Training Young Actors #3: Be INSTINCTUAL

Training Young Actors Tip #3: (re?)Discover, trust your instincts, and learn to act honestly upon them

Today's post centers on the importance of self-discovery and the importance of instincts in actor's performances.  Talk to enough young people and they will probably tell you that it is difficult for them to be their "real selves" in public or while performing because of the often overwhelming sense of concern and anxiety about what other people think of them.  When working with this type of actor (85% of my actors?) it is imperative to challenge them to embrace today's third tip of this series:  Discover, trust their instincts, and learn to act honestly upon them.  Easier said than done, right?  

Actually, I think it is pretty easy.  Why?  Because we all have instincts.  We are instinctual beings who think, feel and process things at a lightning-quick pace.  I often catch actors with that blank face when I ask them about what they really want to do in their piece, particularly after we have broken down the text: we know the objectives, the subtext, the context.  The issue now is the delivery.  Then the blank face.  The face that shows worry, concern and apprehension. The interesting thing to me is that they know what they have to do...I can often see it in their faces behind that blank stare...the instincts are there.  They just are not trusting them, therefore they cannot act upon them.  We've all heard the "your first instinct is usually right" saying and for actors it is often very true here.  

Without getting long-winded here, I simply have to implore actors to re-discover those natural reactions and focus on communicating those to all who view them.  Take improvisation classes.  OFTEN.  They work.  The value of Yes, And and other improv principles can be career-changing.  Understand the difference between being completely instinctual in real life and being instinctual and natural in the acting world.  If I acted on every instinct that I had in real life, I'd probably not be here right now.  That makes sense in the real world.  Holding our instincts back like we are holding on to a royal flush in a poker game just doesn't make sense when performing.  I might add that these instincts HAVE to work within the context of the scene that you are playing.  You really can't do whatever you want.  What you want to do and say is there for you.  The instincts have to work within the reality of the scene that you are in.  Actors that understand what is going on in the scene while allowing room for truthful, natural and instinctual responses are always a joy to watch.   

Find ways to discover those natural instincts and allow yourself to trust and act truthfully upon them.  Your audiences will thank you for it.  Well, that's at least what my instincts right now are telling me. :)

Be well.