Actors and Acting
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The Greek masks of Comedy and Tragedy are the archetypes of theatre. While there are endless versions of comedies and tragedies, they all stem from their original source, or archetype. |
Why a metaphysical approach to acting?
Taking a metaphysical approach to the script and character you are working with can bring so much more to the table and give you a clearer and a deeper understanding of the character's motivations and psychology. The goal is to get beneath the surface of the story to understand "what it's really about" and to get inside the character for more insight as to what motivates him/her - and why.
Hero's Journey
This universal "mono myth" comes from Joseph Campbell's book, "Hero With a Thousand Faces." He traced the world's mythology and religions and came to realize that the stories told are very similar, once you get behind the more surface elements. The Greek dramas, Shakespeare plays and contemporary movies all are subject to these truths in storytelling. The reason that these stories are mostly the same is that they all tell the human story, which is very much the same for all of us.
In it's simplest form, the hero's journey is a round trip - first a departure from the familiar home world by answering the "call to adventure," second, an initiation into the strange world with trials, obstacles, a mentor (as well as other important characters) and eventually an "appointment with death," and having survived that, the hero is ready for final battle and a return to the home world to share the gifts of the journey. This is both an outer quest AND an inner transformation - both are needed for success. The hero rerturns changed by the adventure, changed in a way that is necessary for the good of all.
Archetypes
If myths are the movies of old, then archetypes are the characters of myth. They are boldly drawn, as are their faults, so that we know just who they are. This helps us identify with the characters and relate to their strengths and weaknesses. Rick Blaine in Casablanca was a cynical isolationist with a not-so-hidden past as an idealistic sentimentalist. This may seem like a contradiction, but aren't we all contradictions in some way? Understanding a full faceted archetype of your character will help you portray him or her in a way that really connects with the audience (or casting director!).
Story themes are archetypal as well. For instance, any "rags to riches" plot is often described as a "Cinderella story." (see Rocky, Pretty Woman, etc.) Likewise, any story in which an underdog confronts a much more powerful opponent points us directly toward the archetype of a "David and Goliath" story. In both cases, the single archetype can spawn an endless stream of dramas and movies based on the central theme.
Transformation
In movies, this is called the "character arc," which is the change that the character makes as a result of the drama, and, the internal change that the hero makes so that he/she can succeed in the outer world. In essence, that is the whole reason for the outer journey - to elicit that inner transformation that is calling up from within the character.
Initially, the outer goal and the inner need run parallel, but are mostly separate. The character continues in the outer pursuits, while mostly ignoring the inner urging. At some point, the outer world becomes unmanageable and the inner need becomes unbearable. The two (inner and outer) have become one. Finally, in order to meet the outer goal, the character must serve the inner need. The character has to become more than he/she is in order to succeed, and thus, transformation takes place.
A simple yet effective ABC formula is derived: Character A goes through B to become C.
The Acting Process
The major goals of acting methods are to help the actor reach a level of understanding of the character, relate to the character from your own experiences, and express the character in a way that best connects the audience with the performance and the picture. A metaphysical approach can help the actor get to this in-between place quickly and effectively.
The Industry
The film industry speaks the language of symbol and storytelling as it relates to the hero's journey. Chris Vogler's book, Writers Journey, is almost an industry standard, so if the show runners, production executives, writers, agents and directors all have at least a working knowledge of this material, so should you, so that you can meet them on the same page and increase your chances of getting the parts.
The Actors Journey
Because performance is such a visceral and emotional process, and engaging these symbolic archetypes can be very taxing, one must first appreciate this fact and take care to get the rest and balance needed. You can't work this deeply on yourself and your characters for sustained periods without taking the time to relax and recharge your psyche. Always make sure you have things to do that replenish your soul and not take things too seriously!
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