Advice to Actors

[crboltz]

I was cleaning out some old theatre records and found a set of notes partially typed from the director, and partially notes I took (I'm sure from the directors speech). Anyway, as I thought the notes were particularly inspiring to those who work in theatre, so I'm reproducing them. I suspect (from other notes I'm not including here) that the

Comments

[stacymckenna]

my brain adamantly finds a devil's advocate line contradicting all of those rules

[jimkeller]

Interesting. I actually disagree with #1. A negative is frequently the most important word in the sentence, and can therefore often be the operative. When it is not, it functions as an adverb per #6.

And here I thought Sabin was a genius. :)

(And, yes, I concur this is almost certainly Sabin's work.)

[rsheslin]

I agree with your disagreeing w/#1. Other than that, makes sense.

[crboltz]

While there are certainly exceptions to the rules, I think many many actors would benefit from these rules -- and a few designers as well.

[mlerules]

Thx for posting this. I hadn't really thought 'bout this sorta thing as mattering, but after thinking about it for even a moment, OF COURSE it does. I'm really curious now to hear myself read aloud (which is the closest I get to All This), b'c folks do tend to listen to me and engage, so I'm doing something right, although I've never really analyzed it.

[theferret]

I love your hand written notes. I can think of many people in theatre who would benefit from remembering them.