craft Archives

Dreamer In A Dream – Delphine Seyrig In Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman

10.04.2020 , The Great Acting Blog , 33 Comments

“there is nothing so interesting on stage as a man trying to get a knot out of his shoelaces.” - Bertolt Brecht Chantal Akerman's “Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles” is a three and a half hour masterpiece about the meticulous dom...

The Great Acting Blog: “There Are Too Many Mediocre Actors”

27.05.2014 , The Great Acting Blog , 11 Comments

It's curious that so many actors seem to settle for mediocrity, and show no desire to strive for anything more. Few seem to work at their craft or demonstrate dedication. What can be the reasons for this? Perhaps they are simply not ambitious. Perhaps they only intend...

Technique Beats Fear | The Great Acting Blog

16.05.2014 , The Great Acting Blog , 1 Comment

Acting requires courage because it means dropping your guard and making yourself vulnerable, revealing aspects of your personality you may not want to reveal. You are offering something personal and it may be rejected or criticised. If it goes wrong, it does so publicly. Further,...

The Great Acting Blog: “Actors Can Show The Magic Of Life”

17.03.2014 , The Great Acting Blog , 0 Comments

Never forget why you became an actor. That sense of play, the joy of creation, that longing to give expression to the art you felt within yourself. Never let the stresses and strains of the life grind you down so that you fall into a casual...

The Great Acting Blog: “The Serious Actor”

01.02.2014 , The Great Acting Blog , 0 Comments

For someone who is serious about acting, honest examination of their work is at the heart of what they do. This is how they develop their work to the point of excellence. They make a start, assess what they've done, then make the necessary changes,...

The Great Acting Blog: “Do Something Really Special”

21.01.2014 , The Great Acting Blog , 0 Comments

Give the craft of acting the respect it deserves. Don't just be another taker who shows up because they can walk and talk charmingly, and hope to get lucky. Master a practical technique of acting which will hold up under pressure. Perfect your voice and diction. Don't...

The Great Acting Blog: “In Which Direction Are You Heading?”

14.01.2014 , The Great Acting Blog , 25 Comments

Bad actors are basically socialites, not workers. They meticulously compose a persona for themselves, going to great lengths to be charming and establish themselves in a room. Yet their work is ordinary at best because they never put in the time or effort necessary to...

The Great Acting Blog: “Bad Criticism Is Catastrophic”

19.12.2013 , The Great Acting Blog , 0 Comments

I read a piece on Peter O'Toole recently that was so feeble in it's explanation of the actor's talent, that I've decided to single it out as indicative of the lack of understanding and appreciation of acting in general, and a lack of critical tools...

The Great Acting Blog: “Dedication Means Independence”

15.08.2013 , The Great Acting Blog , 27 Comments

Whether your career will be brilliant or not is not under your control. Whether you will be rich and famous isn't either. But being dedicated to craft is. If you come to acting just to take, this dedication will seem incomprehensible to you. You will...

Build Confidence Through Practice

01.08.2013 , The Great Acting Blog , 21 Comments

Periods of unemployment can lead to a loss of confidence in our abilities as an actor - the belief that we can do it and that we are worthy of a place, gradually shrink away. This can create the cruel situation of not being in...

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