Acting Script Analysis: What’s on the Page
All month, we will be answering the question, “Why am I saying this?” The one thing I work on with students most is knowing why they are saying a line. Rather than memorize lines, we learn lines, we learn why a character is saying the words they have been given.
Check back each week for more info!
It may seem obvious, but begin preparing a script by reading it. All the way through. Yes, the whole script. It’s important, and we’re about to talk about why.
Sometimes you don’t have access to the full script (this often happens in film auditions). In that case, you have to become a detective with the material you do have available.
Once you have read the whole scene (and hopefully the whole play, but let’s just deal with your scene or monologue now), get real clear about what words are actually on the page. Be precise about which words the writer chose to include. For example, “Hey, are you heading out?” Is different than, “You headin’ out?” It’s a teeny tiny difference, but it is important because:
- That’s what was written, and
- The teeny tiny things are what will tell you VOLUMES about your character.
Continuing with the above example, consider:
If the setting is an office where two people are working late on a project due the next day and one person gets up to leave – and it has been previously established they both workers are hungry and don’t have food at the office, then how does the tone of your line reading change between the two? Go ahead and try it out loud, I’ll wait.
If the setting is at home and a teenager is sitting on the couch involved in their phone and the mom walks through with keys and a purse – and it has been previously established that each character is keeping a major secret from the other, then how does the tone of your line reading change?
Try it now, I’ve got time.
If the setting is a hotel lobby at night with someone behind the desk and a customer wheeling a suitcase behind them toward the front door – and it has been previously established that the customer is both a secret agent and also has a huge room service bill, then how does that impact the tone of your line reading?
You know what to do…
That “Hey,” can be used to get someone’s attention, calling after them. It can be used to appear casual. It can be used to snap at someone and let them know how the speaker feels about the prospect of the other person leaving.
Look over your monologue and see if you are, in fact, saying all the lines as written. Sometimes we get muscle memory for the wrong lines. See if paying close attention to the precise words on the page highlights something new about the piece for you.
Check back next week for Part II!
In the meantime, if you need coaching on your monologue, or would like to work on your script analysis skills to improve your confidence with auditions, contact me. I offer individual coaching in-person in the Louisville, Kentucky, and online through Skype or Zoom. I’d love to help you grow as an actor!