The Great Acting Blog: “22 Principles For Better Acting”

The Great Acting Blog: “22 Principles For Better Acting”

Number 5 has been updated.

(in no particular order)

1. Everyone tries to do the best they
   can.
2. Total commitment to my action.
3. Total commitment to my action
   requires will, disicipline, and courage.
4. Tell the truth.
5. Practice craft habitually.
6. Practice my action til it’s
   habitual.
7. Have the strength of mind to
   analyse the script correctly.
8. Ensure every line of dialogue is
   encompassed by my action.
9. Only concern myself with action.
10. Be generous.
11. Trust my preparation.
12. Preparation is a point of
    departure, not the destination.
13. Don’ try and force the moment to
    conform to my preparation, improvise in the moment in response to
    what is actually happening in the moment.
14. Memorize the lines until they are
    habitual.
15. Your performance is a presentation
    before an audience.
16. Character is created in the mind
    of the viewer by the juxtaposition of the actions of the actor with
    the fiction of the script.
17. Relax.
18. Give everything.
19. Use your imagination.
20. Any emotion which is not
    organically created by my attempts to do my action, is a lie.
21. The outcome is no concern of mine.
22. Listen.

*Bonus! “Learn your lines, find your mark, look `em in the eye and tell `em the truth.” – James Cagney

Subscribe to The Great Acting Blog