Here’s an excerpt from an email from a student talking about her confusion about playing a character vs. being yourself in the scene, along with my answer:
Acting student: In regards to character, things are still a little fuzzy. For instance, playing a prostitute who’s grown up on the streets vs. playing a housewife. They are both being played by ME, yet I’d think each would have different emotional reactions to a same situation…?
David Kagen: This takes practice to really understand it. But… ALL of the imaginary circumstances will determine how you behave. That is, the circumstances of having or choosing to be a prostitute are different than the circumstances of having or choosing to be a housewife. And those circumstances affect YOU differently; make you a different person and therefore a different “character.” Too often playing a “character” results in acting it from outside and objectively, rather than putting yourself in the circumstances which gets you to act it from your insides and subjectively. This is what Meisner means when he says that, “Acting is living truthfully in the imaginary circumstances.” You put yourself in the circumstances; ALL the circumstances.
Acting student: In regards to cold readings, particularly the first time through, I always seem to have to warm up, because I feel like I’m suppose to start neutral, so I don’t take things in the scene as personal as I could.
David Kagen: Yes, we hear this about starting neutral a lot. That’s not what we want you to do. Start responding subjectively with your personal responses. Your personal responses are shaped by everything you’re experienced and everything you’ve felt in your life up to moment you do your scene. Don’t start in neutral.
Copyright David Kagen 2009
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