How to Achieve Honesty in Your Acting

How is it that you can be quite a good actor, and
still be dishonest in performance?

Happens all the time. 

Dishonesty in acting can take several forms, so let me
illustrate.  Then, I'll give you simple and specific steps 
to abolish dishonest acting for good, and forever
enhance the skills you have.

Examples of Generalizing (Dishonesty) in Performance

PERIODIC DISHONESTY
The most subtle and frequent form of dishonesty
affects the professional actor, as well as the better-
than-average community theatre actor.  This form of
dishonesty is generalizing: playing at a feeling or
emotion instead of BEING AND DOING it. 

Since this is the Very Good Actor we are talking
about in this example, this kind of dishonesty is
not likely to affect the entire performance, but
will crop up in spots.  In other words, many moments
will be quite good, quite well executed; other
moments leave a bit to be desired, but because he's
so good, we tend as audience members to forgive.

ROLE GONE STALE

The biggest form of dishonesty for the professional
performer engaged in a long run is stale acting; the
life has drained from the performance except for
brief and fleeting instances of "brilliance" that are
elusive and difficult to repeat.

MEDIOCRITY

The most prevalent and not-so-subtle form of
dishonesty can be seen largely on non-professional
stages where mostly untrained actors appear, but
certainly rears its ugly head on the professional
stage as well. 

This form of dishonesty occurs when the actor has
either never reached a level of honesty in
performance, or has attained that level in the past,
but has become lazy.

The Remedy for All Forms of Dishonest Acting

You understand, or at least have heard, that HONESTY
and VULNERABILITY are attractive qualities in
performance.  I will go as far as to say both are
crucial to actors.

This is true whether you are performing on stage or
in front of the camera.

This is true whether you are performing in a
production or presenting yourself at an audition.

It is true whether you are presenting yourself at a
job interview.

The ability to engage honesty instantly-- once
accepted and EXPERIENCED -- is very powerful.

Difficult to attain?

That depends on how brave you are in terms of
1) Looking objectively at yourself, and
2) Allowing yourself to be "naked" in front of the
world.

How terrifying would it be if you had to stand in
front of 400 people and reveal the
- Ugliest side of yourself? 
- Worst thing you've ever done? 
- Most thoughtless thing you've ever done?

Okay, relax. That's not going to happen.

** BUT **

            and this is the key

      If you can IMAGINE
      with great detail
      looking into someone's eyes,
      and revealing all that "junk"
      and have them still love you,
      and accept you without judgment...

...then you have the ability to perform with
vulnerability and honesty.

            Read that again, slowly.

Now understand...

I did not say you WILL reveal ANYTHING, but when you
IMAGINE looking into someone's eyes, allowing them
inside to see aaallll of yourself -- your most intimate 
thoughts and darkest secrets... well, that can be a
scary thing, a really terrifying thing to even think
those things while looking into a person's eyes.

   PLEASE NOTE: If you try this exercise
  of looking into another person's eyes
  and mentally revealing yourself, instruct
  your partner to look into your eyes while
  thinking, over and over, "I love you, and
  it's all okay."

This is a powerful exercise. 

Doubt me? 

Try it sometime.  Less than 30 seconds of it and you
will be shaken.
 
Unless, of course, you cannot lower the shield.

Aaaahhhhh, there's the rub.

If that's you, if you cannot drop your guard, I
cannot help you with this simple article.  If your
curiosity is roused, however, then you can take the
simple steps below to improve your acting. 
Today.  Now.

(If you are intrigued and want to talk about this
process with me, send me an email and I'll set up a
free phone session with you and we can discuss.)

Here's how.  Take these ideas and run with them.  Use
this powerful and mind-blowing technique while 

1. Creating a role
2. Rehearsing
3. Cold reading
4. Preparing to audition
5. Auditioning and interviewing with the casting director
6. In performance

How to Attain Instant Honesty/Vulnerability

STEP ONE
Think, "I love you" while looking into your fellow
actor's eyes. 

The content and context of the scene DOES NOT
MATTER.  Even if your intention is TO HUMILIATE, TO
INSULT, TO FIRE RAGE AT... this will work.  The sex
of the other person does not matter. 

Before any words come out of your mouth -- for just a
moment -- take the chance and LOOK IN THEIR EYES and
think, "I love you."

How About the Audition?

If you're doing a monologue or a song selection for an
audition, you have a focal point, an imaginary person
you are talking or singing to, right?  Then look in
THAT person's eyes. 

Not talking to anyone?  CHANGE IT so that you are
talking to someone.  (It must be a SPECIFIC person you
are talking to, not "just someone.")

STEP TWO
Inhale while formulating your response.

Acting is reacting, right?  Even if you are doing a
monologue or song, SOMETHING HAS PROMPTED YOU TO
RESPOND, and you'd better know what that something is. 

If you don't know VERY SPECIFICALLY what prompts you
to begin speaking/singing THOSE PARTICULAR WORDS that
you are to speak/sing, then you have already lost the
audience before you have begun; you have already lost
the role at the audition.

The reason you inhale while formulating your thought --  
your very specific thought that is ultimately expressed
as a specific, active and powerful INTENTION -- is that
it draws focus in a very subtle and dynamic way. It
automatically and subliminally creates expectation.  

This is not a dramatic and sharp inhalation, by the
way.  Just breathe in 

and

suspend the breath, for at least an instant, at the
top of the inhalation.  Don't hold, cut off or stop
your breath... just suspend the movement of air
through your airway.  This is controlled by your
diaphragm, not your throat.

STEP THREE
Give; focus on the other person.

Remember, even at an audition, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU. 
It's what you (as your character) WANT in that moment
FROM THE OTHER PERSON.  To get what you want, you
must GIVE to the other person, real or imaginary. This
is expressed as a specific, active and powerful
INTENTION.

It's that feeling of throwing the ball to someone,
and not pulling your throwing arm back right away,
but rather suspending your energy even after the
ball has left your hand. 

Picture throwing a ball and leaving your arm in space
for a few seconds before going back to neutral.  Not
JUST holding your arm out there, but suspending and
extending your energy in the direction of your pitch.

STEP FOUR
Repeat constantly.

If you even ATTEMPT these steps, your awareness will
be raised to a higher degree, and your acting, your
character development, your performance level, will
begin to improve.

Hope this is helpful.

Here's to Your Empowerment!

--Tom

Copyright © 2006, 2007, 2010 Tom Brooks and
The Empowered Actor Initiative  All Rights Reserved