Suggestion from Sandford

This is a short follow up to an earlier article, the one entitled "Summarizing Sandford". Quickly, the Sandford Meisner method of acting is one that focuses on emotional recall and honest reactions to what is going on on-stage. (For a more detailed explanation of the Meisner method, look for the other article.)

Here is an excellent way to train yourself how to react to another character. Pick a scene you have with a good amount of lines.

Write out all your lines as one long sentence, with NO punctuation at all.

Now, memorize that sentence completely.

What is the point of this? Basically what this accomplishes is forcing you to only say the words that make sense at the time. The other characters lines will automatically carry you your next words. By eliminating punctuation, you are not placing any guidelines on how the words should be said.

Here is a short example if I were "Man":

Man: Hi there, how are you today?

Woman: Why didn't you come home last night?

Man: The meeting ran long.

Woman: I would have liked a call.

Man: I'm sorry, I'll call next time.

Now, I would write out:

Hi there how are you today the meeting ran long I'm sorry I'll call next time.

To start the scene I would say:

"Hi there". Why go further? However, I will get no response from "Woman". This would force me to continue: "How are you". Those three words could be said a hundred different ways depending on what "Woman" is doing ... smiling, frowning, stomping around.

Now "Woman" would say "Why didn't you come home last night?" This obviously triggers: "The meeting ran long" as my response ... and so on.

Do you see the value in this exercise? If you are not quite sure, then give it a try sometime. It's different then what most actors are used to but that is good. It will help you look at lines a whole new way. Good luck!

Click here to return to the Theater Bites list