For Actors in Training

CHAPTER 1

Common Understandings

BEFORE WE BEGIN work on the specific skills required to act Shakespeare, let's review and clarify some terms and approaches to acting. Answering these questions now will give us a common foundation for the exercises that
follow.

EMPHASIS IN ACTOR TRAINING

The Realistic Actor

The term "realism" refers to realistic scripts that are written in prose, where dialogue reads like everyday speech. Included are most stage plays written after 1900 and nearly all film and television plays. "Realistic actor" refers to that individual who has studied the craft primarily to act realistic text by application of Stanislayski methods. "Realistic actor" may suggest an artist who has taken supervised voice study, but that assumption may or may not be true. At any rate, it would be unrealistic to assume that any actor proficient in realism would automatically be a skilled presenter of Shakespeare.

The Classical Actor

The phrase "playing Shakespeare" refers to the performance of plays written in heightened language. Heightened text follows specific rhythmic patterns and is usually filled with imagery. Included are most plays written prior to goo. There are exceptions, like Chekhov, Strindberg, and Ibsen, who wroterealism. Generally, learning to handle Shakespeare's heightened language also gives the actor a solid foundation for playing Moliere, Restoration comedy, Goethe, Rostand, and many others. As most of these plays are referred to as "classical," actors trained to perform them are often called "classical actors."

The Film Actor

Nowadays, we also have the "film actor." This additional category is necessary because many performers on film are certainly "actors," but they may or may not possess the training and skills that stage actors acquire. Actors, including persons identified as "stars," who work primarily on film or video may or may not have a trained voice, and may or may not be capable of a range of characterization.These categories actually identify an actor's training and preparation to work in the profession. The profession itself has many forms—stage, classical stage, musical stage, dance, video, film, radio, spoken books, recordings, voice-over, sales shows, demonstrations, modeling, and so forth. Well-trained actors can work in most of the forms, whereas less talented or less trained persons might specialize.
In this book, our concentration is on performance of Shakespeare's plays for stage, video, or film. However, many of the skills required to perform this task successfully can he applied to acting realism and other performance opportunities—indeed, they should he applied whenever possible.

ARE THESE SKILLS DIFFICULT TO LEARN?
O, answer me! Let me not burst in ignorance.
HAMLET, I, iv

No, but they must be learned. When an actor trained in realism tackles a Shakespearean role without applying these special skills, the usual results are an affected voice and strained and unbelievable acting. Shakespeare's language controls the actor, rather than the actor controlling the language. The ability to play realism on film or stage does not translate to the ability to play Shakespeare.
But, since fine Shakespeare acting coaches are available, actors with some degree of talent can be successful at playing verse. When we observe unsuccessful performances, we are left to wonder: (I) Where were the coaches? or (2) Is that actor really without talent?
The skills required for success with Shakespeare, once explained, are not hard to recognize. For example, young actors in training ate often shown film or video performances of Shakespeare's plays. 'These student actors can quickly articulate the reasons for good or poor performances.

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