An Actors Technique: Nuts and Bolts (DRA4127.01)

Dina Janis

How do actors bridge the gap between themselves and the role they are playing? How do actors rehearse with other actors in order to explore the world of the play? This non-performance based class is designed to help individual actors discover their own organic, thorough rehearsal process. Step by step we will clarify the actor’s process: character research, character exploration, text analysis, identifying actions, working with scene partners, emotional preparation, and scene presentation. Each student will be required to research and present the biography of one renowned actor during the term, and these presentations will serve as a springboard for an on-going group conversation about the craft of acting. Students will work to create a warm-up specifically designed to meet their individual needs, and work on one scene throughout the term, allowing them to explore deeply, revise, and edit their choices. Various rehearsal techniques will be explored, so that students can begin creating their own rehearsal technique for future performance work.

Corequisites: Drama Lab

Prerequisites: 2000 level Intro Acting Course and Permission of Instructor. Please email djanis@bennington.edu about your interest
Credits: 4
M/Th 3:40-5:30
Maximum Enrollment: 16
Course Frequency: Once a year
This course is categorized as All courses, Drama.