The Magic of Breath

One of the mistakes actors make on stage is 
ineffective use of breath. 

The biggest mistake is failing to realize the sheer 
power of a single properly executed breath!

I'll reveal to you 4 ways to use breath so you can

1. Connect Emotionally with the Material
2. Manufacture Emotion When You Don't Feel Like It
3. Mesmerize the Casting Directors at the Audition
4. Avoid the #1 Way to Kill a Good Moment
   (at the Audition and in Performance!)

It is the actor's responsibility to bring truth to a role 
by being truthful in character development. 

Whether you are doing scene work with a partner, in 
rehearsal or performance of a role, or even working a 
monologue with an imaginary partner, use of breath is 
an important factor in terms of your ability to impact 
an audience.

1 & 2: How to Connect Emotionally with the Material
(and How to Manufacture Emotion When You Don't Feel Like It)

There are various tools you can use to bring emotional 
reality to a scene.  As you work with your partner, you 
are striving to be relaxed enough to remain available... 
available, not only to your own instinctive impulses, but 
to whatever your partner is giving you to work with. 

I can best illustrate the power of breath with the example 
of a dramatic scene, but it'll work just as well in comedic 
scenes, and even less heightened moments in general.

Let's take the example of a romantic couple, one of whom 
is greatly disappointed in the other. 

I'll refer to the scene from Shakespeare's Richard II between 
the deposed King Richard and his Queen in Act V, scene i.

Their love is deep, and the text supports the fact that she is 

greatly disappointed, yet still very much in love with her 

husband.  He was once at the top, and has made a series of 

foolish choices that have allowed all that he has gained to 

fall into another's hands.

Sadness mixed with resentment, anger and love.  What a 
great recipe for incredible dynamics!

Okay, so...We have our actress looking into the eyes of 

our shamed and beaten King...er, former king. 

Visiting him in the unkingly environment of his cell, she 

is ashamed/angry/resentful/sorrowful, etc., and will 

wound him with her words.  In fact, she might even 

vent her feelings through some harsh contact with her 

hands as she lets her emotions flow.

THERE!

Right there, in that moment!

You missed it?

Let's back up. 

The queen comes in... sees her drooping king.  Her 

breath catches in her throat as the conflict of 

emotions rises.  She comes to him, uttering some 

harsh words -- the harshest still held in reserve as 

she attempts to remain composed.

Staring at the floor, his gaze moves to her face 

revealing damp and weary eyes.  Damn it, why is  

he so soft, she asks herself -- and with her next line 

allows the intention and emotion to blend in the 

physical act of striking him in the chest with her 

clenched fist...or a harsh slap on his arm... or 

whatever other way she can wound him, depending 

on their physical proximity.

DARN!  You missed it again?

It was in that moment before the strike -- in fact, in the 
several moments before the strike -- that the queen held 
her breath for moments at a time

  SO THAT SHE COULD CONTAIN HER EMOTION.

** Freeze Frame! **

Okay, before we continue, I must digress to point out 
that I used a LOT of descriptions of emotions a moment 
ago -- JUST LIKE MOST DIRECTORS WILL.

Did you catch them?  "disappointed" "in love" "sadness" 
"resentment" "anger" "shame"  "sorrow"

Aren't those words that a director might use in 
describing what he wants from you?

But I also buried hints of some INTENTIONS that are 
actually useful to you as an actor:

- TO VISIT (boring - never use something so weak)

- TO WOUND (okay that's better!)

- TO STRIKE (I'm suggesting this be literal, but you 
can also strike with your words, right?)

I also implied some others:

- TO CONTAIN (tears, anger, other emotions)

- TO HOLD UP (composure, image)

- TO HIDE (resentment, shame, other emotions)

So, during the playing of all those intentions, THAT's 
where breath and breathing come in. 

If you are open enough emotionally, or at least AWARE 
OF YOUR OWN EMOTIONS, you have observed how your 
breath behaves when YOU are emotional.

When you are lying, you tend to hold your breath, or 
breath shallowly.

When you are fighting back tears, you take short, 
shallow breaths.

When you are riding emotion, just before it crests and 
spills over, you take a series of short inhalations, then 
attempt to hold everything together... then BAM! Here 
come the tears, the yelling, the screaming...

And, of course, you can technically reproduce all of this 
without feeling any emotion at all.

Who cares?

The audience doesn't care whether you are really 
emotionally engaged, as long as they can't tell the 
difference.  If you can fabricate and replicate all 
the sounds and other physical signs of emotion, 
they'll believe you.

And often, the very act of replicating will trigger 
genuine emotion, so that you begin to feel exactly 
what you are demonstrating.  And some nights, you 
won't even have to try.  Other nights, you just might 
not feel like doing the scene, but you'll be able to 
ACT IT -- and no one will know the difference.

Okay, there: I've taken care of the first two things I 
promised you.  You know that you can connect 
emotionally with the script by controlling and/or 
tapping into your breathing, and you also know how 
to manufacture emotion, even when you are not 
truly "in the moment."

3. How to Mesmerize the Casting Directors at the Audition

Ah, that secret moment of power at the audition: the 
moment in which you can HOLD THEM or DROP THEM--the 
casting directors, that is.)  It's that moment at the beginning 
of your monologue, the moment right before you speak the 
first word. 

Here's what you do:

As far as your character goes, you know what just happened 
that prompts you (as the character) to speak.  So, you breathe 
in as you focus on your character's INTENTION -- THEN you 
begin to speak.

It's that magic inhalation that draws them in.

Understand: I'm not talking about a huge audible 
sucking in of air.  Although you can certainly do that 
for a comedic effect.  Usually, however, the use of 
The Magic Breath will be noticed only on a powerful
subliminal level.  

As long as you are focused on that opening intention, 
breathe in with that intention firmly held in your mind 

(used with or without movement), suspend (don't hold) 
your breath at the top of the inhalation -- embrace the  
intention, and let the words flow with the breath.

**AND NOW**

4. The #1 Way to Kill A Good Moment

Ready?

Here it comes...

*SIGH*

You'll see it so often, especially in auditions.  And it's 
a guaranteed way to lose everyone's interest.  (Not a 
good idea at auditions, by the way.)

You get on stage, nerves jumping, mouth dry...

You walk in place... You say, "Hi, I'm Hurley Blankenship 
and I'll be performing Bartholomew from Fezziwig's Palace 
and the Third Tree from the Left from Last House on the 
Right."

Then, in nervousness, you *SIGH* ...A quick rush of air as 
you try to expel the tension.

And you succeed!  Unfortunately, you also just let all the 
energy out of the room...AND you just lost the interest
of the casting director as well.

Actors will do it in performance, too, to show exasperation, 
fatigue, impatience...

*SIGH*

I implore you: Don't.  It's a killer.  Unless you are conscious 
and creative with it, it's a killer.  You might as well hold a 
sign over your head that says, "AMATEUR"

So what do you do?  THE OPPOSITE!  Breathe IN. 

It will  

1. Focus You
2. Put Your Nervousness to Constructive Use
3. Captivate Your Audience!

So take a DEEP BREATH, and...

Here's to Your Empowerment!

--Tom
Copyright © 2010 Tom Brooks and The Empowered Actor Initiative
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