The Process of Acting
Drama is an art. Its artists are actors. Just like any other art form, proper training in theater is essential to gain mastery in the skill of acting. There are many approaches to teaching acting. Gordon Phillips, a seasoned professional in the field, has developed a very interesting method. In his book, Take it Personally, he describes his system as "the most honest, natural, and practical.... The closest to the way nature itself works" (26). Phillips's pedagogical technique revolves around the idea that the actor must learn to use a set of "tools" with which he can handle any role given to him. Through his approach, Gordon Phillips hopes to give all aspiring actors a set of instruments with which to conquer any character. "The Process," as he calls it, states that the tools in the "actor's toolbox" do not entail acting in and of themselves, but instead give the actor a way to master the art of acting. The main component to Phillips's "toolbox" of acting involves neutralization and actualization of the self, the script, and the acting environment represented in the script. In order to comprehend this, we must first realize the definition that Phillips is referring to when speaking of neutraliz
Again, after neutralization comes actualization. This has to do with the recognition of the fundamental experience the actor feels amid, about, and beneath the character's script. Phillips writes about the screenplay that "the lines...[are] a technical component for the actor. The words represent the artistry of the playwright. For the actors, it's what they do with the lines...through their own full being, that makes them artistic collaborators with the playwright" (64). He describes the process of feeling what the character feels as emotionally reliving. Phillips goes on to talk about understanding one's acting space. In order for one to actualize it, the actor must make the space "real" for himself. He must imagine it differently in order to retain the emotion that he must convey to the audience. This is because the setting does not have the same meaning to the actor as it does to the character in the play. Phillips, Gordon. Take it Personally: On the Art and Process of Personal Acting. Gordon Phillips concludes his study in acting with a description of the "magnetic personality." He writes that magnetic people "usually believe in themselves; they are positive and feel powerful. They have enthusiasm and confidence. They smile a great deal and are dynamic" (174). Phillips asserts that a powerful actor stems from a forceful personality. One has to "feel" the role; he must work with reality to o
Some common words found in the essay are:
Gordon Phillips, Acting Drama, neutralization actualization, York NY, gordon phillips, phillips means, acting involves, achieve goal, neutralizing script, self script, basic acting, phillips goes,
Approximate Word count = 959
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
