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Nick Drivas

Jim Helsinger

Theatre Careers

May 2nd, 2017

Extra Credit Paper

The book, Audition, by Michael Shurtleff covers the basic fundamentals of acting techniques in a
very approachable way. He concentrates his information in the specific outlet of utilizing the
techniques in an auditioning scenario. He divides his thoughts and organizes them into 12
fundamental guide posts. This paper will look at 7 specific guideposts by discussing what it
appeared Shurtleff was trying to convey; followed by my own personal thoughts and ideas as a
result of reading the content of the guidepost. Guideposts 1,2,3,7,8,11, and 12 will be
discussed.Each guidepost is important on its own, but its even more important to remember that
all of info of each guidepost is to stacked atop each other and applied in a cumulative way.

Guidepost 1: Relationship

MS: Shurtleff says the first goal when prepping for a reading or scene is to establish the
relationship between you and the scene partner. The initial reaction when asked to state the
relationship in a scene is for the actors to say that theyre mother and son or married; something
general that is true but does not begin to scrape the surface of the scene. Shurtleff, through,
questioning and analyzing with the actors, gets them to draw more from the scene. The actors
make discoveries through the text and their knowledge of the scene that puts into more detail the
characteristics of their relationship. Through this, Shurtleff says that love is always a fair and
likely underlying theme and trait within a scene. He proceeds to talk about how love is not
always in its positive state, but can also be detected in a scene through its negative outlooks as
well. He says in this first guidepost that establishing a clear relationship between your scene
partner and finding your detection and possession of love in whatever form will begin to create
and even better reading.

ND: Right off the bat, Shurtleff has me bowing down to him. He is saying things, especially to
his actors in their readings that really open my eyes. Ive probably heard similar instructions but
his way of conveying these points makes it so clear and approachable. His points on establishing
relationship make good sense. Especially in a cold reading situation, you are not given the time
to create a relationship with your scene partner. Therefore, when creating your own
circumstances and understanding what drives you to converse with the other person, you can find
more reasoning and more actual purpose. Also, the love portion is quite true. We spoke to
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something similar in class last week. When looking at text, you can almost always draw the
actions of a character to some primitive desire; of which, is almost always love. (The others
possibly being food and shelter)

Guidepost 2: What are you fighting for?

MS: Shurtleff says actors are always seeking a motivation. He believes that the better thing to
think is, what am I fighting for? In a scene, he explains that each character has their own
personal set of goals and hopes to achieve through the interaction they are having in the scene.
He challenges his actors to look more closely to characters they are playing and to ask what it is
they are fighting for. Often, the actors close themselves out with their responses because of either
having limitations in the reading or not wanting to divulge too much in this short reading.
Shurtleff responds by saying that the actor must know more about the character than character
does in order to portray them. They must be aware of their subconscious thoughts that are
developing throughout a scene. He says, for a reading, they must exhibit the discovery if it exists.
They can be afraid to give something away. They need to show their arc throughout the span they
are given. If that span is only a one scene reading, then that span must be treated like that is all
there is to exhibit, and the arc must be shown. The discoveries must be exhibited. All in all,
Shurtleff is saying it is necessary to know what you are fighting for, and challenges the actors to
honestly explore that route from their characters and their own perspective.

ND: What I drew from this guidepost was that an actor must walk into the scene already having
their set purposes and goals. In a real life circumstance, a conversation is started with a purpose
and a reason to begin. With that in mind, a scene must be treated the same way. It is the job of
the actor to immerse into the circumstances and understand why the interactions of the scene are
taking place. By doing that, then the actor is in the moment for every second of the reading. They
then do know why they are there having the fictional interaction they are having.

Guidepost 3: The moment before

MS: Shurtleff says that in order to read a scene well, it is the job of the actor to create all past
events and thoughts the character experienced that have lead up to this moment that the actor is
about to read. The actor is then creating their own arc of a character. The scene itself may have
an established arc, but the scene could also be merely a singular part of an already existing arc
that has now been created by the actor who has created a backstory and past elements that have
brought the character to this scene in the present which will determine the outcome of the future.

ND: Im seeing a process here of the guideposts now stacking on top of each other, meshing
together to create a stellar reading. I feel like creating a moment before for the reading makes it
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also easier to understand and realize what you are fighting for in the scene. I think creating a
moment before for a reading before starting is a crucial thing to do in the limited time you have
before presenting the reading.

Guidepost 7: Communication and Competition

MS:

Shurtleff points out how many actors are lazy and are not truly communicating when sharing scene during
a reading. They are too distracted on the content of their next line or kicking themselves about the
delivery of their previous line. This then hinders them from actually participating in an actual interaction
with their scene partner. The only way a true interaction can be held is through listening on both ends.
When an listening and fully aware is when true communication begins. Looking at real life situations, a
conversation is held through speaking, listening, and responding. You do not know what the other person
is about to say. A scene must be treated the same way. The only trade-off is that you do know what lines
are coming up; but you can only be successful if you let go and allow these lines to be heard and said for
the first time in each performance of a scene.

ND:

I can count myself guilty of not truly listening at times during a scene. Either I am fixated on something
personal or I am distracted by something unusual. I do know though that I need to work on being in the
moment and allowing the right freshness to inhabit the scene. I have been working on this and am seeing
gradual improvements. For myself, I think its about being aware and giving permission for myself to let
go and let this text actually be the first time Im hearing something so that I actually need to listen and
respond accordingly.

Guidepost 8: Importance

MS:

Sometimes actors perform a scene and it is obvious that they are not enthralled by the text. They dont
find an initial personal interest. They dont see the importance. What they are missing is that whatever it is
that they see the character in the text is fighting for, should be treated as life or death for them when they
perform their reading. Regardless of how menial, numerous things in life can, in that moment, become the
most important thing ever to the person feeling that. The actor needs to find that in the text, then
internalize it to find those life or death sensations we experience in many circumstances every day.

ND:
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This is something I have learned through instruction previously, but I most enjoyed the explanation of it
that we had in class about getting pissed off driving or wanting to kill the guy in front of me at subway
that doesnt know how to properly order his sandwich. When I look back at these relatable instances, I can
recall being so super-duper pissed or upset. Whatever the feeling was, I wanted to kill a guy over a
sandwich or a coffee. On paper, experiencing this seems ridiculous; but anyone being honest would agree
that in several instances every day, things that seems small to others become the most important life or
death interactions that we could possibly be experiencing. This honest look at these tendencies needs to
be applied when analyzing the text for a reading. Whatever is happening or whatever is desired in the
scene is that life or death feeling that we can so well relate to.

Guidepost 11: Game Playing/ Role Playing


MS:
When discussing this point, Shurtleff is emphasizing the absence of insincerity for this strategy
in particular. On paper, it can be easily confused that role playing is an escape from reality, when
in all actuality it is a common-place part of reality. He is trying to insert the part of life where
people distinguish themselves amongst others based on the role they play in society. This every
day, sometimes involuntary, action strongly affects the behavior people conduct between
themselves and others. By distinguishing this in yourself for a reading, your behavior, choices,
and mannerisms fit more honestly to the role you are given.
ND:
This is interesting to me. The key is not to create behavior to escape the reality of a situation, but
rather to look at like in so many real life circumstances. The easiest one to picture as an
example is the role between teacher and student. There is a great distinction between to
the two and in all reality the behaviors of the two roles are created to establish and
maintain the roles of their relationship.

Guidepost 12: Secrets


MS:
This guidepost talks about applying all the previous guidepost that externally exert themselves
into the scene. Then, creating a secret in your mind, something that is pertinent but
always underlying. It is internal to the actor, but should be somewhat outwardly evident
to the audience so that it can also push the scene along with the other guideposts.
ND:

I had heard about this in previous classes. Its a tough task to hold on to a secret that is inside
while exhibiting the other 11. I read this guidepost and studied a little bit more about it
from other sources. The Acting Studio of Chicago ties it together nicely in one brief
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statement. They say: Wonder about your partner and your situation. Have a secret - keep
it a secret, but let it add drive and intensity to your scene. This reminds me of something
Meryl Streep once said in an interview for Kramer vs. Kramer. She said throughout the
entire movie, she kept a secret in her head that drove her entire performance regardless of
whatever she said through the text. She kept the secret that she never (ever) truly loved
her husband before, during, or then after her marriage to him. I think she is showing an
example of kind of what Shurtleff was talking about in guidepost 12.

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