Taming the Inner Critic

In these past two weeks, I saw some of the best performances I have seen all semester. Not that every performance was perfect, not that there isn't always room for constructive critique, self-reflection, and improvement -- that is a constant, especially in a subject like Acting. However, this week I saw people stretch, try something different, take on a challenge, overcome a fear, take direction and apply it successfully, and master an element of performance.

When I read your self-reflections, most of you were too hard on yourselves. You did not give yourself enough credit for what you accomplished and instead focused on what you saw as flaws or shortcomings.Now, self-reflection and even self-criticism is essential to setting personal goals for improvement. However, if you are too harsh on yourselves, that functions as a paralysis tool -- and actually limits your ability to progress.

Here is an excerpt from an article talking about how to tame the inner critic (not get rid of it entirely, but how to keep it in perspective):

http://www.londonactorshub.com/2014/05/05/self-doubt-self-sabotage-fear-silence-inner-critic/

One of the most important issues any actor needs to address first and foremost is fear, or THE FEAR. It strikes at different times but it is the quiet and oh-so-clear voice that crushes your confidence, steals away your self-esteem and leaves you feeling bereft of any ability to do, well, anything.

The fear is the inner critic. It is a part of every mind. Not just yours. These thoughts occur to everyone in various forms, at different levels. It is part of our human experience. However, working in a creative field that demands we be observant, agreeable and malleable as performers, all well as emotionally honest creatures – our inner critic can take over. This stops being helpful when instead of observing a conversation and scanning to see how it’s going, you stop engaging completely, feeling as though there’s nothing to offer.

The inner critic is linked to our self-worth, our confidence, and our-self-esteem. As such it’s incredibly important to ensure that we have a healthy relationship with it; both to maintain our physical and emotional well-being, and also to make sure that we’re ready and capable to work as the artists we strive to be.

WAYS TO ACKNOWLEDGE, BUT NOT ACT ON, THE FEAR

1. BE PREPARED

Most fear comes out of the unknown, the unexperienced; things we can’t control. You have no control over whether anyone will like you or like your work. This is a universal fact. However, you can control what you take into that room. You can prepare the sides, monologue, songs, dance. Know what you can prepare backwards. Make clear, well-thought out, well informed choices about the work. Be warm. Be physically and vocally ready to work.

2. WHEN THE INNER CRITIC RANTS – WRITE IT DOWN

Get a pen and some paper. Oh yes. Old school. Write it down. The thought of affirmations still freak me out, but I have to force myself to do this; for every negative thing, write three positives e.g.

Negative

• I completely messed up that audition

Did you really? What did they say? What did they look like? How long did it last? Chances are it was fine. It may not have been perfect, you may not have got the part this time, but you still worked, you performed honestly and openly for them, if only for a moment.

Positive

• I met a room full of talented industry professionals
• I’ll write to them saying how lovely it was to meet them, to keep me in mind for more suitable projects in the future
• I’ll go see the show, be open to it and write to them again after that

One complete positive, and two positive active steps to take in the future.

3. HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE

If you know you’re slacking, allowing things to slide, check in with yourself and assess why. If you’re not working hard enough, getting seen enough or writing to people enough; assess and accept why you’re behaving in this way. Keep an eye out for these self-sabotaging behaviors, keep a diary of them, try to assess a pattern and plan to combat them.

4. SEE GOOD PEOPLE AND DO GOOD THINGS

Simple to read, hard to do. Actors get painted, or rather tarred and feathered, with the self-obsessed brush, and as such it can be really hard to talk to people when these fears strike. You can do as much as possible to stay positive yourself but this is what friends and family are for. Other actor friends will no doubt regularly go through similar stages. Collectively expressing them and understanding that these feelings are normal can help enormously.

Thoughts don’t automatically lead to actions, in both positive and negative thought patterns. Be careful, pause before a thought becomes action and ask is this a choice you want to make? It is in your control how you choose to behave, the decisions you choose to make and actions you wish to act on.

Believe these thoughts are universal. They are part of us as people and, as artists, we choose to explore that territory; live in, embrace, and not ignore these less than desirable emotions. It is a commendable, worthwhile and brave action to accept all parts of ourselves, a little bit more each time.

Bravo, John

Check out John's Monologue from Death of a Salesman:

Bravo!

Spring Acting Class Silent Movie Project

Broadway or Bust

Tomorrow in class I want to discuss a bit more about the final decisions in Broadway or Bust and how you think each actor was judged. Here are a few resources that might interest you.

PBS has some background info on the performers here. Click on a name/face and find out more about who they are and how they got involved in theater.

Here is part of a review of the show, talking about making the behind-the-scenes work more transparent (so important for future actors):

"That’s part of what I love about Broadway Or Bust. The first episode, “Casting Call,” features some of the best arts criticism I’ve ever seen on a reality show. The 60 winners of the National High School Musical Theater Awards (well, as underdog Joshua tells us each episode, 59 and a runner-up) are gathered around a piano where Michael Feinstein is preparing to give them advice for their solo competition. Go-getter Nicholas sings “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” and when he finishes, Michael has two notes for him. The first is that Nicholas sang a wrong word, swapping “the” for “that” in the lyrics, “We may never, never meet again / on the bumpy road to love.” But Michael isn’t just playing stickler. The forceful “that” is a Sinatra-ization, a hipper take on a classical song. The second note, as I understand it, is that Nicholas’ peaks were half a step too low, which undermines the contrast that’s central to the song. So it’s not just that Nicholas failed to sing the exact song that the Gershwins wrote. It’s that his two little divergences affect its very unity. The critique comes from the work, not just the judge."

And more from this same critic about the judging and the importance of connecting with the material and with the audience:

"The judging in tonight’s finale is almost too transparent. A judge talks about how Evan turned a one-note song into a routine that keeps upping the ante whereas Nicolette couldn’t pull off a similar feat. He also talks about how another singer made it feel like she was coming up with the words to her song on the spot. But the actual deliberation is more impulsive, and the final selection a matter of ranking. Ultimately, this isn’t about criticism. As people keep saying, it’s about connecting with the audience and taking them on an emotional journey...I’m only now realizing how upfront Broadway Or Bust has been about affective memory. In “Casting Call,” when a director describes the goal to connect with an audience, he explains that connection as more suggestive than explicit. It’s about getting an audience member to think of something personal in his own life that corresponds to the song. In the finale, Drew, a student from Texas, says he imagines his song from Dracula The Musical as a hypothetical conversation about pulling the plug on his girlfriend in the hospital. The whole show operates on that affective memory, evoking that foreign exchange program to Germany or recalling the state spelling bee. That’s why the personal touches are so important"


Here is something from a different critic about the winners of the final judging:

"The final performances in this episode were the pinnacle of this series.  From Evan’s rendition of “Magic Foot” from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee to Nicolette’s rendition of “I Hate Men” from Kiss Me Kate, I was astounded as each medley blended in perfect harmony… as if each song were penned to flow into one another from the very beginning. Elizabeth’s portrayal of Lola from the musical Damn Yankees placed her at the top of my list and Brittany’s voice diminished significantly as the show progressed. So, once it came down to the nitty-gritty, I was only surprised by Brittany’s absence in the final six contestants.

Last week, I did choose Josh to come out on top and I was ecstatic when he did! However, I found my loyalties leaning towards Drew after he comedically performed “Trouble” from The Music Man. If I were a judge, my biggest challenge would be deciphering true all-around talent against talent in a certain genre. Josh was amazing, but can he perform comedically? In the end, Drew proved he could be both the comedian and an actor to hold the audience’s attention with emotionality. Again, I’m not disappointed with the outcome… only speculating.

Elizabeth Romero. Oh, Elizabeth! This is a girl after my own heart. I love actresses who are capable of acting through facial gestures even whilst singing. To me, that’s true talent only few possess. Kristin Chenoweth — yes, I drop her name all the time… but can you blame me? — is the most “post-modern” example of this type of talent. Elizabeth’s comedy in her solo “Disneyland” from Smile stole my vote almost immediately and I would have been upset if the judges did not recognize the clear winner in her performance."

Original Silent Movie for Fall 2014

Our Original Silent Movie

Silent Film -- telling a story and expressing emotion without the use of words

This week, we begin our unit on Silent Film. The above short silent film was made by George Melies, a French filmmaker whose life and work is showcased in the film Hugo and the graphic novel that it was based on, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Melies is a fanciful filmmaker who uses some advanced cinematic techniques to create a feeling of magic in his films, such as the way he duplicates one man into a whole "band" of men here. This short differs from other silent films that are well known in the U.S. in that it does not have music playing. Imagine this scene set to music. How would it be different?

In gathering some background information on the genre of silent film, you might look at the examples contained at this website: "Six Essential Silent Short Films". Also, you might look at the movie The Artist.
In looking at these examples, pay attention to the way that the actors use face and body to convey ideas. Also look at the use of props and staging (and sometimes) cue cards used with words on them) to tell the story. Finally, pay close attention to the role played by music and how it creates an emotional setting in scenes.