Acting is Listening

The betting window is open! Which of these statements is true?

Acting is listening.

Acting is reacting.

Actually they are both true, but most actors don’t give these acting ingredients the attention they deserve, causing them to miss out on a great deal of depth in their performances.

Listening means to direct your attention on someone as they speak and think about what they are saying. The reason you think about what is being said in order to decide what to do or say next.

Do you think about what is being said when you’re acting, or do you listen to the way you rehearsed a line and think if you did it right?

Some actors, for example, make the mistake of thinking that listening what’s in their head is more important than listening to the other character. This leads to bad listening and to bad acting.

In social gatherings it’s usually the person who listens intently that is most enjoyable to talk to and who is considered to be a great conversationalist. This is so because people like to be listened to. In addition, when you are listened to, you feel that what you say is important.

In a scene, it’s crucial that you listen to what the other actor/character is saying, because what is said and the way it’s said directly affects you. Whatever you do at any given moment is determined, not just by what the other person just said, but how they say it. You then collect this information and use it to decide how to proceed.

When actors are too involved in listening to what’s in their head, any decisions they make are based on these internal words and meanings, not what the other character says. his makes for a weak character.

Listening to the other character isn’t always that easy. It’s not easy because of the interruption caused by the flood of information and misinformation swirling around in an actor’s head. These thoughts are what weaker actors listen to first.

Not listening to others because of this internal interruption happens in day-to-day living as well. When you talk to a co-worker, a friend or a date are you really listening to them or to the thoughts in your head?

Listening and reacting are two of the most important aspects in the acting process. There is a sequence that should be followed that goes: listen, gather information, decide and react.

One of the most important pieces of information you can gather by listening is: Are you attaining your objective? This information is carried by the words but, most importantly, by the sub-text (the meaning) and the intention behind the other person’s words. After these are understood, reactions can occur.

Another way actors block listening is by planning reactions before any information has been received. Pre-assigning any reaction, such as an attitude, an emotion or an action, to a moment, a line or a word in a scene before that moment and the realization of what the other character is thinking, precludes listening.

The first step to understanding any problem you have in listening or reacting is to uncover what you really listen to and what you actually react to. Then, practice listening to the other character, react to that and discover how this can greatly improve your acting.

Make a list of what you listen to during a scene or an audition and detail if listening to each of these helps your “character re-invention.” For example, do you only listen for the cue line? Do you listen to a mental replay of your lines? Or, do you hear what you were told you should do?

Once you know what not to listen to you can really listen to the other character. Then you can react more effectively.

Here’s what you do: You connect what the other character is saying and the way it’s said to your most emotional experiences. You then react from your personal experiences.

Genius acting is the power of re-inventing a written character to a level of intensity that neither author nor director can take credit for.