Categories

The Great Acting Blog: “David Mamet Directs”

The Great Acting Blog: “David Mamet Directs”

 

I stumbled upon this old, 1980 Creative Arts Television production about David Mamet rehearsing two of his plays, Dark Pony and Reunion, at The Circle Repertory Theatre in New York City. It’s like drama school in 30 minutes, not to mention fascinating in it’s own right.

Mamet is one of the great playwrights and directors, and certainly a big hero of mine. He pushes dramatic action to the forefront of the work, as a means of fitting the actor into the play and helping them to actually act. I wish more actors and directors worked in this way, it’s fun and is the only way of delivering truthful, organic performances. If you don’t have time to watch the whole thing, I’ve written some notes below. However, there is nothing quite like seeing a young David Mamet in full flow, and the wonderful responses of the actors cannot be properly expressed in text.

– Says we have to be “vicious” in getting our objectives.

– Says the thing that will destroy a play is mood: not what do I want but what are we feeling.

– Says that the theatre director was a job invented in the 20th century. Before then plays were directed by stage managers or the authors. That in 1980, we’re coming back to authors directing their own plays – Miller’s doing  it, so is Albee.

– Says Stanislavsky said that the person you are is more interesting than the best actor you could ever become.

– Says the actor doesn’t have to be interesting, that’s the author’s job.

– Says when you see actors in different plays doing repertory, you get to see what the director added to it and what the writer added to it.

– Says when we see an actor in 30 different roles over a career, like Claude Rains, we develop an affection for him and a knowledge of him.

– He uses only two chairs as set: for a living room in Reunion, and as a car in Dark Pony. Says the audience will supply the automobile (in their own minds).

– Says “scenic truth” is most important: what are the characters doing to each other, not what did they have for breakfast.

– Says actors should not do that which puts forward the character, but that which puts forward the play.

– Says that in performance, if you need to think back to the rehearsal process to supply what’s needed, then the moment is already gone.

– Says a person has only so much concentration, if it’s on yourself then it can’t be on your object, on what you’re trying to achieve. If you’re concentration is on the thing you’re trying to accomplish then it can’t be on yourself – as Freud said, a man with toothache can’t be in love. The idea is not to force concentration, but to put it on something more interesting than him or herself – i.e. the person you’re dealing with at that moment.

– Says we just want to respond, don’t add anything, don’t narrate the play, like British handkerchief actors who show 15 things about their characters by using a handkerchief.

– Says the whole point of rehearsal is to bring out the play through the actors, everything else is secondary. This means teaching the actors the score of the play, like you teach a musician a piece of music, and the score of the play is the actions. It’s not the appearance, not the emotions, it’s what the character actually does. So in rehearsal, the actor needs to make it clear through explanation, through repetition, through examination, what the character in the play actually does, physically. What the character does is the score of the play.

– Playing moment-to-moment is the actor’s main responsibility.

– Says looking for the answer in the other actor brings you to life, looking in yourself kills you.

– Says Stanislavsky said there were three types of actors; the cliched actor who only imitates on stage what he’s seen other actors do, the mechanical actor who goes home and works out what the character in the play should look and sound like, then come in and give his rendition of it, then there is the organic actor who strives to understand what the character wants, then go on stage every night and try to accomplish that, so what you see is an improvisation bounded by the direction and script and your understanding of it, creating fresh organic life every night. Organic moments we see on stage become parts of our life.

 

Subscribe to The Great Acting Blog

James

29Comments
  • Kyle Duke/ 03.07.2013Reply

    I’ve not been following long, but I see things here that keep me coming back; you’ve put some concepts into words that I’ve been rolling around for a while.

    Let me try to phrase it somehow.

    You neatly paraphrased it above, but Mamet compares the director to the conductor in bringing out the product from the players or musicians. The comparison between the effort of a musician and the actor is fruitful when thinking of your earlier post on self-determination & training. The musician must afford to practice hours a day to keep a spot in the orchestra, to learn the next composition, to apply himself to the conductors- the arranger’s- vision. Ideally the actor must do the same, and the two professions surely could find good friends within the other. To be professional is not to be merely cordial, timely, and adaptable, but to be chiefly committed to hours of daily practice. The capacity for artistry then emerges.

    I like that. Thanks to Mamet and your own thoughts regarding, the matter has cleared a shade more for myself. It will probably never clear entirely, but spelling these things out certainly helps.

    Cheers,
    K. Duke

  • James Devereaux actor/ 03.07.2013Reply

    Many thanks for your comment Kyle. Yes, I too believe that commitment to practice leads to artistry and this practice must be built in to the actor’s lifestyle.

  • water sounds/ 09.10.2023Reply

    water sounds

  • boomerang nebula distance from earth/ 20.07.2024Reply

    серебро видеть во сне сонник похудеть
    и хорошо выглядеть 22 июля лев по
    гороскопу дмитрий колдун сказочная тайга знак овна когда это
    бывает

  • ¿Es necesario contar con una receta para comprar robaxin/ 05.08.2024Reply

    Bestellung von Medikamente in Salzburg sandoz Nicastro donde comprar medicamentos en Chile

  • часы работы магнита косметика первоуральск/ 17.08.2024Reply

    вакансии в хк цска москва работа
    садовника в московской области с проживанием вакансии в москве водитель охранник водитель
    тяжело ли работать экономистом без опыта работы работа гражданин таджикистан московской области

  • farmaci disponibile senza prescrizione ad Amsterdam Zentiva San Salvador de Jujuy/ 18.08.2024Reply

    acheter médicaments en Belgique sans ordonnance Stada
    Izegem Schlafmittel online in Frankreich bestellen

  • Medikamente in Belgien online kaufen Stada Schagen/ 19.08.2024Reply

    compra de medicamentos en Bélgica Alter Tuxtla Gutiérrez medicamentos en venta
    sin receta en Ecuador

  • Italia senza ricetta/ 20.08.2024Reply

    Wo kann man Medikamente legal kaufen GeoLab Tres Arroyos acheter
    médicaments en Espagne en toute simplicité

  • donde comprar medicamentos en Bolivia Marksans Edam/ 22.08.2024Reply

    où acheter médicaments en toute sécurité DOC Liège Medikamente in München günstig
    kaufen

  • расчет нумерологии для фирмы/ 24.08.2024Reply

    солнце в объятиях луны дорама с русской озвучкой 18 серия смотреть онлайн как называется
    самая яркая звезда в скорпионе натальная карта купить, натальная карта в подарок
    мусульманские молитва для поминовения орехи
    во сне женщине исламский сонник,
    елка во сне исламский сонник

  • waar estreptopal te kopen in Nederland/ 26.08.2024Reply

    medicijnen zonder doktersrecept online verkrijgbaar arrow Quilmes Medikamente
    kaufen in Graz

  • divarius in vendita in Italia senza ricetta/ 15.09.2024Reply

    compra farmaci a Napoli online Pharmagenus Genk
    acheter médicaments en Suisse

  • web сайт түрлері/ 16.09.2024Reply

    лагерь поезд, лагерь усть-каменогорск 2022 отбасы
    банк караганда адрес, отбасы банк на юго-востоке караганда
    орографиялық жаңбыр әсерінен
    пайда болған шөл, гибралтар бұғазы материктері арасында орналасқан онлайн
    консультация невропатолога бесплатно, онлайн консультация гинеколога ответ сразу бесплатно

  • мұқағали мақатаев ғашықпын толық нұсқа/ 20.09.2024Reply

    тарих сабағын қызықты өткізу, тарих пәнінен интеллектуалды ойындар слайд
    қардың еруі қандай құбылыс, терезе әйнегі сынды қандай құбылыс тауларда
    температура инверсиясы қалай пайда болады, ауа
    райы және климат 5 сынып сыйластық сәні
    өмірдің мәні текст, сыйластық әні
    текст

  • 1 пән туралы мәліметтер/ 02.10.2024Reply

    даярлық сынып қоштасу сценарий состояние после операции
    на головном мозге мкб-10, коды хирургических операций казахстан нарынқұм зауалы кейіпкерлер, нарынқұм зауалы толық
    нұсқасы альхадая омега-3 цена алматы,
    омега-3 альхадая отзывы

  • сонник мама в детстве/ 11.10.2024Reply

    к чему снятся черные пони к чему снится видеть плавник акулы христианская молитва о студентах
    заговор на удачную сделку дома расклад таро что
    меня ждет в ближайшем будущем

  • avatar

    Microgaming/ 21.10.2024Reply

    … [Trackback]

    […] Find More on on that Topic: jamesdevereaux.com/the-great-acting-blog-david-mamet-directs/ […]

  • avatar

    JILISLOT/ 21.10.2024Reply

    … [Trackback]

    […] Here you will find 45605 more Info to that Topic: jamesdevereaux.com/the-great-acting-blog-david-mamet-directs/ […]

  • avatar

    slot xo กำไรดี/ 21.10.2024Reply

    … [Trackback]

    […] Find More to that Topic: jamesdevereaux.com/the-great-acting-blog-david-mamet-directs/ […]

  • avatar

    สล็อตฝากถอน true wallet/ 21.10.2024Reply

    … [Trackback]

    […] Read More to that Topic: jamesdevereaux.com/the-great-acting-blog-david-mamet-directs/ […]

  • молитвы к богородице цвет неувядаемый/ 26.10.2024Reply

    к чему снится лететь на
    самолете с любимым молитва о
    вразумлении себя и мужа таро онлайн на
    будущую любовь
    живые помощи молитва на русском слушать без рекламы бесплатно полностью актер
    сон хун личная жизнь

  • avatar

    link alternatif dultogel/ 28.10.2024Reply

    … [Trackback]

    […] Information on that Topic: jamesdevereaux.com/the-great-acting-blog-david-mamet-directs/ […]

  • жәдидизм топтастыру/ 30.10.2024Reply

    румынский вампир николай, дракула в исламе edge автозаполнение,
    vba свойства range бар карта, бары алматы с живой музыкой таблетки для
    мужчин чтобы стоял, препараты для
    мужчин после 50

  • овен и скорпион судьба/ 01.11.2024Reply

    молитва болей в нога когда снится свинья с поросятами
    к чему снится маньяк с пистолетом,
    снится маньяк в лесу
    сон когда снятся выпавшие зубы если родился 29 июля кто по
    гороскопу

  • avatar

    lottorich28/ 12.11.2024Reply

    … [Trackback]

    […] Read More on to that Topic: jamesdevereaux.com/the-great-acting-blog-david-mamet-directs/ […]

  • avatar

    dark168/ 12.11.2024Reply

    … [Trackback]

    […] There you will find 16247 more Information on that Topic: jamesdevereaux.com/the-great-acting-blog-david-mamet-directs/ […]

  • экологиялық менеджмент мәні/ 19.11.2024Reply

    9 сынып химия тест жауаптарымен, химия
    тест жауаптарымен 2021 татуировки в исламе, соболезнования в исламе костюм для сноуборда женский, сноубордические куртки в сша есть снег, тёплые штаты сша

  • тәуелсіздік 25 жыл тәрбие сағаты/ 21.11.2024Reply

    жартылай автономды органоидтер,
    тилакоид қызметі хлоропласт сынып сабақ жүйесінің негізін салған, оқыту процесінің қызметі
    арзан это, арты орысша сот болу үшін
    не істеу керек, жергілікті сот деген не

Leave a Comment