Respect for Acting: The Characteristics of an Actor

 

I meet so many people nowadays who tell me they've always wanted to be on stage and perform, but didn't know if they had it in them, how far they could go with their natural talents.  Most of these people also aren't very familiar with the necessary training one needs to acquire to really harness the gift, but it all starts with a few personal traits and disciplines within yourself that will get you far.  Uta Hagen outlines a few characteristics of actors who are excellent at their craft in all fields in Respect for Acting.

"For a would-be actor, the prerequisite is talent.  You can only hope to God you've got it," Ms. Hagen writes.  I feel as if this could be a debatable point when it comes to 'natural talent' and if it's the foundation of successful acting.  Acting, apart from other artistic mediums, can be a primal trainwreck if out of control of the art itself.  The natural talent, I believe, comes from the understanding and awareness of the gift and the basic idea of how to control and manipulate it.  It's a trait that can be discovered anytime in life, but comes without formal training.  You may come from a family of artists or you may be the 'black sheep', but there's no denying whether you've got the 'talent' or not.  

Talent, as Ms. Hagen defines it, is:

"... an amalgam of high sensitivity; easy vulnerability; high sensory equipment (seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting - intensely); a vivid imagination as well as a grip on reality; the desire to communicate one's own experiences and sensations, to make one's self heard and seen."

To me, talent and ability walk a fine line together.  There are people with outgoing personalities and possess unique traits who don't fare as well as actors because of the lack of training and the focus that comes with it.  The natural ability makes the training much easier, almost necessary to understand the training itself.  I believe everyone has this natural ability because it lies as an innate reaction, albeit more dormant in some people than others.  The natural ability comes from having an open and curious mind to the world and to learn about it as much as you can in the short time that you have, and the talent lies in the desire to communicate what you've learned to the world.  Ultimately, you want your human experiences to be heard and seen, whether they are literal or translated through the character.  How do we develop such diverse skills in emotive and physical communication to successfully portray a 'natural' character?  What do we need to develop within and outside of ourselves as unique individuals to be able to connect with these characters we portray?

Respect for Acting: Representational vs. Presentational, Outer vs. Inner Techniques

I am a student of Stanislavski when it comes to building acting technique, learning about how his method is much like a fine-tailored suit specifically for the actor wearing it.  However, my suit won't fit you perfectly, it will need to be altered for your form in certain ways for your own preferences.  Stanislavski himself interviewed the finest actors of his day to determine the formula for a successful actor in his craft, finding that although certain techniques were common, they were given different approaches depending on the actor's conditioning.  It can all relate to our own personalities and how we retain those experiences, how we recall them when retelling anecdotes from days or years ago.  Whether they're childhood memories, personal morals or even table manners, they have all created a system of responses that are at your fingertips when it comes to a reference library to use in your acting technique.  The question is now how to apply them.

Building 'Respect for Acting'

"Overcome the notion that you must be regular.  It robs you of a chance to be extraordinary."  -Uta Hagen

It seems at the most serendipitous times, the universe gives you what you ask for ... even when you haven't asked for it yet.  When it came to my acting skill, I have to admit that it's all a God-given gift with high-school training and work experience.  My first mentor in the theatre arts, Harry Wilson, was my high school drama arts teacher who saw potential in my untamed energy.  (Seriously - I needed a helmet in freshman year, I was bouncing off walls!)  I have fond memories of late nights with cast and crew of students and 'Mr. Wilson' performing a labour of love for Sears Drama Festival plays or Remembrance Day assemblies.  He taught me about Stanislavski and how his 'actor's suit' had to be tailored for each actor, because each one requires a different fit.  Each actor has his or her own rituals and mental processes of connecting with a character, but may not suit another actor's technique or opinion.  Each actor has a personal technique tied with something that has been learned and refined, which is a constant process.  Any artist who's told you he's learned all he needs to know is lying!