TOPIC – WANTS

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TOPIC – WANTS.
Also referred to as: subtext, objectives, needs and desires.

Introduction:
This blog will focus on a discussion on “Wants”. The notion and practice of playing wants is not new to actors. Wants derived from the findings and teachings of the grandfather of actor training, ( who also happens to be the conduit of most branches of actor training in the USA ); from the Russian teacher– Konstantin Stanislavski. Playing wants is very prevalent in my teachings.

This blog’s target audience:
Established and working actors who already know what wants / subtext are, and already have experience in acting with them.

Quick background:
From my 23 years of teaching actors I believe playing subtext makes you more watchable. Especially on screen! An audience, predominately sub consciously, makes two decisions: Do I want to watch that actor? Do I believe them? Playing wants / subtext will help the audience sub consciously choose yes they want to watch you and yes they believe you!

I use a Want Sheet with my actors. The wants fall into two categories: you want it from someone of you want to do it to someone. For example:

These above have just been chosen at random.

*Making impact with the work as it could be your audition:
You may only get one audition. You may only do the performance or the audition once. You may only get one chance to perform without notes and direction. You need to make impact. This is your chance.

Because an audience sees an audition piece isolated, you can change the recipient of the piece to make impact. For example, Harold Pinter might say that his character Lenny in The Homecoming play http://www.haroldpinter.org/plays/title_homecoming.shtml is talking to his brother when doing this monologue. However you can choose to do it to his father or recently passed away mother – to make more impact! To raise the stakes for you at performance! No one will know. Consider it.

*Playing subtext leads to discovery. Discovery of how to deliver the lines differently, developing mannerisms and behavior and inevitably your character portrayal:
Acting is all about discovery. If you don’t discover as you are going along, what’s the point? Where’s the challenge? Cate Blanchett said as much when she was on Inside the Actors Studio in NYC a few years ago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq7dN04Voyc

Playing subtext leads to discovery if your honor the subtext and really try to achieve it during the scene. The harder it is to achieve the better, as this keeps you working and consequently watchable.

Don’t try to do it right. Play. Enjoy. Discover. I have had lots and lots of experiences, especially with North American actors, who want to do it right and do it right first time. Experience has shown me that this is often due to their copious amounts of classes on cold reading; they want to do it first time and then move on. Where’s the discovery? Where’s the play? Where’s the character creation with this rushing? Enjoy the journey, create the character, create his / her mannerisms and ways of thinking and feeling and moving and talking – and delivery of the characters lines. You will get more enjoyment out of the work, it will be a richer performance, and be more watchable as a result too.

*Use the words of the script to suit the subtext:
This is an area that has projected me to write this Blog today. Many actors that I have worked with are choosing wants and delivering only some of the lines with the subtext in mind. They are either too stuck in delivering their lines a certain way or don’t know how to change the delivery of the lines. Some are often too scared to.

What you must do, as getting the job from a casting director could be dependent on it, is make the adjustment immediately, embrace the new subtext and make it affect the way you deliver the lines: through tone, pacing, pausing, volume, intensity, projection and facial expression, all supporting the subtext.

Many actors do not get the job or a call back or make their best impact, because they cannot make the adjustments. They are shown the door shortly after. Actors are a brilliant group of people. So versatile and flexible and giving in many areas of their lives – so give here – change and use the words to match the subtext. Shakespeare said as much in Hamlets’ speech to the players; “suit the action to the words, the words to the action”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamlet

Think, how can I change my behavior and the way I deliver the lines to suit the subtext? What would I do in everyday life? Then use that.

*Multiple subtext performances in class or rehearsals helps you discover new things that you can add into your final performance or audition:
When working with a teacher on the different subtext you develop new things. You develop new ways of delivering a certain line that you then like; this could be a gesture, a look, a move, an attitude. The smart actor then takes these pieces that he / she likes from the different sub textual performances, and puts the applicable ones into his / her final performance. Thus giving variety, change and highs and lows, as well as character creation with the text. Hopefully a committed connection with the text too! Explore! Explore! Explore! Explore with multiple subtext and put the bits you like together! Just explore with one want at a time. Otherwise you’ll get confused and appear to be doing too much!

*Deciding where or who the subtext is directed to or if you want it from them:
Make a particular point of concentration that you want to direct your want to if no one else is there. If someone else is there, direct your work at them and go for your want from them or direct it at them and go for your want from them. Sounds easy, but don’t perform with your subtext flying around the space – unless you are playing Hamlet or a similar character. I say this because when I was playing Hamlet in Los Angeles many years ago, I was often performing soliloquys. I consequently performed to chosen points in the space in my characters world.

*Audience wants to watch you:
Initially, an audience, even if it is just one person, wants to watch you. Playing different subtext will change your performance sometimes dramatically, sometimes slightly. Played with freedom and with the focus on discovery and honoring the subtext, will help give that audience entertainment. And that’s what it is all about! Make them want to keep watching you.

*Wants: the nuts and bolts in point form:
– Choose strong wants
– Preferably have the wants separate from the text (wants that are not easy to see in the words of the work)
– Go for your want off or to the other person
– See how far you can go with the want
– Have a teacher or friend or colleague help you to adjust the work to suit the medium of film or TV or stage acting
– Explore, create, have no fear
– Change the way you deliver your lines to suit your change of want
-Change your manner and characters’ idiosyncrasies to suit your want
– Always think “how can I change my behavior and the way I deliver the lines to suit the subtext? What would I do in everyday life?” Then use that.
-Be bold, have strength to be flexible as you explore – this is an example of “risk taking” and “making a strong choice” and these two points are very strong utterances in US training and auditioning for Casting Directors.

*In the end:
Did you know as human beings we play wants all day long! From the time we wake up and want to go to the toilet right up until we decide to switch off the light because our want is to go to sleep. Think about that. Watch people all day and try to guess their wants.

I want to educate my database of Industry professionals with this blog. ☺
This Blog is interactive. I encourage your comments and questions. So please join the Blog and respond.

Copyright © 2013 Paul Parker – January 2013. No part of this Blog can be printed or reproduced and used without consulting the author first.
Paul Parker (B.Ed)
Acting and Presenter Coach
paul@paulparkerpc.com.au
www.paulparkerpc.com.au

Paul Parker has booked actors onto hundreds of USA film, television, theatre and commercials. He is a qualified teacher with 23 years teaching experience as of 2013. From 2002 to 2011 he was the Artistic Director and head teacher of AIDA – Australian Institute of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles and New York in the USA. Paul has been in the entertainment Industry professionally since 1977.