ACTORS

1
ACTORS ACTING

• Glenn Wilson PhD
• Kings College London
• Institute of Psychiatry

2
RITUAL ORIGINS OF PERFORMANCE

• Chanting and mass singing.
• Coordinated instrumental playing.
• Formation marching and dancing.
• Masks and elaborate costumes.
• Special effects (e.g. use of fire, totems
  scenery).
• Division between performers (shamans) and
  audience (congregation).
• Making the mundane magical/supernatural

3
PERFORMERS AS SHAMANS

• In modern society the role of the
  shaman(magician/trance traveller) has split three
  ways
• Doctors therapists perform the healing role
  of the witch-doctor.
• Priests evangelists supervise contact with
  the supernatural order.
• Actors performers crystallize powerful
  feelings and archetypes (sex, rebellion, etc.)

4
CHARISMA

• Power of presence - depends on physical
  attributes and personality looks (Monroe),
  stature (Schwarzenegger), voice (Pavarotti),
  assertiveness (John Wayne).
• Uniqueness (Yul Brunner) and zaniness (Russell
  Brand) may also be beneficial.
• Also derived from social/political position
  (Kissinger, Prince Charles).
• Familiarity contributes (weather forecasters,
  game-show bimbos).
• Charismatic person is not necessarily likeable
  (Thatcher, Bogart). Even psychopaths can be
  charming (Ted Bundy, Saddam Hussein).
• Self-assurance is central the strength to
  resist the need to be liked (Brian Bates).

5
THE NAME GAME

• Important for actors to have attractive,
  memorable names Judy Garland (Frances Gumm),
  Cary Grant (Archie Leach), John Wayne (Marion
  Morrison).
• Hollywood actors initially anonymous after
  star system, names chosen by studios short
  clipped for men (Kirk, Clark, Brad) rounded for
  women (Marilyn, Angelina).
• Later realised that complex, unusual names,
  though harder to acquire, are ultimately more
  memorable (Olivier, Gielgud).
• Gimmicks work on same principle (Symbol The
  Artist Formerly Known as Prince).
• Alliteration also memorable (Charlotte Church).
• Some names chosen to arouse appropriate emotion
  (Sid Vicious, Judas Priest).
• Prior exposure also used Englebert Humperdinck
  (Jerry Dorsey).

6
IDENTIFICATION

• Audience involvement depends upon process of
  projecting themselves into the position of
  characters being portrayed (c.f. empathy).
• Individual members of audience may identify with
  one character more than others (usually the one
  most like themselves or the one they most like)
  but get inside others as well.
• Those with whom we identify do not have to be
  virtuous also villains (McBeth, Don Giovanni).
• Must be believable bad casting can destroy
  credibility (overweight soprano dying of
  consumption).

7
TWO MAIN SCHOOLS

• Imaginative (internal) Focus of attention on
  thoughts and feelings of the character being
  portrayed.
• Technical (external) Mental viewpoint is that of
  the audience (standing back and looking at
  oneself from the auditorium).

8
IMAGINATIVE APPROACH

• Associated with Stanislavski and Strasbergs
  method.
• Main concern is with sincerity.
• Preparation based on emotional memory,
  character analysis improvisation.
• Suited to avant-garde theatre, TV, intimate films.

9
TECHNICAL APPROACH

• Associated with French school (Delsarte) and
  British directors (Guthrie, Olivier).
• Main concern is with communication to audience.
• Preparation based on stagecraft, feedback,
  modelling, body language, attention manipulation.
• Suited to classic stage, opera epic films.

10
SOME TECHNIQUES

• Feedback comments, mirrors, recordings, videos.
• Observation/modelling - Study of body language
  (e.g. Sher studied serial killers predatory
  insects Dr Strangeloves alien hand).
• Personality theory Trait theory describes
  constellations of behaviour. Psychoanalysis
  suggests repressed (sexual) motives.
• Stagecraft voice projection, sightlines, curved
  moves, picturisation, cheating out, cold
  shoulder, etc.

11
EVALUATION

• Some element of each approach is necessary for
  effective performance (argument is which comes
  naturally which needs training?)
• Internal feelings, however sincere, are no use
  unless transmitted to audience.
• Character analysis and improvisation may be
  useful as source of inspiration but of doubtful
  value thereafter.
• Excessive feeling, displayed demonstratively, may
  interfere with audience empathy.
• Excessive technique may show and become
  intrusive.

12
PUBLIC IMAGE OF ACTORS (As seen by 408 Equity
members)

• Glamorous, arrogant, overpaid slackers
• Boring old Shakespeareans
• Laughable luvvies or amoral Bohemians
• Bolsheviks lefties
• Unreliable people in unreliable jobs
• Winners losers nobody in between
• Anyone can do it and anyone does
• No respect because of antics of some high-profile
  stars
• Not a proper profession/only a hobby
• Love/hate (envied for success scorned for
  failure)
• (Source King 2000 Leeds Metropolitan
  Univ.)

13
ACTORS AS EXHIBITIONISTS

• Inclined to be outgoing and expressive
  (histrionic) personality types - need to show
  off?
• Rival hypotheses deprived of applause in
  childhood and thus trying to compensate vs
  early reinforcement for theatrical behaviour
  (n.b. these are directly opposed).
• Behaviour genetic analysis suggests neither is
  true personality is mainly constitutional, with
  upbringing largely irrelevant.

14
ARE ACTORS ENGAGED IN SELF-TREATMENT?

• Theory that performers (esp. those that write own
  material) are neurotics trying to self-treat
  Sylvester Stallone (small man becomes hero)
  Woody Allen (geek impresses goddess) Danny LaRue
  (transvestite gets to dress as woman).
• Performers need love, applause, social approval
  (we all do) but these are markers of occupational
  success as well as personal needs.
• Need to resist temptation to pathologise.
  Tendency to see performers as lonely, stressed
  immature but may equally be self-actualised,
  happy, well-balanced.
• Rates of depression, suicide, etc. are not
  grossly elevated in performers (hence strategy
  successful?).

15
IDENTITY CONFUSION

• Some believe acting is a search for identity,
  never clearly established in childhood - playing
  a role said to provide sense of identity (e.g.
  Peter Sellers).
• Others argue that acting creates role confusion.
  (e.g. the re-entry strain of undercover cops.)
• Latter may apply more to method than technical
  actors.
• Many stars have roles imposed upon them which
  they are unable to escape (Marilyn Monroe, James
  Dean, John Wayne, soap stars). These may not
  correspond exactly to real selves.

16
POSSESSION SYNDROME

• Over identification with character may lead to
  off-stage life being seriously taken over by role
  being played.
• Mel Martin became Vivien Leigh, Charlton Heston
  was surprised by the behaviour of Queeg in
  Caine Mutiny, Daniel Day-Lewis walked out on a
  performance of Hamlet because he saw ghost of
  his own father.
• Famous case of Brazilian soap star who murdered
  his on-screen girl-friend after she jilted him in
  the storyline.
• Is possession method acting taken to extreme?