Categories

The Great Acting Blog: “How Do You Measure Improvement?”

The Great Acting Blog: “How Do You Measure Improvement?”

03.06.2013 , James , The Great Acting Blog

We’ve all had a colleague who made a major breakthrough early in their career, but then they failed to kick on, instead they dropped away, like a star which shines brightest just before it disappears. We’ve also known vast numbers of colleagues who have quit the business, and others who haven’t quit, but the demands of the artistic life have diminished them, and turned them into soulless hacks. It is only the precious few who constantly grow stronger as artists, and not despite the resistance they face, but because of it.

Anyone can have a good year. Anyone can have a good couple of years. Question is, can you keep improving year after year after year. And, how  do you measure this improvement? Money? Volume of work? Quality of work? Happiness? Self-respect?

Subscribe to The Great Acting Blog

RELATED POSTS

Know What Your Doing And Know What You Want

Strive To Be Great

Keeping Your Independence

Tags:

James

34Comments

  • Laurance Rudic/ 03.06.2013Reply

    This question of improvement is something that has been with me most of my acting life. As someone who used/uses theatre as an ongoing creative therapy, I begin working towards connecting the role with an inner flow – a personal psychological flow – physical, emotional, mental. This is the basic reality which I begin with. Thereafter, throughout the rehearsal process, I continue to remain aware of the flow as I interact with the other actors and their individual process/mechanics which are usually very different from mine. The key is a whole-self connection and continuing flexibility regardless of what is happening. There is never ‘improvement’ – at least not as something linear and measurable – but rather a gradual inner transformation into the energies and dynamics that are needed at that moment – in each scene. In this way, the character grows organically as part of a greater whole. Moreover, it never stops with the end of rehearsals but because it is rooted in a living flexibility, continues changing dynamically throughout the performance. It is never fixed – something which infuriates many actors who prefer to run on rails

  • James Devereaux actor/ 03.06.2013Reply

    So in effect then, you’re saying that “improvement” as such does not really apply to performance. But are there concrete things within the work which we can compare from one performance to the next, and say; yes, I’ve improved that part of my work since the lasting outing”?

    Many thanks for your valuable comment, Laurance.

    • Laurance Rudic/ 04.06.2013Reply

      Thanks James. It’s hard to talk about improvement when my process is holistic and improvisational in essence. I never work in mechanistic isolation and I never work dualistically. There’s no-one inside me to compare how I’m doing it tonight as opposed to last night. As far as I’m concerned it’s all down to a heightened state of sensory awareness – being present with an embodied self. For me that starts on the first day of rehearsals and continues through until the last performance. There’s no let up 24/7. So in a sense, whatever I’m doing is right – at that moment! There’s no question of that. All I can say is that it’s a whole self journeying inside the experience and it moves closer by degrees to a more authentic storytelling by inhabiting the energies and states that are somehow needed. But I only sense this when I’m in it and it’s futile to try to get ahead of myself or to think about repeating what I did yesterday. It also changes according to my moods and the nightly moods of the audience. I think that underlying the notion of improvement are the much bigger human concerns which can only come about through psycho-physical practises in life – being patient – listening with the whole self – living in an embodied sensory state – and being there – completely connected in the moment without past or future. When I am able to be completely present and in effect naked in front of the audience with nothing up my sleeve, nothing to hide, then everything else somehow follows – sooner or later.

      • James Devereaux actor/ 04.06.2013Reply

        Yes, it’s about creating something in the moment. Too much contemporary acting is about re-creation, where the actor merely trots out their preparation in performance. It’s bland because it removes the fear, the thrill.

        Thanks again for your comment, Laurance.

  • Marysia Trembecka/ 04.06.2013Reply

    I track my work, eg CV’s I send out, jobs booked, meetings and workshops, money made etc, practise hours, actual acting or singing jobs done on a weekly basis.
    In fact I do a weekly podcast newsletter where I talk about a subject and then run through my weekly tracking criteria for my listeners and then track myself. That way I can wince when I know I havent sent out any CV;s or marketed myself well in a week.
    eg
    http://loveyourcreativity.com/2013/05/20/podcast-be-your-own-prince-grab-a-sword-kiss-your-project-awake/

  • James Devereaux actor/ 04.06.2013Reply

    ok, so you’re looking at your progress in a very practical way, focussing on things which are concrete. Is it purely about volume, or do you also use artistic/craft measurements?

    Many thanks for your comment, Marysia.

  • avatar

    The Great Acting Blog: “The Story Of The Tragic Actor” – The Great Acting Blog/ 06.06.2013Reply

    […] The Great Acting Blog: “How Do You Measure Improvement?” […]

  • imitrex online günstig Deutschland kaufen/ 12.08.2024Reply

    farmaci senza ricetta prezzo alto sandoz Mesen compra farmaci a Genova

  • Haz un pedido de duetact en Bélgica/ 15.08.2024Reply

    prezzi di farmaci a Venezia Qualigen Hardinxveld-Giessendam comprar
    medicamentos en España sin receta

  • prix des tablettes bon marché Amcal Neufchâteau/ 17.08.2024Reply

    achat de médicaments en Belgique Gedeon Richter Zuchwil medicamentos disponible en pharmacie française en ligne

  • medicamentos recomendado por especialistas en Ecuador Hospira Ciénaga de Oro/ 17.08.2024Reply

    vente en ligne de médicaments 1a pharma Florida Este vente par correspondance de médicaments

  • авто подушки москва/ 19.08.2024Reply

    типы панельных домов в москве 14 этажных
    расписание электричек москва химки ржд про красивые места в москве поезда сасово москва

  • wellnara sin receta en Ciudad de México/ 20.08.2024Reply

    médicaments disponible au Maroc MSD Morón médicaments à acheter à Lyon

  • амулет а выздоровление/ 24.08.2024Reply

    число судьбы 5 известные люди,
    число судьбы 5 и 8 совместимость деревянный оберег к молитвы для
    снятия порчи мощная
    приснилась туалетная бумага большая
    копилка купить

  • наснився померлий батько в брудному одязі/ 01.09.2024Reply

    сняться зациклені сни дата народження
    10 травня знак зодіаку
    наснилося що виліз прищ овен коза
    знаменитості, рік кози чоловік, рік кози чоловік

  • таң алдында мұқағали мақатаев/ 08.09.2024Reply

    про лига таблица, мхл казахстан таблица досудебное претензия образец рк, досудебная претензия физическому лицу образец рк баня керемет в карасу алматы, баня алматы балақай музыка скачать,
    кишкентай балапаным музыка

  • воровать во сне продукты питания к чему снится/ 09.09.2024Reply

    приснилась девушка в которую был влюблен чему снятие порчи на судьбу одиночество уничтожение вольта к чему
    снится поросенок который убегает
    сонник к чему сниться змея большая и толстая сонник
    видеть сне младенца девочку

  • Achat de amoxicilline sur Internet ce qu'il faut garder à l'esprit/ 12.09.2024Reply

    compra de medicamentos en Brasil sandoz Baden Medikamente
    online ohne Rezept kaufen

  • achat de colospasmin en ligne/ 13.09.2024Reply

    Online medicijnen kopen zonder recept in Nederland Silarx Trappes
    kaufe Medikamente legal in Bolivien

  • photographers who specialize in landscape photography/ 15.09.2024Reply

    Great post! We will be linking to this great content on our
    website. Keep up the great writing.

  • шейка канша см ашылу керек/ 17.09.2024Reply

    микротоковая рефлексотерапия алматы, микротоковая рефлексотерапия в алматы отзывы ақбілек соңы, ақбілек
    романы оқу скачать туған жер диктант, диктант 5 сынып жазу афазия деген
    не, сенсорлы афазия

  • Venta de seropram en Lima/ 20.09.2024Reply

    medicamentos sans effets secondaires indésirables Raffo Santpoort-Noord achat médicaments en ligne

  • мультимедиалық технологиялар/ 23.09.2024Reply

    мен құстан туған құмаймын талдау ст 56
    гпк рб, ст 37 гпк рб нцт тест тарых
    9 класс, тест менен иштоо 9 класс информатика теле2 номер тексеру,
    теле2 тариф тексеру

  • Как брать омовение/ 09.10.2024Reply

    Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article.
    I will be sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post.

    I will definitely comeback.

  • приснилось я заболела ветрянкой/ 11.10.2024Reply

    к чему сниться ласточки птенцы
    к чему снится беременность разведенной женщине с детьми
    снилось что шило себе белое платье
    гороскоп с 1 канала доброе утро на сегодня читать к чему снится что
    берут из вены кровь шприцом

  • оқушылардың зерттеушілік қабілетін дамыту/ 24.10.2024Reply

    жастығыма қайтқым келеді скачать, ауылға кеткім келіп тұрады скачать егіннің ебін
    сауданың тегін үйреніп ойлап мал ізде автор шеберлігі,
    абай өмір сүрген дәуір атакент какой район, атакент алматы адрес дыбыс
    бермейтін таңбаларды белгіле, жол қозғалыс ережелері кітап скачать

  • мұхтар әуезов реферат қазақша/ 26.10.2024Reply

    погода байсерке на сегодня, яндекс погода байсерке кыз-жибек краткое содержание, кыз-жибек сюжет мағжан жұмабаев қысқа
    өлеңдері, мағжан жұмабаев балалық шақ канатная
    дорога кок-тобе чоколайф, канатная дорога кок тобе цены

  • менің мамандық ұстанымым эссе/ 31.10.2024Reply

    инкубационное яйцо алматы, купить инкубационное яйцо
    на птицефабрике коттедж актобе купить, коттеджи актобе о туган жер кен пейил, фариза оңғарсынова
    туған жердің топырағы діни терроризм, діни экстремизм тәрбие сағаты слайд

  • к чему снится что меня обсикал ребенок/ 01.11.2024Reply

    снится во сне дочь какая читается молитва когда умирает
    человек проверить от сглаза и порчи как
    персонажи король магических стрел и ванадис
    к чему снится пить в компании

  • работа в интернете на дому маме в декрете/ 02.11.2024Reply

    любая работа подработка авито тест по профессии
    онлайн подработка в фотосессии план работы при строительстве загородного дома

  • подработка в воронеже с ежедневной оплатой женщины/ 04.11.2024Reply

    вакансия менеджер по продажам it удаленно работа на дому без вложений
    реальный заработок искитим подработка вечером найти работу сидя дома какую
    можно

  • карты ленорман характеристика человека/ 11.11.2024Reply

    скачать герои меча и магии 7 торрент русская версия на виндовс 10 самая короткая и
    сильная молитва николаю чудотворцу
    четверка пентаклей уэйт
    гадание на картах онлайн на ближайшее будущее видео к чему снится поцарапал кот до крови

  • дистанционная подработка в интернете без опыта работы/ 15.11.2024Reply

    работа на дому в интернете биржа как бухгалтеру заработать онлайн где взять деньги подработка высокооплачиваемая дистанционная работа

  • гуманитарный склад ума/ 24.11.2024Reply

    I am really enjoying the theme/design of your weblog. Do you ever run into any internet
    browser compatibility issues? A few of my blog
    visitors have complained about my site not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Firefox.
    Do you have any solutions to help fix this issue?

Leave a Comment