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This sounds so simple but “help” please! I have dedicated students who want to grow in their stage performance however they sound very stiff. How can I coach them to be realistic on stage. I’ve tried to encourage the to listen to others and react rather than act but we aren’t making much progress.

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I like Uta Hagens Destination / 2 min exercise where students have to show a BELIEVABLE 2 min segment of their private life at home getting ready to go somewhere. It teaches them to forget about entertaining us and just do the simplest of tasks believably. They should be getting ready to go somewhere else (i.e. destination). I also have used Strasburg's tea sipping sensory exercise with varying results. Also Meisner's beginning repetition/listening exercises...

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Colleen Mylott
Secondary Theatre Teacher
Peak to Peak Charter School
Lafayette, CO
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-29-2019 07:54
From: Janie Sirmans
Subject: "Acting"

This sounds so simple but "help" please! I have dedicated students who want to grow in their stage performance however they sound very stiff. How can I coach them to be realistic on stage. I've tried to encourage the to listen to others and react rather than act but we aren't making much progress.

Sent from my iPhone
--
*NOTE: Email is provided to employees for the instructional and
administrative needs of the district. Email correspondence to/from a
district email account may be considered public information and subject to
release under Georgia laws or pursuant to subpoena or open records request.*

There were two things that worked well for me. 

First, I would have two students sit knee to knee and do the scene looking at each other.  I would tell each partner not to respond until they felt compelled to do so by the honesty of the fellow actor.  So one actor might repeat the line over and over until the partner finally responded with his/her line.  I found this exercise really needed me to witness it, or the students would give in to the discomfort and just go through the scene rapid fire.

Second, I would have students rehearse the scene, then improvise the scene, rehearse the scene, then improvise the scene, then rehearse the scene.  Usually, this broke the ice enough that the students were able to communicate more naturally.  

Most often, simply having students articulate the very specific objective of each line worked, so I didn't have to resort to the above.

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C. J. Breland
Retired Theatre Arts Educator
Asheville NC
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-29-2019 07:54
From: Janie Sirmans
Subject: "Acting"

This sounds so simple but "help" please! I have dedicated students who want to grow in their stage performance however they sound very stiff. How can I coach them to be realistic on stage. I've tried to encourage the to listen to others and react rather than act but we aren't making much progress.

Sent from my iPhone
--
*NOTE: Email is provided to employees for the instructional and
administrative needs of the district. Email correspondence to/from a
district email account may be considered public information and subject to
release under Georgia laws or pursuant to subpoena or open records request.*

They could try paraphrasing the lines in their own words. Usually, that leads to the student adding meaning and intention to the delivery. Then ask them to deliver the line as written with that same 'vibe.'

It's a muscle to build rather than an instant fix, and they need to buy in - to do so, they need to understand what's missing the way they've been doing it. Have you tried videoing them?

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Josh Kauffman
Teacher
Winfield AL
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-29-2019 07:54
From: Janie Sirmans
Subject: "Acting"

This sounds so simple but "help" please! I have dedicated students who want to grow in their stage performance however they sound very stiff. How can I coach them to be realistic on stage. I've tried to encourage the to listen to others and react rather than act but we aren't making much progress.

Sent from my iPhone
--
*NOTE: Email is provided to employees for the instructional and
administrative needs of the district. Email correspondence to/from a
district email account may be considered public information and subject to
release under Georgia laws or pursuant to subpoena or open records request.*

Hi. 
I really like A Practical Handbook for the Actor. Here is a link. https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Handbook-Actor-Melissa-Bruder/dp/0394744128
 It is a very accessible book with a clear straightforward repeatable process. I think it's a great book for young actors and for more experience actors. 
 Hope this helps. 
Erik

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Erik Stein
Casting Director/Recruitment Coordinator
PCPA Pacific Conservatory Theatre

Author of No Caution! A step-by-step guide to preparing auditions for Universities, Colleges, Conservatories, and Beyond!

Available on Amazon.com and other online booksellers
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-29-2019 07:54
From: Janie Sirmans
Subject: "Acting"

This sounds so simple but "help" please! I have dedicated students who want to grow in their stage performance however they sound very stiff. How can I coach them to be realistic on stage. I've tried to encourage the to listen to others and react rather than act but we aren't making much progress.

Sent from my iPhone
--
*NOTE: Email is provided to employees for the instructional and
administrative needs of the district. Email correspondence to/from a
district email account may be considered public information and subject to
release under Georgia laws or pursuant to subpoena or open records request.*

One of the best, quickest and easiest acting exercises for realism can be found in Seth Barrish's book "An Actor's Companion," published by TCG. 

THE CONVERSATION EXERCISE

Have the two actors start talking about any old thing. (What they ate for lunch, plans for the weekend, etc.)
After they have talked to each other for a bit and are comfortable and actually having a conversation, say to them "now slip into the text."
Sidecoach them to go back and forth between the lines in the script and regular conversation.
Tell them that if anything shifts when they begin speaking the line, let go of that shift. Let go of any changes that occur - if your shoulders raise, drop them; if you speed up, slow back down; if your voice changes pitch find your natural one; if the volume increases, adjust it; if you look around the room when you are conversing naturally, notice if you stare at the other person when you are speaking the lines; if you are using your hands in conversation, allow yourself to do that when you are in the text, etc.
If they are having trouble letting go of the things that change when they speak the lines, go back to having a real conversation and slip back and forth between the text and the conversation until there is no difference when they are talking and when they are "talking."

This exercise also works well when rehearsing a monologue. 
The Conversation Exercise is one of the foundations of the training at The Barrow Group and it's one of my all time favorite acting exercises.
"The Actor's Companion" is full of simple exercises and tips.

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Arlene Hutton, playwright
Letters to Sala
I Dream Before I Take the Stand Kissed the Girls & Made Them Cry
As It Is In Heaven
Susie Sits Shiva (EdTA commission)

faculty, The Barrow Group, NYC
arlene@barrowgroup.org
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-29-2019 07:54
From: Janie Sirmans
Subject: "Acting"

This sounds so simple but "help" please! I have dedicated students who want to grow in their stage performance however they sound very stiff. How can I coach them to be realistic on stage. I've tried to encourage the to listen to others and react rather than act but we aren't making much progress.

Sent from my iPhone
--
*NOTE: Email is provided to employees for the instructional and
administrative needs of the district. Email correspondence to/from a
district email account may be considered public information and subject to
release under Georgia laws or pursuant to subpoena or open records request.*

Have you heard of the Linklater Technique?

Here's a great video of her, & it introduces her technique:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrrwXHcwz_A

Here's a link to her website:
https://www.linklatervoice.com/linklater-voice/about-linklater-voice

Here's a link to her YouTube (there's not much on it, but a little to get you started):
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcRvWkWBNtPA9se0ZTtVY8A

------------------------------
Susan Nieten
Theatre Teacher, Spring Play Director,
& Thespian Troupe Director
at Noblesville High School (Noblesville, IN)

Twitter: @mrsnieten
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-29-2019 07:54
From: Janie Sirmans
Subject: "Acting"

This sounds so simple but "help" please! I have dedicated students who want to grow in their stage performance however they sound very stiff. How can I coach them to be realistic on stage. I've tried to encourage the to listen to others and react rather than act but we aren't making much progress.

Sent from my iPhone
--
*NOTE: Email is provided to employees for the instructional and
administrative needs of the district. Email correspondence to/from a
district email account may be considered public information and subject to
release under Georgia laws or pursuant to subpoena or open records request.*

Some of the methods that I have recently started using are as follows:

1. To warm up physically with some newer pop songs that would make them less closed up
2. I give them a random topic and ask them to talk to each other about it. I choose safe subjects. But these conversations make them real and human- and sometimes, even friends with and to each other
3. I definitely remind them copious number of time that they are to show and not tell
4. Very early on in the workshop, i make them do exercises etc which keeps them grounded- like visualization and also to make them feel absolutely silly- like doing scenes in gibberish
5. Finally, i give them a sense of togetherness while addressing them as though we are on a mission and we need to win as a TEAM! 
Hope some of this helps you!

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Lisa Coy
New York NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-29-2019 07:54
From: Janie Sirmans
Subject: "Acting"

This sounds so simple but "help" please! I have dedicated students who want to grow in their stage performance however they sound very stiff. How can I coach them to be realistic on stage. I've tried to encourage the to listen to others and react rather than act but we aren't making much progress.

Sent from my iPhone
--
*NOTE: Email is provided to employees for the instructional and
administrative needs of the district. Email correspondence to/from a
district email account may be considered public information and subject to
release under Georgia laws or pursuant to subpoena or open records request.*