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 neutralization and actualization.
An understanding of what Phillips means by these two complex ideas now allows us to explore the specifics--sensory, physical, and emotional neutralization and actualization. Sensory and physical neutralization have to do with neutralizing the self. The actor must not allow himself to be hindered by previous learning of the character. He must expose his entire self to the character he is working with. Actualization involves, when referring to the senses and the physical body, heightened knowledge of sensory impulses and muscle movement. This, in turn, will lead to a more sensitive person and a very finely tuned actor. 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
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Approximate Word count = 904
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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