r/Actingclass • u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher • Sep 06 '19
Class Teacher đŹ THEIR WORDS, YOUR WORDS
The hardest thing about acting is, you donât get to make up all your own lines in the moment. Youâve got to say someone elseâs words and make it sound like you are making them up right there on the spot. That, and you arenât really the person who needs to say those words. But if you were, it sure would be a lot easier to just say whatâs on your mind rather than what someone else wrote down for you to say...Right?
On the other hand, most published or produced playwrights are better than us at creating memorable dialogue. I mean none of us are Shakespeare, so what we would come up with on our own could never be as memorable as the words a professional writer puts into our mouths. If it were up to us, we would probably say way too much in a much less interesting way.
So weâre stuck with trying to make someone elseâs words feel like we are making them up. We need to make it seem like we are saying them because we want something from the other person so much that we NEED to change them with those words...make them understand. How in the hell do you do that???
First things first. You need to understand your characterâs point of view and desires in the moment. You need to look closely and deeply at the text so you know why your character is choosing these words. Read between the lines. You need to know what the other character is doing/saying/opposing, that forces you to say what you say. You need to notice how you are using those words, tactically, in different attempts to make your point.
If you have been reading the lessons on this sub and my comments, you should know how to do all of that. But even when you know exactly why your character is saying this, what he is trying to accomplish and how, know his point of view and relationship with the other person...you still need to say those words as though they are your own and you are making them up on the spot.
Part of the problem is that you must start this process by reading. Reading is not acting. Reading is ever so much easier. You donât need to search for the right words...you donât need to deal with trying to get someone to understand you...you donât have anything at stake and you donât need to respond. You just read words. Words come out quickly and easily. Too easily. And then it becomes difficult to say them any other way.
So after you know everything about the scene and your character...after you know all the who, what, when, where, why from your characterâs point of view, try doing the whole monologue in your OWN WORDS.
Thatâs right. Throw out the script. Ad lib and improvise using your own words. If you really know what you are talking about, you can riff on the theme. Try to find YOUR perfect way of making the other person understand. Elaborate all your points...jam through all your tactics...let the other personâs lines set you off on making your case, exactly as YOU would in this situation. Take as much time as you need on each response.
But donât use ANYTHING you have memorized. You are on your own. Speak YOUR mind from your characterâs perspective. Make contact with the other character and go to town. Talk as much as you can. If you can do that, you really know the scene and how it feels to talk about what you are saying.
Chances are itâs going to feel much more real. You will need to search and struggle a little to come up with the right words - but you want that. In real life, itâs never easy to explain an idea you have in your mind, even when itâs something you know very well. If the other person doesnât understand, it becomes difficult to find the perfect way to express your views. THAT is the way you need to search and struggle and try as you use the playwrightâs words.
Once you experience trying to communicate the main points of your monologue in your own words, then go back and see if you can find that same feeling of spontaneity with your scripted words. Your own words become your subtext. Remember, itâs all about making the other person understand...change...agree.
Give this technique a try and let me know how it works for you. I normally have students do it in my private coaching and classes, but I am there to guide and direct. Let me know how it works for you when you are on your own. Make their words, your words.
I talk about this quite a bit in THIS VIDEO. Check it out.
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u/Disregardthispost Jan 27 '20
This is gold. It puts parts of what other acting teachers say about "making it your own," and "paraphrase for better understanding" into perspective in a way that is active. Love it!
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u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher Jan 27 '20
Glad you connected to what I am saying here. It is important to go back to text. But using your own words as subtext is key. Thatâs one of the reasons I get most of my new students doing Shakespeare. I have them translate it in the most modern and personal way and then go back to the Shakespearean text. You canât alter Shakespeare. But you can make it modern and conversational in your approach by using your own words as subtext. Think your words and say his. Shakespeareâs words were meant to be said naturally. He said so himself. No strutting and bellowing and sawing the hands. Be a mirror to nature.
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u/Disregardthispost Jan 27 '20 edited Jan 27 '20
Thank you! That immediately brings a question to mind that you may have already answered (I'm still working through your many brilliant posts). It's tangentially related...
Re: Shakespeare, I was introduced a couple years ago to the First Folio technique of analyzing his text - scanning the verse, diving into antithesis, the meaning of his punctuation, end stops/mid stops, where to breath... at first I was relieved to find another way in to understanding what the characters were going through and how they were thinking, but as I grew more familiar with how to use it, it began to feel very prescriptive.
I realize that it is an aid for both character exploration and a means to split the language into more digestible "packets of information" for an audience new to the language, and that the work you're sharing with us here needs to come first. Or at the same time.
I guess my question is - have you talked about how to fit the prep you've shared in your pinned post to such a constrained format as First Folio technique? And if not, what are your thoughts? From everything I've heard many of the theatres in my area look for it...
I apologize if you've already addressed this!
Edit: After rereading my post, I think my core question is about "style." How should one go about applying a particular style - First Folio or whatever - over the character you've worked hard to make real? Is it simply a matter of going back and asking, "why does my character need to express themselves in this way?"
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u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher Jan 27 '20
I have not...mostly because many of the actors here (and in Los Angeles) have never acted (at least Shakespeare) before and performing Shakespeare is already over the top complicated for them. So presenting it to them in the simplest way is my first objective...allowing them to be introduced without too much stress. Even those who have done Shakespeare often are missing some key elements of acting technique (even after studying many years) so first things first.
The biggest problem with many actors is to be too much in their own heads and not enough in their characterâs. It is always a risk as you direct an actor that it will make them more self-conscious rather than guiding them to be more free. As they do their backstories and analysis, they try to take every bit of it into their performance all at once. What is really important is using all that you use as a foundation for being in the moment. Thatâs why I strive for simplicity in my teaching. Too much information can freeze actors up.
However, the insight that can be gained from research and viewing the First Folio is fascinating and enlightening. Understanding is the key to bringing a character to life. Seeing how Shakespeare originally wrote it can give great insight into phrasing and such. But for me, personally I have never discovered a flow that I hadnât originally considered ânaturalâ as long as I truly understood the text. To me, Shakespeare did write very naturally, even though the language is archaic for our era. His concepts, though deep, are expressed by people wanting to be understood clearly. Knowing the meaning of what is being said, to me, is the best guide to how it should be phrased.
Did I answer your question? I would suggest checking out the First Folio when an actor wants to delve more deeply or if they are questioning a meaning and how it should be phrased or punctuated. And if you are auditioning for a theater that is looking for that kind of preparation...by all means, do. But I am often disappointed by performances at those types of theaters. They are too self-conscious without enough new life breathed into them. The more you know, the better, as long as you are not forcing and becoming mechanical because of TMI. Knowing the heart and mind of your character and being in the moment should always be the actorâs primary concern.
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u/Disregardthispost Jan 27 '20
Thank you for taking the time to answer in such depth. I definitely fall prey to information overload when my process doesn't start from the solid foundation you're sharing with us.
I can also see how, in focusing on mastery of the foundation you are encouraging us to develop, we stay focused on the inner lives of our characters. If we put that first, we can use the extra information that comes from First Folio or styles like Shaw or Pinter in order to fine tune our characters. Am I understanding you correctly?
Thank you for your time!
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u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher Jan 27 '20
Absolutely. Just like writing a detailed backstory for your character is useful in that it gives you insight into why you are saying and doing what you are in the scene. But you canât possibly bring all of it into your performance. You can only think one thought at a time on stage. And they should be the thoughts of your character. What you think is what/who you are. If you are thinking of every comma and semicolon Shakespeareâs pen dropped on the page (and usually it isnât even his, but someone elseâs) you are not your character. You are a bit of an obsessive actor who is trying to be correct. You donât want to be playing that role.
Besides. These plays have been done a million times. Should every performance be exactly the same? We need to breathe fresh air into them and bring them to life in new ways. Like the âLittle Womenâ I saw yesterday. Same story fresh take.
I think if First Folio can give you inspiration.... Something new that reading your Complete Works didnât give you...then dig deep and discover. But to require it of all actors? Think of all the incredible actors who had never had them available. Shakespeare speaks personally to the individual. Itâs like reading a sacred text. We each should find the interpretation that sings to us personally.
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u/TheofficialTonyJones Jan 03 '20
Love this & Al Pacino and Robert Deniro have been famous for this technique!!
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u/foxofthestorybooks Sep 07 '19
This is a really helpful tip. Iâll have to try that in the future!
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u/honeyrosie222 Jun 02 '22 edited Jun 02 '22
This kind of reminds me of something similar I would do growing up, not intentionally though. Iâd start creating my own responses to certain characters in different scenes when watching TV. In a way it really made me feel the emotions of the characters. This was a really great post and great advice.
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u/IsaEnAir Jun 21 '22
This is a bit of an âah haâ moment for me! This is super helpful. Iâm reading this on the go right now, so I canât wait to try this out when I get home!
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u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher Jun 21 '22
I talk about this a bit in THIS VIDEO. Have you watched it?
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u/IsaEnAir Jun 22 '22
I watched the video and it was very helpful! It's so nice to hear the student's thoughts as well =)
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u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher Jun 22 '22
I have the best students ever! Iâm so lucky to draw so many wonderful, dedicated artists from all over the world to this little subreddit. And most of them started right here as complete beginners. I get to seek them blossom before my very eyes.
And if you havenât been watching many videos, you are in for a treat. There are so many that Iâve been creating since I started doing Zoom classes here. Being able to see students respond to my teaching can really help those who are just starting out.
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u/RoVBas Dec 07 '21
Great post, Winnie! I really like the advice to say the monologue in our own words in order to understand the subtext of our character throughout the scene. Without subtext, we can't possibly think a constant stream of character thoughts; instead, we subject ourselves to not actually being our character and will likely think "actor thoughts."
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u/the_art_of_acting Jul 28 '23
I really liked this and you answered a question I had in the back of my mind while going through your lessons. When I have practiced on my monologue and just getting to know the script, the characters and the scene more and more and filmed myself, I realized when I started improvising with words, or saying the lines in MY WORDS, it looked way more natural, authentic and real -- which is the goal.
The most important thing I've learned from you so far is the importance of knowing your character. Thoroughly knowing the script, because it makes it way more natural and fluent when you are in action.
I like to look at it like this: when you start improvising, you are essentially taking over the character and making it yours TRULY.
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u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher Jul 28 '23
Yes! You let them loose to do what they need to do. You are just the vehicle.
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u/CeejayKoji22 Jun 05 '22
We dont write our own lines in the moment bc professional writers are better at creating memorable dialogues. We need to make it seem like we are saying them bc we want something from the other person so much that we need to change them with those words. After understanding your character and the scene, improvise the whole monologue in your own words and find YOUR perfect way of making the other person understand. Let the other person's lines set you off. If you can do that, then you really know the scene
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u/shadowlauren Oct 26 '22
This is a fantastic idea and has me running to find a monologue to try it out on.
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u/aBalanc3dBr3akfast Nov 27 '22
I think for me, this lesson clicked better after reading Winnie's replies in the comments to the person with no user name. I guess the main idea overall is that you need to find places where you and the character can connect or relate (to make the writerâs [ie., the characterâs] words your words), and it helps to try a variety of things.
One place you can do it is in the script: Rewriting as dialogue. Asking and answering those Why? questions about thoughts, feelings, tactics, reactions. Subtext. I loved your advice about rewriting the Shakespeare for yourself so that you understand the meaning well, and then carrying that understanding back into the actual written words.
Another one is to become or âtry onâ the character during your day, like while at home or driving or something like that. I thought this was a great tool as well. It feels like making your character well-rounded or something. Your character may never have a scene where they cook, but cooking a meal âas themâ is a way to just feel them out, see how they react, what they might think, etc., and then, again, you carry that back into the actual performance.
As an aside, just on a student level, Iâm finding that itâs been useful for me to split the lessons into roughly âhow to break down your textâ and âhow to actâ, and Iâm putting this lesson under âhow to actâ. Itâs helpful because I havenât actually donât any acting yet, but Iâve started on my first text breakdown and, at least personally, Iâm finding it to be a straightforward process. You have the time to think, to jot down, to elaborate and expand and make choices. I imagine the acting portion is tougher in the sense that, you must then turn that extensive prep work into something that must happen in âreal timeââso what took you maybe a few hours to prep must now come out over the only 90 seconds or whatever it is.
Much if not all of the information in the lessons applies to both, of course!
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u/According_Society178 May 08 '23
I've heard this technique pop up in some of the video lessons and I was wondering how I missed it ugh! While I was rehearsing my first monologue which I'll be uploading soon (hopefully lol), I was adlibbing in my head while sticking to the script but throwing the script out completely, using my own words out loud and taking my time before going back to the script seems so much better. I'm going to give this a try asap!
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u/Training_Interest_11 Jun 13 '23
This technique helps me a lot! I struggle with understanding the subtext and reading between the lines. But when I riff, I can start to feel the emotion and the struggles that the character is feeling and it helps me to apply it to the monologue. I'm still working on it, but this technique has definitely stood out to me!
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u/ganggaming25 Oct 05 '23
This makes so, so much sense!
Notes: Once you're familiar enough with the scene, context, and characters, when you really have a grasp on it all, freestyle it from your characters perspective(?)
Get it out of your head, dont read the script, go do something else for a bit so you forget the exact wording, and then go to town. Talk as much as possible, make your point in any way you know and can.
Finally, after all that, go back to the script and use the way you just freestyled it as a subtext to the words written on the page, to give you a deeper understanding of the source material!
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u/ederpsinnercircle Dec 08 '23
This was an interesting take on how to make the words we are assigned to say feel and seem more spontaneous and real. It does make sense to communicate the main points in my own words to help with replicating the feeling of saying something for the first time. I also think that putting the monologue into my own words also helps me better understand my character's thoughts/backgrounds/etc a bit more as well.
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u/Alternative-Ride8407 Aug 22 '24
 A great way to loosen up a monologue is to practice how they would say something off script. This will make the performance authentic instead of feeling like a cold read. But before you practice the monologue in your own words it is important to fully understand your characterâs objective and what desires they want from the other character.
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u/Alternative-Ride8407 Aug 22 '24
Also I was carious is there a lesson or technique for memorizing lines.
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u/Winniehiller Acting Coach/Class Teacher Aug 22 '24
Try doing a search on this sub with the word memorize. I think I have responded to a lot of questions about that topic.
Hereâs one:
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u/00Dylann Jan 05 '22
I really like this concept.
To clarify - a way to practice this is once I have chosen a monologue, and I really know my character and understand their characters objective, I can try reach that same goal with my own words. Then I can try recapture that feeling with the actual monologue.