). After the Show: The Many Faces of the Performer. Available: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/beautiful-minds/201008/after-the-show-the-many-faces-the-performer. Last accessed 16th January 2020.

The Benefits of Performing Arts:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:03:23 UTC

Singing, dancing, and acting- Oh My! These three aspects of performing arts are so very fun to watch and be part of. Being an audience member is a wonderful experience as you get to see and hear new things while you are filled with endorphins that make you feel good. Watching the performers one may think that it is cool, but what are the performers getting out of it besides the fact that they are entertaining a crowd. The fact is the performers are getting many life skills and benefits from their art. They greatly benefit from their arts socially, academically, and mentally. In this post, I will be focusing on the benefits of performing arts on children.

I think the most obvious advantage of the arts is that it can help with social interactions. Through performing, children can build confidence and self-esteem. They will also learn how to present oneself in a manner that is acceptable. A study where some students participated in a performing arts program for a year displayed improvement in their self-confidence, socialization skills, and teamwork.They also tended to feel a sense of belonging. Through performing with others, children are able to build lasting friendships with those who are going through similar experiences. It is always nice to have someone who knows what you are going through. Another aspect is interpersonal skills such as compassion and empathy. The children can learn and experience empathy through the characters they play. In my opinion, empathy is difficult to experience because it means being able to understand what another is feeling. This can be difficult for some, but through acting and even singing and dancing the performers are able to understand the emotions they may be portraying. The social skills learned through performing arts are quite immense.

Children in performing arts benefit greatly in their academics. Studies have shown that those who participate in the arts achieve better in reading, maths, and writing. Countries with the highest rankings in maths and science, such as Japan, Hungary and the Netherlands, have mandatory arts and music education as part of their school curriculum. Another study showed that in the United States the more arts classes one takes, the higher their SAT score is. This is very interesting, because in the states, a lot of the funding for performing art classes has been cut, which is very unfortunate. I think that performing arts is very important and just researching the benefits is enough to convince me of the benefit it has on children. Participating in performing arts improves listening skills. Because there is so much direction in the various arts, those who participate in them are better at following directions. This makes the academic experience better and more efficient because they are not wasting time.

Being mentally healthy is important. Recently mental health has been a popular topic, which it should be as it is an important issue many people deal with every day. 1 in 10 children have a diagnosable mental health disorder. The arts may give children an outlet to let out the emotions they are feeling. It can also give one confidence as previously discussed. They will have the confidence to stand up to a bully or the confidence to be themselves and not worry what others think of them. The national institute of mental health explains that some mental illnesses can be affected by a prolonged state of being stressed. The arts can help minimize this stress. For example, problem solving skills are gained. Various things can go wrong during a performance, rather than getting stressed or upset, the performers must be able to think on their feet and work together to minimize the mistake. This is beneficial in the real world as the children will be less likely to freak out over something that has gone wrong, rather they will be able to use the skills they have learned to solve the issue. There are so many ways the arts can help reduce stress. Of course, this is only one aspect of mental health, but it shows how something so little can help with it.

The performing arts are very important and should be a more crucial part of society today. I know there are many skeptics out there who believe that the performing arts are not beneficial. But, the facts are there to prove that performing arts have many advantages. Many studies and research have been done to prove this. People should recognize the benefits that dancing, singing, and acting have on children and what they will be able to achieve because of it. The arts really do assist children in everyday life and prepares them for the real world. (63)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:03:43 UTC

Kateri Milanesa. (2017). The Benefits of Performing Arts. Available: https://www.annafiorentini.com/news/2017/11/03/the-benefits-of-performing-arts. Last accessed 16th January 2020.

The pros and cons of being an emerging artist:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:04:09 UTC

Do new artists get more opportunities, or are they at risk of being exploited? Should the performing arts industry find more ways to nurture talent? As Incoming Festival kicks off, Eleanor Turney explores the scene for emerging artists in the UK.

The term 'emerging' can be a fraught one. Often synonymous with 'young', it can be a useful label for those just starting out in their careers, or a dismissive way of excluding certain artists – often those over 30. I co-direct Incoming Festival, which describes itself as a celebration of emerging theatre companies. If a company feels that 'emerging' is a useful way to describes its work, we will consider it.

So, what does the term mean to artists making work, and to the organisations that might support or programme them? "I love the term 'emerging'," says performer, writer and producer Stephanie Martin of Clamour Theatre Company. She points out that 'emerging' is a process rather than a binary distinction between one thing and another. "It gives a sense of movement; we're already doing it and it's a process that has begun and is slow but steady and strong." As a 31-year-old, she also finds the term 'early-career' helpful.

Several artists use the term to demonstrate they are still developing their practice. Playwright Charlotte Josephine thinks "it means 'new', and that brings with it an excitement that your work will be fresh and vibrant. It also can bring with it a level of allowance, like the audience will forgive you because this is your first show and you're, hopefully, all heart and no finesse."

Rebecca Low, a writer and director working with TwentySomething in Dundee, agrees: "It suggests experimentation, something a bit rough around the edges – maybe not quite fully formed. I think it's also a way for the artist themselves to hedge their bets a bit. It suggests a tentativeness."

"It suggests experimentation"

Though the term can help to access opportunities, many people spoke about its problems. Rowan Rutter, producer at Hull Truck Theatre, says: "I don't use it to describe myself, and try to avoid using it in describing others. An artist is an artist. A producer is a producer. Let the work speak for itself."

"The main issue is the extent to which people perceive emerging artists' work as less accomplished or valuable," says Sam George of Clown Funeral Theatre Company. "Certain theatres will not programme work that is seen as emerging." He thinks it might help if more venues were to show emerging and established work alongside each other without openly distinguishing between them.

Rutter is less equivocal: "Stop using the term. Just call people what they are. Let their work and their ideas and their integrity speak for itself. And never presume that anyone is the finished article or that it is a linear journey."

The term also carries with it a risk of exploitation. Young and emerging artists are likely to be less savvy and more desperate for exposure, which makes them vulnerable to unscrupulous 'opportunities' that end up costing them money.

Incoming Festival makes an absolute commitment that no-one will be poorer for being involved – we pay our assistant and all the companies receive a performance fee plus half of their box office. And the New Diorama, our host venue, invests heavily in artists through all its activity. Artistic Director David Byrne says: "Only offering 50% of the box office or a few hundred pound seed commission just isn't going to cut it. Often young artists are left in crippling debt just for staging shows in London."

"Never presume that anyone is the finished article"

Age is another issue. Our festival deliberately doesn't put any age limits on our programming. That said, almost all of the companies that apply are made up of young theatremakers, perhaps because older artists feel less comfortable with the label.

Producer Tobi Kyeremateng says: "Emerging shouldn't be synonymous with youth. I think this can stop older people wanting to start new things, or can cut them off from opportunities as most learning opportunities are aimed at 'emerging' artists but are capped by age. It suggests you must have everything together by a certain age, and if you don't, there's no support for you. "It's a valid point: very few careers are solid by the time you are 25 or 26, which is the cut-off point for many schemes for 'young' artists.

"We've made it much harder to begin a creative life later, in terms of the support available," says producer and writer Lauren Mooney in The Stage. "It's part of a wider cultural problem, not just in theatre but in the arts more generally – there's a slight deification of youth that has to do with the attractive myth of just bashing your first novel out at 21 and realising you're a genius."

And the lack of support can be scary. Laura Kressly, writing for The Play's The Thing, states: "Housing, particularly in London, is a primary issue for working artists. Why should any working adult have to live with their parents in a perpetually infantilised state in order to pursue a career? It's now depressingly commonplace for young people to be living at home into their 30s if they work in low-paying fields."

"Emerging shouldn't be synonymous with youth"

This income trap especially applies to older emerging artists, who perhaps have more financial commitments, and to parents, often women, who are returning to work after a break. The costs of childcare are prohibitive, and much arts work demands long and inflexible hours. Encouraging young, early career and emerging artists to fight for higher wages and push for better splits is all very well, but venues and producers often hold all the power. A take-it-or-leave-it approach abounds, as those who try to negotiate better rates can easily be replaced by another group desperate for the 'opportunity'.

There are, of course, exceptions to this, and many venues actively champion and support artists at all stages of their careers. New Diorama doesn't limit any of its opportunities by age: "We're looking for groups who are hungry to share their work with new audiences, take their theatre on tour around the UK and even internationally," says Byrne.

Does that mean emerging artists should aspire to work internationally? "Yes, with a caveat," answers Steven Brett, Theatre and Dance Programme Manager at the British Council. "Bear in mind that developing your own voice is tricky enough without adding the impact of working in a different cultural context. If opportunities come up, consider them carefully. Are you going to be looked after and nurtured, or are you going into a bear pit?" He has two tips: find an experienced industry professional to advise you and start by looking for opportunities alongside international emerging artists.

"Are you going into a bear pit?"

"At the British Council, most of our support for emerging artists is about helping them prepare for international work in the long term," Brett continues. "We mentor artists, we offer bursaries to attend international networking events and we run initiatives like the Artist Development Programme, alongside the Edinburgh Showcase." And over the past few years, the Artists' International Development Fund, run in partnership with Arts Council England, has helped hundreds of early and mid-career artists gain international experiences.

Rhum and Clay will be part of the British Council's Edinburgh Showcase for the first time this year – and wants to use the opportunity to take its work abroad. "We have been a company for six years now," Artistic Director Matt Wells tells me. "It is at this stage that a lot of companies just fade into nothing. I think what has enabled us to continue is a mixture of sheer bloody mindedness, and the support of partners such as New Diorama. I should also mention HOME in Manchester and their T2 programme, which is specially aimed at mid-career artists."

If you can find the support, at what point do you 'emerge' as an artist? Director Dan Hutton thinks "to be established means two things: that people are aware of you and your work, and you have relationships and offers coming in, and on a practical level it's your primary source of income, or at least something you see as a job, not just something you do. There's a shift between 'this is what I want to be doing' and 'this is what I am doing.'"

"When we're no longer emerging, we might be left in unknown territory"

"I think as more companies use the term emerging for longer periods of time, we are getting further away from finding a good position for the middle range artists," says Rianna Dearden of Lost Watch Theatre Company. "We ride the emerging wave for as many years as we can because there are more opportunities and a nice cushy title, but I'm not sure how useful it is. When we're no longer emerging, we might be left in unknown territory, very suddenly, and on our own."

There are power structures at play, suggests Brian Logan, Artistic Director at Camden People's Theatre (CPT): "There's certainly a perception that there's more support available for emerging artists than for established artists, and some artists have expressed frustration that their careers are necessarily retarded in the 'emerging' stage because that's the only way to get support. There are also issues with the terminology of 'artist development', much of which implies that the artists are lucky to be receiving the generous support of paternalistic venues."

We can still do better, thinks Tamsin Drury, Director of HAB and WORD of Warning in Manchester. She says: "There's a problem with our scheme-based ecology. It's hard to generalise, but it's about working out what people need at different stages, basically more money, allowing them to be more ambitious, offering opportunities to get work seen more consistently... Unless a piece of work gets picked up and shown, people are unlikely to move beyond that 'emerging' tag and continue a trajectory. That's the way the world is."

"Artists starting out during the first ten years need more investment"

Working together may be one way forward. CPT is part of STAMP, a new network of theatres in London that seeks to improve support for artists. And Venues North is a group of venues across the north of England helping new and emerging artists to get their work seen more widely.

Byrne and his team at New Diorama are also trying to change the status quo. He explains: "Artists starting out during the first ten years need more investment, not less. They don't have a huge reputation and lots of funders, so their on-stage work really needs to pay. To combat the negative connotations around the word 'emerging', we're working to change the rules of how artists are championed at the start of their careers."

Perhaps it's time to reclaim the term. As Low says: "Surely as artists, if we're doing things right, we're always learning, always renewing, always having our eyes opened to new ideas, always emerging." (64)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:04:55 UTC

Eleanor Turney. (2017). The pros and cons of being an emerging artist. Available: https://theatreanddance.britishcouncil.org/blog/2017/5/all-heart-and-no-finesse/. Last accessed 16th January 2020.

Noises off: Pros and cons in the job of theatre:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:05:19 UTC

Is it possible, or even desirable, to make a living as an artist in the theatre? The blogging community has been chewing it over.

Is art a living or a hobby? The debate began over on the Culture Future blog, where Guy Yedwab has been considering how difficult it is to earn a living as an artist. "When people observe that teachers have a lot of trouble making ends meet, it's a social justice problem," he points out. "We don't consider 'teaching' a hobby, largely because it's universally accepted that teaching is a requirement for society ... On the other hand, if we were to find out that futures traders have trouble making ends meet it would not be a social justice problem. They would just go do something else, and we'd probably be thrilled."

This leads him to ask: "Is art a living that people should be able to support themselves on – and thus, the poverty that attends to it is a social justice problem – or is art a luxury and the people who work on it hobbyists?" It's a good question and one that is particularly acute in theatrical terms. After all, theatre is a much harder thing to commodify than many other art forms because its value derives from its liveness, and cannot be reproduced and sold ad infinitum. Therefore the capacity for turning a profit and sustaining a living is even more limited. As the Flux Theatre Ensemble blog points out, monetary worth is never a good way of judging the true value of theatre.

The Chicago-based blogger Don Hall, has a very simple answer to this dilemma. He says, rather loudly: "YOU AREN'T GOING TO MAKE A LIVING AS AN ARTIST IN THEATRE. You can make a living as an artist in commercial voiceover, on camera industrials and commercials, in film or as a teacher, but the only people at 95% of the theatres in Chicago making a living in the theatre are administrative people – not the artists." So in order to make good work, you have to resign yourself to the fact that doing it ain't going to feed you.

Yet perhaps there's an upside to all of this. Blogger and playwright RVC Bard says she is leaning towards Don Hall's position: "And it's not because of little things like reality, probability and so on. It's because not making a living off theatre makes my work better – because real people live in the real world and, as a theatre artist, that's where my focus needs to be. Even if I do something completely surreal and fantastical, the core will be about life as it is lived today. I can't get that if I'm a sort of secular monk who can't be bothered with the lives and concerns of laypeople."

Now it is true, as Guy Yedwab points out in a follow-up post, that maintaining two jobs can cut both ways: just as it can put you in greater touch with the "real world", it can also leave you with very little time to focus on that world. But either way, Bard is surely right to point out the importance of not disappearing completely into the tiny bubble of theatreland.

Anyway, as the global economy continues to falter, the idea of job security in many fields is looking increasingly unlikely. Adam Thurman at Mission Paradox writes: "We are all going to have to work harder then ever to carve a career path for ourselves. So you might as well do what you love." Now this doesn't mean, he says, that you should "get all stupid on me and quit your day job to devote your time to sculpting or writing the next great novel. It's hard to do great art and dodge eviction notices at the same time. But you might as well try to see if you can integrate your art into your life. Maybe it gets to the point where you make a living from it, maybe not."

And perhaps that is the key point: it is perfectly possible to pursue one's creative ambitions in tandem with a bit of mundane wage-slavery. After all, Einstein did some of his best stuff while he was working as a patent clerk. (65)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:05:42 UTC

Chris Wilkinson. (2010). Noises off: Pros and cons in the job of theatre. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2010/aug/26/noises-off-theatre-love-money. Last accessed 17th January 2020.

Stanislavski today:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:11:13 UTC

Stanislavski never sought to codify acting in some rigid inflexible way. He was, if you like, devising a manual rather than a straitjacket. His work has been hugely influential because a new practitioner doesn't feel restricted but inspired to build on the work.

The Stanislavski Centre at the Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance is a home for both academic research and practice / performance events based upon his work.

Lee Strasberg, a well-known American actor, director and acting teacher used Stanislavski’s teachings to great acclaim in the Actors Studio in New York from the 1950s until his death in 1982. Strasberg was known as the creator of ‘method acting’, which was inspired by Stanislavski’s ‘system’. Strasberg coached several generations of theatre and film’s most well-known talents such as Marlon Brando, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Paul Newman, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and many more.All of Stanislavksi’s exercises build towards the use of affective memory (sense and emotional memory) which allowed the actor to experience what Stanislavski described as perezhivanie or re-experiencing.

This element of re-experiencing, through the use of affective memory, is the source of truthful acting and what gave Strasberg’s Method its main feature. Actors still use this technique today.

What he (Stanislavski) has to say is still vital, but, also, a lot has changed. The theatre of illusion has lost ground. Curtains and proscenium arches have been replaced by the anti-magical open stage. Playwriting has also altered in myriad ways: it is often more documentary in style and, even when totally fictional, tends to be non-naturalistic. Above all, there has been Brecht, the man who argued that the nature of performance had changed in modern times.

Michael Billington, The Guardian April 17 2012. (66)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:14:48 UTC

Unknown. (Unknown). Naturalism and Stanislavski. Available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zxn4mp3/revision/9. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

The Continuing Influence of Stanislavski’s Acting Method:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:15:12 UTC

Konstantin Stanislavski is considered to be the original creator of what has become known as ‘method acting’. Stanislavski based his acting technique on the ‘art of experiencing’, where actors use their personal experiences, stories and memories to inform their performances. By invoking personal reactions to the story and/or character, actors such as Othman Louanjli hope to find the ‘truth’ behind the character that they are playing, and to influence their subconscious signals, movements and behaviours to create a more rich portrayal.

Stanislavski (1863–1938) was born in Moscow and went on to become a seminal theatre practitioner, gaining praise as character actor and as a theatre director. At the age of 33, Stanislavski co-founded the Moscow Art Theatre (MAT) and further developed the ideas behind his acting ‘system’.

Stanislavski’s system has influenced many further acting methods, such as Lee Strasberg’s and Stella Adler’s. Lee Strasberg (1901–1982) was a director, actor and theatre practitioner, as well as the director of New York’s Actors Studio, which is thought to be the most prestigious acting school in America. Strasberg is often referred to as the ‘father of method acting in America’, and there is a large list of well-known actors that followed his method including Dustin Hoffman, James Dean, Paul Newman, Al Pacino and Marilyn Monroe.

Both Strasberg and Adler studied with Konstantin Stanislavski and went on to become members of the Group Theatre. Strasberg and Adler differed over the direction of the Stanislavski system, with Strasberg continuing to develop it into method acting, whilst Adler decided to leave the group, feeling that it was unhealthy and destabilising for actors to have to draw on painful emotions in the name of acting.

Stella Adler (1901–1992) founded the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in 1949 in New York City. The teachings of Adler’s studio were based on the ideas of script analysis and characterisation, and Adler became one of the leading acting teachers in the US. Alumni of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting include Judy Garland, Robert De Niro, Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Martin Sheen, Harvey Keitel, Warren Beatty and Melanie Griffith.

The Meisner technique, developed by Sanford Meisner, is also based on the Stanislavski system and requires the actors to focus entirely on their acting partner, to feel as if they are the only other person to exist in that moment. Born in 1905 in Brooklyn, New York City, Meisner was an actor and an acting teacher. Meisner was taught the ideas behind method acting while he was in the Group Theatre, and although elements of Stanislavski’s ideas remain, Meisner did not believe in the use of affective memory, which was fundamental in method acting.

Under Meisner, actors are taught not to overthink, as this results in more natural and believable performances. Meisner taught many actors who have gone on to have very successful acting careers, including: Christoph Waltz, David Duchovny, Grace Kelly, James Gandolfini, Jeff Bridges, Jeff Goldblum, Naomi Watts and Tina Fey.

Another acting technique to be inspired by the work of Stanislavski is Practical Aesthetics, which was created by actor William H. Macy and playwright David Mamet. As well as finding important lessons in Stanislavski’s system, Practical Aesthetics is also based on the Meisner technique and the Stoic philosopher Epictetus. (67)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:17:07 UTC

Othman Louanjli. (2018). The Continuing Influence of Stanislavski’s Acting Method. Available: https://medium.com/@othmanlouanjli/the-continuing-influence-of-stanislavskis-acting-method-50f9100800b6. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

A Punchdrunk approach to making theatre:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:20:13 UTC

Punchdrunk are a company that rejects the passive obedience of traditional theatregoing. Peter Higgin explores how their work is constructed, from the selection of source material to considering the role of the audience.

A brief history of Punchdrunk

Punchdrunk was founded in 2000 by Felix Barrett. Along with a key group of collaborators, the company pioneered a form of theatre that rejected the passive obedience of traditional theatregoing. Audiences wear masks, Venetian style, covering much of the face and masking the mouth. They are free to roam through productions, which are staged in disused or abandoned buildings. The action of the play is deconstructed, often reordered and condensed with multiple scenes playing at once in different parts of a building. The space is brought to life with intricate set dressing, epic visual scenes, low atmospheric lighting and a filmic soundtrack. Audiences must make choices about where they go, the characters they follow and the rooms they find. They choose the show they see, often coming back many times to witness the production from different perspectives.

The original conceit for what have become known as masked Punchdrunk shows was born out of Barrett’s time as a drama student at Exeter University. In his third year he chose to direct Georg Büchner’s unfinished play Woyzeck (1879), an early expressionistic work by the young German author, who died before completing the text. The play follows the tragic downfall of a lowly soldier (Woyzeck) who tries and fails to support his wife and their young child. The wife has an affair with a drum sergeant, and Woyzeck’s mental state becomes increasingly unstable, perhaps not helped by the medical trials he is undertaking for extra money. The play’s original manuscript was unfinished and unordered, posing a problem to all who attempt to stage it: how do you produce a play for which the order of the scenes is unknown? Barrett’s solution was to stage the play in an old army barracks and to scatter the scenes across the site so that they played out concurrently. The audience was invited to explore the space, which was lit mostly by candlelight and low wattage domestic household fixtures. Audience members would stumble across scenes, often in mid flow, in rooms dressed sparsely. These scenes included a grandmother in a living room with a stuffed Border Collie, and a captain in a room with a chair, shaving bowl, mirror and the floor covered in human hair.

This style of work can be traced through to some of Punchdrunk’s most successful shows, including Sleep No More (London, 2003; Boston, 2009; New York, 2011–present ; Shanghai, 2016–present); The Drowned Man (London, 2013–14); The Masque of the Red Death (London, 2007–08); Faust (London, 2006–07); and The Firebird Ball (London, 2004). Integral to the development of these works was co-director and choreographer Maxine Doyle.

Arguably in part due to the company’s success at pioneering highly non-traditional forms with wide appeal, especially to new theatre- going audiences, there has been an explosion of work taking place in unusual settings, and an exponential rise in the popularity of experiential theatrical forms. Other influential contemporary theatre companies include Shunt, Dreamthinkspeak, Grid Iron and Secret Cinema.

In many of Punchdrunk's performances scenes are played out concurrently with audience members encouraged to wander between them.

Feeling Punchdrunk

The company is named Punchdrunk quite simply because that is how it wants the audience to feel. Punchdrunk is a term commonly used to describe the state of a boxer who has endured a hard fight, and the company equates this to a feeling of being bombarded with storytelling through every sense, an overload of stimuli that has a deep emotional and physical impact on the audience. The company hopes that this experience will resonate long after the event of the performance, processed through many layers of memory and sensory associations.

Site-sympathetic theatre

There are numerous ways to describe work that takes place in non-traditional setting: site-specific, site-responsive, promenade, radical promenade, immersive.

Punchdrunk defines its style of work foremost as site-sympathetic, as works are always created in response to the architecture, layout and atmosphere of the space – whether it’s an empty warehouse, an old hotel or ten acres of ancient woodland.

The creation of a Punchdrunk piece of work

Varied formats

The company is constantly exploring new genres and formats. Its most well-known productions are epic works performed in large abandoned properties, but its practice stretches beyond this, regularly encompassing gaming, new technologies and work that bleeds into everyday reality, using the world as its backdrop. Silver Point, Believe Your Eyes and The Borough are examples of productions that have used technology and real-world scenarios. And the company’s enrichment work transforms smaller and live spaces in schools, community settings or cultural spaces.

Audience-focussed

For Punchdrunk the audience is often the starting point for each production. The process of putting yourself in the shoes of an audience member is essential when making work, as more often than not the company is asking audiences not to view the work from a seat, but to experience it moving around, making decisions, finding their own action. This presents a whole series of dramaturgical, narrative and practical challenges to solve that are fundamentally different from the kinds of considerations that you might face in a more traditional setting where the audience is essentially fixed.

Key questions asked by the company are as follows:

Who are the audience members?
What is their role in the piece?
How do they interact with performers?
How do we inform the audience of what they can or can’t do within the narrative of the piece?

The role of the audience in a mask show:

Audience members are ghosts who wander the space and are rarely acknowledged by performers. They are masked to give anonymity and to discourage them from talking, as well as to encourage a personal response and an individual approach to exploration. Generally, they are able to roam freely around the space, and to choose what they watch and which characters or elements of the narrative they follow. The production often feels dreamlike for audience members, or they can feel like they have become a camera in a film they’re constructing.

The role of the audience in an active promenade:

Audience members are visible to the performers and are free to interact. They play themselves but are key to (and often the primary element in) the success of the production – for example, they may be given a mission, the completion of which concludes the show. The scenario in which the audience finds itself starts and ends in reality, with a fantastical journey in between. It feels believable, and audiences can question whether it was indeed a reality. Programme notes, adverts and other promotional material do not refer to these productions as shows or theatre.

Performance style:

Mask shows

Work is highly physical and carefully choreographed. The company is made up of mostly contemporary dancers, and narrative is communicated through choreography. Text and spoken word are used sparingly, with narrative communicated through choreography. Words, when used, are often delivered very naturally, with the aim being to create mood rather than to convey specific meaning – it is not always important for the audience to hear or follow particular words.

Active promenade

The performers are required to play their roles as realistically as possible, and performances, although finely crafted, feel natural and improvised as though in the real world. In their constant interaction with the performers, audience members often uncover key plot points or trigger developments in the narrative. This style works best when the audience is so invested that it begins to shape the narrative of the production. The form has become particularly important for the enrichment work the company carries out in schools and communities.

Performers need to be committed and focussed to deliver these shows, often negotiating physically and verbally with audiences while remaining in character and driving forward a narrative.

Selecting source materials

Sleep No More
Source texts: Macbeth (William Shakespeare), Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier, 1938).
Source sound: Bernard Herman.
Era and place: 1930s Scotland, the McKittrick Hotel and the surrounding area of Gallow Green.
Site: old night club in West Chelsea, NYC.

The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable
Source texts: Woyzeck (Georg Büchner, 1879), Day of the Locust (Nathanael West, 1939).
Source sound: 1950s Americana.
Era and place: 1950s Hollywood and surrounding desert. Temple Studios and surrounding town of San Bernadino.
Site: old post office, Paddington, London.

The Masque of the Red Death
Source texts: various Edgar Allan Poe short stories, including: The Masque of the Red Death (1842), Ligeia (1838), The Black Cat (1843), The Raven (1845), The Tell Tale Heart (1843) and The Fall of the House of Usher (1839).
Source sound: romantic orchestral scores from a variety of sources inspired by the songs of Victorian London and Paris.
Era and place: Gothic London and Paris.
Site: Battersea Arts Centre, London.

A holistic approach to stagecraft

All elements of stagecraft are of equal importance to Punchdrunk – from the wide filmic settings to the intricate detail. The acting, design, sound, light, costume and space are all crucial components in the work. Again, the narrative and accompanying role of the audience are always at the heart of decisions made by director, designers and actors.

Sound

Soundtracks underscore the experience throughout, often creating the feeling of being in a film. They add tension and atmosphere. They also give performers key markers, which can help them place themselves in the performance arc. Sound consists of a mixture of published tracks and newly composed atmospheric sounds. The style of sound is led by the aesthetic and story world, and can vary greatly – the company is as likely to use a heavy drum and bass piece as an orchestral classical masterpiece.

Light

The company is well known for its low-lit productions – indeed original works were lit by candlelight, which would still be the case across many productions were it not for obvious health and safety considerations. Light is still used sparingly, however, encouraging the audience to slow down, tread carefully and explore the space fully. The company’s lighting style is influenced by the work of actor, director and scenic designer Edward Gordon Craig (1872–1966), who was one of the first practitioners to recognise the potential for light to be used choreographically to create mood, rather than simply creating representational states.

Lighting and sound are intrinsically linked, and sequences are synchronised to add to the desired ambience or to complement a performance sequence.

Set and props

Attention to detail and ‘touch real’ (where actors use real materials – as opposed to representational props and stage craft techniques) are two founding principles of the company’s approach to this area of stagecraft, and meticulous work goes into planning the layout, overall aesthetic and the detail applied to each production. Spaces are often designed with a filmic or real-life level of detail, with every element considered in relation to character and the overall narrative. Audiences are often free to touch and explore props, such as documents and letters stuffed into drawers. All objects that feature in the show therefore need to look and feel authentic. Smell is a huge consideration in the design, with many aromas utilised to evoke a real sense of place and context.

Costume

As audience members are in such close proximity to the performers, costumes come under close scrutiny. Therefore, as with the set and props, clothes need to feel authentic and evoke the period appropriately. Characters may have many changes of costume throughout a production, often needing to change in front of the audience.

This article aims to give an introductory insight into the processes and approaches of the company to date. It is by no means exhaustive, and all of the elements briefly discussed here can be explored further and in much greater detail.

The company’s techniques and processes are constantly shifting and evolving. At the heart of Punchdrunk’s work is a desire to innovate and reinvent, using and finding new forms of storytelling. Importantly, its work is about creating surprising and unexpected works and defying expectation. When considering the company’s practice it is useful to consider what new elements – theatrical, technological, sensory – might be on the horizon.

Footnote

The company has explored many different partnerships and contexts outside of traditional theatrical buildings, and in the process pushing the audience towards active and dynamic experiences. This suite of works includes Tunnel 228 (London, 2009); The Duchess of Malfi (London, with ENO, 2011); It Felt Like a Kiss (Manchester, 2009, MIF, Adam Curtis, Damon Albarn); Crash of the Elysium (Salford, 2011; Ipswich, 2012); The Borough (Aldeburgh, 2013).

In 2008 Punchdrunk established the now highly respected Enrichment Programme, which adopted the same high-quality design and theatrical principles in settings such as schools and communities, addressing key educational and social challenges. This programme has been commissioned to make new work for school and family audiences such as The House Where Winter Lives (London, 2012, Discover Story Centre) and Against Captain’s Orders (London, 2015, National Maritime Museum). (68)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:24:14 UTC

Peter Higgin. (2017). A Punchdrunk approach to making theatre. Available: https://www.bl.uk/20th-century-literature/articles/a-punchdrunk-approach-to-making-theatre. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

The influence of Brecht:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:28:09 UTC

By 1936 a wide range of experimentation and innovation had established the parameters of the contemporary theatre. The training of actors in the Western theatre has since become more organized to take in concepts and programs from the earlier innovators. There are few schools today that do not acknowledge the work of Stanislavsky in their training. Less obvious but equally pervasive is the influence of Reinhardt and Copeau, largely by way of their pupils in teaching. And towering above all others (save perhaps Stanislavsky) is the figure of Brecht. It is reasonable to argue that Brecht absorbed, and in turn perpetuated, more influences than any other individual in the modern theatre.

Of central importance in establishing this argument is Brecht's essay "On Experimental Theatre" (1940), in which he reviews the work of Vakhtangov, Meyerhold, Antoine, Reinhardt, Okhlopkov, Stanislavsky, Jessner, and other Expressionists. Brecht traces through the modern theatre the two lines running from Naturalism and Expressionism. Naturalism he sees as the "assimilation of art to science," which gave the Naturalistic theatre great social influence, but at the expense of its capacity to arouse aesthetic pleasure. Expressionism (and by implication the other anti-illusionist theatres), he acknowledges, "vastly enriched the theatre's means of expression and brought aesthetic gains that still remain to be exploited." But it proved incapable of shedding any light on the world as an object of human activity, and the theatre's educational value collapsed. Brecht recognized the great achievements of Piscator's work, in which he himself played a significant role, but proposed a further advance in the development of so-called epic theatre.

Brecht's Marxist political convictions led him to propose an alternative direction for the theatre that would fuse the two functions of instruction and entertainment. In this way the theatre could project a picture of the world by artistic means and offer models of life that could help the spectators to understand their social environment and to master it both rationally and emotionally. The main concept of Brecht's program was that of Verfremdungseffekt ("alienation"). In order to induce a critical frame of mind in the spectator, Brecht considered it necessary to dispense with the empathetic involvement with the stage that the illusionary theatre sought to induce. Generally, this has been understood as a deadening coldness in the productions, but such an interpretation proceeds from a general ignorance of Brecht's own writings on the subject. Rather, he insisted, as Appia, Craig, and the Symbolists did before him, that the audience must be reminded that it is watching a play.

Brecht's ideas can be approached through the image presented by the theatre he chose to work in on his return to East Germany in 1947. The auditorium of the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm is lavish to the point of fantasy, decorated with ornate plaster figures. The stage, by complete contrast, is a vast mechanized scenic space in which everything is clearly exposed to view as theatrical and man-made. In the contrast between the comfort of the auditorium and the science of the stage lies the condition of Brecht's theatre. The audience was there to be entertained but also to think scientifically.

Many of the techniques of Brecht's staging were developments of earlier work. The use of three-dimensional set pieces in a large volume of space clearly derived from Jessner. His delight in the use of machinery and in particular the revolving stage came from Piscator. The insistence on the actors' demonstrating through the physical disposition of the body their gestus ("attitude") toward what is happening derived from Meyerhold, though with Brecht the gestus was always socially based. The clearest of his alienation devices, the projection of captions preceding the scene so that the audience knows in advance what will happen and therefore can concentrate on how it happens, derived from Piscator's jotter screens and film captions.

Brecht acknowledged in his work the need for the actor to undergo a process of identification with the part, and he paid tribute to Stanislavsky as the first person to produce a systematic account of the actor's technique. Brecht required his actors to go beyond Stanislavsky and to incorporate a social attitude or judgment into their portrayal. Characterization without a critical judgment was in Brecht's view seductive artifice; conversely, social judgment without the characterization of a rounded human being was arid dogmatism. The theatre of mixed styles and means that Meyerhold and others constructed to cope with the grotesque experience of modern living was transformed by Brecht into a political principle. He used mixed means and styles to expose the contradictions, inconsistencies, and dialectics of situations and characters. Brecht's strongest theatrical effects were created through the juxtaposition of inconsistent attitudes in a character. Although the settings in Brecht's productions were clearly theatrical, the costumes and properties were not. Great care was taken to make each property and its useauthentic for the period or character (Figure 23). In Brecht's theatre, if a chicken were to be plucked the actor did not mime or roughly approximate the action--the chicken was plucked. Costumes had to make clear the social class of the persons wearing them. This places Brecht directly in the line with the Meiningen Players, though again the gestus is particularly social rather than historical.

Brecht's methods of rehearsal were especially innovative. The methods worked out in his own company, the Berliner Ensemble, established a directing collective well advanced beyond those of Reinhardt and Piscator. In Brecht's theatre, the director, dramaturge, designer, and composer had equal authority in the production. The designer had a special function; in addition to designing the sets and costumes, he also produced, for early rehearsal purposes, a series of sketches of key moments in the action. The rehearsals became a process of testing hypotheses about the play and its production. What held the collective together and made the method workable was the story, or fable. All the elements of production were synthesized for telling this story in public. At some points the music conveyed the meaning, at other times the setting, or the actors, or the words did. Brecht often invited observers to the rehearsals in order to test the clarity of the story. The process of testing could continue into the performance period. When the company was satisfied that the staging was correct, the production was photographed and a Modellbuch was prepared with photographs set against the text to show the disposition of the stage at all times and to mark significant changes of position on the part of the actors. The Modellbuch was then available (in a more advanced form than the designer's sketches) as the basis for any subsequent productions.

The Modellbuch has aroused resentment on the part of directors who prefer to respond freely to the text. Brecht's intention was not to limit but to provide a document as scientific evidence of an experiment that could be used in further research. Since the finished text was, in any case, only one facet of the fable, the model book gave evidence of other aspects of the story and its telling.

Brecht's influence on the contemporary theatre has been both considerable and problematic. His Marxist views have proved a real stumbling block to his assimilation in the West, and his use of formalist techniques in the service of entertainment has presented difficulties in the socialist countries. There is no doubt that the settings and costumes of his productions are the features that have most influenced the contemporary theatre. Contemporary design exhibits in many ways the influences of his staging. (69)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:28:30 UTC

Unknown. (1995). The influence of Brecht. Available: https://www.cs.brandeis.edu/~jamesf/goodwoman/brecht_influence.html. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

A level Drama &Theatre - Practitioner Guide (Pearson, Edexcel) Issue 2:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:30:28 UTC

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Unknown. (Unknown). Practitioner Guide. Available: https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/A%20Level/Drama%20and%20Theatre%20Studies/2016/teaching-and-learning-materials/Practitioner-guide.pdf. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

Topic Exploration Pack: Berkoff

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:35:24 UTC

OCR. (2015). Practitioners: Berkoff. Available: https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/281664-practitioners-berkoff.pdf. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

How our obsession with performance is changing our sense of self:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:46:50 UTC

We live in a society obsessed with performance. For both young and old, competitions, awards and rankings are an inescapable feature of life.

How well we do – in the classroom, at work, on the sports field or even in life in general – influences how others see us, but also how we see ourselves. In some cases, this influence can be so strong that we come to see our performance as a key part of who we are.

Our research focuses on this potential identification with how good we are at what we do, and we argue that we need to recognise and better understand what we call performance-based identities.

Why we build identity around performance

A performance-based identity arises when a person not only knows that they excel (or at the other extreme, are completely inept) at something, but feels fundamentally defined by that level of performance. Should they cease to perform to the same standard for any reason, they can lose their sense of self (or a big chunk of it).

Put simply, they’d struggle to answer that age-old question “who am I?” This in turn would raise all sorts of tricky questions about their place in the world, and their purpose and possibilities in life.

Not everyone will develop a performance-based identity, but we’re all potential candidates. This is simply because we all live in a world that constantly tells us doing well is important. This obsession with performance is pervasive beyond the realm of work and formal performance reviews. It is a part of our culture.

A recent survey of the values of more than 80,000 people worldwide found that over 65% of respondents thought being very successful or having others recognise their achievements was important to them. We see this focus on performance in all sorts of ways in everyday life. The most popular television shows are all about outperforming others on some activity, be it singing, cooking, creating a home, dating – or even marriage. In politics, voters are increasingly attracted to candidates who manage to portray themselves as “winners”, regardless of how much the evidence justifies their claims.

Not a new phenomenon

While the concept of performance-based identity is new, the phenomenon itself isn’t. About a century ago, the eminent German sociologist Max Weber developed the idea of the Protestant work ethic. He proposed that this religiously rooted drive to work hard was the psychological fuel of capitalism. In the 80s and 90s, Stanford University psychologist Albert Bandura and colleagues produced a mass of research on the origins and outcomes of self-efficacy - what many people (to Bandura’s dismay) know as confidence.

More recently, another Stanford psychologist, Carol Dweck, has garnered a lot of popular interest for her research on “mindsets” – people’s assumptions about the changeability of their own skills and abilities. All these ideas point to the impact performance can have on how we see ourselves, and how we behave.

Yet the idea that people might go so far as to identify with their performance, at a very personal level, has so far eluded researchers’ attention, and recognition in everyday life. We aim to change this with our work, as we suspect that performance-based identities could be an influential part of many people’s mental makeup.

Why it matters

More often than not, we tend to think of performance-based identities in positive terms, and as having positive consequences. Think of the iconic status granted to boxer Muhammad Ali, and his famous “I am the greatest!” poem. Likewise, people usually admire – even envy - the intense self-belief demonstrated by the world’s top CEOs, movie stars and musicians.

It is indeed plausible that performance-based identities have many positive consequences for those who hold them. Defining yourself as exceptionally good at something presumably does wonders for self-esteem and confidence. Such an identity is also likely to provide protection during periods of poor performance or failure. If you and others know you are a top performer, moments of not so stellar performance will be brushed off as temporary anomalies.

Performance-based identities are also likely to inoculate against the well documented “impostor syndrome”, where people discount the role their own skills and abilities played in their achievements, which in turn leads to feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy.

Still, there’s undoubtedly a dark side to these identities as well. A positive performance-based identity could leave a person feeling as though they have no room to improve, making them overconfident and complacent about practice and development. Elite athletes sometimes speak about trying to avoid developing a performance-based identity for this very reason.

Problems can also arise when people define themselves as top performers, but aren’t entirely certain of this identity. In these situations, people may be upset by even the most constructive feedback on their performance, or avoid helping (or sometimes even sabotage) their colleagues out of fear they’d lose their place at the top of the hierarchy.

Finally, negative performance-based identities - where individuals define themselves not as top performers but as exceptionally poor ones – are also likely to have a range of negative outcomes, such as low self-esteem and avoidance of challenging tasks.

More research that explores how performance-based identities impacts our lives is needed. In the meantime, Aristotle’s remark that “knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom” reminds us all of how our own sense of self might be shaped by the pervasive pressures to excel. (72)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 18:48:22 UTC

Ben Walker, Dan Caprar. (2019). How our obsession with performance is changing our sense of self. Available: https://theconversation.com/how-our-obsession-with-performance-is-changing-our-sense-of-self-120212. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

Must the Actor Be Creative?

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 21:05:06 UTC

Some external stimulus which he gives forth again informed in some way by a life, a being of its own. This living quality is the hallmark of art. It is its absence in so-called "chocolate-box art" which cloys and clogs the intelligence of the probing beholder. Chocolate boxes may be pretty but do they not encourage us to expect material pleasures, rather than a communion with the mind of the painter?

All expressions of art come ultimately from the external factors as acted on by the mind of the artist and whether the result will be critical, interpretative or creative will be determined by the way in which the artist's mind treats what he himself has received from out side. Everyone who considers a work of art, be it painting, poem or play, makes use of critical art in some degree, for he brings his intelligence to bear on it, forming a judgment based on criteria existing consciously or subconsciously in his own mind. When he ex presses his judgment he becomes a critic proper and, if lucky, gets paid for it.

To discuss the point at which a critic may become creative in his own right is uncertain ground. Interpretative art, the art of the theatre, must also draw from external sources. What the artist draws he lets flow out, enlivened as running water, not dead as the Styx. But in interpretative art the material received remains basically unchanged in its expression. The concert pianist brings to life the work he is playing, he interprets it to us, imprinting something of himself on the production, but he plays from the composer's score.

The actor gives existence to the character of the play, drawing on his knowledge of life and on the joys and sorrows he has himself experienced. He does not speak his lines as would a crossing-sweeper reading aloud a treatise on Relativity. The interpretative art of the actor lies in instilling life into the lines of the script. What is creative art? What is its character and function, and how can we recognise it? Does it not consist in the creation of some thing which has grown from the artist's own mind and emotions, something which is peculiarly his own and fully comprehended by him alone; a child that he has brought forth from his whole being, which even when it receives its own separate existence, remains a branch of the artist's mind.

The artist creates of and from himself. What he creates, his work, is the outward expression of his comment on, and realisation of life or some aspect of life. The artistic cycle consists of three parts: firstly, the absorption of impressions and ideas by the artist; secondly, their analysis, assimilation, and synthesis with elements already in the artist's mind; and thirdly, their expression, true to himself and to his view of any external factors involved, in the artist's own mould. These three stages constitute creative art and with them the creative cycle ends.

Fundamentally the difference between interpretative and creative art is that while, in the former, the material is expressed basically unchanged, in the latter it is broken down, digested, combined with others and produced as something entirely the artist's own. But with all art there can be a further stage after creation? the appreciation of the work by outsiders. And in some arts, music and the theatre, for instance, a transitional stage is needed in order to arrive at appreciation. It is about the status of this liaison that I disagree with Mr. Fallon. Perhaps he would not accept my definitions of the different functions of art. If he does not, we part company and according to my map he has gone down the road marked.

So that a work created for the theatre may be appreciated in its proper manner its action must be presented by actors. They must portray as living persons to the audience those characters which other wise lie silent and fleshless in the lines of script. The actor makes the character certainly, but does he make it in the sense that a creative artist makes his work of art? Not at all, he re-creates the part from the material given him by the author. He is handed the matter he must present. Modify his voice, his manner, or his appearance as he may, he nevertheless must present the lines that he has received. He may not speak the lines he might wish had been written. That is not to say that acting is easy, that any tyro can give a good performance from the script alone, even with an experienced producer.

On the contrary, the actor must have devoted effort and time to the attainment of proficiency. To be outstanding he must give his life to the study and understanding of how to portray all shades of emotion, sense and intention. It is arduous work, it is a noble profession to which the actor must give himself fully. But it *s to the perfection of his craft that he gives himself, not to the practice of an art.

As a sign-painter must be experienced and expert in his craft in order to carry out the intentions of those who commission his work, so must the actor be practised and proficient in his. But as the sign-painter need not be an artist, though he may be, so also the actor does not need creative art to portray the intentions of the author. But if the actor does not abide by the author's intentions, if he makes of the written words something different from what the author intended, is he not then truly creative? I would say " Yes " but I should question whether this is always permissible.

A pianist friend of mine plays Some day my Prince will come from the Walt Disney film Snow White. He makes of it something lovely, something hauntingly suggestive of the beauty in sorrow. In his playing it is no longer the song of the film which he interprets, but his expression of the elements of the song as re-synthesised and moulded by his mind. He gives his own work of creative art, and the result is good. But if every instrumentalist insisted on playing his own creation from his score in the Prelude de l'Apres-Midi d'une Faune what would be the effect? Would Debussy approve? Would the result be accept able to the critics or to the average knowledgeable audience?

The late F. J. McCormick made of " Shields " a character which O'Casey had not intended. His portrayal was a work of creative art and the result was good. O'Casey, according to Mr. Fallon's quotation, was satisfied by getting better than he gave. Would not Mr. O'Casey, however, have been satisfied if " Shields " had been portrayed efficiently and accurately as he had conceived him, brought to life as the character he had intended? The character could have been satisfactorily presented by an accomplished craftsman as actor, whereas a different character was presented by a creative artist as actor.

Now when an author writes a play he writes it as a whole, made up of several parts bound together to form the structure of the idea he has conceived. He does not simply write a third-part report of some event. He gives the material for the living enactment of that event and this he does by a number of characters whose separate existences and actions must cohere in order to form the complete play. Each character is an entity distinct from any other, but every character is a part of the whole and each must support and complement the others to integrate this one whole. It is to this end that the artist has conceived the parts. A work of art is unitary. Generally speaking the actor may not create from his lines a character different from that expressed by the author. The actor has no licence except to present the re-creation of the writer's intention, because if he portrays the wit as a cynic, the shrewd merchant as a cunning opportunist or the clown as a fool, what becomes of artistic unity? If the actors do not present the parts given them to make the whole, where shall the playwright look for his play? If a production consists of a number of characters not merged together in a unified stream action, how will the audience value it as a play, and what will the critic think of it as art? To knit a Fairisle jumper, are the coloured wools employed as the spirit moves or are they used according to plan? Any interpretation of a character must necessarily be modified by the physical, emotional and mental make-up of the actor taking the part, but in general it must conform to the author's idea.

The fore-mah builder does not say to his men: "Here are some bricks. Dispose of them as you wish," but " Take these bricks and use them according to my plan." Some of them, being better craftsmen, will do better work than others, but all must follow the instructions within close limits. When an author gives his play he does not say : " Make of these lines what characters you choose," but he expects the actors to use them to produce his work. In effect, he says to the company : " If you want to produce my play, take it. But if you do not intend to produce it as mine, you have no right to corrupt it." This is the general rule. The actor must serve the play, but he need not be a slave. He must walk under the yoke of the author, but the length of his stride may be hi? own. His technique must be good, he must use all his craft, he may interpret a part within limits but normally he may not create his own character.

Among actors the creative artist may be as the apple tree among the trees of the wood, but his fruit will not always be sweet to our taste. If all trees were apple trees, what would the archer do for his bow or the, sailors of old for the heart of oak? If Mr. Fallon should read this, may he, from the height of his experience, regard it with the tolerance of a master for a neophyte.

Probably, as suggested at the outset, my disagreement has been largely occasioned by a difference in interpretation of such terms as " creative art ". Unfortunately this would not be the first misunderstanding to arise through the ambiguity of words for which the English language has so often been blamed. What is more (though not flattering to my pride), there may be facets of the subject which have as yet reflected no light upon my intelligence. With the grace of God, some measure of truth must be attained by everyone who searches for it and perhaps Mr. Fallon would help me to see whether I have gone some way towards it, or whether it is I who have wandered down the road to Error through the mist of abstract theorising.

To turn aside for a moment before ending; there are some, I feel sure, from whom I can never expect agreement with my views, for it is fruitless to preach to the converted. I refer to those who, drawing profit or kudos from their connection with the theatre, seriously and with intent attempt to gull the common man and gain from him a respect and award they have not earned.

A man engaged on important work gains importance from the work he does and it is human to seek to exalt the standing of one's job. The status of the creative artist is desired by many, for his metier stands out from the expanse of mundane avocations. He is envied because he is singular, apart from the common run of mankind and because of his liberty and the freedom from convention he so often claims in the furtherance of his self-realisation in the creation of his work. When acting is regarded as a creative art, those who practise it and those who deal with it will tend to be regarded more favourably by the community than those engaged in more common callings.

It is to the advantage of those connected with the theatre to claim acting as a creative art They benefit if their claims are accepted by the public, so rather than be content with a profession needing polished technique, skilled craftsmanship and interpretative art, they go forth and call to all that theirs is a creative art.

To assert that the moon is made of green cheese though you know it is not, may be odd but it will do no harm as you will not be believed. But, knowing the meaning of "creative art", to assert that an actor is necessarily a creative artist and to foist this assertion on those who do not understand that he need not be, is wrong and harmful. To claim as true something which you believe to be true is one thing and laudable; to claim as true something which you would like to be true is quite another and contemptible. When this is done to gain unmerited benefit it is akin to obtaining money by false pretences. It is fraud. (73)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 21:38:34 UTC

Carton, Hugh. “Must the Actor Be Creative?” The Irish Monthly, vol. 76, no. 895, 1948, pp. 40–45. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20515760. Accessed 9 Nov. 2020.

Creativity in Acting – It’s All About Preparation:

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 21:40:26 UTC

Making the complicated simple is acting in a nutshell. Actors take whole backstories and historical contexts and transform a wealth of emotion and event into simple physical gestures, and simply-spoken lines.

Another way to look at creativity in acting is as the point where imagination meets belief – this is the lifeblood of a good method actor. Some imagination is needed to get into the mindset of Hamlet, and see yourself walking through Elsinore Castle – but it is belief that makes you truly become Hamlet to not just the audience, but also yourself.

That is the key to a good performance; believing in yourself. If you can’t, neither can your audience. Creativity, then, is what brings reality to a performance. If I were to play Hamlet, I would imagine myself walking through my own hallway instead of that of a fifteenth century Danish castle; this way I really feel that I’m in my home, just like the character does.

Creative Memory

One way to exercise your imagination is through the method acting technique of sense memory. When you recall a part of your life that is useful to a performance, you must recall every sensation you felt in that memory. For example, when remembering your childhood bedroom, you would explore the sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste of that memory.

It takes some creativity to begin with, but your brain can be trained just like any muscle. Soon, you’ll know the smell of that misty morning your father left and will be able to cry on command with no trouble.

Recalling past memories is one thing; the creativity comes in when you apply it to your performance. These sense memory emotional aids are sometimes called “parallel experiences”.

Christopher Walken shoots himself at the end of The Deer Hunter in an emotional game of Russian Roulette. When asked what he was thinking during the scene, he describes a memory of the summer camp he went to as a child. The memory evokes in him a sense of abandonment and anger, which his character in The Deer Hunter required.

In this way, creatively applying your past memories to a present performance can produce a more authentic and effective act.

Creative Emotion

Positive

The quality of your acting is affected by your emotional state. If you’re feeling down, your creativity will be shot and your acting will be affected. To get into a creative “mood,” we have to draw on theories of body and mind as interconnected.

If your body is creative, your mind will follow – so why not dance? For the next week, spend five minutes before you head out in the morning doing a dance. Find your favourite jam or just turn on the local radio station, and let your body be creative. Jump, clap, sing along – anything to get your body pumped and interpreting the cues around it.

You might find the day that follows to be more productive, or at least more positive.

Negative

Negative emotions don’t necessarily mean you can’t be creative. In fact, many acting methods and techniques aim to produce emotional vulnerability – this is where the stereotype of the highly-strung actor comes from. The idea is to train your brain to react with authentic emotion to a particular set of triggers.

This is done using a creative application of your emotions. When you’re feeling down, the last thing you want to do is work – I know. But if you take a moment to become fully aware of your surroundings and your senses in these moments then you can draw on them later, in performance.

Creative Improvisation

Improvisation is a class virtually every actor will take, although not many pursue it as their sole style of acting. It’s the most intense exercise in creativity and imagination that an actor can take, and as such it’s a good idea to indulge in some improv now and again.

For the uninitiated, improvisation is a form of acting in which there are no lines or scripts of any kind. Usually short form and consisting of games, a troupe will take words shouted by the audience and improvise a scene based on it.

There are many benefits to performing improv: quick reaction times, comedic catharsis, physical exercise and – most of all – creativity as both an individual and a team member.

Studies show that during improvisation, actors’ brains become fully immersed in self-expression and the self-monitoring part of the brain shuts down completely. This means that creativity is allowed to flow unhindered, like the actors’ version of a dance.

"The shortest feedback loop I can think of is doing improvisation in front of an audience." – stand up comedian and actor Demetri Martin

Improvisation allows for instant feedback and self-improvement, helping an actor to hone their character and techniques.

Creative Habits

While not all creatives are actors, many actors are creatives. Thankfully, even if you’re not naturally creative there are habits you can learn to enhance your creative potential.

Flexibility is an adjective that follows creativity on most resumes, and it’s how the most creative people live. Work the hours that are your most productive, whether they’re 9-5 or from midnight to midday. This is because the rest of a creative’s habits depend on high levels of alertness and productivity; you must be at your peak performance.

Creativity is, largely, an act of improvement; on your own work and that of others. Creative people observe everything around them – pieces of art, public transport, and small conversations – and expand and improve on them.

When someone calls themselves a “creative,” our minds immediately go to art and theatre. The word creative conjures up wild emotion, authenticity, and colour – and that is exactly what you, the actor, create when you use your creativity on the stage. (74)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 21:44:21 UTC

Brian Timoney. (2016). Creativity in Acting – It’s All About Preparation. Available: https://www.briantimoneyacting.co.uk/creativity-acting-preparation/. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

An Actor’s Creativity: How Art Can Save Lives

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 21:50:10 UTC

Many actors have had traumatic upbringings and seek escape in the world of their imagination. An actor’s creativity may stem from some form of trauma or abuse, but out of this rough earth, a rose garden can bloom. Art can, quite literally- save lives. First with the artist themselves telling stories that release their feelings and communicate their experiences, connecting them to the world.

The healing power of art has been evident with actors, musicians, writers, painters, and artists throughout time. The remarkable New York City prima ballerina Misty Copeland said dance saved her life, Barbra’s Streisand said for her it was music, and Marlon Brando, perhaps one of the greatest actors of all time, said that If he had not acted, he would have had no meaning in his life at all.

There’s another aspect, beyond the artist’s own experience, that applies. This is a phrase I heard recently about an artist whose life’s work was painting murals. The artist had lupus, so it was very painful for her to make these murals, but she sacrificed her comfort and ease to do something that actually was a form of her giving service.

Being an actor may seem more self-serving than service-minded, but art can be healing, educational and transformative in exponential ways to its audience.

Think of a film or play that gave you hope in a time of despair, made you better understand someone very different than you in race, culture, or economic status, or just gave you the healing power of laughter.

Actors may not enter the field thinking of serving others, as the infatuation and impetuousness for acting is often to feel loved and achieve acceptance. The initial drive to be an actor very well may be self-centered. But once the craft is studied and the profession embraced, there’s an extraordinary opportunity to serve others.

This can be done most powerfully in the creation and telling of stories that build bridges, shine a light on prejudice, and connect people all over the world. This is the best kind of art and balances the challenges of being in a business that can turn an actor’s attention obsessively on themselves and isolate them from being more in the world.

Meisner had a saying, “Art is big, you are small.” This sentiment is a powerful mindset in keeping actors balanced and grateful while persevering with their art for a higher purpose. The industry can be daunting, but a higher purpose can lift the actor above the fray.

Think about it. What an inspirational way to live and contribute to our world- making your art make the difference that it can. (75)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 21:52:58 UTC

Guest Post. (2018). An Actor’s Creativity: How Art Can Save Lives. Available: https://www.dailyactor.com/acting-advice-columns/how-art-can-save-lives/. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

Why distinguish between 'cast' and 'creatives' in theatre productions?

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 21:54:29 UTC

When did theatre companies start to use the headings "cast" and "creative team" in their programmes? Every time I see them, I think of the words of that great actress Ellen Terry: "Imagination, industry and intelligence – the three I's – are all indispensable to the actress, but of these three the greatest is, without doubt, imagination."

Imagination – and the creativity that goes with it – is surely a crucial part of what every production demands of an actor, from the first day of rehearsals right through to the last night. Yet from the way so many of today's theatre programmes segregate the actors from the creative process, it almost seems as if the actors' artistic input is being denied. The National Theatre of Scotland's programme for Girl X (currently on tour) is a case in point. Under the heading "cast" ran three lines of text, strung with 17 names; but under the heading "creative team" were listed 11 names over 10 lines. A third heading, "production team", was followed by four names and functions on as many lines.

NTS certainly isn't the only company to separate actors (and production staff) from the heading of "creativity". It just happens to be one example of a depressingly familiar practice. Why has it grown up? Isn't creativity a quality shared among the combination of arts and crafts needed to get a show on to a stage? Terry herself was thoroughly alert to the scope of stage design, lighting and costume to intensify the impact of a production – as anyone who saw the Guardian piece about her 1888 Lady Macbeth gown, an extraordinary shimmer of iridescent beetle wings (recently restored to full glory), can't help but have noticed.

Some designers might prefer the beauty of their pristine set not be disturbed by the human messiness of the actors' performance. Edward Gordon Craig – who revolutionised stage design at the beginning of the 20th century – famously longed to substitute "uber-marionettes" for willful human creatures (in spite of, or perhaps because of, the fact that he was Terry's son). But, like it or not, actors – more so than designers or directors and so on – are at the core of almost all theatre performance. We can imagine most great texts being brought to life by a group of actors in an empty space; it's not easy to picture a production, no matter how fabulous the decor, without a living cast. (The National Theatre of Wales did have a stab at this, last December, with The Weather Factory, giving audiences access to a house in Penygroes whose interior had been extraordinarily re-configured. Although labelled theatre, without the presence of actors, it was more like an installation.)

It was not always thus. A random grab of old theatre programmes from a handy box produced a copy of the RSC programme for Love's Labour's Lost in 1978, where everybody is listed alphabetically under the heading "The Company" (you should see the cast list); The Wooster Group's Brace Up! (at Lift 93), actors are listed separately but there are no headings; 7:84, Scotland's The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists in 1984 presents the company as either "On Stage" or "Off Stage". All of these productions were fabulously directed, designed, lit, etc, and nobody would want to deny the creativity of anybody involved in those activities, but why corral them off as the only "creatives"? Isn't it time to rethink this practice? Headings are handy, but it would be nice to choose ones that don't suggest hidden assumptions.

Many so-called creatives probably feel the same and would agree with Giorgio Strehler, one of Italy's most renowned theatre directors, when he declared: "Without love, without sharing in this work together, the theatre doesn't exist." (76)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-09 21:55:31 UTC

Clare Brennan. (2011). Why distinguish between 'cast' and 'creatives' in theatre productions?. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2011/mar/21/theatre-cast-creatives-actors. Last accessed 9th November 2020.

Lesson 5: Teaching (Session Plan)

victoriaac — 2020-11-09 22:53:10 UTC

Lesson 7 - Learning (Spoken Word):

victoriaac — 2020-11-12 11:32:37 UTC

The colour red is beneficial for memory retrieval and focusing attention and so I set my LED lights within my room to this colour in order to increase my efficiency of learning the extract.

Lesson 7 - Learning (Spoken Word):

victoriaac — 2020-11-12 11:33:40 UTC

The impact of colour within psychology.

Lesson 7: Photographic Evidence (Creating Shadows)

victoriaac — 2020-11-12 11:34:31 UTC

Lesson 7: Photographic Evidence (Creating Shadows)

victoriaac — 2020-11-12 11:35:11 UTC

Lesson 7: Photographic Evidence (Creating Shadows)

victoriaac — 2020-11-12 11:35:23 UTC

Lesson 7: Photographic Evidence (Creating Shadows)

victoriaac — 2020-11-12 11:35:35 UTC

Lesson 7: Photographic Evidence (Creating Shadows)

victoriaac — 2020-11-12 11:35:45 UTC

Lesson 7: Photographic Evidence (Creating Shadows)

victoriaac — 2020-11-12 11:35:55 UTC

Lesson 7: Photographic Evidence (Creating Shadows)

victoriaac — 2020-11-12 11:36:04 UTC

Lesson 7: Photographic Evidence (Creating Shadows)

victoriaac — 2020-11-12 11:36:14 UTC

Lesson 6: Influencer - Morgan Marcell.

victoriaac — 2020-11-13 11:21:41 UTC

If you thought Morgan Marcell had a stage presence in Hamilton and Bandstand, you will love her on Instagram. The triple-threat shares photos from all aspects of her life whether it’s rehearsal, travel, or nights out with friends. But, Morgan hopes to use the platform to highlight her personal passions.

“Sure, I try to develop content that attracts followers and might be interesting to people that support my career,” she shared. “But, I also think social media is an amazing platform to express an opinion, educate about philanthropic events or maybe change someone’s mind. I think if someone develops a following, they have an opportunity to set an example.” (77)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-13 11:22:41 UTC

Jordi Lippe-McGraw. (2018). 10 Broadway Influencers to Follow on Instagram. Available: https://blog.broadwayroulette.com/2018/02/1199/. Last accessed 13th November 2020.

Lesson 6: Influencer - Morgan Marcell (Instagram).

victoriaac — 2020-11-13 11:32:50 UTC

Lesson 6: Influencer - Morgan Marcell (Instagram).

victoriaac — 2020-11-13 11:34:30 UTC

Presidential Election (Voting) encouragement.

Lesson 6: Influencer - Morgan Marcell (Instagram).

victoriaac — 2020-11-13 11:36:25 UTC

Virtual Fundraiser Event - Working to end systematic racism.

Lesson 6: Influencer - Morgan Marcell (Instagram).

victoriaac — 2020-11-13 11:37:53 UTC

Speaking out about the Black Lives Matter (#BLM) Movement.

Lesson 6: Influencer - Morgan Marcell (Instagram).

victoriaac — 2020-11-13 11:38:40 UTC

Women's History Month Promotion.

Lesson 6: Influencer - Morgan Marcell (Instagram).

victoriaac — 2020-11-13 11:41:05 UTC

Discussion regarding a positive outlook on body image and personal struggle.

Lesson 6:

victoriaac — 2020-11-13 15:46:48 UTC

(05/11/20)

Strengths and Weaknesses of Online Learning:

victoriaac — 2020-11-13 16:07:11 UTC

Strengths of Online Learning

There are many reasons why online programs have become a popular form of distance learning in higher education today. The online environment offers unprecedented opportunities for people who would otherwise have limited access to education, as well as a new paradigm for educators in which dynamic courses of the highest quality can be developed. Here is a list of some of the major benefits of online programs:

Anywhere…

The main advantage of asynchronous online learning is that it allows students to participate in high quality learning situations when distance and schedule make on-ground learning difficult-to-impossible. Students can participate in classes from anywhere in the world, provided they have a computer and Internet connection. In addition, the online format allows physically challenged students (and teachers) more freedom to participate in class. Participants access the Virtual Classroom through their computers instead of having to “go to class” physically.

Anytime, Any Pace…

The Virtual Classroom is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Time efficiency is another strength brought by the online learning format. Asynchronous communication through online conferencing programs allows the professional juggling work, family, and study schedules to participate in class discussions. There is no question about doing the work; just do it at the times that are more convenient. Students can access their courses at any time of day or night. Further, they have continuous access to lectures, course materials, and class discussions. This is particularly convenient for those who may need to reread a lecture or take more time to reflect on some material before moving on.

Synergy

The online format allows a dynamic interaction between the instructor and students and among the students themselves. Resources and ideas are shared, and continuous synergy will be generated through the learning process. Each individual can contribute to the course discussions and comments on the work of others. The synergy that exists in the student-centered Virtual Classroom is one of the most unique and vital traits that the online learning format possesses.

High Quality Dialog

Within an online asynchronous discussion structure, the learner may reflect on comments from others before responding or moving on to the next item. This structure allows students time to articulate responses with much more depth and forethought than in a traditional face-to-face discussion situation where the participant must analyze the comment of another on the spot and formulate a response or otherwise lose the chance to contribute to the discussion.

Student Centered

Within an online discussion, the individual student responds to the course material (lectures and course books, for example) and to comments from other students. Students usually respond to those topics within the broader conversation that most clearly speak to their individual concerns. These situations result in smaller conversations taking place simultaneously within the group. While students should read all of their classmates’ contributions, they actively engage in only those parts of the dialog most relevant to their own interests. In this way, students control their own learning experience and tailor the class discussions to meet their own specific needs. Ideally, students make their own individual contributions to the course while at the same time taking away a unique mix of relevant information.

Level Playing Field

In the online environment, learners have a certain measure of anonymity. Discriminating factors such as age, dress, physical appearance, disabilities, race, and gender are largely absent. Instead, the focus of attention is clearly on the content of the discussion and the individual’s ability to respond and contribute thoughtfully and intelligently to the material at hand.

Access to Resources

It is easy to include distinguished guest experts or students from other institutions in an online class. Furthermore, today’s students have access to resources and materials that may be physically located anywhere in the world. An instructor can compile a resource section online with links to scholarly articles, institutions, and other materials relevant to the course topic for students to access for research, extension, or in depth analysis of course content material.

Creative Teaching

The literature of adult education supports the use of interactive learning environments as contributing to self-direction and critical thinking. Some educators have made great strides in applying these concepts to their on ground teaching. However, many classes still exist which are based on lectures and rote memorization of material. The nature of the semi-autonomous and self-directed world of the Virtual Classroom makes innovative and creative approaches to instruction even more important. In the online environment, the facilitator and student collaborate to create a dynamic learning experience. The realization of a shift in technology creates the hope that those who move into the new technology will also leave behind bad habits as they adopt this new paradigm of teaching. As educators transform their courses to take full advantage of the online format, they must reflect on their course objectives and teaching styles. Many of the qualities that make a successful online facilitator are also tremendously effective in the traditional classroom.

Weaknesses of Online Learning

While online programs have significant strengths and offer unprecedented accessibility to quality education, there are weaknesses inherent in the use of this medium that can pose potential threats to the success of any online program. These problems fall into six main categories:

1. Technology

Equity and Accessibility to Technology

Before any online program can hope to succeed, it must have students who are able to access the online learning environment. Lack of access, whether it be for economic or logistic reasons, will exclude otherwise eligible students from the course. This is a significant issue in rural and lower socioeconomic neighborhoods. Furthermore, speaking from an administrative point of view, if students cannot afford the technology the institution employs, they are lost as customers. As far as Internet accessibility is concerned, it is not universal, and in some areas of the United States and other countries, Internet access poses a significant cost to the user. Some users pay a fixed monthly rate for their Internet connection, while others are charged for the time they spend online. If the participants’ time online is limited by the amount of Internet access they can afford, then instruction and participation in the online program will not be equitable for all students in the course.

Computer Literacy

Both students and facilitators must possess a minimum level of computer knowledge in order to function successfully in an online environment. For example, they must be able to use a variety of search engines and be comfortable navigating on the World Wide Web, as well as be familiar with Newsgroups, FTP procedures, and email. If they do not possess these technology tools, they will not succeed in an online program; a student or faculty member who cannot function on the system will drag the entire program down.

Limitations of Technology

User friendly and reliable technology is critical to a successful online program. However, even the most sophisticated technology is not 100% reliable. Unfortunately, it is not a question of if the equipment used in an online program will fail, but when. When everything is running smoothly, technology is intended to be low profile and is used as a tool in the learning process. However, breakdowns can occur at any point along the system. For example, the server which hosts the program could crash and cut all participants off from the class; a participant may access the class through a networked computer which could go down; individual PCs can have numerous problems which could limit students’ access; finally, the Internet connection could fail, or the institution hosting the connection could become bogged down with users and either slow down or fail altogether. In situations like these, the technology is neither seamless nor reliable, and it can detract from the learning experience.

2. The Students

While an online method of education can be a highly effective alternative medium of education for the mature, self-disciplined student, it is an inappropriate learning environment for more dependent learners. Online asynchronous education gives students control over their learning experience and allows for flexibility of study schedules for non traditional students; however, this places a greater responsibility on the student. In order to successfully participate in an online program, students must be well organized, self-motivated, and possess a high degree of time management skills in order to keep up with the pace of the course. For these reasons, online education is not appropriate for younger students (i.e. elementary or secondary school age) and other students who are dependent learners and have difficulty assuming responsibilities required by the online paradigm.

3. The Facilitator

Lack of Essential Online Qualities

Successful on-ground instruction does not always translate to successful online instruction. If facilitators are not properly trained in online delivery and methodologies, the success of the online program will be compromised. An instructor must be able to communicate well in writing and in the language in which the course is offered. An online program will be weakened if its facilitators are not adequately prepared to function in the Virtual Classroom.

An online instructor must be able to compensate for lack of physical presence by creating a supportive environment in the Virtual Classroom where all students feel comfortable participating and especially where students know that their instructor is accessible. Failure to do this can alienate the class both from each other and from the instructor. However, even if a virtual professor is competent enough to create a comfortable virtual environment in which the class can operate, still the lack of physical presence at an institution can be a limitation for an online program. For the faculty as well as the participants, such things as being left out of meetings and other events that require on-site interaction could present a limiting factor in an online program.

4. The Administration and Faculty

Some environments are disruptive to the successful implementation of an online program. Administrators and/or faculty members who are uncomfortable with change and working with technology, or feel that online programs cannot offer quality education, often inhibit the process of implementation. These people represent a considerable weakness in an online program because they can inhibit its success.

Sometimes administration cannot see beyond the bottom line and look at online programs only as ways to increase revenues and are thus not committed to seeing online programs as a means of providing quality education to people who would otherwise not be able to access it. In such a case, an institution that is not aware of the importance of proper facilitator training, essential facilitator characteristics, and limitations of class size would not understand the impact that these elements can have on the success of an online program.

5. The Online Environment

Levels of Synergy

Online learning has its most promising potential in the high synergy represented by active dialog among the participants, one of the most important sources of learning in a Virtual Classroom. However, in larger classes (20 or more students), the synergy level starts to shift on the learning continuum until it eventually becomes independent study to accommodate the large class. At this point, dialog is limited as well as interaction among participants and the facilitator. The medium is not being used to its greatest potential.

What Should Not Be Taught Online

Even with recently generated excitement and enthusiasm for online programs, it is important to recognize that some subjects should not be taught online because the electronic medium does not permit the best method on instruction. Examples include: hands-on subjects such as public speaking, surgery, dental hygiene, and sports where physical movement and practice contribute to the achievement of the learning objectives. These subjects are probably best taught in a face-to-face traditional learning environment. Hybrid courses may represent a temporary solution to this problem, thus making that portion of the course more accessible to a greater number of people who would otherwise have difficulty getting to campus. However, solutions of that sort still underline the fact that online teaching cannot satisfy all educational needs and goals. Just because it may be technologically possible to simulate a physical learning experience, this does not necessarily mean that it is the best way to teach it.

6. The Curriculum

The curriculum of any online program must be carefully considered and developed in order to be successful. Many times, in an institution’s haste to develop distance education programs, the importance of the curriculum and the need for qualified professionals to develop it are overlooked. Curriculum and teaching methodology that are successful in on-ground instruction will not always translate to a successful online program where learning and instructional paradigms are quite different. Online curriculum must reflect the use of dialog among students (in the form of written communication) and group interaction and participation. Traditional classroom lectures have no place in a successful online program. Education of the highest quality can and will occur in an online program provided that the curriculum has been developed or converted to meet the needs of the online medium.

Today is a very exciting time for technology and education. Online programs offer technology-based instructional environments that expand learning opportunities and can provide top quality education through a variety of formats and modalities. With the special needs of adult learners who need or want to continue their education, online programs offer a convenient solution to conflicts with work, family, and study schedules. Institutions of higher education have found that online programs are essential in providing access to education for the populations they wish to serve. In order for an online program to be successful, the curriculum, the facilitator, the technology, and the students must be carefully considered and balanced in order to take full advantage of the strengths of this format and at the same time avoid pitfalls that could result from its weaknesses. (78)

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victoriaac — 2020-11-13 16:15:26 UTC

Unknown. (Unknown). Strengths and Weaknesses of Online Learning. Available: https://www.uis.edu/ion/resources/tutorials/online-education-overview/strengths-and-weaknesses/. Last accessed 13th November 2020.

Coronavirus: 14 simple tips for better online teaching.

victoriaac — 2020-11-14 23:40:05 UTC

The past few days have seen increasing numbers of schools and universities across the world announce that they are moving to online-only learning. Hundreds of thousands of teachers are busy working to move their face-to-face lessons online. Designing online courses takes significant time and effort.

Right now, however, we need a simpler formula. Here are 14 quick tips to make online teaching better, from an expert in online learning.

1. Record your lectures – don’t stream them

If students are unwell or are struggling with internet access, they will miss a live streamed lecture. Record videos instead and send them to your students so that they can watch in their own time.

2. Show your face

Research has shown that lecture videos that show instructors’ faces are more effective than simple narrated slideshows. Intersperse your slides with video of yourself.

3. Keep videos short

Videos longer than 15 minutes can cause issues of slow downloading and learner distraction. If you have more to say, record two or three short videos.

4. Test out slides

Make sure you test slides on a smartphone before shooting your lectures so all text is readable on small screens. Font sizes, colours, template designs and screen ratios can be double-checked.

5. Use existing resources …

It is unrealistic to expect that you, on your own, will produce a semester’s worth of high quality videos. You can use pre-developed resources available online and provide students with clickable links.

6. … and make sure they’re open access

Using open resources helps prevent access problems for students. If any of your suggested resources are not accessible, you will receive an inbox full of student emails and eventually waste all your time troubleshooting. Spending a few extra minutes carefully searching for fully open access materials will save you a headache later.

7. Give specific instructions

When you suggest online media which runs for longer than 15 minutes, students will be put off watching. Instead, suggest the exact parts they need (eg 13:35 to 16:28) as this can even make students more curious. When you provide more than two resources, label them in the order you want students to approach them. Simple numbering, based on the level of difficulty or importance of each resource item, can be of great help for your students.

8. Provide interactive activities

Most learning management systems, such as Moodle, Edmodo and Blackboard, include a range of functions to create interactive learning activities such as quizzes. Step-by-step guides to creating them are widely available online. Use them.

9. Set reasonable expectations

When you create quizzes, you should make sure all questions can be answered by referring to the given learning resources. When you ask students to write a summary of lecture videos, you should make it clear that this is not a serious report. Making this as a mandatory assignment but a low-stakes task will produce the best outcomes and responses from students. A set of 15 quiz questions or a 300-word limit will be sufficient to engage students for 30 minutes.

10. Use auto-checking to measure attendance

If you tell students that their attendance will be measured by their participation in a quiz, it will increase compliance. However, you won’t have time to check them all, so use the automatic checking and grading features on the learning management systems.

11. Use group communication carefully

Group communication shouldn’t be used for direct teaching. Instead, set up “virtual office hours” on a video conferencing tool like Zoom. Simply log in at the appointed time and wait for students. Focus on providing social support and checking if any issues need to be addressed immediately. This can be a great way to collect student feedback on your online teaching as well. Make meetings optional and be relaxed. No need to be frustrated when no one shows up: students are still happy to know that this option is available.

12. Let students take control

You can set up online group spaces for small groups of students and ask them to support and consult with one another before sending emails to you directly. You can post a couple of questions to help students break the ice and start conversation. Encourage students to use the communication tools they prefer. Some groups will click well and some will not, but this little tip can make students feel socially supported and reduce your inbox traffic.

13. Don’t hide your feelings

Online teachers’ emotional openness is a great instructional strategy. Tell your students that it is your first time teaching online and you are learning while teaching. Explicitly ask them to help you, reassuring them that you will do your very best to support their learning as well. They will be sympathetic since they share the same emotions, and you will be set up for success.

14. Repeat

Online students do not like frequent changes in their learning style. They are happy to repeat the same structure and activities. Once you find a teaching style working for you, feel free to repeat it each week until you are back in your classroom. (79)

(79)

victoriaac — 2020-11-14 23:58:05 UTC

Kyungmee Lee. (2020). Coronavirus: 14 simple tips for better online teaching. Available: https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-14-simple-tips-for-better-online-teaching-133573. Last accessed 14th November 2020.

Lesson 5: Teaching (Lesson Evidence)

victoriaac — 2020-11-15 00:08:15 UTC

Lesson 5: Teaching (Student Survey)

victoriaac — 2020-11-15 00:32:50 UTC

Lesson 5: Teaching (Teacher Survey)

victoriaac — 2020-11-15 00:33:53 UTC

Lesson 7: Spoken Word (Performance)

victoriaac — 2020-11-15 00:54:55 UTC

Lesson 7:

victoriaac — 2020-11-15 01:29:54 UTC

(12/11/20)

How to become a social media influencer: The ultimate guide.

victoriaac — 2020-11-15 01:31:20 UTC

You want to be a social media influencer?

You want the prestige, notoriety and authority that social media influence brings?

Or you want the fame, money and perks that come with it?

You want to become a social media influencer to land that job, become an entrepreneur or win new clients?

Or you want to live a lavish jet-setting lifestyle like a celebrity?

You’re not the only one.

In this competitive and global environment, a lot of people are growing their social media influence for their own personal reasons.

In fact, interest in social media influencers is growing fast as the Google Trends chart below suggests.

Why do people want to become a social media influencer?

Because social media is causing huge changes in culture and society. It’s breaking down communication barriers, fragmenting the media and connecting people like never before.

Social media influencers are a big part of this shift.

In every country across every industry, individuals are growing their social media platforms to increase their influence and, in some cases, make a lot of money in the process.

Marketing firms are fighting to work with top social media talent promising them access to people and experiences usually reserved for celebrities.

Wannabe business leaders are using social media as a platform to fast-track their careers by achieving a ‘thought-leader’ status.

Entrepreneurs are ramping up their influence to scale their business and move into new territories.

The question is, why would you NOT want to become a social media influencer?

This article is the ultimate guide on how to become a social media influencer.

It’s not a sales guide. There’s nothing for sale here.

It’s not a get rich quick scheme either.

If you’re interested in what social media influence is, who are social media influencers and how to become one, read on.

Why become an influencer?

Over the last ten years, social media has changed the world.

From its cultural impact to how we communicate to the products we buy and everything in between has been shaped by social media.

Gone are the days when people were informed by a select elite few to a new era where people are influenced by their friends, peers, acquaintances and people they admire all around the world.

It would be fair to say social media is fully ingrained in society and culture.

Young people can’t remember a time without it. Old people can’t remember what they did before it.

Ten years ago no one suspected the impact that social media would have today and you could say we are underestimating its impact for the next ten years.

While still in its infancy, social media has provided a platform for people to showcase their skills and turned them into celebrities, thought-leaders, authorities and influencers.

Smartphones have made us all creative directors of our own media empires.

We are very much still in the early days of influencers and social media in general but there is no doubt that we are not going back to the old ways of doing things.

In years to come we will look back on this era as a ‘land-grab’ period where savvy individuals worked hard to build their influence to become their own media companies.

This is the golden age of growing your own social media influence.

We will look back on this time and marvel at the abundance of opportunities people had to develop social media influence during the days it was easy.

The people who provide ongoing value to their audience and understand that building a brand takes a long time will enjoy a long career and all the benefits of being an influencer brings.

Social networks may come and go but people’s inherent need to be social will not.

This is why growing your social media influence is important.

Whether you’re an aspiring entertainer, startup entrepreneur, CEO, fashionista, marketing expert or even if you just want to connect with people in your local community, building a platform will help you achieve your goal quicker.

What are the benefits to becoming an influencer?

Building an online brand takes hard work and consistent effort.

The internet has a short memory and you can become irrelevant quickly if you stop creating content that resonates with your audience.

So, why put yourself through all that work?

There are many benefits to becoming an influencer, actually.

Regardless of your industry or niche, having the ability to influence others has a ton of benefits.

You can;

Earn money

It’s no secret that influencers from all walks of life are earning more money from their content than ever before. Some influencers make multi-millions of dollars each year, some do it to pay for a certain lifestyle while most people don’t make a full-time living from their content.

Become location independent

If the only place you have to be to earn your living is online then you can in theory work from anywhere in the world. Many influencers do work from anywhere and if you’re a travel influencer, the world is your office. Not all influencers can work from anywhere however but some design their life so they have the option.

Become well known (and remain relevant) in an industry or subject matter

If you have a specialist skill, knowledge or expertise, becoming an influencer will raise your profile among people around the world interested in your work. Becoming an influencer can also help you maintain your relevancy in your subject matter also.

Launch your own products and services

Many people grow their influencer and brand which in turn allows them to launch their own products and services to a captive audience. As well as this, they can also learn about what their audience wants and create products and services around it.

Become a professional public speaker

When you’re known for being one of the most knowledgeable people on a specific subject, you will be invited to speak at events around the world on it. Many influencers develop a speaking career based on the content and insights they’ve created online.

Share an important message

Some people want to grow their influence online to share an important message. For a cause, an injustice or a better way to live life, whatever it is a lot of influencers have grown in influence through sharing an important message.

Get free products and experiences

If you grow your influence in a specific industry which has a lot of products and services like fashion and health then it’s very likely brands will want to send you products in the hope that you like them and talk about them online.

Connect with people who share your interests

People like to connect with people who share the same views and interests as them. Becoming influential in a specific industry will allow you to connect with likeminds regardless of where they’re based.

Achieve fame, celebrity and notoriety

We are now starting to see people who have created their influence in social media become more like ‘traditional’ celebrities appearing on ‘traditional’ media like TV. There is certainly a blurring of the two happening and over time they will just become one.

Some people might say aspiring to have influence is narcissistic but that’s a narrow way of looking at it.

Everybody likes to be influential in some way. Whether that’s in an industry, among a peer group or even just being a positive influence on friends, family and your community.

Having influence gives you greater control of your life and a sense you’re in charge of your own destiny. As well as this, it allows you to positively impact other people’s lives too.

That’s real influence but don’t confuse it with seeking fame and adulation for self-validation.

Becoming influential in your chosen area is, for the most part, a positive experience.

In fact, the market is demanding you become an influencer.

What is influence?

If you want to become an influencer it’s important you understand what influence is.

It’s a vague term often incorrectly used so let’s start with what influence isn’t.

Persuasion and influence are not the same
Authority and influence are not the same
Power and influence are not the same

Persuasion, authority and power can help someone be influential but individually they are not conducive to it.

You can still be influential without having power or authority over someone and being persuasive doesn’t necessarily make you influential.

Here’s why.

So if influence isn’t persuasion, authority or power, what is it?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as;

“The capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something, or the effect itself.”

That’s pretty much it.

It’s important to understand influence and being influential are positive traits. The term influence is often confused with persuasion, authority and power but as you can clearly see in the chart above they are very much opposites.

Understanding influence is allows you to better develop your influencing skills whether that’s:

Writing
Designing
Presenting
Speaking
Providing a point of view
Understanding someone else (empathy)
Debating
And the list goes on

Influence is powerful.

What is an influencer?

As time goes by, it’s becoming more difficult to properly define what an influencer is. This is largely because the old world of media and the new world of social media are blurring into one.

A definition of an influencer is:

A person with an established credibility in a specific industry or topic who has access to a large audience and can influence them through the media, social media and their own online platforms by virtue of their authenticity and reach.

Social media influencers (or ‘online influencers’ as they are sometimes called) can come from any walk of life and belong to any industry.

Influencers can be involved in mainstream industries such as health, fitness, business, entrepreneurship, lifestyle, travel, pets, cars, food, fashion and DIY.

Some influencers focus on more niche subjects like molecular biology,

If there’s a market for it there’s an influencer for it.

Social media influencers grow their influence using social networking platforms and using The Four Cs.

1. Content

If you’re looking to be an influencer, it all starts with the content. If you’re not creating content then you’re not influencing. Of course, content comes in different forms from a 280 character tweet to a two hour long video which is why it’s important to figure out the best content formats for you.

Consistency

Ask most influencers and they’ll tell you that there wasn’t one key moment that 10Xed their following but rather it was day-in-day-out consistency and always showing up with new and relevant content.

Credibility

Becoming an influencer requires having credibility. Having both great content and being consistent helps. So does having a track record in your subject area which if you don’t have now you can develop over time.

Charisma

Charisma is how people feel about you. What is the experience you’re giving them when they’ve come into contact with you and your brand? Charisma is not a trait as such but rather a collection of traits that form it.

How to influence others

To influence others requires skill, time and hard work.

To become someone who can influence others in the long term also requires you to have some form of talent, skill or knowledge and be passionate about your subject matter.

A lot of people set out to become an influencer but can’t hack the journey and the delayed gratification that sometimes takes two, three, four, five, ten years to achieve.

But there is a science to influence and becoming influential.

It’s more a psychology than a science but it’s practical and if you follow the rules you too can develop influence.

What is it?

The answer lies in this book.

There are many great books on influence and persuasion and this is one of the best.

The book is a New York Times bestseller, has been printed in 30 languages and is recognised as one of the top business books of all time.

It is studied and used by people in the influence and persuasion business from marketers to sales to customer services to everything else.

It has helped countless people become more influential and using the principles in the book can help you become more influential in social media too.

Cialdini identifies six principles that help someone have more influence.

These are;

Reciprocation
Commitment and consistency
Social proof
Like principle
Authority
Scarcity

The first five principles of Cialdini’s method can be applied to growing social media influence too.

Let’s break it down.

Reciprocation

This is a social rule that people should repay, in kind, what another person has provided for them.

To become a social media influencer you must first provide value without asking for anything in return.

Give, give, give as some might say. Or “jab, jab, jab” as Gary Vaynerchuk would say.

If you provide ongoing value without asking for anything back, over time people will begin to reciprocate by sharing and commenting on your content, talking about you to their friends and buying your stuff.

Commitment and consistency

People value commitment and consistency in other people. If you show up every day with a consistent message while producing valuable content they will warm to you as they become more familiar with you.

Social proof

Social proof means that people are doing what people around them are doing. As you build your influence your social proof increases too meaning you create a snowball effect.

The more followers you have the easier it is to acquire new ones. The more shares your content has the more other people share it.

People follow people. “Monkey sees, monkey do.”

The like principle

The like principle states that people are more likely to comply with requests made by people they like. If we are a fan of someone then by definition we like (or adore) them and are willing to do what they say.

Be likeable, relatable and don’t put yourself on a pedestal. The like principle ensures that your fans will always stay loyal (provided you keep working hard to please them).

Authority

People respect authority. They want to follow the lead of real experts. Business titles, impressive clothing, and even driving expensive, high-performing cars are proven factors in lending credibility to any individual.

Your goal as a social media influencer is to become a respected authority on whatever niche you’re in.

The vast majority of the human population is made up of followers. They will respect authority figures who have an important message, an effective style, and a platform from which to speak.

Now that you know how to achieve influence you then have to develop an influencer strategy.

Types of influencers

Not all influencers are the same and influence itself is on a spectrum. This is why the influencer industry has categorized influencers into different buckets depending on their reach and subject matter.

Nano-influencers

The term nano-influencer is relatively new to the influencer industry and was introduced to categorize the people in social media who have a small follower count and reach but an engaged audience.

The reason nano-influencers have a low but engaged follower base can be for a number of reasons such as they cover a niche but interesting industry to those who are in it.

With 1,000 followers or less, nano-influencers are at the bottom of the influencer pyramid and usually are not paid to do sponsored posts and instead may receive free products for review.

Chances are, if you’re starting out on building your influence status then nano-influencer may be the first achievement you unlock.

Micro-influencers

Micro-influencers are at the 5k to 100k follower mark and a lot of which are full-time content creators earning a living doing brand sponsorship or helping brands create content for their own channels.

They are the most common kind of influencer and a category that brands like to work with for two reasons.

The first one being is they aren’t too big to command expensive fees so a brand can work with a lot of them at scale.

Secondly, influencer case studies show that micro-influencers tend to have the greatest ROI (return on investment). In fact, it’s this reason why brands are beginning to spend more on micro-influencers than they do with working with celebrities.

When you’re at micro-influencer level, there will be a lot of brand partnership opportunities available. Especially if you use one of the growing number of influencer marketing platforms that connect brands with content creators.

Mid-tier influencers

Mid-tier influencers are in the 100k to 500k follower mark and are full-time content creators.

Mid-tier influencers are professional and usually used to create high-quality content for the brand they’re working with.

Macro influencers

Macro influencers are bordering on the cusp of celebrity. Although they have built their profile through social media they are becoming more known in the mainstream particularly as the lines between social and ‘traditional’ become blurred.

Macro influencers command large fees and often have an agent who represents them on their behalf securing brand deals and advertising opportunities.

Celebrities

As social media continues to become the dominant social media channel, more ‘mainstream’ celebrities are doubling down on and investing in their social media platforms.

How influencers make money. A short guide to influencer marketing

Over the last few years, brands have recognised the power of social media influencers.

Marketers understand that influence is moving away from traditional media to social media and work with social media influencers to promote products or to be part of a marketing campaign.

Instead of taking an ad out in a newspaper or on TV or buy online advertising they instead pay social media influencers to use their platforms and reach.

Money that was once allocated to traditional marketing campaigns is now being transferred to social media and influencer marketing.

Marketing is all about eyeballs and increasingly the eyeballs are focussed on social media influencers. There has been a swath of influencer marketing platforms launched in the last few years to connect brands with content creators.

From a trust and loyalty perspective, social media influencers have way more trust and are way more believable than an advert.

What’s more believable? A soulless advert telling you to buy some product or someone you follow and admire recommending it to you?

This, in a nutshell, is influencer marketing and some social media influencers are raking it in.

This is a trend that will continue for the foreseeable future and recent influencer marketing research shows a rosy outlook for influencer marketing.

18-25 year olds are influenced more by social media influencers than family and friends
In 2020, advertisers are predicted to spend more than $2.4 billion on Instagram influencer marketing
73% of marketers said they had allocated budget to influencer marketing
Marketers are spending more on micro-influencers than celebs study finds
Use of #ad on Instagram grew by 42% in 2018
57% of beauty and fashion companies use influencers as part of their marketing strategies, while an additional 21% are also planning to add this strategy to their campaigns in 2017
70% of internet users want to learn about a product through content rather than through traditional advertising
49% of people say they rely on recommendations from influencers when making purchasing decisions
6 in 10 YouTube subscribers would follow advice on what to buy from their favorite YouTube creator over their favourite TV or movie personality
70% of teenage YouTube subscribers said they relate more to a YouTube influencer than a celebrity

How much do social media influencers earn?

PewDiePie earned $15m in 2016. No wonder he’s smiling

This is an ‘it depends’ kind of answer.

Some social media influencers can earn anywhere from pocket change each month to seven figures a year.

Some social media influencers don’t make any money at all but instead, have a profound impact on their niche or the wider society.

As you can imagine, mainstream celebrities from TV, film, music and sports earn the most from their social media platforms.

Influencers who became famous through social media (usually called ‘internet famous’) don’t make as much as celebrities but some still make millions and the lines between mainstream celeb and internet famous is becoming blurry.

The factors that determine how much a social media influencer earns include;

Type of influencer

If you’re in a mainstream lifestyle market like fitness, gaming, fashion or makeup then, if you’re at the top of your game, you’ll make more money. You’ll likely make less in a niche area but there is less competition compared to mainstream consumer topics.

If you work in a B2B (business to business) industry you’re less likely to make money directly from your social media platforms. Instead, it’s your influence that helps you get that prestigious job or that lucrative client.

People in politics usually don’t make money directly from their social media platforms. Instead, they use them to influence debate, legislation and the news agenda.

Type of social media platform

The best platform to earn money from as an influencer are blogs, Facebook YouTube, Instagram and (for now) Snapchat.

If you’re big on Twitter but nowhere else then there a few opportunities for you to earn money from the platform. Likewise, if you were big on Vine and nowhere else I’m sorry for you.

Research by influencer marketing company, Captiv8, covered by The Economist found that influencers on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram with over 7m followers or subscribers can earn over $300,000, $187,000 and $150,000 per post/video respectively.

Instagram influencers

Do a quick search on Instagram using the hashtag #ad to see how many ads are findable. The current count, at the time of writing, is a staggering 4.2 million.

This doesn’t include other advertising related hashtags like #sponsor, #spon and #sp or indeed posts that don’t disclose they are an ad (which is illegal in some countries).

Despite its massive popularity with millennials and the influencer marketing industry, Instagram is becoming a treacherous platform.

Buying fake likes, followers and engagement to manipulate the Instagram algorithm has never been easier and a lot of users are faking their own influence.

Mediakix did an experiment where they set up fictional Instagram accounts with fake images, fake engagement and fake followers. They then secured four paid brand deals (two for each account) through an influencer marketing platform.

If Mediakix can do this with ease then it’s anyone’s guess on how much Instagram influencer marketing fraud is going on.

A lot, I imagine.

That said, influencers are beginning to professionalise on the platform upgrading their photography gear and using third-party Instagram apps to make their content pop.

YouTubers

Some YouTubers make millions each year.

Take PewDiePie with around 54 million subscribers has the most out of any individual. In 2016 the 27-year-old reportedly earned $15 million which is not bad for something he started with having no intention to make money.

We all can’t be PewDiePie but there is still considerable money to be made being a lower tiered YouTuber.

According to this blog YouTubers typically charge $10,000 per 100,000 views to promote a product.

Twitter influencers

How much money do Twitter users make?

Twitter announced last year that it was making it easier for influencers to make money from the platform.

Influencers can publish videos through the Twitter Media Studio and receive a share of the ad revenue.

There’s not a great deal of information available on how much Twitter influencers earn. According to the Economist chart above, it’s up to $60,000 provided you have over 7 million followers.

If you’re starting from scratch, forget it. Twitter has shown little growth over the last few years and they’ve recently announced new rules to stop people manipulating the Twitter algorithm by setting up automated bots.

It’s still a useful platform to use, particularly if you’re involved in media and politics so ensure you have a proper Twitter strategy in place. Just don’t expect it to make you much money directly

Bloggers

Some bloggers are making a killing.

Bloggers can earn anywhere from a few dollars to $500,000 per month through advertising, affiliate schemes and selling their own products.

With the right blog strategy in place, you too could make money from a blog.

Authority Hacker carried out an analysis on professional bloggers who cover different topics and interests.

The top earner, John Lee Dumas, makes almost $500,000 per month in revenue from his blog and podcast. Others make less but many bloggers still earn lucrative sums of money each month.

Blogs were one of the first forms of social media but still remain a powerful platform to grow influence.

You can even create your own online community to grow your influence among people related to your interests.

For example, DIYDrones.com built on the NING platform has gathered a community of Drones enthusiasts:

The community has more than 700,000 visitors per month
It has 86,000 active users
It created the world’s first ‘universal autopilot’

With either a blog or a community you own you have full control of the site and you’re not at the mercy of, say, a social media platform like Facebook which can kill your reach in one fell swoop.

Celebrity-first influencers

As social media has risen to prominence in the last six or seven years, music, TV and movie stars have jumped on the bandwagon.

A-list celebs have huge follower, fan and subscriber counts across all social channels. Very few celebrities today are not using social media.

They use it as a way to promote what they’re up to, engage their fans and use it to respond to rumours and negative media coverage.

They also make a lot of money from it.

A celebrity with a large social following is his or her own media company. They use their social media influence to negotiate contracts.

Chris Pratt creates sponsored content from his social media platforms often as part of a wider advertising or TV commercial campaign.

Kevin Hart negotiates more money for using his huge social following to promote a movie he’s in.

Easy money

Instagram is huge for celebrities and sponsored posts.

And if regular people earn a decent living from Instagram then celebrities can make a lot of money for a single photograph.

The most followed Instagram accounts are actors, entertainers, musicians and sports stars.

According to research from Hopper, an Instagram planning and scheduling tool, the top ten earners make a lot for one sponsored Instagram post.

How much the top ten celebrities make per Instagram post. Source: Daily Mail

Which means Ronaldo made £310,000 ($400,830) for this Instagram post:

Not bad for a few hours work.

Who are the top social media influencers?

This is a question that gets asked a lot. It’s one of the most searched for social media influencer questions on Google.

If we’re going by earnings, A-list celebrities by far make the most from their social media channels but measuring influence depends on many factors including the person, platform and industry.

‘Top social media influencers’ is a subjective term.

Sure, you can do a quantitative analysis and look at who as the most followers, fans, subscribers, views and so on but those are just numbers.

Pewdiepie has tens of millions of subscribers but when it comes to quantum physics his influence is limited.

Forbes often publishes a list of top social media influencers from travel, entertainment, fitness, beauty and so on.

Run a Google search on ‘top social media influencers’ and you’ll find thousands of lists created by other people.

Getting started. Developing a social media influencer strategy

Most people will tell you that the first step of becoming a social media influencer is to just get going.

You have to be proactive and take action every single day which is true.

But, if you’re deadly serious about becoming a social media influencer and are not taking a “let’s just try it and see” approach then you need a strategy. It will save you a ton of time and money.

A strategy + taking action every single day is what you need to do.

Objectives

You should first consider what your overall objectives are. What are you trying to achieve by becoming a social media influencer?

Are you looking to land a new job, make money, become a niche celebrity? Whatever it is, it’s entirely up to you.

Your objectives are your vision of where you want to go. Growth hackers often call this the ‘north star’ as it provides direction and focus.

How many objectives do you need? Not many. The least you need is one and the most you need are three. Any more than that and you may spread yourself too thin.

A sample set of objectives might look something like this;

Become the leading voice for men interested in vegan cooking
Become a location independent consultant providing services to international clients
Be the leading women’s shoe fashion influencer

Whatever you choose, ensure that it’s something you *want* to do/be not something you *think* you should do.

Developing influence is a long slog and most fall at the first hurdle. Don’t let that be you by focussing on your vision.

Find your community

How successful you are as a social media influencer depends upon the community supporting you. Without fans, followers, subscribers, or, shall we say, ‘people’, your brand in social media is worthless.

People and communities are the engines that power social media and this is why it’s important you should identify who your community is.

Your community depends on the type of market you’re in of course.

A business influencer’s community is likely to be on LinkedIn, Twitter and they may use YouTube to find business related videos and have a blog.

If your intention is to be a lifestyle influencer then your community is probably on Facebook, Instagram and/or YouTube.

Identify your community members

When you know where your community is you have to get more granular and profile your target community members.

Who are they? Age, location and other demographics
What are their interests?
What do they dislike?
How you can help them

The last point is key to building an audience. If you’re not helping them in some way, be it with information, advice or even providing entertainment, the odds of you won’t be successful.

This goes back to Cialdini’s influence approach.

If you’re not consistent, likeable, authoritative and providing value to increase social proof, you don’t stand a chance.

Your content spreading is dependent on the community supporting you. If people enjoy your content and believe in your message they will help you.

Identify your unique value proposition

Where do you add value?

What do you bring to the table that other people aren’t already doing?

What insights and experience do you have that others can benefit from?

This is your Unique Value Proposition (UVP).

If you want to make an impact in social media you have to have a UVP that separates you from other people.

Think about your skills, experiences, background, opinions and your approach and work from there.

A UVP shouldn’t be daunting. We are all unique individuals though, granted, some of us are more interesting than others.

Figure out what your UVP is and write it as a statement. This will help you when developing your messaging (see below).

Developing your persona

You never truly know someone you follow on social media.

You may think you do, but you can never understand the intricacies of someone’s personality through a screen.

Social media influencers usually develop some kind of online persona. And like celebrities, people tend to pedestal social media influencers which is human nature.

They may be intelligent, funny, entertaining and provide insights you can’t get anywhere else, but social media influencers they are only human beings.

A persona is not how you see yourself but how other people see you.

You can either leave it to others to craft your persona or you can have help influence it.

Casey Neistat is one of the most popular YouTubers with his daily vlogs of himself, his work and his family reaching millions.

As the quote above states, he doesn’t pretend that he’s giving viewers his entire life but an online persona.

This is an excellent breakdown of how he creates his YouTube videos and the small unnoticeable things he does to bring the persona to life.

YouTube is a perfect platform to create likeability. Blogs are great for conveying an air of authority. Instagram is the platform to convey glamour.

As Robert Greene in the excellent book, Mastery, says about crafting an online persona.

“You must see the creation of a persona as a key element in social intelligence, not something evil or demonic. We all wear masks in the social arena, displaying different roles to suit the different environments we pass through. You are simply becoming more conscious of the process.

“Think of it as theatre. By creating a persona that is mysterious, intriguing and masterful, you are playing to the public, giving them something compelling and pleasurable to witness.”

Give some consideration to your own online persona.

What do you want people to think about you when they engage with your work and your platforms?

What words do you want them to use when they describe you? Efficient, knowledgeable, aggressive, entertaining, funny etc.

It’s up to you to decide and then craft your persona to fit it.

Choosing your channels

You know who your audience is, where they are and the best way to engage with them, now it’s time to decide which platforms you should use.

To do this you have to take into consideration some factors which are:

You have to fish where the fish swim

If your target audience is professional sales executives then you’re not going to find them on Instagram. If you’re looking to reach a mass audience of say, millennials, then LinkedIn may not the place to be.

You need to fish where the fish swim. Create great content (bait) to engage (hook) them in.

Focus on your creative talents

Some people are good at writing, others are good with imagery and video and the rest have a knack for the spoken word.

If your skill is in writing then you should be focussing your efforts on that. Or if you’re good with video and enjoy speaking into the camera then YouTube (and maybe Facebook) is for you. If you enjoy the speaking part but not the camera then podcasting could be your thing.

Different social networking platforms have different USPs. This guide gives you an indication on the benefits of using each.

We all have unique talents and we’re all better at some form of media creation than others. Pick the platform that your community is on and use the medium which feels most comfortable. When you’ve established yourself on one medium start pushing yourself to become better on others.

Go to any established influencer’s first video, podcast or blog post and you’ll notice their lack of quality. Some are really terrible and amateurish.

For example, take Joe Rogan. His podcast interviews on YouTube are highly produced and are watched by hundreds of millions each week.

It wasn’t always like that though.

Have you ever watched his first ever podcast? It’s terrible.

It’s him and another guy sitting in front of a webcam with weird snow falling on the screen.

It takes time, consistent effort and learning what works and what doesn’t. Your quality will improve as you do.

Key messaging

What are the key messages you want to share with people?

Do you have a message you want to share with the world? Do you have a distinct point-of-view that makes you see thing different to most people?

Are you selling a particular skill, expertise or product?

Whatever it is you want to tell people, you should have a set of key messages that are part of your overall strategy.

You have to weave these messages in your content clearly, consistently and repetitively.

Ever heard of the Rule of Seven?

It means that people have to hear a message at least seven times before they remember it.

The book, Oversubscribed: How to Get People Lining Up to Do Business with You outlines this well;

“Messaging needs to be stated in clear and credible terms over and over and repeatedly. Don’t radically change the messaging for each audience. People need to hear something at least 7 to 15 times before they ‘get it’. If you need 5,000 people that ‘get it’ you have to say it a lot.”

This is why your messaging has to be consistent and repetitive. Over time people will begin to relay your message to others when they talk about you.

A word of warning, don’t be cheesy with your messaging. Be relatable. You have flaws and you’re not perfect.

Content development

You’ve identified your objectives, who your community is and how you’re going to be of value, the platform(s) you’re going to use and the messages you want to convey.

Next is you have to develop content that resonates with your key audiences.

The strength of your influence is dependent on the strength of your content.

And guess what.

Content creation is the hardest part of the process.

This is where most people give up.

The day-in-day-out grind of creating new content all the time takes consistent effort.

Writing a 3,000 blog post each week is hard.

Filming and editing an engaging 15 minute YouTube video each week is hard.

Shooting at least five pictures for Instagram each week is hard.

Tweeting relevant content on Twitter each week is hard.

Providing relevant content to grow a Facebook page is hard.

Not only is it hard but it takes time.

Becoming a social media influencer means you have to become a prolific content creator. Especially in the early days as you’re trying to grow an audience and gain momentum.

A new blog with 20 to 40 good quality blog posts with 1,000 to 2,000 words per post takes around six to twelve months before Google starts sending decent traffic its way in the search engines.

A new YouTube channel takes countless videos before it begins to pick up subscribers.

Despite having over 2 billion users, growing a Facebook page organically is a grind.

But there is good news.

Social media growth has a compounding effect.

Meaning the more fans, followers, subscribers etc you acquire through content development the easier it becomes to acquire new ones.

Speak to most influencers and they’ll talk about the first couple of years being the hardest.

Their content is not gaining any traction and they’ve stagnated no matter how much extra content they produce.

Then all of a sudden, a huge spike.

Popular fitness YouTuber Elliott Hulse said the same. For years his videos were receiving minimal views then all of a sudden:

BOOM.

A huge spike in traffic.

This is when you’re in what Seth Godin calls “The Dip”

Via influencedigest.com

And it’s where most people give up.

The key is to keep going.

Content Formats

What type of content formats should you use?

Social media is becoming more complex, people’s standards are getting higher and there are more platforms and features than ever before.

That said, we can still boil the content formats down to four areas.

Text
Imagery
Audio
Video

That’s it.

It’s up to you how you use these formats.

If video is your prime format, how are you going to use it on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram?

Or if it’s audio how can you create videos from it so it can be shared on more than just audio sites?

Maybe you’re a master of the written words then, other than a blog, where else can you write to ensure you spread yourself as wide as possible?

Creating evergreen content

How can you create content that lasts for years?

Social media news cycles are short.

Today’s big news item is usually forgotten by tomorrow.

Social media influencers feel the pressure to be front and centre of their followers’ minds day in day out which can lead to burnout.

A key strategy using social media is creating content that lasts more than a day. In fact, more than a week, month or even a year.

The key is to create content that is, what some people call, “evergreen”.

Instead of becoming less relevant over time, this type of content becomes more popular.

It’s the type of content that Ryan Holiday talks about in his new book, Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work that Lasts.

Evergreen (or perennial) content comes in the form of long-form articles (like this one), how to guides, infographics, imagery and so on.

In a lot of cases, evergreen content has to be updated and tended to on occasion but it can repay you back for years in the form of traffic, subscribers, customers or whatever you’re measuring.

Creating viral content

How can you create content that goes viral?

It’s often difficult to tell if a piece of content will go viral or not. Or, at least, how viral it will go.

BuzzFeed has been using data science for years to understand why content goes viral. Their data team can predict how viral any piece of content they create will go.

You don’t have a data science team unfortunately so instead if you want to make your content go viral you’ll have to do two things:

Follow a set of rules
Hope

Search online and you’ll find a myriad of different methods to give your content greater chance of going viral.

The book, Contagious: Why Things Catch On, by Jonah Berger that outlines the overarching methodology of making something go viral.

The future of social media influence

What’s clear is that social media isn’t going away and each new year the data shows that its usage continues.

Three billion people on the planet now use social media which means that with a global population of 7.5 billion there is a lot of room for growth.

Social networks continue to innovate introducing new features designed to keep people hooked. More people will become experts in subjects and areas perhaps not even invented yet.

Internet speeds are getting faster, people are searching more in Google, smartphones are becoming more powerful and new emerging technology like AI, AR and VR are making their way to the mainstream.

Social media will continue to be a part of the digital landscape and will play a more important role in its development.

The best time to start building social media influence was ten years ago but the second best time is right now.

Perhaps it’s time for you to start growing your social media influence. (80)

Zoom Interviews: Graeme Pickering (Research).

victoriaac — 2020-11-15 01:43:26 UTC

Graeme began his training at LIPA - The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, Paul McCartney’s Fame School. He furthered his training in Musical Theatre at Liverpool Theatre School where he graduated with a Distinction.

Graeme began working for Celebrity Cruise Lines new production company as their London Casting Associate in 2015. Within his role, he has been lucky enough to work with the casting team not only in London, but within Europe, Australia and New York also. Other casting work includes collaborating with Variety Worldwide and Casting Director for the UK Tour of ‘Rip it Up: The 70s’, ‘Here Come The Boys’ and ‘Viva La Divas’.

Graeme works in various distinguished full time dance and theatre schools across the UK, training aspiring students to succeed in show business. Most recently, Graeme has taught regularly at Elmhurst Ballet School, Studio 79 (Leicester), Jelli Studios (Liverpool), SLP College, Chantry School of Contemporary and Balletic Arts and Funky Studios. He has delivered workshops at LIPA, Laine Theatre Arts, The Urdang Academy, London Studio Centre, Stella Mann College of Performing Arts, Leicester College of Performing Arts, Tiffany Theatre College, Expressions Academy of Performing Arts, Centre Pointe Studios, Rare Studios, Creative Academy and Liverpool Theatre School to name a few! Internationally, he has visited Lucia Mathas Institute of Performing Arts (Amsterdam), IAB (Barcelona), APAN (Perth, Australia) and Brent Street (Sydney).

As well as choreographing for various agent showcases across the UK, other choreography credits include Standing in Stardust (Bourne Leisure), Sleeping Beauty (Palace Theatre, Newark), Chicago (LIPA, Liverpool), Aladdin (Palace Theatre, Newark), Party A Paris (Tatton Park, Cheshire) ‘Oklahoma’ (SLP College, Garforth), ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (Palace Theatre, Newark), ‘Paris Party’ and ‘The Masked Ball’ (Tatton Park, Cheshire), ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ (Palace Theatre, Newark), ‘The Great Gatsby’ (Branston), ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl), ‘The Wind in the Willows’ (Epstein Theatre, Liverpool), ‘Loserville’ and ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ (Capstone Theatre, Liverpool).

During his time as a performer, Graeme was fortunate to travel the world on luxury cruise lines performing in first class production shows. He worked for Costa Cruises, Carnival Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and the prestigious, world famous company - Cunard Line. Graeme was also fortunate to be a part of the celebrations for the Olympics London 2012.

Graeme is the founder and creator of Nottingham Musical Theatre Associates - a monthly musical theatre programme for students aged 8-18 years, designed to enhance the excellent work of their regular lessons. He is also the author of ’50 TIPS: AUDITION SUCCESS’ which is available for purchase on Amazon now.

For more information, please visit www.graemepickering.com<http://www.graemepickering.com

Zoom Interviews: Graeme Pickering (Questions).

victoriaac — 2020-11-15 01:43:42 UTC

- What opportunities exist for performers in todays society?
- Do you think that there is a gap in the performance industry? And if it could be filled, what with?

Zoom Interviews: Graeme Pickering (Results).

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Zoom Interviews: Charlie McCullagh (Research).

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https://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/1/M248133.html?fbclid=IwAR3rsR5BWwBnAivlN5tv2NxriTrRZIP1qyuksgXg_-cz5VyBgevpBmZXL2w

Zoom Interviews: Charlie McCullagh (Questions).

victoriaac — 2020-11-15 01:46:20 UTC

- How do you think performers are perceived in todays society?
- Do you think being a performer means that you have to have a creative mind?

Zoom Interviews: Charlie McCullagh (Results).

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Ste Davies. (2020). How to become a social media influencer: The ultimate guide. Available: https://www.stedavies.com/social-media-influencer/. Last accessed 15th November 2020.

Zoom Interviews: Laura Vanhulle (Research).

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Laura is a contemporary and ballet teacher as well as a CADT Subject Leader.

Originally from Belgium, she started training in Rhythmic gymnastics at a very young age. She started at Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD) where she achieved a BA (Hons) in Contemporary Dance. She has worked with Ace Dance and Music, Shobana Jeyasingh, Coda DanceTheatre, Keneish Dance Theatre, Motionhouse, Rutherford Dance Company, Room 2 Manoeuvre and Aakash Odedra.

She is still working closely with Sonia Sabri Company and Autin Dance Theatre. She received funding from Art Council England for my first R&D in 2013, then in 2014 set up her own dance company, ‘Vanhulle Dance Theatre’, to which she then created a full production “Angles In Life”, to which she collaborated with Mickael Marso Riviere and Nicolas Vlasyslav.

She has recently joined The Van-L Dance Company where she will work with Vangelis Lengalis in Hong Kong. She has also started working on a brand new solo work “Infinite Womanhood.

Zoom Interviews: Laura Vanhulle (Questions).

victoriaac — 2020-11-18 19:56:44 UTC

- What skills are essential for a performer to have within the industry?
- What advice would you give to your younger self?

Zoom Interviews: Laura Vanhulle (Results).

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Lesson 5: Teaching (Student Survey Response)

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Lesson 5: Teaching (Teacher Survey Response)

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Lesson 5: Teaching (Student Survey Response)

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Zoom Interview - Graeme Pickering:

victoriaac — 2020-11-18 21:09:01 UTC

When asking if Graeme thought there was a gap in the performance industry, he responded again with the talk of being online – although people would prefer to be in the theatre, there is performance streamed on the internet. Although online performance is not necessarily popular or preferred, it could be made successful and a first choice in the future if these avenues became accessible in both cost and direct streaming.

Zoom Interview - Graeme Pickering:

victoriaac — 2020-11-18 21:09:52 UTC

When asked what opportunities exist for performers in todays society, Graeme spoke about being online. This included online classes, forums, Q&As and Instagram live. He says that there is definitely training and performance available online, especially during the current COVID-19 climate. Additionally, job opportunities for performers right now are few and far between but Graeme made the point that this is an opportunity for those artists to learn and try new work, expanding their abilities within their trade; although there is a severe lack of work available, this is a time in which there is a sense of calm in comparison to a performers usual busy schedule which allows them to advance their skills and discover new pathways. Despite there being a large amount of performers online and little work or little money within work, discovering and challenging yourself within new pathways means that when COVID-19 ‘leaves’, this choice may progress or grow.

Zoom Interview - Charlie McCullagh:

victoriaac — 2020-11-18 21:10:38 UTC

When asking Charlie how he thought performers were perceived by todays society, he replied with the concept of (at the moment) performers being in this idea of doing nothing, being lazy and avoiding taxes or even being crazy due to their usual eccentric nature; with this not being true, he says that this is juxtaposition. He has this thought of there being a spectrum in which one end consists of performers being layabouts and the other being that performers are ideally important, but because of the recent pandemic, there is no middle ground within that.

Zoom Interview - Charlie McCullagh:

victoriaac — 2020-11-18 21:11:10 UTC

I was curious to ask if Charlie thinks that being a performer means that you have to have a creative mind. From this, I discovered that he didn’t believe so. He says that he has friends who are actors, who can be very intense and their sense of character is broken down into levelled pieces, which doesn’t personally make sense to him due to his own methods. He summarised with the point that you don’t have to have a creative mind to be a performer but that it definitely helps.

Zoom Interviews: Laura Vanhulle (Favourite Quote).

victoriaac — 2020-11-19 22:12:05 UTC

Quote: "Saying art is non-essential until it is, until someone needs it or it is their last resort" - Laura Vanhulle.

Lesson 5: Teaching (Student Survey Response)

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Zoom Interviews: Bradley Judge (Research).

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Training: University of Central Lancashire (BAHons) and Guildford School of Acting (MA).

Theatre credits include: Dan (1st Cover and played Pharaoh) in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (UK Tour), Woof (1st Cover and played Claude, Berger and Margret Mead) in ‘Hair’ (UK Tour), Swing in ‘Salad Days’ (UK Tour), Lewis in ‘Pippin’ - OFFIE nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Southwark Playhouse and Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester), Rotelli (Cover Mitch) in ‘Yank!' (Original London Cast, Charing Cross Theatre), Sonny (1st cover and played both Kenickie and Roger) in ‘Grease' (Original Cast, RCCL), Jack Thompson in 'Don’t Run' (Waterloo East Theatre) and ’Sister Act' (Aberystwyth Arts Centre).

Pantomimes Include: Aladdin in ‘Aladdin' (Floral Pavilion, New Brighton and Brindley Theatre, Runcorn) and Jack Trott in 'Jack and the Beanstalk' (Palace Theatre, Mansfield).

Other Credits include: Soloist ‘The Barn Presents: The Music of Dominic Powell’ (Online Concert, The Barn Theatre), Soloist ‘An Evening with Stephen Schwartz’ (Hope Mill Theatre), Drew in ‘Club Tropicana’ (Workshop), Elan/Milo in ‘Villages' (The Other Palace), Ensemble (Cover Dean Reed) in 'Comrade Rockstar' (Concert, Ivy Arts Centre)

Twitter: @bradjudge

Zoom Interviews: Bradley Judge (Questions).

victoriaac — 2020-11-26 18:45:37 UTC

- What elements of performing do you find the most difficult?
- What is your favourite role that you've played and why?
- What do you think makes a successful performance?

Zoom Interviews: Bradley Judge (Results).

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Zoom Interviews: Elle Vickery (Research).

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"I am a producer for ITV working on all aspects across the show; planning debates, casting guests, doing interviews, writing scripts and cutting pictures all while outputting a live breakfast show.

I also am a presenter on a series that was on sky one and is now moving to sky arts- it’s a youth culture magazine show and I do two series year.

In order to do my tv work, I had to go back to UNI and do my masters in tv journalism and my undergrad was performing arts."

Zoom Interviews: Elle Vickery (Questions).

victoriaac — 2020-11-26 18:50:46 UTC

- Did you plan to be in the occupation that you're in or was it an opportunity that arose?
- What current restrictions have affected your job?
- Would you ever consider another occupation? Or does any other area of employment interest you?

Zoom Interviews: Elle Vickery (Results).

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Lesson 8: Photographic Evidence (Zoomorphism)

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Lesson 8: Photographic Evidence (Zoomorphism)

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Lesson 8: Photographic Evidence (Zoomorphism)

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Lesson 8: Photographic Evidence (Zoomorphism)

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Lesson 8: Photographic Evidence (Zoomorphism)

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Lesson 8: Photographic Evidence (Zoomorphism)

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Lesson 8: Photographic Evidence (Zoomorphism)

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Lesson 8: Photographic Evidence (Zoomorphism)

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Lesson 8: Photographic Evidence (Zoomorphism)

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Lesson 8: Photographic Evidence (Zoomorphism)

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Lesson 8: Photographic Evidence (Zoomorphism)

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Lesson 8: Photographic Evidence (Zoomorphism)

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Lesson 8: Photographic Evidence (Zoomorphism)

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Lesson 8: Photographic Evidence (Zoomorphism)

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Lesson 8: Photographic Evidence (Zoomorphism)

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Lesson 8: Photographic Evidence (Zoomorphism)

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Lesson 8: Zoomorphism (Performance)

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Lesson 8: Storyboard (Zoomorphism)

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Lesson 8: Storyboard (Zoomorphism)

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Opinion:

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I do not personally believe that there are any new and existing practitioners that are sharing techniques in which we implement in our work today; however, there are these practitioners who are creating work that influence our performance. I define a practitioner to be an artist in which creates, develops and enforces a technique or new form of performance.

Although this is my opinion, there are companies and individuals today who practice performance with fresh ideas and use of technique, such as DV8, but their work is again influenced by pre-existing practitioners.

The Metamorphosis: Stage Performance.

victoriaac — 2020-11-27 13:45:21 UTC

With its portrayal of Gregor Samsa's absurd transformation into an insect the transformed Gregor is the adaptations principle dancer covered in an oil, with his movement disjointed in order to display this new embodiment of an insect.

Gregors bodily torment is displayed throughout the performance, alongside his families reaction to his transformation - which is of both disgust and terror.

Although I did not interpret it from the performance, after participating in research I was able to then understand the representation of the oppressive world that precipitates Gregor's transformation.

The opening of performance displays principal dancer performing choreography that portrays his attempts to serve and support his family, with the addition of dramatic scoring that plays throughout the duration of the show.

As we watch Gregor serve, it is clear to the audience that his mother and father do not show the same warmth in character as his little sister, Greta. Whilst the parents show reluctance to Gregor's character both before his transformation and more so after, Greta presents loyalty and curiosity. Although, this changes. Where Greta once consoled Gregor with music and affection, she then also denies him alongside her parents.

The overall family dynamic alters revolving Gregor's transformation, from shock to even denial.

As an outsider, we are able to interpret Gregor's inner monologue and traits, with his craving for family and support but instead focusing on his self-loathing. From this, we witness Gregor recognising that he has involuntarily lost the love of those around him and decides that there is no other option than to die.

Lesson 8:

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(19/11/20)

Lesson 9: Planning

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Lesson 9: Planning

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Lesson 9:

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(26/11/20)

'Lucky Few' Event Instagram Account:

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'Lucky Few' Event Facebook Page:

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Event Logo:

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victoriaac — 2020-11-27 15:47:09 UTC

My opinion of how I see the future of acting and both the actual future of acting is the same. Refer to other column.

Opinion:

victoriaac — 2020-11-27 15:47:22 UTC

As we discussed how acting is breaking tradition, we also notice the development of acting over the years and how it has evolved with current trends and wants.

victoriaac — 2020-11-27 15:49:32 UTC

Acting exists in every part of society, this being most specifically within media and live performance.

With it existing, it is also of great importance; with the current COVID-19 circumstances and now just coming from a second lockdown, all audiences have turned to music, film, TV, live performance streamed online and other sources of media for escapism, these involving performing artists in its creation and execution.

Lesson 5: Teaching (Teacher Survey Response)

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Lesson 5: Teaching (Teacher Survey Response)

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Lesson 5:

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(29/10/20)

Hamilton:

victoriaac — 2020-12-02 16:00:50 UTC

Labelled as revolutionary theater, Hamilton focuses on 18th century statesmen that rap, with a cast that consists predominantly of actors of colour. Hamilton has been viewed by both Broadway and West End audiences, now enabling its audiences to watch via online directing streaming in the current COVID-19 circumstances on Disney+.

Hamilton is a relevant performance in evolving times, especially in relation to America recently in which we have previewed an upsurge of anti-racism protests. The plot of the Caribbean-born immigrant hero and founding father of the US, Alexander Hamilton, speaks to us as black lives remain neglected in both Americas history and current state. Although we are seeing political and historical change.

Even within the opening scene of this performance, we are reminded of the American ideal of equality and listen to speaks of slavery and civil rights in the 18th century. Again, relevant to modern day influences, the Black Lives Matter protests can highlight this discussion.

Whilst the performance displays all impact of a live performance, editorial decisions have been made in order to capture specifically interesting shots of the stage in order to appeal to its audience and show all action on stage without the boundary of others.

Miranda’s lead performance shows an in-depth understanding of character and performance quality. Additionally, every actor alongside him performs with just as much conviction.

The film has successfully kept all the energy of the stage, especially during large-scale war scenes and even tight shots of Angelica as she sings of her love for Hamilton. Another tight shot which was excellently placed was of King George as you can clearly watch his display of anger and characterisation in facial expressions over the loss of his American colony.

As well as the performance, the period costumes show an understanding of the era although it evidently displays modernity.

Within the soundtrack, the songs appeal to its audience as they are catchy and varied, including both heartfelt numbers and ensemble numbers, incorporating rap, hip-hop and several styles.

'“It takes on a different meaning when you see black and brown performers telling the origin story of our country,” says Miranda, and he is right in that these performers remind us of the contribution of immigrants like Hamilton to American history. But more than this, it is the intelligence in the lyrics, and the clever subversions of the “period drama” form that make this such a joyous musical to watch.

It has political intrigue, personal tragedy, a sex scandal and lightning changes of mood that sweep us along at speed. Best of all is the wit that sits neatly alongside its politics: “Immigrants, we get the job done”, says one character archly, and the audience laughs knowingly.

“What is a legacy?” says Hamilton, in the heart-stopping last moments, and the film leaves us reflecting on America’s.' (81)

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Arifa Akbar. (2020). Hamilton review – Broadway hit is now a breathtaking screen sensation. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/jun/30/hamilton-review-disney-plus-lin-manuel-miranda. Last accessed 1st December 2020.

Mike Alfreds:

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Mike Alfreds (born Michael Guy Alexander Alfreds in London on 5 June 1934) is an English theatre director, dramatist and playwright, who won a Critics' Circle Theatre Award and a British Theatre Managers Association award for Best Director. He has directed over 160 productions. He also was teaching at universities such as Tel Aviv University, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and Northumbria University.
Michael Alfreds was born in London in 1934 as son of Jewish parents.

He studied dramatic arts at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in the United States. Afterwards he worked as stage director in the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and in the Theatre West in Tucson, Arizona. Back in Britain, he enrolled at LAMDA, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in London.

He directed plays in a number of theatres in UK and was artistic director of an ensemble at the National Theatre.

Alfreds had worked in many countries all over the world, such as Canada, Germany, Norway, China, Belarus, Australia, New Zealand, Mongolia and Israel.

From 1970-1975, Mike Alfreds visited Israel and worked there. He was senior lecturer at the theatre department of Tel Aviv University, and from 1972-1975, he was artistic director of the Khan Theatre in Jerusalem and contributed immensely to its development. His assistant in the Khan theatre was Ouriel Zohar. Amongst the actors of his ensemble in Jerusalem was Sasson Gabai. Mike Alfreds also directed plays at the Cameri Theatre in Tel Aviv, at the Bimot theatre, at the theatre in Haifa and at the theatre in Beer Sheva.

In 1975 after return to Britain, he founded and toured with his own ensemble called Shared Experience, in 1986, he won a Critics' Circle Theatre Award for directing The Cherry Orchard at the National Theatre, from 1991–1999, he was director of the Cambridge Theatre Company renamed Method and Madness, and was directing the Royal Shakespeare Company, or Mark Rylance in productions at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre etc.

He adapted for the stage, translated texts of several of his productions for the theatre, and wrote own pieces.

Alfreds is also known for his special method of instructing actors, inspired amongst others by the principles of Constantin Stanislavski and Rudolf Laban, with emphasis on physical activities, spontaneity and interaction with others during the play in minimalistic productions. He instructs ensembles with his method in different countries.

DIRECTED IN BRITAIN (SELECTION)

2011 : The Tin Ring adapted by Jane Arnfield, Mike Alfreds, The Lowry, Salford
2001 : Cymbeline by William Shakespeare, The Globe
1998 : The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy, National Theatre
1985 : The Cherry Orchard by Anton Tchekhov, National Theatre (won him a Critics' Circle Theatre Award)
1982 : A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh, Shared Experience
1996 : Jude the Obscure, by Thomas Hardy, Taunton
1993 : The Love in the Country by Mike Alfreds and Anthony Bowles, Almeida Theatre, Soho Repertory Theatre
1987 : The Wandering Jew by Mike Alfreds and Margareth Wanda, after Eugene Sue, National Theatre
1984 : Marriage by Nikolai Gogol, Shared Experience

DIRECTED IN ISRAEL (SELECTION)

La Mandragola (The Mandrake) by Niccolò Machiavelli.
The Persian protocols
An evening of sketches by Anton Chekhov
Woyzeck by Büchner
The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen
Les Emballeurs de valises by Hanoch Levin, premiered at the Cameri Theatre, 1983
À tous les diables, adaptation of the stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer at the Cameri Theatre, 2001

BIBLIOGRAPHY (SELECTION)

A Shared experience: The actor as story-teller Series: Theatre papers, Published 1980 by Dartington College of Arts
Wandering Jew by Michelene Wandor, Mike Alfreds, Published 27 May 1988 by Heinemann Educational Books
Different Every Night: Putting the play on stage and keeping it fresh Published 1 April 2008 by Nick Hern Books
Then What Happens? Storytelling & Adapting for Theater, Published 2013 by Nick Hern Books, ISBN 978-1-84842-270-4
Different Every Night: Freeing the Actor, Published 21 August 2014 by Nick Hern Books, ISBN 978-1-85459-967-4
Surprise of Love by Pierre Carlet De Marivaux, adapted by Mike Alfreds, Published 2011, by Oberon Books, ISBN 978-1-84943-183-5, Published as e-book ISBN 978-1-84943-711-0

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Unknown. (2020). Mike Alfreds. Available: https://peoplepill.com/people/mike-alfreds/. Last accessed 1st December 2020.

Alecky Blythe:

victoriaac — 2020-12-02 17:41:36 UTC

Alecky is a playwright and actor.

In 2003, Alecky set up Recorded Delivery (Verbatim Theatre Company). The term 'recorded delivery' has now become synonymous with the verbatim technique she employs.

Her first play Come Out Eli at the Arcola won the Time Out Award for the Best Production on the Fringe and transferred to the BAC for the Critics Choice Season. She went on to write Strawberry Fields for Pentabus and Cruising for the Bush.

In 2007 she was selected as one of Screen International's Stars of Tomorrow following A Man In a Box for Channel 4.

In July 2009, Alecky's play The Girlfriend Experience transferred from the Royal Court to the Young Vic. In 2010 she teamed up with the National Theatre Studio and Rustaveli Theatre Tbilisi to make Do We Look Like Refugees?!, originally produced in Georgia before going to the Assembly Rooms and winning a Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Festival 2010.

London Road, which she co-authored with composer Adam Cork, won Best Musical at the Critics' Circle Awards and was revived in 2012 at the National Theatre in the Olivier after its sellout in the Cottesloe in 2011.

Alecky was alsoinvolved in Headlong Theatre's production of Decade. More recently Where Have Been All My Life? was produced at the New Vic Theatre in April 2012 and she co-wrote Friday Night Sex for the Royal Court's Open Court Season with Michael Wynne.

She wrote and co-directed The Riots; In their Words, a drama documentary for BBC2 and has most recently adapted London Road into a feature film with Cuba Pictures, BBC Films and BFI.

Her show Little Revolution ran at the Almeida in autumn 2014.

She is developing new work in theatre, film and tv. (83)

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victoriaac — 2020-12-02 17:45:15 UTC

Rose Cobbe. (2020). Alecky Blythe. Available: https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/alecky-blythe. Last accessed 1st December 2020.

Peter Brook:

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Peter Brook, in full Peter Stephen Paul Brook, (born March 21, 1925, London, England), English producer-director of Shakespeare’s plays whose daring productions of other dramatists’ works contributed significantly to the development of the 20th century’s avant-garde stage.

Attaining at an early age the status of one of the foremost British directors, Brook directed his first Shakespeare play, King John, in 1945 for the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. He also introduced to England the avant-garde plays of Jean Cocteau (The Infernal Machine, performed 1945) and of Jean-Paul Sartre (Vicious Circle [No Exit], performed 1946; The Respectable Prostitute and Men Without Shadows, both performed 1947). In 1948 and 1949, for the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden in London, he directed several productions, notably Richard Strauss’s opera Salome, with costumes and set designs by Salvador Dalí.

Thereafter he continued to present Shakespeare’s plays, always with a fresh and inventive approach, as well as those of many contemporary playwrights. These included Measure for Measure (1950), The Winter’s Tale (1951), Titus Andronicus (1955), Hamlet (1955), The Tempest (1957), and King Lear (1962). Toward the end of that period, he also began to examine the theatre of provocation, and, influenced by Antonin Artaud’s tenets of the Theatre of Cruelty, he produced Jean Genet’s Le Balcon (produced 1960, in Paris; The Balcony) and The Screens (1964), as well as Peter Weiss’s sensational play Marat/Sade (1964), as it is commonly called, the unconventional style and staging of which shocked the theatre world and won Brook international fame. He gained further renown by directing a 1967 film version of the play.

The following year Brook directed Seneca’s Oedipus and published The Empty Space, which put forth his ideas on theatre. One of those ideas, the belief that the director is a play’s chief creative force, influenced him to adopt some of the innovative techniques advocated by the experimental Polish director Jerzy Grotowski and the American director Julian Beck, cofounder of The Living Theatre. In search of freedom to pursue less commercial aspects of theatre, he moved in 1970 to Paris, where he established the International Centre of Theatre Research. There he worked with associates at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord to answer some essential questions about the nature of theatre and to attempt to determine an interdisciplinary, “intercultural” language of theatre.

Among his later theatrical productions, which were mostly performed in Paris, are Peter Handke’s Kaspar (1972); Timon of Athens (1974); Ubu aux Bouffes (1977; “Ubu with Bouffes [the theatre company]”), an adaptation of Alfred Jarry’s Ubu Roi (“King Ubu”); Antony and Cleopatra (1978); an epic nine-hour stage adaptation based on an ancient Indian epic, The Mahabharata (1985, film 1989); Woza Albert! (1989); and The Tempest (1990). Brook also wrote the screenplay for and directed such films as The Lord of the Flies (1963), King Lear (1971), Meetings with Remarkable Men (1979), and Swann in Love (1984). In two books, The Shifting Point: Forty Years of Theatrical Exploration, 1946–1987 (1987) and The Open Door (1993), Brook extended his continuing reflections on aspects of the theatre. In 1997 he received the Japan Art Association’s Praemium Imperiale for theatre/film. He was made a Companion of Honour in 1998. That same year he published a memoir, Threads of Time. In 2002 he directed a BBC television production of Hamlet. In 2016 Brook (with his frequent collaborator Marie-Hélène Estienne and writer Jean-Claude Carrière) produced Battlefield, a sequel to his 1985 production of The Mahabharata; it traveled to France, Japan, and Singapore before being staged in Mumbai. He and Estienne later wrote and directed the play Why? (produced 2019), which examines the purpose of theatre. (84)

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2020). Peter Brook. Available: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Peter-Brook. Last accessed 2nd December 2020.

Bruiser Theatre Company:

victoriaac — 2020-12-02 22:47:06 UTC

Bruiser Theatre Company is Northern Ireland’s foremost physical theatre company, producing high quality theatre that excites and stimulates audiences. Committed to nurturing the next generation of drama professionals, they inspire and encourage young actors and theatre makers through their unique education projects. Their impact extends across the proscenium arch and through the theatre doors, as they use drama as a mechanism for creating positive social change in local communities.

The company hold a Arts Academy which is now well into its second decade, which is an essential part of any young actor's training. During the course, the company focus on enhancing performance skills and professional development, equipping their students to perform at the best of their ability. Students are also given the opportunity to work with Northern Ireland's best directors, musicians, and dancers to create a showcase performance.

Other than the Arts Academy, they tour, create virtual packages and also have established their own 'Cinema Club'.

'The Bruiser Digital Handbook': Bruiser is dedicated to providing informative and innovative resources for your students.

This handbook contains tailored package options crafted by the Bruiser team to give you in depth access streamed straight to your classroom. Perfect for revision and inspiration.

The Lectures:

There are six pre-recorded lectures on offer through the Bruiser Digital Handbook:

1. The Bruiser Approach and Ethos

An insight into Bruiser’s style and approach to theatre, led by our Artistic Director.

2. Music in Theatre

A lecture from Musical Director Matthew Reeve on the history of music in theatre, and how it can heighten drama.

3. Chorus and Choreography

A lecture on the history of Chorus and Choreography, and how it is used as a fundamental element of the Bruiser style.

4. Improvisation and Physicality

An exploration of physicality and improvisation, led by Rob Crawford.

5. Sound Effects and Literalising Text

A lecture on how Sound Effects and Literalising Text have been used in past productions, and how they can be effectively applied to any text in order to realise it in the Bruiser style.

6. Script Analysis, Context and Character

An exploration of Script Analysis, Context and Character - Outlining ways in which students can enhance their performance, bringing a fully rounded character to life on stage

The Workshops:

In addition to the lectures, we have recorded five 45-minute workshops on:

• The Bruiser Approach and Ethos

• Chorus and Choreography

• Improvisation and Physicality

• Sound Effects and Literalising Text

• Script Analysis, Context and Character

These workshops show how different games and exercises can be used to explore these elements of the Bruiser style practically in the classroom/rehearsals.

These can either be watched by the teacher to help them design sessions using these workshop plans, or watched by students to see how Bruiser go about using exercises in the development and exploration of their work.

'Mojo Mickybo - By Owen McCafferty (A Bruiser Theatre Company Production):Owen McCafferty’s play Mojo Mickybo is about a friendship between two boys growing up in Belfast – a friendship that at first is immune to the sectarian violence taking place around them, but which nonetheless is ultimately destroyed by it.

The play's action is set in Belfast over the summer of 1970. Mojo and his mate Mickybo are two nine-year-old boys from opposing sides of the sectarian divide. They are 'thick as two small thieves', playing headers, being mouthy, building huts, and spitting from cinema balconies. The action is played as theatrical flashback, often inhabiting a world of fantasy, such as re-enacting their favourite film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The two performers constantly slip in and out of roles and imaginary worlds, with the violence of The Troubles only obliquely impacting on them – until finally their friendship is destroyed in a way that they only later come to understand.

This is pure storytelling with Bruiser’s dynamic physicality, providing opportunity for a new generation of theatre-goers to experience Belfast’s most treasured, living playwright, and to consider that Mojo and Mickybo represent the division of a benighted country that has spent a century at war with itself.

Workshops - Accompanying the performance, students will experience a tailored Bruiser workshop. Working with a member of the Bruiser team, they will delve into the context and identity-focused themes of Mojo Mickybo, studying the iconic Bruiser physical style through practice. Choice of workshops are available on the booking form.

Additional Resources - Bruiser will provide a teacher/student resource pack plus additional virtual resources including exclusive insights into the rehearsal process, prior to us visiting your school.

'Bruiser Cinema Club':

It may be some time until we can get back into the theatre and see live performances. Due to demand, Bruiser is launching a brand-new cinema club. Each bundle is available to purchase individually, so you can Pick & Mix the productions you want!

From September 2020, at the end of each month they will release one archive production with an accompanying resource bundle including:

Access to the Full Production
Creative Team Podcast
Resource Pack
Workshop Plan (85)

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victoriaac — 2020-12-02 22:57:39 UTC

Bruiser Theatre Company. (2020). Home. Available: https://www.bruisertheatrecompany.com/. Last accessed 2nd December 2020.

Talawa:

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Talawa is the UK’s primary Black led touring theatre company. Their work is informed by the wealth and

diversity of the Black British

experience, and through that they

create outstanding work by

cultivating the best in emerging and

established Black artists. They invest in talent, develop audiences and inspire dialogue with and within communities across the UK and internationally. By doing so, they enrich the cultural life of all.

For 34 years, Talawa has been breaking down barriers and providing opportunities for Black artists throughout the UK. With a record of more than 50 touring productions, they create work that shines a spotlight on the best and most exciting emerging and established Black artists, making theatre for everyone. Productions as such:

- 'Tales from the Front Line'
- 'Run It Back'
- 'Fresh Black Voices'
- 'The Tide'

As a charity, they rely on the support of their audience.

Talawa Theatre Company has

always been an essential platform

for launching new Black creative

talent. The growth of Talawa Firsts

proves that fresh, innovative,

provocative and unapologetic

work by Black creatives is not 'risky'.

There are many stories to be told,

and in vital and dynamic ways.

Powerful and honest, their Black

creatives are writing, performing

and creating history. (86)

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victoriaac — 2020-12-02 23:05:52 UTC

Talawa Theatre Company. (2020). About. Available: http://www.talawa.com/. Last accessed 2nd December 2020.

Max Stafford-Clark:

victoriaac — 2020-12-02 23:07:40 UTC

Max Stafford-Clark’s career as a theatre director is one of the longest, richest and most influential of any of his peers at work in the British theatre today. His style as a practitioner has been recommended as one students may wish to emulate as part of the new AQA GCE syllabus.

The Stafford-Clark method can seem elusive as it is an amalgamation of many influences and does not follow a set theory like Brecht or Stanislavski. As Max says, “I’m not aware of having evolved any particular philosophy. I really believe in the pragmatic solution of specific problems by any method that works.” (87)

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victoriaac — 2020-12-02 23:09:21 UTC

Out of Joint. (2008). Max Stafford-Clark Workpack. Available: http://www.outofjoint.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Max-Stafford-Clark-Workpack.pdf. Last accessed 2nd December 2020.

Punchdrunk:

victoriaac — 2020-12-02 23:13:31 UTC

A brief history of Punchdrunk:

Site-sympathetic theatre:

There are numerous ways to describe work that takes place in non-traditional setting: site-specific, site-responsive, promenade, radical promenade, immersive.

The creation of a Punchdrunk piece of work:

Varied formats:

Audience-focussed:

Key questions asked by the company are as follows:

Who are the audience members?
What is their role in the piece?
How do they interact with performers?
How do we inform the audience of what they can or can’t do within the narrative of the piece?

The role of the audience in a mask show:

(Sleep No More, Faust, The Masque of the Red Death)

Audience members are ghosts who wander the space and are rarely acknowledged by performers. They are masked to give anonymity and to discourage them from talking, as well as to encourage a personal response and an individual approach to exploration. Generally, they are able to roam freely around the space, and to choose what they watch and which characters or elements of the narrative they follow. The production often feels dreamlike for audience members, or they can feel like they have become a camera in a film they’re constructing.

The role of the audience in an active promenade:

(Crash of the Elysium, Against Captain’s Orders)

Mask shows:

Work is highly physical and carefully choreographed. The company is made up of mostly contemporary dancers, and narrative is communicated through choreography. Text and spoken word are used sparingly, with narrative communicated through choreography. Words, when used, are often delivered very naturally, with the aim being to create mood rather than to convey specific meaning – it is not always important for the audience to hear or follow particular words.

Active promenade:

Performers need to be committed and focussed to deliver these shows, often negotiating physically and verbally with audiences while remaining in character and driving forward a narrative.

Selecting source materials:

The company often draws on classic texts for large mask work, and tends to combine references to a number of literary works and/or films, enhancing these with evocative period settings. Some key examples are as follows:

Sleep No More
Source texts: Macbeth (William Shakespeare), Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier, 1938).
Source sound: Bernard Herman.
Era and place: 1930s Scotland, the McKittrick Hotel and the surrounding area of Gallow Green.
Site: old night club in West Chelsea, NYC.

The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable
Source texts: Woyzeck (Georg Büchner, 1879), Day of the Locust (Nathanael West, 1939).
Source sound: 1950s Americana.
Era and place: 1950s Hollywood and surrounding desert. Temple Studios and surrounding town of San Bernadino.
Site: old post office, Paddington, London.

The Masque of the Red Death
Source texts: various Edgar Allan Poe short stories, including: The Masque of the Red Death (1842), Ligeia (1838), The Black Cat (1843), The Raven (1845), The Tell Tale Heart (1843) and The Fall of the House of Usher (1839).
Source sound: romantic orchestral scores from a variety of sources inspired by the songs of Victorian London and Paris.
Era and place: Gothic London and Paris.
Site: Battersea Arts Centre, London.

A holistic approach to stagecraft:

Sound:

Light:

Lighting and sound are intrinsically linked, and sequences are synchronised to add to the desired ambience or to complement a performance sequence.

Set and props:

Costume:

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DV8:

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Since DV8 Physical Theatre’s inception in 1986 Lloyd Newson has led the company, directing and conceiving all its productions (apart from My Sex Our Dance, which was co-devised with Nigel Charnock). DV8’s work reflects Newson’s personal interests in social, psychological and political issues. He has largely rejected the abstraction that permeates most contemporary dance in preference for conceptual and/or narratively driven work.

In 1985 Newson left Extemporary Dance Theatre to pursue his own choreographic interests more fully and approached dancer, Michelle Richecoeur, to work on Bein’ Apart; Lonely Art, a commission from Dance Umbrella (UK). The following year Newson invited Nigel Charnock to work with him on My Sex; Our Dance (1986). That year DV8 Physical Theatre was officially formed. In 1987 Wendy Houstoun came to a DV8 workshop and began performing with the company shortly thereafter. Both Nigel and Wendy were principal performers with the company until 1992 when they left to pursue their own choreographic/directing voices. Since then, Wendy Houstoun has guested with the company in Bound to Please (1997), Living Costs (Tate Modern - 2003) and been involved in an editorial capacity for To Be Straight With You (2008).

As Newson’s work is content-based, he casts according to subject matter and performers’ suitability for each new project. Consequently DV8 has no permanent company of performers. Over the years many people have contributed towards the success of DV8 - many extraordinary performers, a succession of administrative and technical teams and the company’s board of directors. (89)

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victoriaac — 2020-12-02 23:21:02 UTC

Unknown. (2020). DV8 History. Available: https://www.dv8.co.uk/about-dv8/dv8-history. Last accessed 2nd December 2020.

Mike Leigh:

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Mike Leigh, (born February 20, 1943, Salford, Lancashire, England), British writer and director of film and theatre, known for his finely honed depictions of quotidian lives and for his improvisational rehearsal style.

Leigh studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London in the early 1960s, but his interest in writing and directing led him to switch schools several times, and he ultimately graduated from the London School of Film Technique (now London Film School) in 1965. About that time he began developing a method for creating narratives that relied on actors’ improvisations to manufacture characters and conflict in an organic manner. That method would become a signature feature of Leigh’s work thereafter. His play Bleak Moments (1970), about a woman grappling with the demands of everyday life, evolved from this process, and he adapted the script a year later for his first feature film.

After Bleak Moments, Leigh wrote and directed a number of plays and movies for television, including Nuts in May (1976) and Abigail’s Party (1977). In 1988 he returned to the cinema with High Hopes, which sheds light on social distinctions among ordinary modern Britons. He explored similar slice-of-life themes in the poignant comedy Life Is Sweet (1990), about the ordeals of a suburban London family. It was followed by Naked (1993), a stark portrait of a disaffected loner that earned Leigh the best director prize at the Cannes film festival.

Leigh gained further international success with the release of Secrets and Lies (1996), which follows a black woman’s search for her birth mother, who turns out to be white. The film won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and also received five Academy Award nominations, including best picture, best original screenplay, and best director. After Career Girls (1997), which affectionately depicts a reunion between two former roommates, Leigh wrote and directed Topsy-Turvy (1999). In a departure from his work to that point, which typically followed wholly fictional characters in present-day contexts, the film centres on the famous 19th-century partnership of light-opera librettist W.S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan; it earned him another Oscar screenplay nomination.

Leigh returned to a contemporary setting with All or Nothing (2002), which focuses on the residents of a public housing estate. He captured Oscar nominations for best director and best original screenplay for Vera Drake (2004), about a kindhearted woman in early 1950s England who clandestinely performs abortions. In his next two films Leigh explored relationships between characters with disparate emotional attitudes. Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) presents the story of a free-spirited woman navigating the world around her, while Another Year (2010) follows a happily married couple and their less-sanguine family and friends. Both films earned Academy Award nominations for best original screenplay. In 2011 Leigh directed the Royal National Theatre debut of his play Grief, about the cloistered existence of a family still struggling with the loss of its patriarch in World War II a decade after the end of the conflict. The biopic Mr. Turner (2014) was an acerbic examination of the life of painter J.M.W. Turner (played by Timothy Spall). Leigh’s next film, Peterloo (2018), centres on the Peterloo Massacre (1819), in which a peaceful political rally was attacked by British forces. (90)

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victoriaac — 2020-12-02 23:24:10 UTC

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2020). Mike Leigh. Available: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mike-Leigh. Last accessed 2nd December 2020.

Handspring Puppet Company:

victoriaac — 2020-12-02 23:26:02 UTC

Handspring Puppet Company is based in Cape Town, South Africa, the company provides an artistic home and professional base for a core group of performers, designers, theatre artists and technicians.

Handspring’s work has been presented in more than 30 countries around the world.

Handspring Puppet Company was founded in 1981 and has grown under the leadership of Artistic Director Adrian Kohler and Executive Producer Basil Jones for 30 years. Based in Cape Town, South Africa, the company provides an artistic home and professional base for a core group of performers, designers, theatre artists and technicians. Handspring’s work has been presented in more than 30 countries around the world.

In 1985 Handspring produced David Lytton’s Episodes of an Easter Rising – the company’s first play for adults. The success of the production led to collaborations with a string of talented directors: Esther van Ryswyk, Mark Fleishman, Malcolm Purkey, Barney Simon and William Kentridge. Handspring’s work with Kentridge continues to tour the world currently. Handspring has also created successful productions with artists from other parts of the African continent including Sogolon Puppet Troup from Mali and Koffi Koko from Benin. As the company’s international profile has grown works have been developed with directors and creative partners from Europe, the UK and the United States including Tom Morris, Neil Bartlett and Khephra Burns. Handspring’s most recent production Ouroboros, directed by Janni Younge, was presented at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town 2011.

Due to the increase in popularity of puppetry both locally and internationally Handspring is experiencing high levels of demand on the company. To meet this demand, and in planning for the long-term future, the company has expanded its reach and incorporated leading puppetry artists into the core creative team. With a full time staff of over 20 people and numerous performing artists, Handspring Puppet Company is currently directed by Adrian Kohler, Basil Jones and Janni Younge.

The Handspring Trust for Puppetry Arts, a non-profit organization, was established in 2010. The programs of the trust identify, mentor and champion the next generation of puppetry artists through workshops, academic engagement and the support of ongoing projects in rural areas and townships. The Trust has premises in the informal settlement of Vrygrond near Handspring’s Cape Town puppet factory. (91)

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victoriaac — 2020-12-02 23:28:40 UTC

Handspring Puppet Company. (2016). Company Overview and History. Available: http://www.handspringpuppet.co.za/about-handspring-puppet-company/. Last accessed 2nd December 2020.

Graeae Theatre Company:

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Graeae is a force for change in world-class theatre, boldly placing D/deaf and disabled actors centre stage and challenging preconceptions.

1. Create world-class theatre: produce and tour high quality, high impact theatre that is unmistakably Graeae’s, providing a platform for the skill, vision and excellence of D/deaf and disabled artists

2. Find new audiences: for Graeae and for the wider industry. Ensure the work has a lasting impact across England, unleashing creativity in regions and communities, working with groups that have little access to art and culture and on a variety of platforms

3. Champion accessibility: through partnerships with the wider theatre sector on national and international platforms creating, operating, supporting and advising on accessible environments and practice

4. Nurture talent: create a programme of inclusive training and education activities. Enable emerging and professional D/deaf and disabled artists to shine, through a programme that engages and inspires

5. Promote excellent governance and leadership across the company

6. Diversify and collaborate: invest in partnerships, share resources and identify diverse income streams to reduce reliance on public subsidy and ensure a stable base for future growth.

The core team and Board have endless creativity, tenacity, engagement, wisdom and wit and together they are a company that constantly evolves, takes on tough challenges and never go for the easy option or path of least resistance. They have always shared - and continue to share - best artistic practice.

They aspire to create the most aesthetically accessible productions, providing new territory for discovering different approaches to access so that no one Graeae show is ever the same.

They are a hugely ambitious company, but are mindful of their place within the theatre ecology. The fact that artists come to them with passion, energy and a desire to learn informs their casting instinct; they work through rehearsals to give people the skills and confidence they need, not just for Graeae but for the wider world.

They open doors for actors to then go on to work with major repertory theatres who, in turn, can open bigger doors.

We are living in fragile times and everywhere D/deaf and disabled people are fighting cuts and for basic survival. Graeae is needed more than ever to create political platforms through artistic engagement and to be visible, reminding people.

Graeae’s productions are instantly identifiable. Whether it is an adaptation of Lorca, a new play by an emerging artist or a rabble-rousing musical, Graeae bring something new to every show they do. Ambition, mischief, and true

representation of society on stage draw people from around the world to their productions.

Over the last four decades, Graeae’s team have been applying their creativity and innovation to ensuring audiences, whether they are D/deaf, disabled or non-disabled, are treated as equals. By taking functional access such as British Sign Language, audio description and captioning and bringing it as a creative force central to the performance, Graeae has defined a new way of telling stories on stage. They feel it enhances the enjoyment for all audience members and they coined the term ‘the aesthetics of access’ to describe this process.

They feel great pride knowing that this style of communication, in which access is woven through the narrative, the design and the performances from day one of rehearsal, is now being embraced by the wider industry.

From large-scale touring productions to outdoor festivals, they strive to seamlessly weave audio description, captioning and British Sign Language interpretation into the creative vision for each piece.

As leaders of the field in creating accessible performance, they continue to push boundaries and

explore new ways to integrate elements of accessibility into their work.

Creative access is woven through their training and education programmes. From The Rollettes’ onstage ‘Access Space Hamster’ to their tactile Christmas

tree, their Young Artistic Advisors lead the way in finding new and exciting ways of making their work accessible to performers and audiences alike.

Access is provided throughout their marketing materials, including through British Sign Language and audio flyers. Then, from the moment audience members arrive at a venue they can explore tactile set models, read an Easy

Read synopsis, or receive their programme in different formats.

They share their knowledge and passion with front of house and box office teams and marketing staff at the across the country, providing support, sewing seeds

of change, and demystifying the process of becoming more accessible.

Graeae’s commitment to beautiful accessible environments extends to its home in Hackney, Bradbury Studios. Over 7,000 visitors a year enjoy the building’s rehearsal room, meeting spaces and offices which have been resigned to offer equal access to all. Features such as wide corridors, natural light, textured flooring and way-finding aids make Bradbury Studios a shining example of how accessibility can be creatively integrated into beautiful design.

They are unflinching in our commitment to accessibility for their artists as well as for their audiences. They work with a brilliant team of Sign Language

Interpreters, access support workers, audio describers and creative enablers and pride themselves on being an accessible, supportive environment for the

D/deaf and disabled practitioners who come through their doors and who work with them in the wider world.

Training & Learning:

Graeae champions creative platforms for D/deaf and disabled artists, children and young people through our productions, training and creative learning projects.

Collaborations with Young People:

They have a strong track record in working inclusively and collaboratively across a range of learning environments. Their projects encourage children and young people to be curious, challenge perceptions, and help them all make sense of the world.

Their participation programmes include:

· Young Artistic Advisors - Graeae’s young company

· Artistic Residencies and Teachers INSET for schools

· Production-related workshops

· Other bespoke workshops and performance projects

Nurturing Talent:

Their artist development programmes include and have included:

· Continuing Professional Development courses in acting, directing and aerial training

· Ensemble– a pioneering training programme for D/deaf and disabled young people (aged 17-26)

· Training courses and creation labs in Brazil, Albania, Turkey,

· Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Japan,and Australia

Creating waves of change:

Graeae is a company that is driven by a passion for artistic excellence and for justice and human rights. They believe great art is and should be for everyone. They deliver creative training courses and consultancy to arts venues, theatre companies and the corporate sector, through their unique Dare You training programme.

Their sector training and consultancy offers include:

· Front of House training

· Accessible Marketing training

· ‘Dare You’ - leadership training for a wide range of organisations and its employees

· Aesthetics of Access workshops and courses

· Teachers’ INSET

Ensemble Training Programme:

A pioneering training programme for the next generation of D/deaf and disabled theatremakers.

In response to barriers faced by many D/deaf and disabled artists, and the lack of diversity within the theatre climate, Graeae’s groundbreaking new work-based

training programme launched its six-month pilot in October 2015. Over this period, six artists undertook intensive acting and theatre-making training with

highly qualified freelance drama school practitioners and mentors.

Features of the Ensemble training programme include performance training, devising new work, touring productions and running workshops. Professional

development and employment opportunities are also offered beyond the programme.

The Future:

They will continue to ignite the careers for young theatre makers in fresh and exciting ways; from short courses, to broader production experience and freelance

opportunities. Classic and formal drama training immersed with the raw, the maverick, the unseen, and the new perspectives of the world now.

They need to continue to be pioneering in how they are making theatre together, experimenting with access tools, digital technology on and off stage. (92)

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victoriaac — 2020-12-02 23:47:49 UTC

Graeae Theatre Company. (2020). About. Available: https://graeae.org/. Last accessed 2nd December 2020.

Augusto Boal:

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Brazilian Dr. Augusto Boal was raised in Rio de Janeiro. He was formally trained in chemical engineering and attended Columbia University in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. Although his interest and participation in theatre began at an early age, it was just after he finished his degree at Columbia that he was asked to return to Brazil to work with the Arena Theatre in São Paulo. His work at the Arena Theatre led to his experimentation with new forms of theatre that would have an extraordinary impact on traditional practice.

Birth of the Spect-Actor

Prior to his experimentation, and following tradition, audiences were invited to discuss a play at the end of the performance. In so doing, according to Boal, they remained viewers and “reactors” to the action before them. In the 1960’s Boal developed a process whereby audience members could stop a performance and suggest different actions for the character experiencing oppression, and the actor playing that character would then carry out the audience suggestions. But in a now legendary development, a woman in the audience once was so outraged the actor could not understand her suggestion that she came onto the stage and showed what she meant. For Boal this was the birth of the spect-actor (not spectator) and his theatre was transformed. He began inviting audience members with suggestions for change onto the stage to demonstrate their ideas. In so doing, he discovered that through this participation the audience members became empowered not only to imagine change but to actually practice that change, reflect collectively on the suggestion, and thereby become empowered to generate social action. Theatre became a practical vehicle for grass-roots activism.

Boal as a Threat

Because of Boal’s work, he drew attention as a cultural activist. But the military coups in Brazil during the 1960’s looked upon all such activity as a threat. Walking home from an Arena performance of Brecht’s The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Boal directed in 1971, Boal was kidnapped off the street, arrested, tortured, and eventually exiled to Argentina, then self-exiled to Europe. In Argentina in 1973 he published his first major theatre text, The Theatre of the Oppressed (Routledge Press). While in Paris, Boal continued for a dozen years to teach his revolutionary approach to theatre, establishing several Centers for the Theatre of the Oppressed. In 1981 he organized the first International Festival of the Theatre of the Oppressed in Paris.

Return to Rio

Following the removal of the military junta in Brazil, Boal returned to Rio de Janeiro in 1986. He has established a major Center for the Theatre of the Oppressed there (CTO – Rio) and has formed over a dozen companies which develop community-based performances. The vehicles for these presentations are primarily Forum Theatre and Image Theatre. Forum Theatre relies upon presentation of short scenes that represent problems of a given community such as gender for a conference on women or racial stereotyping for a class on racism. Audience members interact by replacing characters in scenes and by improvising new solutions to the problems being presented. Image theatre uses individuals to sculpt events and relationships sometimes to the accompaniment of a narrative.

Boal at ATHE

In 1992, Boal was invited to be the keynote speaker for the National Conference of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) in Atlanta, Georgia. This is the national association for teachers of theatre in higher education in the United States, with international connections to Canada, Europe, South America, Australia, increasingly Asia, and recently Africa. His address, together with three 5-hour long workshops during the conference, infused the participants with both a workable understanding of how to take the approaches to their schools and communities and a desire to actually use the techniques. Few other names now appear as often as Boal’s in the annual conference program.

Second Book Published

In 1992, Boal also published his second major work, Games for Actors and Non-Actors (Routledge Press). This is a splendid basic introduction to the entire range of TO theory and practice, and is useful to people experienced and inexperienced in theatre making.

Boal as Politician; Festival of TO

In the fall of 1992, Boal ran as an at-large candidate for the position of Vereador of Rio, a position similar to a City Council seat in the United States. Over one thousand candidates ran for forty-five seats; Boal was one of those elected. Because of the increased visibility brought about by his winning a seat, he was able to obtain funding to hold an international festival for the first time in Brazil in July, 1993. The Seventh International Festival of the Theatre of the Oppressed attracted one hundred, fifty Theatre of the Oppressed practitioners from around the world in an extraordinary confluence of languages, theatre styles, and social issues. The Eighth such Festival was called the Ripple Effect sponsored by Mixed Company Theatre in Toronto, Canada, and was held from May 29 to June 8, 1997. Three hundred practitioners again from around the world attended. One of the featured performances was by the company Boal directs in his hometown, the CTO – Rio. This performance and the magnanimity of the CTO-Rio group was one of the true highlights of this extraordinary gathering.

Boal in Omaha: Pedagogy & Theatre of the Oppressed Conference

1994 saw Boal’s first arrival in Omaha, Nebraska, as he presented an “introductory” workshop to students, faculty, and regional social service personnel. In 1995 Boal keynoted the Pedagogy of the Oppressed Conference sponsored by the University of Nebraska at Omaha and presented numerous community and educational workshops demonstrating his theatrical approaches. At this same time, Boal’s third major book,The Rainbow of Desire (Routledge Press), was published, which elaborates a psycho-therapeutic application of the Boal techniques, especially Image Theatre.

Boal & Freire

Over many years, Boal continued to strengthen his relationship with liberatory educator, Paulo Freire, author of the acclaimed Pedagogy of the Oppressed. At the Second Annual Pedagogy of the Oppressed Conference in Omaha in March 1996, both men appeared together on a public platform to reflect on liberatory education and to answer questions from an audience of around one thousand people. Because of their several necessary flights for personal and family safety during the 1960’s – 1980’s, this co-appearance was the first time Augusto Boal and Paulo Freire shared a common public stage. Sadly, Paulo Freire passed away in early May, 1997. Said Boal: “I am very sad. I have lost my last father. Now all I have are brothers and sisters.” The Third Annual Conference of Pedagogy & Theatre of the Oppressed was held in mid-May, 1997, where Boal led workshops in Forum Theatre. Several of the pieces developed kicked off the Conference with much interaction, reflection, action, and discussion from the conference attendees. Boal also concluded the Conference with an image exercise which amounted to a fascinating visual “critique” of the Conference itself.

Legislative Theatre

Though he lost his bid for re-election in the fall of 1996, while in office, Vereador Boal developed a Forum type of theatre — which he called Legislative Theatre — to work at the neighborhood level to identify the key problems in the city. Using the Forum concept, he employed the dynamics of theatre to discuss what kinds of legislation needed to be enacted to address community problems. The resulting discussions and demonstrations became the basis for actual legislation put forward by Boal in the Chamber of Vereadors. Not surprisingly, Boal has summarized these discoveries and processes in Legislative Theatre, published by Routledge in 1998.

Boal in England

The summer of 1997 found Boal in England where he worked with the world-renowned Royal Shakespeare Company. The RSC asked Boal to employ his Rainbow of Desire techniques in working with them on a production of Hamlet. Typical of Boal, he is not interested in the central story but in the characters who are usually cut from the play, and thus imagined a text of the marginal characters, the ones without much power. He says it might be similar to the national dish of Brazil which is based on a stew made by slaves of the leavings from the masters table.

ATHE Award

In August, 1997, Boal was awarded the Career Achievement Award by the Association for Theatre in Higher Education during their national conference in Chicago. At the Conference, Boal conducted yet another of his five-hour workshops for conference attendees as well as received the coveted Career Achievement honor.

Boal’s International and US Travels

Traveling extensively between Rio, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, and North America, Boal labors tirelessly to make his processes available to as many people as he can reach. December 1998 found him in England offering his remarkable Legislative Theatre not only as a model of public performance, but as a communication network on the Internet. For this reason, the entire performance day was on-line on the World Wide Web so that people around the world could respond.

Boal went on a first major tour of the US in February and March, 1999, traveling to the following universities and colleges: New College in Sarasota, FL; Vassar; Dartmouth; Colby College; University of Georgia; Florida State; and Kansas State. New College, Dartmouth, and Kansas State, and perhaps others of these, now have student TO companies working regularly on Boal techniques.

Since then he has toured to the US every spring, anchoring his tours on the annual Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed Conference and then giving workshops and presentations in many US and Canadian cities – Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Omaha, Minneapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Toledo, Toronto, New York City, Boston, Peoria IL, Worcester MA, and Bowling Green OH.

The objective is always to leave behind at least a core of people who can offer Boal-style workshops, analysis, and ideas. Hopefully there are hundreds and even thousands of people carrying out this liberatory approach to community animation.

In 2007 Boal scaled back his tours so that he attended the PTO Conference in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, on June 28 – 31, and was in residence at TOPLab in New York City from June 2 – 7. The PTO workshops included a 3-day Forum-Joker workshop and Forum performance.

Final Tour

Augusto Boal’s final visit to North America occurred in May 2008 in Omaha, NE. He offered a three-day Legislative Theatre workshop (May 19 – 21) on the campus of UNO in preparation for a Legislative Theatre session. This remarkable event was held on the night of Thursday, May 22, in the Omaha City Council Chambers through the good offices of Council Member Franklin Thompson. It was a very large, overflow audience in the 250-seat auditorium with a rich mixture of city, university, and PTO Conference people in attendance. Elected officials from Omaha comprised the “dais” group that watched the Forum scenes and, in a wonderful image, gathered and sorted the laws that came from the spect-actor/audience. Julian Boal co-jokered the session with Augusto, and the event sparkled with vigorous discussion and debate.

For the first time in many years, Augusto Boal was invited to spend the next two days at the Conference itself, attending and participating in sessions, talking with participants, and gathering in the hotel bar until late into the night. On Sunday May 25, the Boals jokered a stimulating 3-day workshop in one of Augusto’s favorite areas of inquiry – Rainbow into Forum. The use of images to represent ideologies presented a fascinating look into his continued evolution of forms of Theatre of the Oppressed.

One of the many highlights of this last Conference was the Flower Ceremony. PTO officers organized a tribute to Augusto Boal during which around 25 participants, in a long line Augusto traversed, handed him a carnation and read a statement about one of his many contributions to world theatre, culture, and political struggle. It was not so much ironic as sentiently appropriate that this ceremony marked Augusto Boal’s final PTO appearance.

It is serendipitous and fortunate that during this 14^th Annual PTO Conference arrangements were made for extensive professional video taping of the Legislative Theatre workshop, the Legislative Session, conference events featuring Boal, and some of the Rainbow into Forum post-conference workshop. This large amount of tape has been collected in a disc, available through PTO and on this website, showing significant elements of each Conference event.

From Omaha, Augusto Boal and his son Julian flew to New York City to give two three-day workshops at TOPLab at the Brecht Forum in New York City.

Final Days

In the fall of 2008, PTO went ahead with plans to invite both Augusto and Julian to the 15^th Annual Conference scheduled for May 18 – 21, 2009. In March Augusto was in France, as he often was, working and writing. One of his central projects, in addition to completing his book The Aesthetics of the Oppressed, was organizing a Gathering of Jokers in Rio for the summer of 2009. However, he suddenly became quite tired and it was feared perhaps his leukemia, in control for the past four years, was becoming more virulent. He returned to Rio de Janeiro in early April and by mid-April Julian confirmed that his father would not be coming to the Conference. On Saturday, May 2^nd, at 1:36 AM/CST, Julian Boal sent an e.mail to PTO Board Emeritus Doug Paterson with the following brief message: “my father is gone – he went away sleeping.”

The shock was of course staggering. Still the 2009 Conference was held in Minneapolis/St. Paul on the campus of Augsburg College. A grieving and honoring ritual was organized by Hector Aristizabal for late in the evening on Wednesday, May 20. One hundred, fifty people attended what became a deep grieving and truly celebrational honoring of the life of Augusto Boal, and PTO remains grateful to Hector for his leadership during this important event and time.

PTO released the following statement shortly after Augusto Boal’s passing:

Augusto Boal 1931-2009

PTO shares in the grief of people around the world who learned of the passing of Augusto Boal on May 1st, 2009, notably also the International Worker’s Holiday. We send our sympathies to his wife, Cecelia, his son, Julian, with whom so many of us have worked, his son Fabian, the rest of his family, the members of CTO-Rio, and his world of friends and co-workers.

Augusto Boal was a giant in so many ways: theatre director, scholar, teacher; pedagogy colleague of Paulo Freire; political representative and statesman in Rio de Janeiro and Brazil; international speaker and teacher; Nobel Peace Prize nominee; and the visionary who conceived and patiently developed one of the most revolutionary cultural and artistic practices of the last millennia, the Theatre of the Oppressed.

As the featured guest for the first PTO Conference in Omaha in 1995, Augusto attended, led workshops, and spoke at all but three of our conferences through last year’s gathering in 2008, again in Omaha. Through Augusto’s good offices, Paulo Freire came to PTO in 1996, making this the only time in their celebrated careers that these two friends presented together in public.

Julian Boal appreciates the many expressions of sympathy sent to his family, and also has indicated his intention to come to Minneapolis for the annual PTO Workshops and Conference Opening May 18 – 21. At that time, PTO will arrange a time for honoring our founding inspiration, Dr. Augusto Boal. (93)

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Doug Paterson. (2020). A Brief Biography of Augusto Boal. Available: https://ptoweb.org/aboutpto/a-brief-biography-of-augusto-boal/. Last accessed 2nd December 2020.

Mental health in the arts: Are we talking about it enough?

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Protecting the mental health of those working in the Performing Arts:

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Risk of suicide is elevated in the performing arts: 69% higher for women than the average, and 20% higher for men.

Britain is home to world class creative industries and talents. All of our lives are enriched by our culture, from blockbuster films, best-selling video games, independent music, and internationally-renowned museums and art collections, to theatre, opera, ballet, literary festivals and performance poetry. I have long argued for the arts to have the recognition and funding they need, not only because they brighten our lives, but also because they make a tangible contribution to our national economy.

Yet despite the glamour of Glyndebourne or Glastonbury, behind the scenes things can be tough, demanding, and challenging to good mental health. The realities of working in the arts, as a performer or one of the myriad supporting roles, are well understood to present challenges to wellbeing. Most performers have sporadic patterns of employment – sudden bursts of frenetic activity, followed by fallow periods filled with endless applications, auditions or second jobs. Performers lack job security, and cannot plan far ahead. They often work away from home, sometimes for months at a time.

Performers put their heart and soul into their art, and can be subject to highly personal attacks and criticism. The tone and language of reviews, or commentary on social media, can be bruising and severe. Everyone is a critic. All of this adds to the stress and anxiety suffered by people in the performing arts. This can extend beyond the traditional forms of ‘writers’ block’ or ‘stage fright’ and include severe mental illness. Risk of suicide is elevated in the performing arts: 69% higher for women than the average, and 20% higher for men. Those working in the music industry, for example, are three times more likely to experience depression.

There has been some progress in recent years. Industry bodies have come together to support people in the arts through ArtsMinds, which helps people access the right advice and support. This year, the Theatre Helpline was established to provide 24/7 confidential advice on everything from money worries to bullying. This follows a similar scheme, Help Musicians UK, formed in the music industry. The National Theatre provides confidential in-house counselling, and the Dominion Theatre hosts a free fortnightly event called Wellbeing for the Arts to empower actors to tackle stress and anxiety.

The role of the trade unions is essential here. Unions such as Equity, the Musicians’ Union, and the Writers’ Guild are vital in scrutinising employers in the performance arts, putting pressure on them to look after the people in their care, and to drive out bullying, harassment and exploitation. Conditions in the arts may be sub-standard for many, but without the unions, they would be a thousand times worse. This is a sector which sometimes sees sexual harassment, workplace bullying, and a constant demand to work for less money, or even for free. There are many cases where performers have to pay promoters to get on the stage, rather than the other way around. Unions are a vital bulwark against this kind of unfair practice.

There is more to be done. Today, I chaired a roundtable in Parliament with performance arts unions, and artists with a range of lived experiences of mental ill-health. We discussed how we can work together to drive out bad practice, and protect the mental health of everyone working in the arts. We need new protections and new rights to be established. We value our arts, and the contribution they make. We must value our artists too, and ensure no-one’s mental health is affected by outdated and exploitative practices. (95)

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Luciana Berger. (2018). We Can Do More To Protect The Mental Health Of Those In The Arts. Available: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/mental-health-arts_uk_5b44b804e4b0c523e2630554?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvLnVrLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJgXPIscRHA3SnkUT9pYdCEcByE-ae. Last accessed 12th January 2020.

Conan Stevens - 'Highs And Lows Of Acting':

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'Being an actor is not as easy as many people think, and it certainly isn't the glitz and glamour that is often portrayed. A lot of actors struggle financially, really struggle with the hope that one day they can "make it" and all that time they are dealing with constant rejection and uncertainty, even when you've made it the uncertainty and constant search for the next job take their toll.

When you score a win in your life goals it is an exhilarating feeling. Being such a hard game this profession seems to turn you into a manic depressive swinging from extreme highs to ultra lows.

A small example:
At the Armageddon convention the other week I was a guest star, people lining up to get a photo with me or to get my autograph, some people really excited to meet me. I did a talk and a Q&A session with a room full of sci/fi and fantasy fans. I was not just somebody, I was a star of the show.
10 minutes later I walk outside the arena and not so magically I was just a tall guy walking the streets. I was again nobody.

So that your entire life consists of incredible highs to self questioning lows.

From the simple and easy to deal with convention example, to auditioning for a great job that you think you really suit and then it goes to someone else, to making the final call backs and at the last minute someone else (often the person who turned the job down before it was offered to you) steps in and signs the deal, to getting onto a job then having your character die early, to getting into a show/movie and funding falling through at the last moment, or worse yet it runs for one season or filming starts then something (anything) happens and the job is put on hold.... forever, you get the dream starring role in the dream big budget movie and some idiot smashes his car into you a week before, breaks your leg and you cannot do the movie, or any combination of the above and/or many career disasters not mentioned - like a one in a million (Doctors actual words) viral infection that ruins your Pro-wrestling career right at the cusp of something big.

Up and down, up and down, up and down. It's a rollercoaster. Financially, emotionally and socially.

It gets wearing after a time. Some people are able to deal with it, some find it more difficult, many can't do it and drop out of the film industry. Add in that Actors are often emotional types anyway (I believe) and the rollercoaster ride can get "interesting".

We've all seen some well know actor crack under the pressure in the gossip magazines - they are strong people to get where they are, it takes a lot to cause them to get to that embarrassing point.

Even when you are doing well and working often, you have the same effect but in a different capacity.

After a while an airport is an airport, a hotel room is just another 4 walls and it's like being the new kid at school every time you get a job. You leave your friends and/or family behind for months at a time and are out of touch, sometimes really out of touch.' (96)

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Conan Stevens. (2012). Highs And Lows Of Acting. Available: http://www.conanstevens.com/acting-movies-tv-film/tall-actor-blog/highs-and-lows-of-acting.html. Last accessed 10th December 2019.

Backstage Staff - Acting Highs and Lows:

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"They knew that text—they knew that scene. Not just their own lines, but what was coming at them. That's something, as a young actor, I had to learn."

In New York, he has appeared in straight plays as well as musicals, both on and Off-Broadway, including "The Kentucky Cycle," "Footloose," and, most recently, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."

"I was very proud that I got through that, 'cause that was a lot of words.... I felt I did the best I could at that given moment."

Still, Anderson would like the chance to repeat this role, say 15 or 20 years from now, when he has fine-tuned his technique even further.

Mark Dundas Wood

Lynn Cohen—Find Your Objective

Simi Horwitz

Kathleen Early—Accepting the Givens

"I feel like I've had a class every day for the past nine months," she says.

M. D. W.

Robert H. Fowler—Using Today's Reality

That's the best thing any technique can do.

Catherine Castellani

Arthur French—Make Your Own Decisions

Leonard Jacobs

Anita Hollander—Internalizing Discipline

Esther Tolkoff

Kim Hunter—Keep Growing

L. J.

Larry Keith—Looking at Life with an Actor's Eye

Veteran stage and film actor Larry Keith recalls when he was a young performer in the '60s, understudying Henry Higgins in Broadway's "My Fair Lady."

So what did Keith do?

He remembers with particular fondness learning from Bobby Lewis of the Group Theatre. "He was a wonderful teacher and a wonderful man."

The key, Keith believes, comes from "a place of understanding and truth inside you. To a young actor, the more life experiences you have, the better. The more you know and read, the better."

That means learning about music, art, literature, and studying everything with "an actor's eye."

When on stage, learn how to use and focus your energy "so it's at your command when you need it."

Roger Armbrust

Michael McElroy—Working from Physicality

E. T.

Crista Moore—Staying in the Moment

S. H.

Donna Murphy—Make It Work for You

In coming to New York to study with Stella Adler, Murphy says that it wasn't just training that she acquired—she faced one of the biggest challenges of her life.

L. J.

James Murtaugh—Use a Variety of Techniques

Murtaugh talked about how he continues to use a variety of exercises he has picked up over the years—some of which come in handy before he gets the job, and some after he gets it.

Then, once he gets cast, Murtaugh says he uses a variety of techniques.

Other moments that called for solid grounding came less expectedly in the run, and were the sort of thing that can drive an inexperienced actor to distraction.

"We talked, and we talked, and she came back, and we finished the scene. I don't think the audience ever knew."

Mike Salinas

Christianne Tisdale—The 10 Distinctions

C. C. (97)

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BACKSTAGE STAFF. (2001). Acting Highs and Lows. Available: https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/acting-highs-lows-46728/. Last accessed 10th December 2019.

Tips For Surviving The Acting Industry:

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Michael Simkins. (2009). When the going gets tough. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/may/09/tips-surviving-acting-industry. Last accessed 10th December 2019.

‘I was literally tearing myself up’: can the performing arts solve its mental health crisis?:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:00:36 UTC

Actor and playwright Milly Thomas is sick of the image of the tortured artist. “There’s nothing romantic or glamorous about depression,” she says. But Thomas believes that the idea persists, particularly for performers. Actors are expected to expose themselves emotionally, often with little regard for how it affects their states of mind. At the same time, they work in a profession characterised by instability, in which self-worth often rests on their ability to get the next role.

Until recently, however, little attention had been paid to the relationship between acting and mental health. One of the reasons Thomas wrote her solo play Dust, an unflinching look at one young woman’s suicide, was because she was frustrated with reductive understandings of mental health. She recalls her own experience of depression: “I was very, very ill, but also completely able to get out of bed every day and go to work and do my job, and I think that’s a blessing and a curse. I just thought, ‘We’re not talking about this.'"

Thomas is not alone in feeling this way. In 2015, a survey by the Stage, Equity and Spotlight found that one in five people working in entertainment have actively sought help for their mental health – but this figure may well underestimate the true extent of the problems in the sector. Respondents to the survey, the majority of whom worked in theatre, identified issues such as performance anxiety, mood swings and depression. When asked about the state of their mental health, 46% described it as either poor or average.

One of the outcomes of this research was ArtsMinds, an information hub for people working in the creative industries. It’s part of a recent surge of interest in mental health and wellbeing in the arts. In September, London’s Park theatre announced a partnership with the mental health charity Mind to help its performers. A number of companies, theatres, drama schools and agents have signed up to the mental health charter for the performing arts.

TALK is a network set up by actors Christian Edwards and Harry Long and based at the Actors Centre. The premise is simple: actors and other theatre professionals meet up regularly to share experiences and support one another. It came out of Edwards’s own mental health struggles. “I think the first way to move on and start feeling better about things is just by talking, meeting others, and not going through it alone,” he says. “We wanted people to be able to compare notes with other actors in a frank way,” adds Long.

Research into the connection between acting and mental health is scant – a gap that actor Alice Brockway’s PhD on the subject is setting out to address. The goal is to come up with a set of best practice recommendations for working with actors with mental illnesses, while Brockway’s website Playing Sane is a space to talk frankly about these issues.

Anecdotally, at least, there seems to be a connection between the pressures of the profession and conditions such as depression and anxiety. “I think part of the thing about being in contact with your emotions as an actor is that we’re more susceptible to them taking over,” suggests Edwards. Thomas observes something similar, noting how common acting techniques can encourage harmful thought processes. “Anyone can think about something sad that happened when they were younger and have a good cry, but can you switch it off? Can you go into the next scene and be completely OK?” She thinks drama schools should teach actors how to step away from extreme emotional states, as well as how to access those emotions in the first place.

“Also, the profession in and of itself is very brutal,” points out Thomas. Unstable, insecure employment, long hours, unforgiving audition processes and the constant pressure to be at your best can all take their toll. “People spend a lot of time projecting their best selves, because that’s what the industry demands,” says Long. While emotions are important on stage, behind the scenes there’s a need to appear confident and capable. “Our job is to be vulnerable in front of an audience, but you’re not supposed to be vulnerable in any other way,” says Brockway. Part of the problem, she suggests, is that in a saturated profession, actors can be seen as somewhat disposable: “Why deal with it if there’s just another actor in the background anyway?” Edwards agrees: “We don’t want to appear like we have a vulnerability that will mean that we’re not as reliable as somebody else, because there are just so many of us.”

Brockway points the finger at established yet emotionally damaging rehearsal practices. “Many of these methods, they’re donkey’s years old, they haven’t been updated in any way in line with what we now know about psychology and about how the brain works,” she says. There is also that enduring idea that great actors are supposed to struggle. “I get very upset with this notion of having to suffer for your art,” says Thomas. “They’re called plays; I don’t know why we don’t play.”

While the industry now feels more open to dialogue around mental health, there’s a danger that it’s all talk and no action. Employers, ultimately, are the ones who need to make a commitment to change. “It’s very important that producers and theatre companies and other people working in the business are now being more open and saying we support people with mental health problems,” says Edwards. Thomas proposes that all theatres should have in-house therapy available for actors, following a model that the National Theatre is beginning to pioneer. “I think also maybe there need to be guidelines around what we should and shouldn’t ask or say,” adds Thomas.

Everyone I speak to agrees that there’s still a long way to go. “The shifts are so, so minuscule, but there are shifts there,” says Thomas. “We eventually have to get to that place where we can say ‘How are you today?’ and not feel squeamish about the answer, or not feel frightened about having to give an answer.” (99)

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Catherine Love. (2018). 'We're not talking about this': actors spotlight industry's mental health stigma. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/oct/29/actors-mental-health-issues-milly-thomas-artsminds-talk. Last accessed 12th December 2019.

Out of character: How acting puts a mental strain on performers:

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Getting in character:

Sometimes actors are unable to let go of the emotions associated with their characters. This boundary blurring can result in them carrying the role into everyday life – with negative effects.

Actors frequently tap into their personal histories to evoke the emotions required to play a role. This can be traumatic if it triggers deep issues or elicits difficult experiences and memories.

The 2015 Australian Actors’ Wellbeing Study found that almost 40% of actors surveyed had difficulty shaking off intense emotional and/or physical roles.

How to de-role:

Performing arts companies paying attention:

More performing arts companies are employing psychologists. The Australian Ballet and contemporary dance company CO3 have resident psychologists to assist with dancers’ mental wellbeing.

In the future artists will hopefully suffer a little less for their art in order to provide audiences with their best work. (100)

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OnStage Blog - The Actor and Mental Health:

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Christopher Peterson. (Unknown). The Actor and Mental Health. Available: https://www.onstageblog.com/voices/2019/5/15/the-actor-and-mental-health. Last accessed 10th January 2020.

Actors highly vulnerable to mental health problems:

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The results are now published online ahead of print in the journal Australian Psychologist.

"However, we also found that actors are highly vulnerable to depression and symptoms of anxiety.

Ms Robb – who herself is a former theatre director – says acting has a false reputation of being a glamorous profession.

"Many professional actors find themselves out of work for long periods of time. This creates a high level of instability in their lives, adding to feelings of anxiety," she says.

Ms Robb says these findings are relevant to both the acting profession and to psychologists.

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Website to provide mental health support for performers:

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A website to provide mental health support for actors is being launched by a performer who believes the issue has been “grossly neglected” by the industry.

Alice Brockway was inspired to set up Playing Sane by her experience of working in theatre, where she says mental health problems are widespread.

Launch of the website follows an article in the The Stage that highlighted how performers in the sector are battling with anxiety.
As well as setting up the website, Brockway is undertaking a PhD to conduct research into mental health specifically in actors, with the goal of creating a set of best-practice guidelines for the industry.

Playing Sane will include signposting to support for actors and regular articles from mental health professionals as well as actors and creatives who have experienced issues such as eating disorders.

Brockway, who sits on the NW committee of charity Rethink Mental Illness, argues that there is little mental health information geared specifically towards actors. She hopes to provide guidance on how specific aspects of an actor’s job may impact on mental health, including the audition and rehearsal process, and the process of embodying difficult emotions when playing a character.

She said: “After engaging with some work the Royal Exchange in Manchester was doing on actors with disabilities, I realised that mental health in actors has been grossly neglected from all sides and decided to do something about it.

“Actors trade in emotions, yet we don’t have any best-practice guidelines and there is little support for people dealing with mental illness.”

She added: “As we have such a prevalence of these problems, we just can’t justify ignoring them.”

Alongside the website, Brockway also aims to undertake research into the specific aspects of an actor’s job that affect mental health, looking in detail at the audition process, rehearsals, and the way actors are given feedback.

She said: “We know a lot about the broader issues actors face, such as financial instability, but in terms of the real detail, we don’t know a lot.

“Part of the problem is that actors don’t want to talk about it. There’s an unspoken understanding that if you are seen as ill or difficult or problematic in any way, that you just won’t work.”

Brockway is launching a public funding campaign to go towards the future running of the website, with the aim of eventually developing the venture into a charity and holding workshops and talks.

The Stage is a partner on website ArtsMinds, which aims to provide support to performers suffering from mental health issues. Artsminds.co.uk (103)

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Giverny Masso. (2018). Website to provide mental health support for performers. Available: https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2018/website-to-provide-mental-health-support-for-performers/. Last accessed 13th January 2020.

How arts can help improve your mental health:

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We are facing huge public health challenges in the UK. Mental ill health accounts for more than 20 percent of these challenges, more than cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The arts seem to have an important role to play in this – through offering help, promoting well-being and creating a space for social connection.

We’ve looked at the added value of the arts and how they can keep us happy and in good mental health:

Being engaged in the Art:

Do you recognise a feeling of joy that you can get when taking part in cultural activities such as music, museums, dance groups and theatre?

Getting involved with the arts can have powerful and lasting effects on health. It can help to protect against a range of mental health conditions, help manage mental ill health and support recovery.

There are many ways to engage in arts and improve your mental health:

Art and health programmes led by artists and musicians can deliver health benefits through participatory arts programmes and arts engagement in everyday life.
When we talk about the arts, we include visual and performing arts, such as traditional craft, sculpture, digital art, text, dance, film, literature, music, singing, gardening and the culinary arts.

Arts can make a powerful contribution to our mental health:

The best part is that it helps people to improve their mental health through creativity. Making art is helping many people express themselves, without having to use words.

Arts can create a feeling of community:

The arts valuable role in mental health is being recognised:

More and more people now appreciate that the arts and culture can play a valuable role in helping people who have mental health problems.

The arts and health economics – it just makes sense:

Since it can be used as a non-medical approach to preventing mental health problems it could help save money in the health service and social care.

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Dorien Eising. (2019). How arts can help improve your mental health. Available: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/blog/how-arts-can-help-improve-your-mental-health. Last accessed 13th January 2020.

Mental health woes are rife in the arts – no wonder:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:13:22 UTC

The arts have always been linked to mental health, often in the form of stories about tortured artists. The sad life of Vincent van Gogh is but one example.

A report by Victoria University, Working in the Entertainment Industry, released in August 2015, investigated the mental health of professionals working in this sector.

It suggested that mental health problems are widespread and have more to do with insecure and harsh working conditions than romantic ideas of misunderstood genius or workers’ existing illnesses.

It is therefore worth considering if there are any lessons about mental health that can be learned from this most “flexible” of work places.

Not as entertaining as it looks:

The report reveals that these workers suffer from the effects of uncertain employment, low pay, shift work and the need to be willing and able to work at all times and under all conditions.

The sector’s employees have three-times the level of sleep disorders than the general population. This causes serious flow-on effects on their relationships with family and friends.

Arts workers also experience symptoms of anxiety ten-times higher than the general population, and depression symptoms five-times higher.

They have higher rates of suicidal ideation, planning and attempts than the general population, and their use and misuse of drugs and alcohol are significantly greater.

These are shocking statistics which, as with studies of other industries, can be directly attributed to financial insecurity and poor working conditions.

In addition to this, workers in the entertainment industry contend with some unique experiences, the most bizarre of which is being asked to work for free.

All work, no pay:

This high-profile incident may well have been the genuine mistake the company said it was, but it struck a nerve because it is sadly by no means an isolated one.

It is difficult for people to maintain a healthy sense of self when they are consistently told their labour and skills are worth, quite literally, nothing.

What the arts contribute:

Learning to live with it:

Similarly, the recent conference Making time: arts and self-care workshopped a practical list of coping strategies for frazzled arts workers.

While these responses are useful and valid, it is striking that more has not been made of the need to change the causes of this human resources problem.

Conditions in the entertainment industry actively undermine workers’ autonomy and security and contribute to very poor mental outcomes.

The current federal government would do well to consider this before it replicates such conditions in other workplaces. (105)

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After the Show: The Many Faces of the Performer.

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The Benefits of Performing Arts:

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(107)

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Kateri Milanesa. (2017). The Benefits of Performing Arts. Available: https://www.annafiorentini.com/news/2017/11/03/the-benefits-of-performing-arts. Last accessed 16th January 2020.

The pros and cons of being an emerging artist:

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"Never presume that anyone is the finished article"

(108)

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Eleanor Turney. (2017). The pros and cons of being an emerging artist. Available: https://theatreanddance.britishcouncil.org/blog/2017/5/all-heart-and-no-finesse/. Last accessed 16th January 2020.

Noises off: Pros and cons in the job of theatre:

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Advantages and Disadvantages of an Acting Career:

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First, it is a very interesting profession. After graduating from the school of public speaking and becoming an artist, you will be able to constantly rotate in the circles of creative people, each of whom is unique and inimitable personality. Your life will be constantly painted only with the brightest colors. Theater and cinema – it is extremely fabulous and fascinating world. You will be one of the first who will learn about everything new that happens in the cinema and theater. In addition, you will be able to make something worthwhile in the art of our country.
Secondly, becoming an actor, you will win fame and national love. You will be recognized on the street. You will have your own fans and maybe even a fan club.
Third, working as an actor, you will be able to see new countries. Theatres always go on tour to different cities. Sometimes artists touring in other countries. If you plan to become a film artist, it is no less exciting profession. Most of the films are shot not only in our country, but also in other countries.
Fourthly, only in the acting profession everything is possible. As an artist, you can stay in the role of completely different people, including robbers and bandits. And no one will punish you for that. You can also try yourself in different professions and in the role of people with different characters, conducting business negotiations will no longer be a problem for you. On stage, you can be a stupid and funny person, and no one will think badly of you. Artists can play people of the opposite sex. For example, if you are a man, you may have to play the role of a woman on stage. Than not fascinating and informative experience? To make sure of this and decide whether you need such a profession, you can first visit the Newmark Theater to feel the atmosphere and understand whether you like it.
Fifth, the actor’s profession is one of the most socially significant. From the stage of the theater you will be able to convey to the mind and soul of the audience their views on life, philosophical position. The profession of an actor plays a special role in the formation of the future generation, its education and development.

In addition to all these advantages of the actor’s profession, it has its disadvantages:

First, the acting profession is often associated with the risk of physical injury. Actors on stage and in the cinema perform the most incredible tricks. Sometimes the stunt guys do it, but only if the stunt is associated with the risk of their lives.
Secondly, the actor is not only a profession, but also a lifestyle. Artists are fully committed to art and creativity. Actors are often compared to monks. People in this profession often do not have free time that they could devote to their personal life, their family. That’s why we often hear from the media about failed marriages of artists. Some people don’t get married or don’t get married at all.
Third, becoming an actor, you should immediately tune in to the fact that on your creative path you will have to wait not only for fame and success, but also black stripes associated with a lull in career and popularity. To avoid this, you have to constantly work hard on yourself, on your talent. You have to constantly learn something, learn something new. For example, to attend a training for the development of creativity.It is recommended to engage in acting from an early age, for example, to visit a theater Studio for children. The only way you can constantly be on the fashion wave among the most popular actors of our country. (110)

(110)

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Unknown. (Unknown). Advantages and Disadvantages of an Acting Career. Available: https://newmarktheatre.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-an-acting-career/. Last accessed 17th January 2020.

Pros and Cons of Professional Acting:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:20:36 UTC

Cons:

Most actors don't make it onto the red carpet in designer clothing. Even some of those Hollywood celebrities will have another source of income, from producing, to working as a musician, to working in restaurants. If you enjoy Starbucks, the chances of an actor serving you is excellent, as they are a very actor-friendly business.
The average acting income is only $10 000 annually (including people who only book one gig per year). Plus it's unlikely you'll have benefits of any kind.
This isn't necessarily a con, but actors must learn to leave their ego behind during auditions, and to take rejection with a grain of salt. Acting is a business, and your body and mind is the product being sold. Actors need to market and brand themselves, in order to make connections and stand out from the competition. Since there are so many actors and so little acting parts, often most people are just not right for the part.
There are many false people in the acting industry who will stab actors in the back by talking about them behind their back, and taking jabs at flaws, especially the physical appearances of actors.
It's difficult to date or be married while being a dedicated actor. Actors will often have two-three weeks where they're working to the bone every day, and then will have 2-3 weeks with no jobs. In film, usually callbacks will be the day after an audition, a wardrobe fitting will be the following day, and the scene will be shot on the fourth day. Often casting calls are given at most 24 hours before an audition, so actors are often required to cancel plans, even funerals and family events at the last minute in order to make it to the audition.

Now you're probably confused as to why anyone would want to act after discovering those cons. Fortunately, acting can be extremely enriching and rewarding for those who are absolutely passionate.

Pros:

Fortunately, according to Kenny Bania, a film actor, out of the multitudes of aspiring actors, 60% of them aren't good, 35% don't show up to their audition, are under-prepared, or are rude. That leaves a good actor in the top 5%, while there is work for the top 3%.
You can start at any point in your life to become an actor. Ken Jeong from Community was a full-time physician who eventually morphed into a stand-up comedian and then a full-time actor. He still updates his skills and medical education in case he wants to return to that practice later. Lisa Kudrow from Friends started out as a biology major. An acting degree is not necessary. Scarlett Johansson for example, didn't get accepted into the New York University film program, and look where she is now.
Actors have lots of opportunity to pursue other interests, which helps make them more well-rounded actors. The more experience and education an actor has, the more they're able to contribute to their role and character development.
You're getting paid to dress up and play pretend, while most people are sitting in boring, stuffy offices all day spending most of their time unproductively on Farmville, or interacting with customers that don't say thank you.

Think about it. (111)

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victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:20:58 UTC

Unknown. (2013). Pros and Cons of Professional Acting. Available: http://thespianspeak.blogspot.com/2013/04/pros-and-cons-of-professional-acting.html. Last accessed 17th January 2020.

Survey:

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(To be completed and collated).

Completed Survey (1)

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Completed Survey (2)

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Completed Survey (3)

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US - UK

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Whilst there are many current and past cases of misconduct in the US, and stories regarding the #MeToo movement, in the UK, there has been little discussion or people who have come forward to share their own experiences. I believe the reason for this being that British law is more stern than that of the United States. 'Before publishing, the media needs a water-tight case. To accuse someone of sexual misconduct, they would normally need proof (such as a recording) or a witness prepared to testify in court. In cases of sexual misconduct, both things are hard to find.' British media are consistently uneasy when contemplating publishing a story as they may be sued or their name/reputation tarnished dependent on the story and/or who is named.
'In the US, it's far harder to sue for libel. The reason is 226 years old, but as relevant as ever. The first amendment to the US constitution - adopted in 1791 - protects freedom of speech and freedom of the press.' 'So - compared to the UK - the burden of proof is flipped. Americans are less likely to sue, so US media are more likely to break the story.' This becomes additionally difficult when being a celebrity since 'When a public official (such as a government employee) or public figure (such as a celebrity) sues for libel, they must prove "actual malice". "Actual malice basically means the journalist lied," says Professor Karle. "Either the journalist published a story they knew was false - or they acted with reckless disregard over whether it was true or false. "That basically means - you lied."' In the US if you do win a case you do win a larger amount of money than you would do in the UK, to conclude 'If you've been wrongly accused, you may yearn for the British system - where publishing is riskier. If you're a victim, you may prefer the US system - where the constitution protects freedom of speech. Either way, the effect is clear. The US has a flood of cases. In the UK, it remains drip-drip.' (112)

(112)

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Amos, O. (2017). Why so many sexual harassment cases in US, not UK?. Available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42070575. Last accessed 15th November 2019.

Equity:

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The UKs biggest actors union 'Founded a working group last November and joined other entertainment unions in calling for anti-harassment clauses in contracts. One British actor I spoke to while researching this piece told me that she was recently harassed by a casting director during an audition. While her agents dismissed her complaint, Equity took her report seriously and fed it back to the casting director, who issued an apology at least. Other women in the industry tell me that they now feel more people listen to them in the meetings when they talk about inclusion or harassment, concerns that were previously dismissed.' (18)

As well as this, 'Meanwhile, Equity’s Agenda for Change report, created following contributions from more than 340 union members, offers practical guidance to encourage a “cultural shift in the sector”. Out of this, the union created a dedicated harassment helpline, and the provision of resources such as posters and an affirmation statement to be read at the beginning of rehearsals.' 'The Stage has carried out its own research into how the industry has responded to #MeToo over the past year. More than 80 commercial and not-for-profit theatre organisations, of all sizes and from across the UK, were asked about the action they had taken over the past 12 months. Of these, 84% said they had updated policies and procedures related to harassment and bullying.' (113)

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victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:27:18 UTC

Snow, G. (2018). Harassment survey: 80% of theatre update policies in light of #MeToo. Available: https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2018/harassment-survey-80-theatres-update-policies-light-metoo/?login_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thestage.co.uk%2Faccounts%2Fusers%2Fsign_up.popup. Last accessed 15th November 2019.

Changing perspectives on sexual harassment law:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:27:30 UTC

"In the fourteen years I have practiced as an employee-rights attorney in California, I have seen both a broadening in the types of sexual harassment cases that courts recognize and changes in the way that employers handle such cases.

Twenty years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc. that same-sex sexual harassment was actionable under Title VII. Before Oncale, many courts viewed sexual harassment in very narrow terms: it was sexualized conduct that men directed at women. Indeed, Schultz’s groundbreaking article, Reconceptualizing Sexual Harassment, argued that by focusing on sexualized behaviors, many courts were ignoring conduct that was nonsexualized but nevertheless sex based. In doing so, courts failed to recognize how men used harassment to undermine women’s competence and to drive them out of their jobs.

In Oncale, the Court confirmed that “harassing conduct need not be motivated by sexual desire to support an inference of discrimination on the basis of sex.” Instead, the Court said, Title VII’s prohibition on sexual harassment “must extend to sexual harassment of any kind that meets the statutory requirements,” including, for example, harassment “motivated by general hostility to the presence of women in the workplace. (114)

(114)

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:28:04 UTC

Schultz. V. (2018). #MeToo and the Future of Sexual Harassment Law . The Yale Law Journal. 128. I - II

Sexual harassment in the workplace and the #MeToo Movement:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:28:20 UTC

"Today, courts recognize that a wide variety of conduct can create a hostile work environment. Sexual harassment is perpetrated by and against people of all sexes and genders. It takes all kinds of forms—sexual and nonsexual.It is often motivated by bias and hostility, not sexual desire. And sexual harassment can be perpetrated by a variety of individuals, from supervisors, to coworkers, to subordinates, and even third parties such as customers.

In my practice, I have seen firsthand the broadening and development of sexual harassment law. A recent client’s situation—modified slightly to remove identifying information—is illustrative of conduct that has come to be recognized as unlawful sexual harassment over the past twenty years. This case highlights the influence of the unfolding #MeToo and #TimesUp movements on employer responses to sexual harassment complaints.

Laura worked as a designer for an advertising agency, reporting directly to its creative director, Paul. Her team was comprised mostly of women. Paul, a gay man, regularly expressed misogynistic views about women. He used sexist slurs, mocked women’s appearances if he did not consider them beautiful or thin enough, and he denigrated their work. Laura felt sick to her stomach every time she had to interact with Paul. But as the primary earner for her family, she was too afraid of retaliation to speak up. She simply could not afford to lose her job. All of the other women working there appeared to quietly tolerate the abuse, and upper management was aware of Paul’s conduct but did nothing to stop it.

Over several months, Laura found that the stress and discomfort from being around Paul were affecting other aspects of her life. She did not have much of an appetite and lost about ten pounds. She suffered from insomnia for the first time in her life. She found herself snapping at her husband and children. And she dreaded going to work each morning. She went to her doctor, who diagnosed her with anxiety and put her on a medical leave for a few weeks. It was then that she decided to consult with counsel to see if what Paul was doing was illegal and if there was a way for her to get out of this predicament.

After she retained me, I sent a letter to the company, describing Paul’s conduct and their legal exposure. The company, in turn, provided the letter to their outside counsel. Outside counsel immediately recognized the problem and agreed that a negotiated exit from the company was in everyone’s best interest. Laura, with severance in hand (and a confidentiality agreement that contained a mutual nondisparagement provision), left to find her next job. I do not know whether Paul ever suffered any consequences for his actions.

The following year, Laura found another job at a similar company. Days into her new role, she was shocked to discover that her new supervisor, Rick, was not much of an improvement over Paul. He, too, was overtly hostile toward his female subordinates. He belittled and demeaned them and made sexist comments about women in general. Once again, Laura was filled with dread.

But, in the time between when Laura left her prior job and started the new one, the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements had taken hold. This time, inspired by the movements, Laura decided that she would not suffer in silence. Over the course of a couple of weeks, she made sure to note down all the sexist comments and hostile behaviors that Rick directed at the women in the office. Laura then went to human resources at her new job and made a formal complaint, sharing these examples and listing out the names of the witnesses who were present each time.

The human resources department acted swiftly. It suspended Rick, conducted a thorough investigation, and despite his critical role at the company, ultimately terminated him. Laura felt empowered and vindicated, and the other women, who had tolerated Rick’s behavior for years, expressed their gratitude.

Twenty years ago, many courts would not have recognized Paul or Rick’s behaviors as creating a hostile work environment that would be actionable as sexual harassment. Neither man was acting out of sexual desire, and most of their comments were not of a sexual nature. Today, however, there is no dispute that such conduct, if proven, would be actionable.

Despite the law’s protections, however, sexual harassment persists. Fifty-eight percent of women surveyed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have experienced sex-based harassment. Workplaces at greater risk for sexual harassment include those with “high-value” employees, significant power disparities, younger employees, or homogenous workforces. They also include workplaces where employees do not conform to gendered norms, or focus on customer service or client satisfaction, and workplaces that encourage drinking, or are isolated and decentralized.

My own experiences bear this out. I have represented clients in all of these situations, including clients who were sexually harassed by company owners and managers (who had free rein to do as they saw fit without anyone to hold them accountable), clients who were among only a few women in male-dominated environments (across the salary spectrum—from surgeons to warehouse workers), clients who worked in companies where “bro culture” prevailed and drinking was encouraged, and clients whose supervisors were allowed to get away with nonsexual abuse because it was not seen as “sexual harassment.”

Compounding this dismal reality, most of this sexual harassment goes unreported. For example, one study found that gender-harassing conduct was almost never reported; unwanted physical touching formally reported only 8% of the time; and sexually coercive behavior reported by only 30% of women who experienced it. When harassment is reported, the consequences can be dire: an estimated 75% of employees who speak out against workplace mistreatment faced some form of retaliation. Reporting “at best does not make things worse and at worst leads to retaliation, minimization of complaints, and additional injury to the reporter.” I have seen retaliation that ranges from the overt—termination—to the more subtle and difficult-to-prove. It has taken the form of increased scrutiny, withdrawal of support, lower ratings on performance reviews, changes in assignments, changes in work schedules, and subtle aggressions that can undermine a person’s security and success. Given the likelihood of retaliation, it is no surprise that most people who are sexually harassed believe that the safest course of action is inaction.

Most sexual harassment cases that come my way have a retaliation component. Potential clients often contact me after trying to resolve the matter in their workplaces internally, only to have the situation deteriorate. The remainder do not have faith in their employer’s’ internal reporting processes, are too afraid to go through it on their own, or feel that the situation is irreparable and want out.

Once again, however, change is afoot. Even one year ago, Laura’s complaint at her new company may not have received the same response. This is especially true because of Rick’s high-level ’role at the company. Rarely have I seen companies terminate someone as high-ranking and valuable as Rick for such conduct. However, the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have galvanized the public, leading people to speak out who would not have done so before, while motivating many employers to respond lest they face the consequences of inaction. These movements have created space and an appetite for the expansion of employee rights and protections." (114)

State Laws:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:28:49 UTC

"In protecting workers against discrimination and harassment, federal civil rights laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 serve as a floor of protection, not a ceiling. California, with its Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), serves as an excellent model of the wider coverage and broader protections that state laws can provide to employees.

California first passed the predecessor to the FEHA in 1959. It prohibited discrimination in employment based on race, religion, color, national origin, and ancestry. Over the years, the FEHA has been expanded to protect employees from other forms of discrimination and harassment, including mistreatment based on age, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and military and veteran status. The FEHA expressly prohibits harassment based on protected categories, including sexual harassment, and has done so for decades.

Federal civil rights law operates differently. Unlike the FEHA, Title VII does not expressly address sexual harassment or any other type of workplace harassment. Rather, courts have interpreted Title VII’s prohibition on discriminating against any individual with respect to the “terms, conditions, or privileges of employment,” as including harassment that is sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of employment.

The Supreme Court has laid out the elements necessary for a plaintiff to prevail on a claim for hostile work environment sexual harassment under Title VII:

1) He or she was a member of a protected group

2) He or she was subjected to unwelcome behavior

3) This behavior was “because of . . . sex”

4) The harassing conduct was “sufficiently severe or pervasive ‘to alter the conditions of [the victim’s] employment and create an abusive working environment"

5) The employer should bear responsibility for the harassing conduct.

California courts have adopted the same standards under the FEHA." (115)

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Schultz. V. (2018). #MeToo and the Future of Sexual Harassment Law . The Yale Law Journal. 128. III

An updated definition of rape:

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(116)

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The Editors at the United States Department of Justice Archives . (2012). AN UPDATED DEFINITION OF RAPE. Available: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/blog/updated-definition-rape. Last accessed 15th November 2019.

Netflix:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:31:04 UTC

Netflix has apparently banned people from looking at each for longer than 5 seconds, as a part of their new anti-harassment rules. Accord to an article in the Sun, it also says that 'The new policy also bans the company’s film crews from asking their colleagues for their phone numbers'. The meeting where the polices changed, the senior officials went there and apparently looking at someone for longer than 5 seconds is creepy. 'Other new rules include: “Don’t give lingering hugs or touch anyone for a lengthy period of time,” “Don’t ask out a colleague more than once if they have said no,” “Steer clear of a colleague once they have said they are not interested in you,” and “Don’t flirt.” The rules also encourage employees to “Shout ‘Stop, don’t do that again!’ if a colleague has been inappropriate.' Netflix haven't actually confirmed or denied these new rules, but they did comment that they are proud of their anti-harassment training that they offer. (117)

(117)

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:31:33 UTC

Timpf, K. (2018). Report: Netflix Bans Employees from Looking at Each Other for More Than Five Seconds. Available: https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/06/netflix-five-second-staring-rule/. Last accessed 15th November 2019.

Unions join forces to boost mental health awareness in performing arts:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:31:46 UTC

Equity is redoubling its efforts to address mental health in the performing arts, by teaming up with other unions and encouraging employers to bring the issue to the fore.

The efforts are being backed by MPs including Luciana Berger, who chaired a meeting of the Performers’ Alliance All-Party Parliamentary Group on July 10, attended by performers, other entertainment unions, the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre.

In a blog for HuffPost to coincide with the session, Berger said: “We need new protections and new rights to be established. We value our arts and the contribution they make. We must value our artists too, and ensure no one’s mental health is affected by outdated and exploitative practices.”

Equity, the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain and the Musicians’ Union will now work with the parliamentary group to further raise the profile of mental health as an issue that must be addressed within performing arts workplaces.

The union has already begun hosting mental health and well-being drop-in sessions at the Actors Centre in London, as part of a drive to offer more support for performers.

The parliamentary meeting was also attended by employers, such as the West End’s Dominion Theatre, which has started running a programme of in-house well-being sessions for its workforce.

Among those speaking were actor Tanya Moodie, who said: “In the entertainment industry we are experts at veneer. By that, I mean there seems to be a premium placed on appearing successful when we are not working – for example, the advice I was given early in my career was to act and dress like I didn’t need the job no matter how broke I was and how often I’d been rejected – and being grateful when we are working. This includes never being ‘off’ due to sickness, exhaustion, childcare issues or injury.”

“Clearly we’re all here today because there is no easy answer. The best we can do is weave more stitching into the safety nets within our network in the hope of preventing more of our beloved colleagues from falling through the gaps,” she added.

Moodie also suggested there should be easy signposts for people needing immediate help, such as a link on Equity’s homepage to the mental health charity Mind.

Last month, a free helpline to provide mental health and well-being support was set up for theatre professionals. It can be accessed 24 hours a day by phone or email.

In 2016, a spate of suicides in the sector prompted the launch of ArtsMinds, a website aimed at supporting people in the industry suffering from mental health issues. (118)

(118)

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:32:15 UTC

Georgia Snow. (2018). Unions join forces to boost mental health awareness in performing arts. Available: https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2018/unions-join-forces-boost-mental-health-awareness-performing-arts/. Last accessed 14th January 2020.

How They Do the Work: Supporting Survivor Healing and Community-Based Action to Interrupt Sexual Violence:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:32:38 UTC

The ‘me too’ movement supports survivors of sexual violence and their allies by connecting survivors to resources, offering community organising resources, pursuing a ‘me too’ policy platform, and gathering sexual violence researchers and research. ‘Me Too’ movement work is a blend of grassroots organising to interrupt sexual violence and digital community building to connect survivors to resources.

As the ‘me too’ movement affirms empowerment through empathy and community-based action, the work is survivor-led and specific to the needs of different communities.

Tarana Burke began ‘me too’ with young Black women and girls from low wealth communities. She developed culturally-informed curriculum to discuss sexual violence within the Black community and in society at large. Similarly, the ‘me too’ movement seeks to support folks working within their communities to attend to the specific needs of their community/communities, i.e. supporting disabled trans survivors of color working to lead and craft events/toolkits/etc. with other disabled trans survivors. Together, they are uplifting and supporting each other to strengthen a global movement to interrupt sexual violence. (119)

(119)

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:32:58 UTC

Unknown. (2018). About. Available: https://metoomvmt.org/about/#history. Last accessed 18th November 2019.

#MeToo and the Future of Sexual Harassment Law:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:33:31 UTC

There has been significant progress in protecting employees from sexual harassment over the past twenty years. Courts have recognized that sexual harassment is perpetrated by and against people of all sexes and genders, takes sexual and nonsexual forms, and is often motivated by bias and hostility, not sexual desire. Yet sexual harassment persists and remains largely unreported. The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have motivated people to speak out about sexual harassment, but many of those now choosing to speak remain vulnerable to retaliation. This Essay provides the perspective of an attorney whose practice focuses on plaintiff-side employment law in California. It explores the ways that state laws can offer greater protections to employees, using California as a model. It then reflects on some of the shortcomings of current state and federal law. Finally, it discusses some of the proposed legislation that, inspired by the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, seeks to prevent harassment and to protect employees who come forward. (120)

(120)

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:33:59 UTC

Schultz. V. (2018). #MeToo and the Future of Sexual Harassment Law . The Yale Law Journal. 128. Introduction

Change:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:34:10 UTC

Now that the conversation of the #MeToo Movement has come to light, it is expanding globally and the majority of the public, specifically in the Performing Arts Industry, are educated on the topic. The abuse that is occurring in every occupation, from low-pay jobs such as fast food chains, to Hollywood film sets is being touched upon and justice is being served. The project intends to reach out to a 'broader spectrum of survivors'.

These survivors want the people responsible to be held accountable for their actions, past and present, and in addition to this, rules in workplaces and more laws to be put in place so that the future generation does not have to experience the same treatment as some have faced; systematic change is needed for long term effect, helping 'young people, queer, trans, and disabled folks' to 'Black women and girls, and all communities of colour'. (121)

(121)

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Burke, T. (2006 ). History and Vision . Available: https://metoomvmt.org/about/#history. Last accessed 13th November 2019

Help:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:35:04 UTC

The #MeToo Movement is driven by the survivors, with them creating solutions in an attempt to interrupt and stop sexual abuse and harassment in their communities, whether this being at home, at work or wherever they may be; the ultimate aim is to 'focus on helping those who need it to find entry points for individual healing and galvanising a broad base of survivors to disrupt the systems that allow for the global proliferation of sexual violence'.

This movement doesn't just highlight the sexual abuse but it also strives to directly help the survivors with support, allowing them to heal. With the movement being so well-known now, globally, these survivors now have the ability to communicate their experience and discuss this with others who have endured similar, if not the same experience. The movement supports survivors of sexual violence and their allies by connecting survivors to resources, offering community organising resources, pursuing a 'Me Too' policy platform to gather researchers and research the crimes that have taken place.

The #MeToo Movement doesn't just generalise the survivors help now as the movement is such a global force - they still adapt specifically to the needs of 'different communities'.

'Similarly, the #MeToo Movement seeks to support folks working within their communities to attend the specific needs of their community/communities, i.e. supporting disabled trans survivors of colour working to lead and craft events/toolkits/etc. with other disabled trans survivors '. (121)

Tarana Burke:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:35:23 UTC

Tarana Burke was born on the 12th September 1973 and is known for founding the #MeToo Movement. She is also a civil-rights activist, who is African-American. She had quite a troubled childhood, growing up in a low-income, working-class family in a housing project. She is also a three time survivor of sexual assault, as a child and also as a teenager. Her mother was the one who actually supported her throughout these traumatic events and encouraged her to start talking and use these horrific occurrences to help others who had experienced similar.

Her career has always revolved around helping others, starting working alongside the 21st century youth leadership movement and other helpful organisations.

In 2003, she co-founded her own organisation, with an aim to support and offer help to young minority women, and from this she then continued on to be a consultant on the film 'Selma' and also work at an arts sanctuary in Philadelphia; currently, she is 'Senior Director at Girls for Gender Equity' in Brooklyn and engages in public speaking events across America, that promotes support for survivors of sexual assault.

Phrasing:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:35:45 UTC

The original phase - 'Me Too' was created by Burke whilst she was working at her organisation, 'Just Be Inc.'. She would often hear stories from girls who had been sexually assaulted, with one girl even mentioning it being carried out by her mothers boyfriend, and from hearing these accounts, would be left speechless, searching for anything that she could say in order to help these girls deal with the situation at hand and emphasise with them; she started saying "You are not alone. This happened to me too".

From this point on, it became Burke's phrase and started this now huge movement. Burke believes that the statement is 'double-edged' as it means that she is not afraid, nor ashamed of what has happened. This also shows the survivors that she feels, understands and knows what they are experiencing.

Heaven:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:36:01 UTC

Referring to the girl that Burke had spoken to, who had been assaulted by her mothers boyfriend - her name was Heaven. Burke recalls the events of what happened to Heaven as 'Doing all sorts of monstrous things to her developing body'. Burke claims that she was horrified by the events told and after five minutes of being spoken to, had to turn the girl away as she couldn't bear to listen to any more. She also claims that the look on Heavens face still haunts her to this day.

As stated on her website, Burke says "I think about her all of the time. The shock of being rejected, the pain of opening a wound only to have it abruptly forced closed again - it was all on her face. As much as I love children, as much as I cared about that child, I could not find the courage that she had found". Burke then continues to say "I watched her walk away from me as she tried to recapture her secrets and tuck them back into her hiding place. I watched her put her mask back on and go back into the world like she was all alone and I couldn't even bring myself to whisper... me too". (122)

This real account was the original catalyst for the #MeToo Movement. Heavens bravery to share her story means that now, others are using that same courage to share theirs.

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victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:36:42 UTC

Biography.com Editors. (2018). Tarana Burke Biography. Available: https://www.biography.com/activist/tarana-burke. Last accessed 13th November 2019.

Alyssa Milano Tweet:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:37:00 UTC

Despite Tarana Burke having created the campaign, on October 15th 2017, from this tweet, Alyssa Milano created a chain reaction in regards to the movement.

Alyssa Milano:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:37:39 UTC

Alyssa Milano is an American actress, producer, singer and activist; her first acting opportunity was at an open audition for 'Annie', where she was cast as an orphan, but it wasn't until she gained the role of 'Samantha Micelli' on 'Who's The Boss' which became her breakthrough role in the industry.

Alyssa on Sexual Assault:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:37:53 UTC

Alyssa claims to have been sexually assaulted over 30 years ago but did not report the incident as she believed that the accusations would not be taken seriously. In the wake of accusations against Harvey Weinstein, she tweeted (above) and thus, others could project the fact that they are a survivor without having to give details.

She says that it took her 30 years to even tell her parents and never sought justice as she never wanted to relive it and instead wanted to forget about it altogether.

However, despite this, she knew that speaking up about her own experience would encourage others to do so too, to which she was correct. (123)

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victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:38:19 UTC

Jensen, E. (2018). Alyssa Milano talks violent sexual assault at concert when she was 19: 'I couldn't breathe. Available: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/10/05/alyssa-milano-concert-sexual-assault-19-punched-metoo/1532125002/. Last accessed 13th November 2019.

Alyssa Milano: Concert Experience.

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:38:34 UTC

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/10/05/alyssa-milano-concert-sexual-assault-19-punched-metoo/1532125002/

Harvey Weinstein:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:38:55 UTC

Harvey Weinstein was born on March 19th 1952 and was an American film producer.

He and his brother Bob founded a company called 'Miramax' then in 2005, founded 'The Weinstein Company'. This ran until 2017, which was the year that his Hollywood empire came crashing down.

Harvey Weinstein - October 2017:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:39:08 UTC

On the 5th of this month, The 'New York Times' reported a story that accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct, sexual harassment and paying out eight settlements over the space of 30 years to actress's he has worked with and women who used to be part of his companies. This was the beginning of the end for Harvey Weinstein's career as only five days later on the 10th, Ronan Farrow a reporter for 'The New Yorker' reported that Weinstein had raped 3 women and sexually assaulted another 13; Farrow stated that he'd wanted to publish these allegations much earlier but was told by his parents company, NBC, that he couldn't because they were under pressure not to - they of course denied this. In this report it states that people did in fact know about Weinstein's activities and as many as 16 current or former employees of Weinstein had been told or even witnessed this acts of Weinstein that all have reported to be non-consensual. It was then reported that 4 actress said they had rejected Weinstein's approaches and fired from whatever project they were on as a result of this.

They all had suspicions that Weinstein was behind this as a way to prove his authority.

Dawn Dunning said in a Sky News documentary that Harvey had said that "This is how this industry works' after he offered her 3 film contracts in turn for sexual activity with himself and his assistant.

Furthermore in this report, an audio recording was published, in which Weinstein admits he inappropriately touched Ambra Gutierrez in 2015, I that same the model Gutierrez went to the NYPD years earlier to obtain this audio recording but allegedly a 'national enquirer' which is an American publisher agreed to shut down the claims from not only Gutierrez but also Rose McGowan. In the end, there hadn't been enough evidence to convict Weinstein of any crime at this time.

In addition to this, earlier, when Farrow had been investigating this case, apparently Weinstein had hired a private investigation company to stop any claim about himself from emerging in the press, as it would tarnish his name and reputation.

The biggest 'open' secret in Hollywood:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:39:39 UTC

There had always been talk in the Hollywood circuit about Harvey Weinstein' infamous 'casting couch', with the earliest ever comment on this or Harvey as a 'sleezy' bloke was in 1998 when Gwyneth Paltrow said on a talk show that 'Weinstein will coerce you to do a thing or two'; surprisingly enough, another actress this time, Courtney Love, stated in 2005 'If Harvey Weinstein invites you to a private party in the Four Seasons, don't go.'

Moreover, again in 2010, an article emerged, which had mentioned the 'casting couch'.

In 2012, an American TV series made a joke about Harvey Weinstein and his advances on women and in 2013 Seth McFarlan made another joke, only this time at an academy award ceremony.

Later in 2012, a book was published by one of Weinstein's former employees at Miramax and details of many incidents of misconduct by Weinstein were spoke of.

Survivors of Harvey Weinstein:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:40:02 UTC

Currently, there is over 100 women in total that have accused Harvey Weinstein of many crimes; these include rape, sexual assault, assault and sexual harassment.

From the information gathered from many reports, it is a reaccuring theme that women will say that Weinstein would always invite them to talk about their career and then demand sex or sexual acts in return for help with their career.

The list of women who have accused Weinstein of sexual abuse, assault or harassment is very extensive and has some very famous names on it, some of these are; Kate Beckinsale, Cate Blanchett, Cara Delevingne, Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Myleene Klass, Rose McGowan, Lupita Nyong'o, Gwyneth Paltrow, Uma Thurman and Asia Argento. With many more names on that list.

In an interview with a former Mirimax employee, she stated that 'Weinstein would have women in there (his office), three times a week at least'. (124)
This happened for 30 years so the number could be in the thousands.

There is also 14 women who have said Weinstein raped them. 11 being named and 3 unnamed.

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victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:40:46 UTC

The Editors at BBC News. (2017). Harvey Weinstein: Met police investigate new sex assault claims. Available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41629689. Last accessed 15th November 2019

Harvey Weinstein Charges:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:41:02 UTC

Harvey Weinstein - Legal Action:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:41:25 UTC

As of October 2017, the police forces reacted, London's, LA's and New York's police departments started processing the situation and started reviewing Weinstein's actions. Each police department started their own investigation into Weinstein.

In October 2017, the NYPD was preparing a warrant to try to arrest Weinstein just for the rape of Paz De La Huerta, but up until 2018, in May, the investigation was still pending. By the end of that month, Weinstein was actually charged with crimes, some of those being rape, sex abuse and harassment, but on the same day, a 1 million dollar bail was paid and the agreement he would give up his passport and wear an ankle monitor and be confined to just New York and Connecticut allowed him free.

The LAPD are investigating an unnamed actress that accused Weinstein of certain crimes and the London police are looking in cases that go back to the 90's; this is total of 15 cases regarding Harvey Weinstein.
There has been many civil lawsuits against Weinstein, some of these being against his company.

One of his old personal assistants tried to sue him, as did Ashley Judge as Weinstein made false comments about her. In addition to this, there are also reports of Weinstein trying to settle lawsuits against him for 44 million dollars.

Weinstein's lawyer Benjamin Brafman said that his client will plead not guilty.

From then to now, more charges were put on Weinstein but were then removed and the trial date was pushed back to January 6th 2020.

Harvey Weinstein - The backlash:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:42:03 UTC

Weinstein received widespread abuse and backlash for the horrific crimes he committed, this backlash coming from various people, famous or not.

Weinstein also got fired from his own company and also removed from many organisations such as the BAFTA's and as well as this, the President of France and Labour party in the UK took away titles from him.

Furthermore, he underwent a divorce from his wife; she divorced him only 5 days after the allegations came out.

Women began coming forward from all walks of life, and started sharing their own stories about being sexual abused or even raped.

Charles Upham who was the father of Misty Upham came forward to the authorities, stating that a member of Weinsteins team had raped his daughter and the others watched and even worse, didn't just watch, but cheered. This just shows the toxic environment that Weinstein created at his company.

There were documentaries made by Sky News, 'The New Yorker' and 'The New York Times' and they won prizes for their work uncovering the scandal; The people behind the Me Too Movement were named the 'Silence Breakers', the movement spreading across Europe and in fact, the world.

In places such as France, political parties were accused of sexual harassment. The outing of Weinstein put other heads on the chopping block and more allegations came out against people such as Kevin Spacy, Louis C K and Brett Ratner.

This was called the Weinstein effect.

The Weinstein effect:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:42:42 UTC

The Weinstein effect also put the Me Too movement on a global stage, which gave women confidence all around the world to speak up and just simply say 'Me Too'.

Something that people may not know is that it was a women called Gretchen Carlson that made a complaint against Roger Ailes who was her stations chairmen at Fox news. This encouraged journalists to look into not only Weinstein but Bill O' Reilly as well, and this lead to Bill being fired in April 2017 and then in May 2017, 10 months after the allegation, Ailes died.

As you know, the 5th and 10th of October were the days in which the allegations came out against Weinstein.

This created the effect that allowed men and women all around the world to share their stories online about sexual misconduct and this affected many industries, not only the performance industry, with actors and directors such as Kevin Spacy, Ben Affleck, James Tobak and even people from the new medium of YouTube such as 'Screen Junkies' creator, Andy Signore.

More industries were affected as well as politicians and senators such as John Conyers and Al Franken, and even TV figures were accused. Two examples are Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose.

Saying this, it wasn't just an effect in the USA, as UK politicians were accused also. These allegations span across decades, there were even accusations against charities and festivals in Canada and in the UK and even defence securities and Welsh ministers too. Journalists said that it was a reckoning and the time had come for justice. People unsurprisingly accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct as well as Bill Clinton and R. Kelly too.

Very high profile figures that were in support of the Me Too Movement have also had allegations made against them for sexual harassment and assault.

Firstly there was Leslie Moonves who was the CEO of CBS and founded 'Commission on Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace', this was formed in 2017, after the Weinstein allegations emerged. At the end of July 2018, 6 women did come out against him and accused him of sexually harassing them, the most famous one of these was the actress IIIeana Douglas.

Another very interesting accusation was against Asia Argento, who was the leading, 'Weinstein accuser and prominent #MeToo movement leader'. (125)

In 2013, only 4 years before this, it is understood that she assaulted a then 17 year old, Jimmy Bennet in a hotel in California. He was not only under the age of consent she was also a survivor of assault herself.

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victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:42:53 UTC

Severson, K. (2018). Asia Argento, a #MeToo Leader, Made a Deal With Her Own Accuser. Available: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/19/us/asia-argento-assault-jimmy-bennett.html. Last accessed 15th November 2019

Kevin Spacey:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:43:33 UTC

Everyone knows he's a very famous actor, who has been in many things and he is probably most famous for his role as Frank Underwood on House of Cards.

From the Weinstein Effect, I have mentioned his name was brought up multiple times in multiple different countries with allegations spanning from the 80's all the way to 2016. It is understood by the public and media that Spacey claims he didn't do it as much as Weinstein has but he there's still maybe a few cases that he can be charged for, including young males.

The first accusation is from 1986 and is from Anthony Rapp an actor who starred on Broadway but at this time he was only starting out as a 14 year old while Spacey was 26, Rapp said Spacy did appear drunk and tried to sexually advance himself on Rapp, a whole 21 years later is when Rapp shared this story to the world but, he did try to tell people in a interview in 2001 but Spacey's name had to be removed as they didn't want to publicly out a very famous well respected actor. I feel the fact that Spacey was drunk and this was the first accusation meant he just tried to play it off saying in a tweet he doesn't remember it and he owned Rapp 'the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour',(Melas, 2017) he still denied doing this anyways. Spacey couldn't keep hiding and lying for long though as more and more allegations and accusation started coming out of the woodwork, as another 15 more young men, these ranging from news broadcaster's son, film directors to former Norway royal family members. Whilst he was artistic director at the Old Vic Theatre more than 20 people came forward with account he had 'behaved in an inappropriate way with young men', a further 8 people came forward who had worked on House of Cards, one of the films Spacey worked on, the production had to be shut down for 2 days because Spacy behaved inappropriately to a young male actor and made sexual advances on them. Then by September 2018 almost a year on from the original allegations two separate departments in LA the 'District Attorney's office' and the 'Superior Court', started to investigate a claim that Spacey sexually assaulted a young man in 1992, and a young masseur in 2016, whilst across the pond Scotland Yard said they had now 6 open investigations just into Spacey alone.

Kevin Spacey and House of Cards:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:43:53 UTC

In wake of all these allegations, the filming for House of Cards final season was put on stand by and the Media Rights Capital, who produce the show. These producers felt like they had to open up an 'anonymous complaint hotline, crisis counsellors, and sexual harassment legal advisors for the crew', and because of all the allegations MRC then came out and said that back 2012, a member of crew had complained about a remark and gesture by Kevin Spacy, but MRC said that Spacy wanted to learn and take a course and they'd had no complaints since. The series of House of Cards was meant to finish in 2018, but it was cut short by 5 episodes. Spacey was removed from the cast and executive producer, Netflix cut all ties with Spacey, and they then cancelled two upcoming projects of his, cut him from a film already made, and he then also, was not honoured at an award show and his publicist and talent agency left him. (126)

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victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:44:28 UTC

Melas, C. (2017). 'House of Cards' employees allege sexual harassment, assault by Kevin Spacey. Available: https://money.cnn.com/2017/11/02/media/house-of-cards-kevin-spacey-harassment/index.html. Last accessed 22nd November 2019.

'Times Up'

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:44:48 UTC

'Times Up' is an organisation that was founded in order to terminate sexual abuse and the culture revolving it in Hollywood. 'This organization, has raised millions for legal funds and amassed volunteer lawyers, as well as donating to women’s organizations and sharing support lines and advice for shooting sex scenes. Time’s Up has also been about visibility as well as action, with actors promoting the campaign at awards ceremonies, for example, by bringing activists as their red carpet dates to the Golden Globes.' (127) The organisation has helped aid and encouraged those affected by the issue to join together to combat said issue and also find mechanisms in which to deal with their experience. 'The Producers’ Guild of America drew up and issued anti-sexual harassment guidelines' (127) Although the matter is illegal, this has not prevented such cases from occurring. Us, as a community, have to be educated on the topic and understand the systems in place should we ever deal with such or know someone who is dealing/has experienced these circumstances. 'The guidelines include training for all cast and crew and designating people that workers can approach to report any incidents.' (127) 'Times Up' also has a UK department in place.

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victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:45:12 UTC

The Editors at Times Up. (2018). Safe, fair, and dignified work for women of all kinds. Available: https://timesupnow.org/about/. Last accessed 15th November 2019.

Popularity within Countries:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:45:41 UTC

Theatre:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:46:04 UTC

With the progression of the #MeToo movement, Vicky Featherstone and Lucy Davies, who are 'the artistic director and executive producers of Londons Royal Court' set up an event for those working in the Performing Arts Industry, named the 'No Grey Area'. This event is for those affected by the movement to share their experiences and opinions; additionally, Featherstone and Davies created a code for those working in theatre to follow. This code reminds people of how they should behave within the working environment. The theatre sector have pro-actively taken measures in response to this movement. Cassie Chadderton, head of UK Theatre, said that 'The sector is a more supportive environment than it was 12 months ago. There is much more likelihood that you will hear the words: ‘Is that okay, or not okay?’. As the start of a conversation, that’s a good thing. Of course, a lot has to sit behind it.' 'UK Theatre’s handbook, Encouraging Safer and More Supportive Practices in Theatre, provides a benchmark for the industry in dealing with harassment issues; Featherstone calls it “fantastic”.' This book contains 10 very important principles 'designed to promote a safer working environment in theatres. “Which then, we hope, goes on to create a much more open conversational culture. Which means it’s okay to talk about it if you think you’ve got a problem.' (128)

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victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:46:32 UTC

Seales, R. (2018). What has #MeToo actually changed?. Available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-44045291. Last accessed 15th November 2019.

History & Vision:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:46:48 UTC

The ‘me too.’ movement was founded in 2006 to help survivors of sexual violence, particularly Black women and girls, and other young women of color from low wealth communities, find pathways to healing. The founders vision from the beginning was to address both the dearth in resources for survivors of sexual violence and to build a community of advocates, driven by survivors, who will be at the forefront of creating solutions to interrupt sexual violence in their communities.

In less than six months, because of the viral #metoo hashtag, a vital conversation about sexual violence has been thrust into the national dialogue. What started as local grassroots work has expanded to reach a global community of survivors from all walks of life and helped to de-stigmatize the act of surviving by highlighting the breadth and impact of a sexual violence worldwide.

Their work continues to focus on helping those who need it to find entry points for individual healing and galvanizing a broad base of survivors to disrupt the systems that allow for the global proliferation of sexual violence.

Their goal is also to reframe and expand the global conversation around sexual violence to speak to the needs of a broader spectrum of survivors. Young people, queer, trans, and disabled folks, Black women and girls, and all communities of color. They want perpetrators to be held accountable and we want strategies implemented to sustain long term, systemic change. (119)

Sponsor:

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:48:04 UTC

Girls for Gender Equity (GGE) is the fiscal sponsor of the ‘me too.’ movement, and receives tax-deductible charitable contributions for the benefit and use of implementing the ‘me too.’ movement’s programming. GGE is a New York nonprofit benefit corporation located in Brooklyn, NY, qualified as exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) and classified as a public charity under IRC Sections 509(a)(l) and l 70(b)(l)(A)(vi). (119)

Harvey Weinstein: Guilty.

victoriaac — 2020-12-14 22:48:28 UTC

Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of sexual assaults, including rape, capping a stunning downfall for the former Hollywood mogul and a victory for the #MeToo movement.

Weinstein, 67, was convicted in New York City of third-degree rape and first-degree criminal sexual act.

He was cleared of the most serious count of predatory sexual assault but faces up to 25 years in prison.

He still faces charges in Los Angeles of assaulting two women in 2013.

At least 80 women had accused him of sexual misconduct stretching back decades, including actresses Gwyneth Paltrow, Uma Thurman and Salma Hayek.

The allegations were at the centre of the #MeToo movement that inspired women to go public with misconduct allegations against powerful men.

The movie executive once enjoyed phenomenal success with Oscar winners such Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting, The King's Speech and Shakespeare in Love.

Reports say he was taken to New York's Bellevue Hospital suffering from chest pains after the verdict was announced.

He was due to be moved to prison on Riker's Island to await sentencing on March 11.
The jury of seven men and five women reached their verdict on Monday morning, the fifth day of deliberations.

Weinstein - who denied all charges - was convicted of sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping Jessica Mann, a former aspiring actress, in 2013. The judge ordered him sent to jail immediately.
But the jury acquitted him on two counts of predatory sexual assault, which carried a potential life sentence, and first-degree rape of Mann.

In the minutes after the verdict, Weinstein showed no emotion as he talked to his lead lawyer Donna Rotunno. He will be sentenced on 11 March.
The third-degree rape charge in New York is defined as engaging in sexual intercourse with a person who is incapable of consent, or under age 17, or who has not given consent for a reason other than the inability to consent.

Prosecutors portrayed Weinstein as a serial predator who used his position of power in Hollywood to manipulate and attack women.

The defence team said sex between the movie executive and the accusers was consensual, and that the accusers used the relations to advance their careers. The allegations amounted to "regret renamed as rape", the defence said. Two of the accusers kept in contact with Weinstein and had sex with him after the alleged attacks, they pointed out.

How did we get here?

Allegations against Weinstein began to emerge in October 2017, when the New York Times first reported incidents dating back decades
Weinstein issued an apology acknowledging he had "caused a lot of pain", but disputed the allegations
As dozens more accusations emerged, Weinstein was sacked by the board of his company and all but banished from Hollywood
A criminal investigation was launched in New York in late 2017, but Weinstein was not charged until May 2018, when he turned himself in to police.
Ms Haleyi, who had worked on one of Weinstein's television productions, said she was assaulted by the producer after he invited her to his Lower Manhattan home.

She testified that he backed her into a bedroom, held her down on the bed and forced himself on her.

Ms Mann said that she found herself in an "extremely degrading" relationship with him that did not involve intercourse until he raped her in a New York City hotel room in 2013.

She said he was a "Jekyll and Hyde" figure who could be charming in public but showed his dark side when they were alone.

Another one of Weinstein's accusers, Sopranos actress Annabella Sciorra, told jurors he raped her in her apartment one night in the mid-1990s.

Weinstein accuser: 'No' was a trigger for him.

Her allegation was too old to be charged as a separate crime, but prosecutors used it in an attempt to demonstrate that the accused was a repeat sexual offender.

Following the verdict, Ms Sciorra said: "I spoke for myself and with the strength of the 80-plus victims of Harvey Weinstein in my heart."Three other also women testified they were lured to apparent work meetings with Weinstein, then sexually assaulted.

"The fight is not over," Ms Rotunno told reporters outside the courthouse. "Harvey is unbelievably strong. He took it like a man and he knows we will continue to fight for him and he knows that this is not over."

She said her client was disappointed, but "mentally tough".

Rose McGowan told the BBC's Newshour programme: "The little girl I was when I was hurt, she's ecstatic...This is a great day. The trash has been taken out."

The actress, who was an early Weinstein accuser, added: "The fact that we are white women and attractive and of some means and it still took this many of us to even get him to have one day in court - just tells you…how almost impossible it is to even be heard, period, let alone [get] any kind of conviction."

What happens next?

Weinstein's lawyer said the defence will be appealing against the conviction "immediately"
He still faces charges of rape and sexual assault in Los Angeles, and there are other cases under review, according to the county district attorney
Civil complaints against Weinstein continue to be fought
In December 2019, lawyers said they reached a tentative $25m (£19m) deal with some accusers (129)

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BBC. (2020). Harvey Weinstein found guilty of rape in watershed case. Available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-51621041. Last accessed 26th February 2020.

How Actors Can Continue Marketing Themselves During COVID-19:

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How the Entertainment Industry Is Dealing With Coronavirus—the Latest:

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