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TIPS ON ENERGY or Move Over, Einstein
By Ruth Kulerman Jul 7, 2005, 20:27 Several months ago, one of my favorite bright teen-age readers wrote, asking three thought-provoking questions. So to the laddie out in the mid-west, here are some long over-due tips to your first question: QUESTION: "How does one increase energy [in acting]?" RESPONSE: A first rate question, especially if you have read many of these articles and recognized that "energy" is probably the word used most often in reply to most questions, in most general comments and in most answerTips. Next to a good ear, energy is probably the one most vital requirement for an actor in film, stage, or TV. This is certainly one of my favorite subjects, the second most basic--maybe even the first most basic--requirement for acting, one of the most difficult subjects to examine, and a quality almost impossible to teach. So let's rush in where wise men hesitate to go. INCREASING ENERGY TIPS As we examine energy and give some tips about it, let's first see what might cause lack of energy. TIP ONE First, look to the body. "Mens sana in corpore sano." The ancients had it right: "A sound mind in a sound body." Check the body and then check the mind (emotions, attitude). If the lack of energy pervades the entire body, get to a doctor. Chronic fatigue is a symptom of dozens of ailments. In fact there is a medical title: "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome." A thorough blood test, including blood sugar, is called for. Low blood sugar undiagnosed is one of the numerous causes for lack of energy. The list is long and many of the causes have relatively simple cures. For example, lack of sleep is high on the list of causes for lack of energy. And that's not too hard to cure! TIP TWO Once a physical cause for lack of energy has been eliminated, look to the emotions. I personally develop mind-boggling fatigue when I have to do something or go someplace I really really really don't want to. We just want to take to the bed, pull the covers over our head and hide. So let's do some exploration of the emotional background for lack of performance energy. TIP THREE Lack of energy is our physical response to numerous emotional situations. Try to discover if the lack of energy comes and goes, and if it does, does it have a pattern. If one of the patterns is lack of energy when auditioning or when performing, then delve into your mind to explore the real reasons you think you want to act. What is the body fatigue telling you? TIP FOUR Does the lack of energy melt away the minute you step on stage or in front of the camera? If the energy comes as soon as you start performing or auditioning, then forget about the lack of energy. It is just your internal response to fight or flight. Live with it until you decide you don't need to respond with the drop in energy any more. This might be a good place to remind you of a cure for stage fright mentioned several months ago: that good ol' container of orange juice. In fact, that juice may be a good source of energy. Period. And it doesn't carry the problems that caffeine does. TIP FIVE Are you aware that the first telltale sign of lack of energy in acting is revealed in the voice? Oh, if you're having a unique case of pre-performance jitters--a case which instead of feeling fear or terror, you feel you can just barely drag around because you are so tired--this fatigue may be telling you something about your attitude toward acting. However, sometimes the fatigue is hidden behind the jitters. If this is the case, it is easy to overlook your lack of energy because you are so busy being frightened. You almost have to be ill to pick up a lack of pre-performance energy. Even if you can hide your physical lack of energy, you cannot hide lack of vocal energy. The voice is telling you something which you should try to pick up, try to listen to. If there is lack of energy, the voice is lifeless, monotonous, lacks inflection, lacks variety in rhythm and pitch, is flat. Boring. Is this the way your voice always sounds? If so, and if the physical examination has revealed no medical cause for fatigue, then find out what is squashing the energy. The voice is often a Geiger counter to the emotions. What is sitting on your natural life force? What feelings are being pushed down inside? Forcing a goody two shoes attitude can drain as much as the NYC or LA marathon. Flip the goody-two-shoe coin and you will find that sitting on anger is equally as exhausting. Pushing down fear is exhausting. Dealing with tough life problems is exhausting. All this pushing and squashing and denying show up in the voice. ------------------------------------------ "Actor Tips" is copyright 2005 by Chad Gracia and ActorTips.com, Inc. All rights reserved. For more articles on acting, as well as free monologues and play scripts, subscribe to the newsletter by visiting ... Click Here » Sign up for Movie Vine Newsletter updates! » Email this article to a friend ...................................................................... © Copyright 2004-2009 by MovieVine.com OWNER/FOUNDER Wendy Shepherd - StudioMatrix.com Privacy Policy |
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