Acting Lessons

A couple of months ago, I signed up for an acting class on a whim. It was being put on by the same organization that does the improv comedy teams and classes which I'm involved in. Mainly it seemed like a fun thing to go out and do, but I have had more and more interest in performing.The problem of getting to class in Pasadena and then back to North Hollywood quickly emerged as a problem, but that has been solved with little difficulty.

I was happy to discover with the first group email that a number of people I know would be in the class. Thusly, there was a very good mix of familiar faces and new people to meet. There has been fluctuation in the group with each of the first four of six classes, but a solid and wonderful core has emerged.

The nature of the class is perhaps a bit unconventional, but not terribly so. There's a lot of immersing oneself in the performance space, focusing on shapes, and drawing a dramatic narrative from a text without adhering to it slavishly. We all are encouraged to remove our shoes and socks, and as a result end up with soles blackened by the less-than-clean wood floor. People don't like that, but I see it as a common experience that brings people together.

I won't attempt to recap all the performances and exercises from four weeks of classes, but I'll mention a little. We start with warmups and move on to the spacework I mentioned. After that, we go to performances. Each of the last three weeks, we have brought things to glass and have been given fifteen minutes to make a performance from them.

The first time, we were to bring a found object and a found text. I brought a wooden Tiki statue and a card for prenatal care at a hospital. From that, I came up with a pervert on the street accosting people waiting for a walk signal at an intersection.

The second time, we were to bring monologues and to use something in the room. I brought a soliloquy from Macbeth (the name of which I was admonished for uttering during class. I maintain that the superstition must be observed only in an actual theater). I began it normally, but replaced the bulk of it with a song and dance about how Macbeth is going to kill Duncan and have a great life forever.

Last night, I brought a scene from Picasso at the Lapin Agile, but my partner and I found his scene from Clerks to be more conducive to success. I played convenience store clerk Dante, who was the straight man to my partner's wacky Randall. The scene worked out fairly well.

There are two more classes to go, but hopefully the course's success will lead to more.