Comments for Green Shirt Studio http://www.greenshirtstudio.com Because your acting should be as real as the shirt on your back. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:57:33 +0100 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Big weekend! by Penelope Walker http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/big-weekend/#comment-13 Penelope Walker Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:57:33 +0000 http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/big-weekend/#comment-13 I'd love to join you for your free workshop on Jan 7th, 2012 @ 10am. What is your address & how long is the workshop? I’d love to join you for your free workshop on Jan 7th, 2012 @ 10am. What is your address & how long is the workshop?

]]> Comment on Loving the Questions Themselves… by Andrew http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/loving-the-questions-themselves/#comment-12 Andrew Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:20:36 +0000 http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/loving-the-questions-themselves/#comment-12 Hi David, Thanks for your feedback and thoughtful comments. I believe very strongly that our interpretative work as actors needs to be done in a way that does not get in the way of what I believe to be the most important thing, the moment by moment connection between human beings. We teach interpretation (actions, beats, adjustments etc etc) but we do it in such a way that it does not become just an intellectual exercise, but a way to unlock the work happening between actors. I don't think that actors who work out at home just how they're going to do something in a play are doing themselves or their partners any favors because it negates the other person. What we need to do is very carefully set up the dominoes with our interpretative work and then let them fall in rehearsal and performance. And the thing about dominoes is that they NEVER fall the same way twice. They may come close, but there are always nuances. That's why I love theater so much: because by its very nature, it is unrepeatable just like life. Every performance is a once in a lifetime experience and we should embrace that incredible fact in our work. I look forward to hearing your thoughts! Thanks again for your feedback! Andrew Hi David,
Thanks for your feedback and thoughtful comments. I believe very strongly that our interpretative work as actors needs to be done in a way that does not get in the way of what I believe to be the most important thing, the moment by moment connection between human beings. We teach interpretation (actions, beats, adjustments etc etc) but we do it in such a way that it does not become just an intellectual exercise, but a way to unlock the work happening between actors. I don’t think that actors who work out at home just how they’re going to do something in a play are doing themselves or their partners any favors because it negates the other person. What we need to do is very carefully set up the dominoes with our interpretative work and then let them fall in rehearsal and performance. And the thing about dominoes is that they NEVER fall the same way twice. They may come close, but there are always nuances. That’s why I love theater so much: because by its very nature, it is unrepeatable just like life. Every performance is a once in a lifetime experience and we should embrace that incredible fact in our work.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts! Thanks again for your feedback!

Andrew

]]> Comment on Experience the Level 1 Meisner Class at Green Shirt Studio by Andrew http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/experience-the-level-1-meisner-class-at-green-shirt-studio/#comment-11 Andrew Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:12:02 +0000 http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/experience-the-level-1-meisner-class-at-green-shirt-studio/#comment-11 Hi Acting Theory, I agree with you about the idea of character. Character exists in the space between performer and viewer. I also think that our job as actors is to find our point of view within the "character's" (all the words on the page that indicate a human being experiencing and doing) point of view. As for "Living Truthfully" I understand your point that it might seem abstract, but we mean it in a very specific way. First, it is about this idea of "The Reality of Doing," meaning we do not pretend to do things on stage. If we are meant to be reading a book during a play, then we need to be actually reading a book. When we really do things, natural behavior and truthful emotion take care of themselves. Second, everyone has an act that they've developed by living in the world. Some people are terrified of conflict, some people are crass, some people are indirect etc etc etc. Most of that comes as a very natural response to life experience. In our work in class though, many of those conditioned behaviors are masking deeper, truer impulses and we need to begin at least to unearth them. So in that sense, Living Truthfully is also about getting closer to purer instinct and impulse so that when you play a part that doesn't share your life experience, you can respond with less of your own baggage in the way. I hope that makes sense. Thanks again for your feedback and good luck! Andrew Hi Acting Theory,
I agree with you about the idea of character. Character exists in the space between performer and viewer. I also think that our job as actors is to find our point of view within the “character’s” (all the words on the page that indicate a human being experiencing and doing) point of view. As for “Living Truthfully” I understand your point that it might seem abstract, but we mean it in a very specific way. First, it is about this idea of “The Reality of Doing,” meaning we do not pretend to do things on stage. If we are meant to be reading a book during a play, then we need to be actually reading a book. When we really do things, natural behavior and truthful emotion take care of themselves.

Second, everyone has an act that they’ve developed by living in the world. Some people are terrified of conflict, some people are crass, some people are indirect etc etc etc. Most of that comes as a very natural response to life experience. In our work in class though, many of those conditioned behaviors are masking deeper, truer impulses and we need to begin at least to unearth them. So in that sense, Living Truthfully is also about getting closer to purer instinct and impulse so that when you play a part that doesn’t share your life experience, you can respond with less of your own baggage in the way.

I hope that makes sense. Thanks again for your feedback and good luck!

Andrew

]]> Comment on Experience the Level 1 Meisner Class at Green Shirt Studio by ActingTheory http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/experience-the-level-1-meisner-class-at-green-shirt-studio/#comment-10 ActingTheory Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:59:31 +0000 http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/experience-the-level-1-meisner-class-at-green-shirt-studio/#comment-10 And just one last thing. I've noticed that you speak of your work in beginning classes as working on the first part of the phrase "living truthfully under imaginary circumstances." So the work is "living truthfully" but I'm interested in what you think that means. I always thought the phrase was meant to be taken in total and not separated out. “Living truthfully” seems a rather roomy abstraction into which many feelings and ideas that are not quite at home anywhere might find a place. Anyway just my thought for the moment and I look forward to hearing from you should you wish to comment on my comment. Keep up the good work Green Shirt Studio and thank you for the opportunity to blog. And just one last thing. I've noticed that you speak of your work in beginning classes as working on the first part of the phrase "living truthfully under imaginary circumstances." So the work is "living truthfully" but I'm interested in what you think that means. I always thought the phrase was meant to be taken in total and not separated out. “Living truthfully” seems a rather roomy abstraction into which many feelings and ideas that are not quite at home anywhere might find a place. Anyway just my thought for the moment and I look forward to hearing from you should you wish to comment on my comment. Keep up the good work Green Shirt Studio and thank you for the opportunity to blog.

]]> Comment on Experience the Level 1 Meisner Class at Green Shirt Studio by ActingTheory http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/experience-the-level-1-meisner-class-at-green-shirt-studio/#comment-9 ActingTheory Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:49:48 +0000 http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/experience-the-level-1-meisner-class-at-green-shirt-studio/#comment-9 I am also interested on what is meant by 'honesty" and "HONESTY" and how you view honesty as a necessary part of acting. Thanks! I am also interested on what is meant by 'honesty" and "HONESTY" and how you view honesty as a necessary part of acting. Thanks!

]]> Comment on Experience the Level 1 Meisner Class at Green Shirt Studio by ActingTheory http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/experience-the-level-1-meisner-class-at-green-shirt-studio/#comment-8 ActingTheory Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:43:49 +0000 http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/experience-the-level-1-meisner-class-at-green-shirt-studio/#comment-8 I'm enjoying reading this post of your thoughts on your experience in class. Regarding "character" allow me to relate for you what a the "first generation Meisner teacher, Fred Kareman, typically said to his students, in one form or another, as part of his introduction of the work. “The reason I’m such a stickler that you don’t play a part, that you don’t play some character, yeah, and yet on the other hand that part is never about you, it has nothing to do with you and your life . . that part is invented, that’s an invention from an artist, isn’t that true? From a playwright . . . so that if it’s real you take the art right out of it. Acting is not real, it’s truthful. And we create the illusion truthfully, we have a curtain, we have costumes, we have makeup, we have people who do the lighting …everyone contributes to create this illusion on the stage , isn’t that true? It’s not real, if it were real it would be boring. We’d be bored to death. It is truthful and its done by people who can come alive under imaginary circumstances and they’re called actors.” <br /><br />What Kareman would say is “character” is simply you living out each of those moments as you’ve rehearsed them and thus you become the “character”. I'm enjoying reading this post of your thoughts on your experience in class. Regarding "character" allow me to relate for you what a the "first generation Meisner teacher, Fred Kareman, typically said to his students, in one form or another, as part of his introduction of the work. “The reason I’m such a stickler that you don’t play a part, that you don’t play some character, yeah, and yet on the other hand that part is never about you, it has nothing to do with you and your life . . that part is invented, that’s an invention from an artist, isn’t that true? From a playwright . . . so that if it’s real you take the art right out of it. Acting is not real, it’s truthful. And we create the illusion truthfully, we have a curtain, we have costumes, we have makeup, we have people who do the lighting …everyone contributes to create this illusion on the stage , isn’t that true? It’s not real, if it were real it would be boring. We’d be bored to death. It is truthful and its done by people who can come alive under imaginary circumstances and they’re called actors.”

What Kareman would say is “character” is simply you living out each of those moments as you’ve rehearsed them and thus you become the “character”.

]]> Comment on Loving the Questions Themselves… by PoorTheatre http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/loving-the-questions-themselves/#comment-7 PoorTheatre Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:28:50 +0000 http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/loving-the-questions-themselves/#comment-7 Oh by the way Andrew, my name is David Perry and I'm a long ago graduate of the Goodman School of Drama and taught for a number of years. I ran across your site and got to reading comments on your blog. Thought I'd shoot you that question. Oh by the way Andrew, my name is David Perry and I'm a long ago graduate of the Goodman School of Drama and taught for a number of years. I ran across your site and got to reading comments on your blog. Thought I'd shoot you that question.

]]> Comment on Loving the Questions Themselves… by PoorTheatre http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/loving-the-questions-themselves/#comment-6 PoorTheatre Tue, 25 Oct 2011 02:25:00 +0000 http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/loving-the-questions-themselves/#comment-6 Hello Andrew, <br /><br />I was interested in your post "Loving the Questions Themselves." How do you feel about Interpretation? I was thinking that on stage everything, every single moment is meant to be worked out in a specific way. So in that way you're not really allowing the other guy to do you as they would do you in the exercise because well as you probably understand but I'll say it anyway - each actor has worked out their part, their moments in a particular way so you're really not working truthfully off the other guy are you? You're satisfying the playwright. What are your thoughts. Hello Andrew,

I was interested in your post "Loving the Questions Themselves." How do you feel about Interpretation? I was thinking that on stage everything, every single moment is meant to be worked out in a specific way. So in that way you're not really allowing the other guy to do you as they would do you in the exercise because well as you probably understand but I'll say it anyway – each actor has worked out their part, their moments in a particular way so you're really not working truthfully off the other guy are you? You're satisfying the playwright. What are your thoughts.

]]> Comment on Places to find auditions in Chicago by Valerie Meachum http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/places-to-find-auditions-in-chicago/#comment-5 Valerie Meachum Tue, 19 Jul 2011 23:57:58 +0000 http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/places-to-find-auditions-in-chicago/#comment-5 Re: Actors Access, spring for the Showfax subscription. The $65 annual fee includes unlimited electronic submissions; I've yet to have a year where I didn't submit enough in the first three months to make it worth my while.<br /><br />The other Showfax perks, like access to sides, are less useful outside the LA market, but Chicago projects do occasionally make use of them. Re: Actors Access, spring for the Showfax subscription. The $65 annual fee includes unlimited electronic submissions; I've yet to have a year where I didn't submit enough in the first three months to make it worth my while.

The other Showfax perks, like access to sides, are less useful outside the LA market, but Chicago projects do occasionally make use of them.

]]> Comment on Places to find auditions in Chicago by MatthewMHelms http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/places-to-find-auditions-in-chicago/#comment-3 MatthewMHelms Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:53:05 +0000 http://www.greenshirtstudio.com/places-to-find-auditions-in-chicago/#comment-3 I will say as a student of both Andrew Gallant and Sommer Austin, I have gained an understanding of what real truth is, as an actor and human being. Two of the best Meisner teachers I've had and the most influential ones.<br /><br />Matthew Helms-(Current Level 4 Student) I will say as a student of both Andrew Gallant and Sommer Austin, I have gained an understanding of what real truth is, as an actor and human being. Two of the best Meisner teachers I've had and the most influential ones.

Matthew Helms-(Current Level 4 Student)

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