mental downloadables

the newsletter for to git gud in acting 'n stuff

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"I never get bored with the basics."   Kobe Bryant · Basketball Legend | Entrepreneur R.I.P.

The Main Event

Rehearsal should be difficult ...

... lemme 'splain ...

Complicate The Right Things

Elite athletes practice at high level.

They do something they need to do in very difficult ways.

In his book "Talent is Overrated" author Geoff Colvin calls this way of preparing "deliberate practice."

This type of practice is not simply doing things over and over again ...

... it is doing things over and over in a more challenging way.

You can apply deliberate practice to your next time you have to memorize lines by:

1. Changing where you learn
2. Changing how you review
3. Changing how you recite

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Change of Scenery

When we memorize lines, we tend to memorize in the same place. While that has its benefits it can lead to you being trapped by the context.

YOU. That sounds scary.

ME. It can be.

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Remember in school when you were studying for a big test.

You knew the answers inside and out when you were at home but ...

... on the day of the exam when you sat in your desk and your mind went completely blank.

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nothing

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All that knowledge you were so sure you had in your brain (and you did have in there) suddenly disappeared.

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*poof*

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Why is that?

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Context!

What is context?

Well, you remember how in a good story you typically have:

Who

What

When

and

WHERE

The context is the "where" in this story.

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For example:

It's like when you see someone, let's say the cute cashier at your favorite store, outside of your favorite store ...

... not wearing their uniform!

For a few seconds you may completely forget their name or where you even know them from. Even if you went to that store every week.

The reason?

You know them only in one context, a specific setting and place.

The same thing happens with your lines. When you memorize them in the same place every time (let's say your living room couch) then you subconsciously connect the words you are trying to remember with your living room.

When you go to the rehearsal room, which is nothing like your comfy couch, you suddenly can't remember your lines.

No bueno.

To make sure this doesn't happen again you need to change where you work on your lines frequently.

One way this can be accomplished is to take your lines to the gym!

Cardio & Cues

Get out into the wild with your words!

When I was working on Richard III by William Shakespeare, I knew I was going to need a lot of stamina and energy to be able to talk and move for three hours every show.

So, in order to do this I would go on 30-45 minute runs while I recited all of my monologues in the show.

Of course I was never gonna be saying my lines while running on stage ... though there was a sword battle ... I ran while I spoke them to make it more challenging so that when I got on stage ...

... it would be easier.

I was complicating things.

I was complicating the right things.

I was doing deliberate practice.

ha ... I was literally running my lines!

Review Cues Real Quick

Knowing your cue lines, the lines of the other characters before you speak, is the most underrated way to get better as an actor.

It's the WHEN in the Who/What/When/Where/Why set up.

You need to know when to speak.

1. Record your cue lines for an entire scene.
2. Leave 3-10 seconds of silence between each cue line.
3. Play the recording on 1.5x speed
4. Say your lines in the blank silent spaces between cues as quickly as possible

This is like juggling on a bicycle to get better at juggling.

It's hard. It's frustrating. But when you can do it ...

... you'll be so much fun to watch in rehearsal, because you know your cues so well you can be more present and in the room and ready for anything.

Making home practice harder than rehearsal, then making rehearsal harder than performance

... that's how you "make it look easy" to the audience.

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In Conclusion

1. Change where you memorize
2. "Run" your lines
3. Speed run your cues
4. git gud

See you next week!

BYYYEEEEEEE!!!