Table Of ContentActing_Advanced Techniques 4/27/05 10:34 AM Page 1
F E N
OREWORD BY DWARD ORTON
ACTI NG
ACTING
ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
FOR THE
Actor, Director,
AND
T E A C H E R
T E R R Y S C H R E I B E R
with Mary Beth Barber
ALLWORTH PRESS
NEW YORK
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To Katharine Elaine Schreiber
“Carry the Torch”
© 2005 Terry Schreiber
All rights reserved.Copyright under Berne Copyright Convention,Universal Copyright Convention,and
Pan-American Copyright Convention.No part of this book may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form,or by any means,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,or otherwise,
without prior permission of thepublisher.
09 08 07 06 05 5 4 3 2 1
Published by Allworth Press
An imprint of Allworth Communications,Inc.
10 East 23rd Street,New York,NY 10010
Cover design by Derek Bacchus
Interior design by Mary Belibasakis
Typography by Integra Software Services
Images on page 8 are used by permission of James Duus,a certified Body Dynamics™ educator as well as a certified
Pilates instructor in New York City.He can be reached at [email protected]
ISBN:1-58115-418-6
LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA
Schreiber,Terry.
Acting:advanced techniques for the actor,director,and teacher/by Terry Schreiber,with Mary Beth Barber;
foreword by Edward Norton.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Acting. 2. Acting–Study and teaching. I. Barber,Mary Beth. II. Title.
PN2061.S356 2005
792.02'8–dc22
2005007923
Printed in Canada
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C O N T E N T S
Acknowledgments vi
Foreword by Edward Norton viii
Preface x
A Note on Personal Pronouns
Methodology xiii
My Experience • No “One”Technique
• An Actor’s Toolbox • Mind,Heart,Will
PART I: PROCEDURE 1
Chapter 1: Relaxation 3
Tension—The Enemy of the Actor • “To Be Seen”Body
Work • “To Be Heard”Vocal Work • Warm-Up Program
Chapter 2: Concentration 21
The Senses—Five Powerful Tools
Chapter 3: Imagination 25
Sidebar:Finding Emotional Resolution
Chapter 4: Preparation 29
Body and Voice • The Actor’s Notebook
• Memorization • Sidebar:Backward Way to
Construct a Sentence • Monologues
• Class and Rehearsal Space • A Note for Leaders
PART II: GROUP EXERCISES 39
Relaxing into the Floor • “Hard”Chairs
Chapter 5: General Sensory Exercises 41
Height • Floating • Beach/Sunning/Water • Animal
Exercises • Sidebar:The Snow Leopard • Meal
• Cave • Sidebar:Alone in a Cave • Mixed Sound/Smell
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Chapter 6: Personal Sensory Exercises 55
Baby Exercise • Age Exercise • The Place Exercise
(Room/Closet/Chest/Attic/Basement) • Face • Shower
Chapter 7: Physical-Condition Exercises 67
An Actor’s Secret • Cold • Sidebar:One Hundred
Degrees,and I’m Freezing • Heat • Drunkenness
• Drugs • Pain • Sidebar:Pain,Shin Splints,and the
High School Basketball Bench • Blindness • Deafness
• Don’t Go Alone • Other Impairment • Insanity
• Sidebar:Insanity,Anger,and My Hair • Conclusion
PART III: INDIVIDUAL EXERCISES 83
A Note for Leaders
Chapter 8: Creating A Character—The Spoon River Exercise 85
Spoon River,Part One—Introduction to the Character
• Sidebar:Mrs.Sibley Said Nothing,and Everything
• Spoon River,Part Two—Animal Work and “Psychological
Center” • Sidebar:Rose Ritz,Fancy Peacock
Chapter 9: Making A Scene: The A.C.T. (Action/Condition/Telephone Call) 103
Activity • Physical Condition • Sidebar:Sisterly
Love • Preparation and Rehearsal • Telephone Call
• A.C.T.in Class • Sidebar:Cleaning Up,the
Hangover,and the Confession • What We’ve Learned
Chapter 10: Freeing the Instrument—The Fallout and the Song Exercise 113
A Note for Leaders • Fallout • Sidebar:The Fallout—
A Way to Warm Up • Song Exercise • A Note on Leading
the Fallout and Song Exercise • What We’ve Learned
Chapter 11: Exploring the Subconscious—Emotional Recall 141
Emotional Recall,Part One • Sidebar:Blowout
on the Soccer Field • Emotional Recall,Part Two
• Emotional Recall,Part Three • Emotional Recall,Part Four
• A Note for Leaders • What We’ve Learned
Chapter 12: Validating The Self—The Private Moment 159
Practical Purpose • Before Class—Choosing Private
Moments—The Storyboard • What Is a Private Moment?
• Parts One and Two • Private Moment—Preparation
• Sidebar:Opening Up a Sensual Side • Performing the
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Private Moment,Parts One and Two • Private Moment,
Part Three • Sidebar:The Private Moment,Years Later,
On Stage • Sidebar:Tipping Point ofa Career • Character
Private Moments • Sidebar:A Gut-Wrenching Moment
• What We’ve Learned
PART IV: SCENE STUDY 177
Chapter 13: Assigning Scenes 179
Rules for Rehearsal
Chapter 14: Road Map 185
Working Title • Objective • Beats
• Sidebar:Relearning • Actions (Also Called
“Intention”) • The Givens • Essential Scene Preparation
Chapter 15: Scene Work Rehearsal Process 197
Preliminary Meeting • First Rehearsal
• Second Rehearsal • Third Rehearsal
Chapter 16: Scenes in Class 203
Sidebar:Putting It All Together
• First Time • Second Time
Chapter 17: Application of Exercise Work 209
Relax and Prepare • Where Have You Been? • Sidebar:Preparation
at 6thand 9th • Don’t Predict • Fight Against Emotions • Scene
Problem—Personal Problems • Handling Dangerous Emotional
Acting Situations • Sidebar:Using the E.R.to Go to Pieces
• It All Comes Down to Text
Conclusion 217
Appendix A:Recommended Reading 221
Appendix B:Playwrights Suggested for Study 223
Glossary 224
About the Author 230
Index 231
v
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AC K N O W L E D G M E N T S
My enormous gratitude and thanks to Mary Beth Barber, whose unflagging
energy, skill, patience, perseverance, support, and optimism made the assem-
bly of this book possible.I do not think you ever really know anyone until the
working together gets tough and demanding.Over the last two years,we met,
wrote, rewrote, cut, and assembled. While under tremendous pressure from
other job demands,Mary Beth was always there with tremendous determina-
tion, energy, and tenacity. Or, in acting terms, “Mind, Heart, and Will.”
Whatever success this book encounters, I will always be beholden to her for
her major contribution.
I would also like to acknowledge with heartfelt thanks the special
contribution of Effie Johnson, who spent many hours transcribing my tapes;
Mel England,who struggled through my handwriting to type up yet another
draft; Margaret Dawson and J.J. Handegard, who did copyediting, Sarah
Winton and Stefan Mreczko for additional copyediting and photographs, in
that order,and James Duus and Jennifer McGuire for their cooperation with
necessary photo demonstrations.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly: To all the many actors who have
put their trust and faith into studying with me,or enrolled with other teach-
ers at my studio,I am deeply grateful for all you have taught me and the help
you have given me to grow over the years in my teaching and the work.The
joy your professional achievements have given me has made the journey
together even more worthwhile.
My gratitude for working side-by-side with my gifted and extremely
talented,caring,and giving teaching staff:
Carol Reynolds • Lynn Singer • Julie Garfield
• Pamela Scott • Page Clements • Diane and Peter Miner
• Sally Dunn • Peter Jensen
To Carolyn French,with deep appreciation for her belief in the book and
for being my agent.
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To my Board ofDirectors:
Hal Tiné,President • Jano Herbosch,Vice President
• Stefan Mreczko,Treasurer • Glenn Krutoff,Secretary
• Julie Halston • Bernie Dworkin • Patty Parker
To my Advisory Board:
Joanna Bayless • Larry Cantor • Ed Franklin • Carolyn French
• Rick Frostman • Tony Glazer • Dede Harris
• Francine Haskell • Shirley Lockwood • Richard Manichello
• Michael Martinez • Phil Miller • Summer Moore
• Edward Norton • Tom Reichart • Sarah Ann Rodgers • Bernard Rudd
• Enid Rudd • Fred Tumas • Michael Twisdale
• Ron Vazzano • Jason Weiss
The Honorary Advisory Board:
Helen Jean Arthur • George Rattner • Alan Scott • Edith Larkin
• David LeVine • Michael Thomas • David Toser
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F O R E W O R D
There are a lot of really good actors,but very few really good acting teachers.
When I moved to New York,the path to training as an actor was about as
clear as wading into the Everglades. There were MFA programs, storied
studios, private academies with famous alumni, theater-affiliated repertory
programs,the institutionalized legacies of famous teachers past,and innumer-
able well-known directors running classes on the side. Sprinkled among and
around all of these were an astonishing array of charlatans and poseurs of every
sort clamoring to take your money and waste your time.
Beyond that lay the bewildering swirl of training styles and even ideologies:
Strasberg and sense memory versus Adler and imagination,Meisner technique,
classical training,film and TV technique,scene study,and,of course,the Method,
which seemed to me to be a term used to describe at least four totally divergent
approaches to acting and one for sandwich-making. Everyone wanted to be a
Method actor,but very few people I ever talked to seemed to have any clear idea
of what it was they were aspiring to so breathlessly.
I had read more about the history and theory of actor training than most
student actors I knew in New York at that time,and it still took me six months
of dedicated investigation and research to be able to confidently turn away
from the crap on the street before I put my foot in it.
New York was, and still is, one of the best places to train and cut your
teethas an actor ...but the first step,finding a safe haven in which to actually
explore and learn something,inevitably proves to be one of the hardest.
Terry Schreiber is one of the really good acting teachers. In 1991, the
Schreiber Studio was still down on East Fourth Street, nestled in with NY
Theater Workshop and La Mama.I stumbled into that little black box theater,
met Terry, and found out that he needed Japanese lessons for a play he
was directing in Tokyo.I had lived there and spoke the language well enough
to barter equal time Japanese lessons for acting classes.I got the better end of
that deal and I was lucky enough to study with Terry and perform in plays at
his studio for around two years.I still count him among the two or three real
theater mentors I’ve had in my career.
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Terry was and is a great teacher for a few reasons.The first is that he has
never taught as a sideline—he has dedicated himself fully to it and to build-
ing a comprehensive, first-rate training studio founded in well-refined train-
ing techniques.The second is that Terry has never tried to teach anybody “the
Schreiber method.”He has the humility and the wise perspective to be a true
pluralist, which is to say he has explored and experienced, both as a student
himself and as a teacher,most of the interesting ideas that have emerged about
training actors in the last sixty years.A lot of teachers,in my experience,infan-
tilize their students to feed their own egos,or insist on rigorous method at the
expense of practical craft. Terry understands that every individual actor will
best access his gifts in different ways, and also that the modern actor will
inevitably be called upon to tackle a wide spectrum of texts,styles,and collabo-
rative dynamics. No method, no theory, no dogma, or technique covers it all
orworks for everyone,and Terry urges students to be “multilingual actors,”to
develop a toolbag that gives them confidence in any situation. Whatever
talents I may have brought to the table,Terry helped me become a better actor
by pushing me to forge talent with craft.
That Terry has finally put the effort into organizing his ideas and
approaches to actor training in this book is a real gift to actors and teachers
alike.I see much in what he articulates here that is intensely familiar from my
days studying with him, and also much that is new and interesting.There is
practical sense and creative insight in all of it.
I recently had lunch with Terry and a terrific actor who also studied with
him in those days. I’m not generally inclined to talk about acting much any-
more, but we got to discussing this book and chewing over the ideas in it.
Terry was still wrestling with fine points, still refining his ideas, pouncing
eagerly on fresh perspectives,and as always,bursting with enthusiasm for the
work of developing the best in others and himself ...because that,of course,
is what a real teacher does.
Edward Norton
September 13,2004
New York City
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