Objectives, Obstacles, and Tactics in Practice: Perspectives on Activating the Actor

283 Pages·2019·4.396 MB·English

by  Valerie Clayman Pye (editor), Hillary Haft Bucs (editor)

OBJECTIVES,
OBSTACLES, AND
TACTICS IN
PRACTICE
Objectives, Obstacles, and Tactics in Practice is the first book that
compiles practical approaches of the best practices from a range of
practitioners on the subject of working with Stanislavski’s “objectives,”
“obstacles,” and “tactics.”
Thebookoffersinstructorsanddirectorsavarietyoftoolsfromleading
acting teachers, who bring their own individual perspectives to the
challenge of working with Stanislavski’s principles for today’s actors, in
one volume. Each essay addresses its own theoretical and practical
approach and offers concrete instructions for implementing new explor-
ationsbothintheclassroomandintherehearsalstudio.
An excellent resource for acting and directing instructors at the uni-
versity level, directing and theatre pedagogy students, high school/sec-
ondary theatre teachers, and community theatre leaders, Objectives,
Obstacles, and Tactics in Practice serves as a resource for lesson plan-
ning and exploration, and provides an encyclopedia of the best prac-
tices in the field today.
Valerie Clayman Pye isanAssistantProfessorofTheatreintheSchoolof
Performing Arts at LIU Post, where she teaches Acting, Voice, and
Speech,and ShakespeareinPerformance. SheistheauthorofUnearthing
Shakespeare:EmbodiedPerformanceandtheGlobe(Routledge2017).
Hillary Haft Bucs is anactor/improviser,playwright,anddirector.Sheis
an Associate Professor of Theatre at Western New England University
wheresheteachesActing,ImprovisationalComedy,andPlaywriting.

OBJECTIVES,
OBSTACLES, AND
TACTICS IN
PRACTICE
Perspectives on Activating
the Actor
Edited by
Valerie Clayman Pye and
Hillary Haft Bucs
Firstpublished2020
byRoutledge
52VanderbiltAvenue,NewYork,NY10017
andbyRoutledge
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©2020selectionandeditorialmatter,ValerieClaymanPyeandHillaryHaftBucs;
individualchapters,thecontributors
TherightofValerieClaymanPyeandHillaryHaftBucstobeidentifiedas
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orutilisedinanyformorbyanyelectronic,mechanical,orothermeans,
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
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ISBN:978-1-138-33593-6(hbk)
ISBN:978-1-138-33597-4(pbk)
ISBN:978-0-429-44341-1(ebk)
TypesetinSabon
bySwales&Willis,Exeter,Devon,UK
ToThomas,Jolie, andOwen:the heartofallofmy objectives.
– Valerie
To Jeff, Chloe, and Marissa: for your love and support, and
for helping me overcome the obstacles during this amazing
journey. You allare myNorth Star.
– Hillary

Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi
Introduction 1
PARTI PlayingObjectives 7
Chapter1 MoneyinYourPocket:Meisner,Objectives,
andtheFirstSixLines 9
DENNISSCHEBETTA
Chapter2 PsychologicalGesture:MichaelChekhov
ExercisesonPhysicalizingtheObjective 19
ANJALEEDESHPANDEHUTCHINSON
Chapter3 MakingSportofObjectives:Teachingthrough
Student-DevelopedPhysicalCompetition 33
JOHNKAUFMANN
Chapter4 StructuredImprovisedScenes 41
TIMOTHYJOHNSON
Chapter5 ScoringtheUn-Scorable 49
MARIAPORTER
Chapter6 CreatingaPhysicalScoreinaSnap:UsingSocial
MediatoAppealtotheSmartphoneGeneration 59
TOMPACIO
vii
viii Contents
PARTII OvercomingObstacles 69
Chapter7 EngagingObstacles 71
KEVINHOFFMANN
Chapter8 ActiveObstacleImageScoring 83
DAVIDHUGO
Chapter9 Resistance 91
JANETHAYATSHAHI
Chapter10 ReturningtheDress:Demonstrating
Objectives,Obstacles,andTactics 101
DAVIDABLOOM
Chapter11 ImprovisedFantasies:HeighteningObjectives
andObstaclesinSceneWork 109
HILLARYHAFTBUCS
Chapter12 OptimizingtheObstacle:UsingIndicatorsof
Csíkszentmihályi’sFlowtoHelpSelect,Test,
andExperienceStanislavski’sObstacles 117
FABIOPOLANCOANDDIANEBONFIGLIO
PARTIII IdentifyingTactics 131
Chapter13 TheTag-ticthatWorks 133
LYNNDEBOECK
Chapter14 ImprovisingTacticalChoicesBasedonStatus
or“Who’sDrivingtheDramaticActionBus?” 141
JEANDOBIEGIEBEL
Chapter15 TransformationalTactics:EngagingStudents
intheHeroicPursuitofTheirObjective 151
KIMSHIVELY
Chapter16 Hunter/Hunted:ExperientialLearningandthe
Actor’sCraft 157
VALERIECLAYMANPYE
Chapter17 TacticsandActionDrives:Stanislavski
MeetsLaban 165
CONRADALEXANDROWICZ
Contents ix
Chapter18 StanislavskiintheVoiceStudio 177
DERICMCNISH
Chapter19 StimulatingEmbodiedTacticalActions 185
LESLEY-ANNTIMLICK
Chapter20 NRGsandtheNatureofAction:TheLessac
TacticCircle 195
CAROLINEGOOD
Chapter21 RelayingAction–fromBreathtoText 203
AARONALPERNANDREBECCACOVEY
Chapter22 UsingImprovisationtoIdentifyTactics 213
NATHANSTITH
Chapter23 ActivatingtheActorwithGame
Theory:UsingGamificationtoCreate
PlayableTacticsonStage 221
JEANNELEEP
AFTERWORD 231
Chapter24 RecordingTruth:TheCamera
inActingTraining 233
WELKERWHITE
CONTRIBUTORBIOGRAPHIES 241
CHAPTERABSTRACTS 253
INDEX 263