How to Learn a Role

Acting for Singers: Day 1, Topic 3

So you have been given a role in an opera or musical. What now?

Note: This is not necessarily a linear process as the outline suggests. It also includes a lot of principles and skills we will work on later in this course. This list is to get the ideas in your mind and to be a resource later when you know better how to do everything mentioned here.

1. Read the libretto. Understand what every word that is spoken in the show means.
2. Read the original work the opera was based on (if it exists).
3. Listen to the music, trying to listen for the part of the story it is telling (imagery it evokes, emotions it conjures, the patterns of climax and release).
4. Character Research (Intellectual)
   1. Primary Sources (Information that can’t be changed without the audience knowing it)
   2. Secondary Sources (Information that should be known but can be changed without the general audience knowing)
   3. Tertiary Sources (Information that can be used to help you reach a greater sense of understanding of your character)
5. Character Research (Experiential)
   1. Do I have any life experiences that are similar to the character or situation?
      1. How did I or others act in this situation (break it down into as much sequential detail as you can)?
   2. Who do I know that is most like this character?
      1. What would it be like to live in their body? Try the Character Suit Exercise.
      2. If I was to be their mirror what would I do?
      3. What are their character hooks? What gestures and mannerisms are unique to this individual.
   3. Is there anyone I can talk to or watch that has experienced something close to what the opera calls for?
6. Character Exploration (Off-stage)
   1. If my character were alive today how would they (fill in the blank with an action)? Go about your daily life as if you were this person.
   2. If I were alive in my character’s world how would I (fill in the blank with action)? Go about parts of your daily life as true to the period of your character’s world as you can get.
   3. Try the Black & White to Vivid Color in Motion Exercise. 
7. Character Exploration (On-stage)
   1. What is given to me to use and react to? What do I need to imagine and create for myself? Use the image you discovered in the Black & White to Vivid Color in Motion Exercise to compare and contrast with what you actually have on stage with you.
   2. How would my character use this object (prop)? How would I move in the world the set and lights imply?
   3. Explore The Possibilities. 
   4. Unique vs. Original. Does how I am doing something communicate new information or reinforce already established information in the show? What is the way my character and only my character would do this certain action?
8. Sequence The Action
   1. You haven’t started blocking rehearsals yet. You don’t know what the blocking will be. Don’t let this stop you from making decisions. Remember you can always change them later.
   2. Identify the sequence of actions being taken on stage. “I look at this person here. I walk away from that person here. That person walks away from me here.” No matter what the blocking is on stage and what the set looks like you can be sure about who you are talking to and what you think your character’s reactions and the internal world would be.
   3. Memorize the sequence of those essential actions that happen in the story.
   4. Walkthrough the sequence as your character.
   5. Not only will this help you memorize but it will also make it so you are ready for the first blocking rehearsal. The last thing you want to do is walk into a blocking rehearsal without any idea of what you think is going on around or inside your character. Be ready to amend those ideas but in the rehearsal room, you need to be the expert on your specific character.
9. Learn your Music: See A More Effective Way To Learn Music
10. Motivate Your Blocking
    1. During your blocking rehearsals do whatever you need to do to capture the blocking given to you quickly and accurately
    2. Do the “Magic if” in reverse adaptation to blocking given to you: “What would make my character need to do this action (stand, sit, walk, etc.) at this moment?
    3. The stage director may just tell you where to go and what to do. It is your job to “motivate” each thing you are told to do and to “connect” the dots between each given moment with your actions. 
    4. If a director gives you blocking that you don’t think matches what your character would do then try to find another solution. Try it first.
       1. If you can’t find a compelling reason for the action you have been told to do and you have really done your best to think of one then do the following:
          1. Say something to the director like “I’m struggling to find a motivation for why my character would do this can you help me?”
          2. Be prepared with what you think your character would do and why and also why what you are asking to do doesn’t feel authentic to the character to you.
          3. You are expected to be the expert on your character. So make a decision and then be prepared to change it if you need to. The director may or may not be open to your suggestions. If not, then you have to find a way to make it as authentic and believable as possible.
11. Extra tips
    1. The hardest part of any project is overcoming inertia. Starting to do something can be so daunting that we end up doing nothing and procrastination and anxiety grow with each moment this continues. The key to success is in committing to doing at least something every day (even if it’s a tiny thing) on the role you are working on.
    2. Memorize from back to front. This way when you get up to perform the performance only gets stronger the deeper you get into it. It is much more pleasant psychologically to get more confident and not less as the show goes on.
    3. Get up and do the action while you speak the language. The more modes of learning you can engage the quicker you will retain it. Performing is a physical activity so connect everything you do to your body.
    4. Always stay open to amendment. The sooner you get used to this just being a part of being on the stage the happier you will be. Enjoy the process of exploration.
    5. Get help whenever and from wherever you can. If it is helpful and it makes your product better then it doesn’t matter where it came from. The opposite is also true.
    6. Memorize everything on the page that relates to your part.
    7. Carry note cards with you so you can memorize them on the go. 
    8. Remember: Amateurs practice until they get it right. Professionals practice until they can’t get it wrong.

Assignments:

Writing Assignment 0: Choose your performance projects

Writing Assignment 1: Marked Up Score 1.0

Writing Assignment 3: The “Who am I” Paper 1.0

Links to other articles in Acting 101 for Singers Day 1

Topic 4: The #1 asset a performer has is ______?

Topic 5: Where am I? Who am I?

Topic 6: Boxes – What does the Music Have to Say About Dramatic Change?

Topic 7: Lines – It’s about stress!

Topic 8: Arrows – Pinning Down Where Ideas Shift

Topic 9: Circles – Finding the music that we have to move to

Topic 10: Where does imagination come from?