I Don't Need an Acting Class

In this episode, Milton begins talking through The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash. It’s an example of how we can begin working on a play by ourselves. There is no right way. We can take our initial impressions (whatever hits us first) and wander around with them in a non-performative way. We do this, in large part, to discover what world we’re in, and that becomes our entree into all the specific elements that exist in that world. “But I resist making a decision for as long as possible,” Milton says, referring to the barn in the play. “The reason is: I want every decision I make to feed into my understanding of what the scene is about. And at this point, I don’t know enough yet, about the play or my character, to create the barn. But once I know more, I’m going to build it in a way that helps me an as actor, that gives my character something to play against.”

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Two of Milton’s students are currently starring in an off-Broadway musical, and this week he discusses his recent work with them. He talks about the similarities between the structure of a film and the structure of a musical. In (almost) every scene there is a song, which takes place because the circumstances become so heightened that the only thing one can do in that moment is to sing; and like in film, each scene turns, (i.e. a big change happens and usually it’s during a song.)

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This episode gets back to the HUGE topic of using your own life, featuring an in-depth conversation amongst the class. It culminates with the following ideas: even though Stella Adler advised against using your own life and experience because it limits you, it’s impossible to take you out of the work. When you use your imagination instead of searching for how you can “relate” to your character, whatever comes up emotionally for you is the result of your own personal, emotional well. Your life is still going to be there in your performance because it’s you! But that is simply the result, not some place that we should start.

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Let’s face it: acting is weird. So are actors. The issues we have…the circumstances we find ourselves in are unlike that of anyone else. Some examples: How does one negotiate a love scene? What do you do when you’re on stage and you start focusing on the mole on your fellow actor’s face, pulling you completely out of the moment? Why dating a co-star is dangerous. What are the principals of “food acting”? And how does a gay cult classic film end up on The Criterion Collection? There are so many weird things that we have to know as actors that have little to do with acting.

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Even when you're getting bad direction, or someone in the cast inappropriately gives you notes... Even when you feel like you're the only one who knows what they're doing, it's impossible to overemphasize the importance of being respectful and leaving a positive impression on everyone you work with. There are ways to handle these situations. Some actors have to learn the hard way, but for those who don't want to go through that, here's some advice on how to communicate when you feel stranded in a sea of stupidity while continuing to bring your best work to the table.

Milton begins this week’s episode talking about a client whose personal life reflects the circumstances of the character he’s playing. It’s yet another lesson about the actor’s instinct to make a character about us, and it’s especially difficult to resist when we have been through almost the exact same experience. The difference is— our relationship to the circumstances. This is what can wake you up to the fact that the character you’re playing is in fact, very different from you. 

*Starting now, you can leave comments on episodes on Spotify, and we can reply! (Finally!) Please leave and questions or comments you have and we'll get back to you.

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Milton Plays A Car Mechanic

The point of this episode is that, while we always need to work hard to make our work believable and interesting, there are times where you might have to work even harder because of your limited imagination and/or life experience. Such as the example provided in this week’s episode: Milton working on a car. This, in life, has never and most likely, will never happen. And a big part of our talent is know what it’s going to take to get there for us as individuals, playing a specific part. We have to be able to identify what it’s going to take for us to earn it.

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In this episode, we take a look at the play Loose Ends by Michael Weller. We do so through the lens of realism and the contribution that Ibsen, Strindberg and Chekov made to the modern theater. It’s an unusually long episode, but listening to Milton lecture on and analyze the time period of this play is an example of where script analyses can begin. It’s an exploration, a deep-dive conversation where the actor layers in information and just begins to consider it. Also— stay tuned for the end where Milton shares his favorite relationship advice!

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Whether it’s stage or screen, you have to be able to analyze the text to figure out what world you’re in, what’s going on with your character and how you fit into the bigger picture. This way, you can come up with a choice that gives you something, moves you, makes you excited. So that by the time you *say it,* you’ve earned it.

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This week, Milton explores a few of the ways we can gain insight into character. We can observe a stranger on the street and then, using a specific character trait, improvise a monologue as that person. We can also examine the events that contribute to a person’s identity. The crucial lesson here is that we never stop searching, never stop digging to find the complexity of a human being. Finally, Milton shares a “talking out” exercise Shane did which is a great example of allowing yourself to wander until you find something that brings you to life. 

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Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠