The Intent to Live: Achieving Your True Potential as an Actor

by Larry Moss

choosing a private secret for your character;

making behavioral choices based on your character’s social and economic background;

making choices based on your character’s blood m...

choosing an ...

physical c...

finding the humor in drama and the dramatic u...

co...

making choices in rhythm, tempo, and nuances of meaning in you...

deter...

the size of your per...

you have to deeply understand what the writer has written. This includes understanding

the given circumstances, the objectives, and obstacles that are clearly written into the script.

For an interpretation of a character to work, it’s vital to understand the

socioeconomic level of the character: What class are they from? How much education have they had? What were

their financial circumstances growing up? What other social experiences—such as racism...

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

A Doll’s House,

Tootsie.

True West,

Streetcar

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

A fundamental part of interpretation is being sensitive

to the rhythms of the writer,

The Dreamer Examines His Pillow

“How am I going to make the audience hear this

in a new way?

Now, Voyager,

Sweet Bird of Youth

Sunset Boulevard,

the one absolutely essential ingredient for a healthy acting career: the thrill of the challenge to be

a better actor.

A Hatful of Rain,

your job as an actor is to interpret the writer, not to “improve” the

work, not to fit it to your preconceptions, and not to tailor it to your self-image.

You’re preparing to play a part. How do you work?

you can write down your objectives and intentions.

The vital thing

is not to shortchange yourself by being sloppy and vague.

You also have to define in every scene who the other character is to you emotionally and how that changes from scene to scene.

redefinition of a relationship.

Who are they to me now em...

you must have a point of view of how you’re starting the scene in relationship to that person.

Use highly charged adjectives and explanatory phrases to bring your relationships to life.

“This is my jealous, rat bastard sister who just

betrayed a confidence to my mother and I hate he...

Another part of your homework

is to physicalize these emotional reactions to the other character.

Your character’s point of view toward another

character may be redefined several times within one scene.

In a Lonely Place.