The Official Newsletter Of The New Collective LA Acting Studio
Thoughts On Process: The Element Of Place
Where Am I?
The ability to create a sense of place is one of the most important skills in the actor’s arsenal. The great acting coach, Uta Hagen, created the physical destination exercise as the first object exercise for the actor. She said that if you are spaceless, “Your body will tense, and you will start to arrange yourself.” Incorporating a sense of environment is the first step for the actor to clear away self consciousness, allowing ease, relaxation, and provide a specific framework for the character to live and breathe.
If It’s Real To You, It’s Real To The Audience
It often takes years of study for the actor to fully relinquish the need to show that they are experiencing something. Through refining their craft, the actor learns that when he/she is truly experiencing something sensorially, such as a specific place, the audience will also experience it. There is no need for the actor to amplify or to “act” what they are experiencing. Real truth has its own telepathic energy. Seasoned actors understand that simplicity and truth is enough.
The Place Of Defeat Exercise
In Susan Batson’s acting book, “TRUTH”, her “Place Of Defeat” exercise illustrates the potency of sensation and imagination. The actor must choose a place that is associated with a painful memory. Without telling a story, or being obligated to an emotional result, the actor is asked to enter a bare stage and allow the senses to carry them through the exploration. When the exercise is successful, the actor learns that simply following the sensation can completely transform the energy of the stage. Mastering the element of place is a crucial part of advancing in your craft. Place can be used in the trickiest of situations, especially in auditions. Ms. Batson says, “When you bring a sensation of place into an audition, you can fill any sterile, cramped space with the life and breath of your character.”
