Black Text on a White Page

When you get a script, this is what you see. You see little black marks adorning a page of otherwise uninspiring whiteness. Your eyes are drawn to the letters and as you commit them to memory you endow them with importance. You make those words the most crucial aspect of your performance, because we are taught that is where the performance is. Honour the writers words.

Words are important. But not as important as behaviour.

Behaviour is the white space, the little moments of opportunity between the words, at punctuation, between syllables. Look at this page now, there is white everywhere. That means you have the opportunity to instil behaviour in your performance anywhere.

A teacher once told me "two person dialogue scenes don't exist". What a stupid comment, right? Of course they exist!

Well, they shouldn't. When you see a two person dialogue scene for a class, or an audition, the focus should not be on hitting your mark and saying the words in order - that was popularised in the 30s, and the good actors didn't even do that! Your focus should be on where you are, what is your environment, and how do you behave in that environment. Enter the scene from that place, with behaviour that is inspired by your understanding of the character and yourself and you will be lit up with unique creative choices that will help tell the story.

Take Brad Pitt for example - check out this fifteen minute supercut of him eating in his movies. It is so interesting! I just watched the whole thing and was engaged the entire time.

It is fascinating just watching someone living in the environment. If you don't have behaviour you're a stilted actor. If you do, you are a human being.

And that is captivating.