Physical Score Project --"Living fully and truthfully under imaginary circumstances"
The Physical Score Project is a fantastic opportunity to begin understanding and applying the "tools" of an actor. The foundational "tools" include The 4 Essential Questions. This simple activity utilizes the "tools" and provides a clear means of preparing and performing an action.
Your "script" is a specific sequence of "actions."
1. Enter space through door.2. Sit.
3. Stretch arm.
4. Go to door, grasp and release handle.
5. Lean against door.
6. Re-grasp handle, open door and exit space.
The above actions must be done and in the order they appear.
"How" and "why" you do them is utterly and completely up to your imagination and commitment to the circumstances you create for yourself.
So, how do you create the imaginary circumstances for yourself?
Use the 4 Essential Questions as a tool to guiding you in this experience.
The 4 Essential Questions to Investigate & Answer with specificity about the character in every given circumstance/scenario/story:
1. The Where. Where am I? Where have I come from (a character is always “arriving” from somewhere)? What are my expectations/feelings about where I am?
2. The Moment Before. What just happened? What has gotten me to this moment, this place and or state of affairs? In what ways has the previous moment influenced my needs of the present moment?
3. The Other. Who (or what) am I interacting with? Who are they to me? What position do they hold in relationship to me? What are they trying to do to me?
4. The Doing. What do I want “the other” to do? What action am I attempting to get them to take? What is at stake by getting what I want? What is at stake by not getting what I want?
2. The Moment Before. What just happened? What has gotten me to this moment, this place and or state of affairs? In what ways has the previous moment influenced my needs of the present moment?
3. The Other. Who (or what) am I interacting with? Who are they to me? What position do they hold in relationship to me? What are they trying to do to me?
4. The Doing. What do I want “the other” to do? What action am I attempting to get them to take? What is at stake by getting what I want? What is at stake by not getting what I want?
Be bold in your choices, take risks, and seize the opportunity to enter into circumstances that might never happen for you BUT in this instance are truly possible and have certain consequences. If you need hand props, use them.
What is the difference between "Literal" and "Essential" Meaning
"Literal" meaning is often the given circumstances or content as stated in the text of the play. If not stated, it is the actor’s job to create answers that engage and inspire them to play the scene fully, truthfully, and moment to moment.
"Essential" meaning gets specific by personalizing the given circumstances. Essential meaning is rarely indicated in text. In the same way it was done for Literal action, it is the actor’s job to create answers that engage and inspire them to play the scene fully, truthfully, and moment to moment.
It is the “Essential” meaning that is at the heart of engaging character/story. “Essential” meaning informs and shapes the nuance of performance, inspiring the moment to moment action to move beyond tired cliché and on to compelling revelation.
Examples of Essential Meaning:
"The Where." If you said "the where" is "a library" you would be stating the place in literal terms. Very general and meaningless. The actor would be better served to describe the space in Essential terms as "a place of infinite possibilities", "a place of comforting peace and quiet", "a place of stifling control", "a place of to make connections". By doing this the actor has created for themselves a specific point of view about the place and as a result has given themselves a much more compelling and playable way of engaging his/her surroundings.
"The Moment Before." Literally the script might say you just returned home from a run in the park. Essentially though the actor would want to determine the specifics of that event like, "I ran my best time ever!", "I saw the most gorgeous sunset", "my body hates me", "it's good to be alive", "I just had the biggest scare of my life", "I need water".
"The Other." Literally the script might say you are interacting with "a friend." Again, this has little meaning and fails to provides the actor with a specific point of view. Now by giving "a friend" an Essential meaning the actor moves toward specificity and creates a personal, compelling relationship. Rather than just saying "a friend" the actor might see the other as "someone who I can always trust", "someone who has always been there for me", "someone who has always looked up to me", "someone I can never disappoint." Being specific in this way you move from conceptualizing a relationship to actually creating one.
In regards to the Physical Score Project "the other" could be the person(s) who are outside of the space into which you are entering. For this exercise it is often better not to have another person in the space or around you. The "other's" presence and the affect they are having on you is very real to you nonetheless.
In regards to the Physical Score Project "the other" could be the person(s) who are outside of the space into which you are entering. For this exercise it is often better not to have another person in the space or around you. The "other's" presence and the affect they are having on you is very real to you nonetheless.
"The Doing." This is the thing to be really clear about. The script usually does not tell the actor this, but in the craft being absolutely clear about what you are doing is the most important thing. In the dramatic universe you are never "just talking to someone." There is always something more. Essentially the actor might "get a loved one to take a chance," "trying to get control of a situation," "get an other to do your bidding," "get the other to spill the beans," "get the other to agree with you," "get the other to see they are full of it," "get the other to give you another chance," "take the other down with you," and the list goes on and on.
In regards to the Physical Score Project "the doing" could be something like "to reassess my situation", "to regain my courage", "to wait out a storm", "to brace for the worst", "to tend to my wounds", "to find/claim what is rightfully mine," and so on.
In regards to the Physical Score Project "the doing" could be something like "to reassess my situation", "to regain my courage", "to wait out a storm", "to brace for the worst", "to tend to my wounds", "to find/claim what is rightfully mine," and so on.
When the scene is mined for its “Essential” meaning, a treasure chest of dramatic possibilities is opened up. The dramatic action now has a specificity that stimulates the imagination, motivates the participants into action, and sets tangible indicators for success and failure. The “Essential” action determines the degree to which characters and audience alike are drawn into the outcome.
The beauty and importance of establishing a clear, specific, and doable action is that you are now wired, engaged, and prepared to respond moment to moment with boldness, determination, and clarity. This is the lifeblood of all compelling dramatic action.
