This time around, my anticipation for a new class and instructor felt like the moments before a first date. Nervous but excited to see how this pairing could turn out. For the next four weeks, LA casting director Mark Tillman will be leading into the future of my acting career.
With two classes under my belt, I was able to step into Mark's class with a confidence I was unable to appreciate at the time. Beyond teaching you the skills for one of the most powerful art forms in history, these instructors take the time to ensure you gain more confidence as an actor. No matter how much you may feel the last read was atrocious, the instructors will always find a positive nugget, at the very least, to help you push forward.
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What is acting? I know it seems like a question I should have asked you in my very first post, but this was the first thing Mark said to me after my introduction to the class. So, thinking quickly, I tried my best to put together an honest answer. He seemed satisfied with my answer but took it a step further to give a quote he explained he tells all of his classes. The quote is from Sanford Meisner and reads, "Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances." I don't think there is a better way to describe this craft than that. Mark's philosophy towards acting reflects Meisner's sentiment as he wants the focus to be on the emotions. The words will find their way there eventually.
Within the first few moments of class, he expressed that getting us comfortable with being uncomfortable was one of his main goals. Always being at some level of discomfort will breathe new life into a role, scene, dialogue, etc. If you are too comfortable, you aren't getting better.
When we read scripts, we often take on a person's life with experiences sometimes impossible to relate to. This means we have to dig deep and find something in our own lives that brings about the same emotion. Again, emotion is everything.
Building on that, Mark introduced a new concept to me that I think can help any actor (especially with highly emotional scenes). As you go over your lines and attempt to feel the character's emotions try and focus on where you feel some tension. This build-up could be in your hands, arms, legs, chest, etc. Focus on it, and use that to your advantage in the scene. As I mentioned, you won't be able to directly relate to every character, but this can be another way to reach the emotional level the character is at if the situation is too foreign.