|
Volume 5
Issue 15 Jill Place, Publisher
jill@actingintuitive.com
You've received this
e-zine because you asked for it.
If you
wish to leave my list, please scroll to the end for
instructions.
Movable Classes and BRANDact Branding for Actors
Leap . . . and the Net will Appear
Hi [[FirstName]]
 We're
INTERNATIONAL!
Tons of subscribers and eBook purchasers are popping up from all parts
of the globe. As well as affiliates. I'm proud to welcome
Chad Gracia of actortips.com to the Act
Intuitive family. You can see Chad's
ad at the end of this eZine. I also highly
recommend his eZine, which I've been getting for years.
And today I'm sending
you Leap . . . and the Net Will
Appear, ideas
on how to get out of your head and let
go.
Oh,
and do me a favor and go here to read some great things
actors have to say about Act Intuitive.
[NOTE:
Some words in this e Zine have been disguised to
avoid triggering sp^m filters.]
Movable Classes PERFECT for Episodic
Season
The Movable
Classes are a great way to get a private or
semi-private session for a class price. Simply check the
schedule by going to
www.actingintuitive.com and
scrolling to the bottom of my home page. The
current week's Movable Class times are listed there. Or
sign up the get on the Movable Class List and I'll send you
e-mail reminders every Sunday night.
But, here's the
deal. You've got to call me either at 323.225.9850 or
323.842.9850 no later than midnight before for a day class or
four hours before for an evening class. For example,
call me no later than 3pm to attend to 7pm class.
So, if
you can't take the
Intensive on Saturdays, these classes may be an important training
option for you. The Benefits of the Movable Class are as
follows:
- Flexibility
- An easy way to get in a class every week
if you're a busy actor
- Focus
on cold reading and audition skills
- Option to pay a
four-week or per-class fee
- The same
GREAT Act Intuitive technique
Act Intuitive . . . my new fusion of
Grotowski, Method and active imagery, which I call
Acting-Out, taps rapidly into muscle
memory to free expression quicker and easier than any other
technique I've taken or taught. Ever! Get in touch at 323.225.9850
or
jill@actingintuitive.com to find
out more. Or to get the scoop on the BRAND-NEW
Movable Classes!
BRANDact Branding for Actors is now One-on-One
I'm branding actors
individually all over the U.S.!
Once actors name and claim their talent, their
careers soar. And now branding is easier than
ever. Go here
to find out more. Or if you'd
like to do the home branding course
instead, you can get the whole BRANDact acting success
sytem, including phone or e-mail help, for
$39. Go here
to
get it now at the pre-internet price.
Top
Leap . . . and the Net Will Appear 
I
have a rock inscribed with this saying that I hold in my hand to do my daily gratitudes. Being grateful is just one way to let go of old belief systems that may be standing between you and acting success.
Acting itself is both a continual gratitude and state of
letting go. When you don't let go, you're in your head. And
when you're in your head, you're struggling, not acting.
Struggling to let go so that you can make that ultimate
connection. With yourself and with what Jerzy Grotowski calls
"the holy actor". Stephan Wangh, who wrote eloquently on
Grotowski, said that "the actor, if he is to reveal something
significant, personal and profound . . . must reach into the
depths of himself, through whatever psychic or physical blocks
might impede such expression."
Actors
come to me all the time because they think I have the key to
such expression. But, in reality, all I can do is introduce
them to a self-discovery process for letting go. Here are some
ways to begin that process:
What's
keeping you stuck?
Sometimes we're just not aware of why we can't let
go. One of my students realized during her relaxation exercise in class
just yesterday that she couldn't totally commit to being present
in every aspect of her life. Since she sought me out because
she "froze when a script called for crying", this was quite a helpful revelation
Many times an acting lesson may also be a life lesson.
So
targeting what you think you're holding onto can be a powerful
tool. Writing about it can clarify it. As well as doing some
sort of active relaxation regime such as those integral to the
techniques of Strasberg and Grotowski.
Let go
of judgments
Beginning
actors
crack
me up. Many think acting is about indicating and reading
lines. In reality, it's exactly the opposite. Acting is about having no
judgments about the way performances should or shouldn't turn out. If we pre-judge, we
may miss what the Universe intended for us in the moment.
<Pre-judging springs from fear.
And the human need to control. I once had a gymnastics coach who taught me do a pike, a ring pose where your legs come up over your head. He explained that, in this posture, the natural
fear response was to look around instead of neatly tucking
my head into my stomach. If I remained attached to that
fear, I could never do a pike. But, with constant practice, I
could conquer it. And eventually tuck in my head effortlessly
and lift my legs over my head. My body has never forgotten
how to let go and do a pike. Even in my sixties.
Stanislavski tells the wonderful story in Building
a Character of Kostya, an actor meticulously preparing
for a character exercise that Tortsov, his teacher, had
assigned. When the time came to perform, Kostya costumed,
made-up and reviewed his preparation. Then impulsively smeared
his make-up into a greenish puddle all over his face. And
instantly became the character. Kostya trusted his
preparation. And then let it go. Head tucked, legs rose, and
he flew.
Surrender to the moment
Many acting theorists, including
Grotowski, consider acting a holy act that originated in
religious ritual. So it only makes sense that surrender plays
an integral part in the acting process just like it does in
spiritual disciplines.
Acting
is all about surrendering to the moment . . . playing a scene
where you already know all the lines and have done all the
preparation . . . as if it's happening right now. But
sometimes that surrender eludes you. It's as if you're in a
raging river clinging to the log of all your familiar acting
cliches and mannerisms. Friends on the far bank have freed
themselves from theirs. And they're gesticulating wildly for
you to swim over and be with them. They throw ropes, lifelines
and even paddle out as far as they can. You want to be with
them. But you just can't stop clinging to the log. And, like
my actor, this may not only be true in your acting but in your
life. So what do you do?
.
. . and the net will appear
Letting go entails an
organic restructuring of your expressive apparatus so that you can reach through
those blocks Wangh mentions. It isn't easy. But it's doable. In order for you
to finally beach on the far bank, you might want to:
-
Find a safe, supportive environment in order to
experiment with and perfect your craft. Many actors are
unhappy with their training situation. But do nothing about
it. They'd rather cling to the log. If your training
situation isn't nurturing your growth, you're going to have
a hard time sensing your safety net.
-
Practice daily to develop the confidence you need to
leave the log and swim away. This is not only true of your
technique but your audition skills. I know many wonderful
actors who panic at or say they hate auditions. Instead,
consider them a blessing and a choice. And another
opportunity to surrender. The situation is totally out of
your control anyway. All you can do is your best. And then
let whatever happens in that room go the moment you leave
it.
-
Find yourself a spiritual or physical discipline or
support system. Acting can be emotionally, physically and
spiritually draining. So actors need support and clarity.
How they find it, however, is a very individual thing. Some
people like quiet meditation or manifesting exercises.
Others like group activities like yoga, martial arts or
church services. Still others prefer different types of
actor's groups. Whatever floats your . . . log . . . find a
way to soulfully support your acting efforts.
-
Realize how special you are. Actors are more
sensitive, more willing and more courageous than most. So
make a list of what's unique about you. And post it
somewhere in plain sight so you can see it often. Use the
list as your safety net. The net that appears when you
finally let go.
Next Issue: Activity
Work
And, by
the way, DON'T LEAVE JUST
BECAUSE THIS eZINE COMES SCRAMBLED! Try
as I might, the program I use to publish it just doesn't suit
every type of e-mail. Acting
Magic is also
available online on my home page,
www.actingintuitive.com.
Simply use
the l~ink to the left of my picture right under
the opt-in form. Thanks in advance for your
diligence!
***********************************
ONLINE BUSINESS
FOR ARTISTS & ACTORS
Earn money writing about your
hobby
or passion - free online web platform.
http://www.tipzu.com
***********************************
Top
If you would like
to get this eZine, Go Here and fill out the form on
the left
To leave my list, Go
Here and
press
send
Please forward this
issue on to friends and associates! Just keep the entire
issue intact and unaltered. These articles are copyright by the
respective author. Jill Place is not affiliated with any other
school or organization.
Jill Place,
The Acting Intuitive 1309 Montecito
Drive Los Angeles, CA
90031 (323)
225-9850
Copyright © 2007 Jill
Place, the Acting Intuitive, All Rights
Reserved.
|