TNC Street Theater Launches Today!
23 hours ago
Sunday, July 08, 2007
public enemy number one
In the body work portion of the class, I introduce the jaw as the actor's public enemy number one. Most of us carry tension there habitually, and the jaw is wired to the back and the rest of the body, so tension that originates there can easily spiral downward and create all kinds of physical static for the actor. Further, the jaw is a kind of gateway, so that impulses that originate in the gut or elsewhere are either allowed or disallowed by the jaw. And, for some reason, when we are engrossed in doing something that requires a lot of our concentration, like, say, playing a difficult portion of a scene, the jaw often tenses up to make sure that nothing is released that isn't supposed to be. However, this also (often) has the effect of making sure that nothing comes in, and this means that the actor has effectively isolated him or herself from his or her environment, which is bound to bring about stiffness and lifelessness. So learning to be aware of, and to release, jaw tension is indispensable
You can explore this yourself by choosing an activity that is challenging for you and paying attention to your jaw while you try to do it. I like to go out dancing, and when I start to get going, and feel inspired to show off some fancy footwork, my jaw will invariably tense up in some kind of misguided effort to "help" by stablizing me (a phenomenon sometimes known as "white guy overbite"). I also notice this in my T'ai-Chi practice. This awareness is the first step towards freeedom. The next is cultivating the habit of letting go of this tension when it arises. Do this enough and the letting go will become an unconscious habit This will probably take years, but Rome wasn't built in a day, right?
Cheers,
Andrew
------
Friday, July 06, 2007
Jeremy on a roll
I reported recently that longtime Mother of Inventioner Jeremy Mascia was just picked up by Look Talent, and now he has been cast in a play called Eavesdroppers. Find out more by clicking on the title of this post.
That's fantastic Jeremy! Keep it up!
Cheers,
Andrew
---
Friday, June 29, 2007
congrats to Dawn!
Hi all,
Longtime Mother of Inventioner Dawn Scott will be heading off to Denver this fall to start her program at the National Theater Conservatory there. One thing that is great about this program is that it is tution free-- she will get an MFA without paying a cent. The school itself finds funding for all of its students.
Dawn told me she observed an acting class when she visited and felt completely comfortable with what she saw being taught, based on her Mother of Invention experience. Best of luck to you Dawn!
Andrew
---
Sunday, June 24, 2007
congrats to Jeremy!
Longtime Mother of Inventioner Jeremy Mascia was recently engaged by Look Talent, an agency in San Francisco. Congrats Jeremy! Keep it up!
A
----
Saturday, June 02, 2007
the incomparable Micaya
I made it back to hip-hop class today, after too long a hiatus, and it was just what the doctor ordered. It is taught by one Micaya, who has been teaching hip-hop in the Bay Area for 20 years, and choreographing and producing festivals besides. Her class is always a shot in the arm. She is always talking about the fire in the belly. Her hip-hop is not about prancin' around lookin' cute, it's about hurling thunderbolts. And it's great for actors: so many of us carry a lot of habitual tension in our upper bodies, and so it's hard for those impulses that start in the gut (if we're lucky!) to make it up and out. But hip-hop gets you LOW, real LOW, and nobody gets you lower than Micaya. And she breaks it down so well and so clearly. She teaches with precision and fire-- two of my favorite things. You can find her class schedule at www.micaya.com. Check it out!
A
---
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
