#27: Helping You Balance Along
Tuesday 8/6/24
ACTING/COACHING TIP: Action and Obstacle In Balance
Let’s start with definitions:
The action: what you want the other character to do.
The obstacle: what prevents that from happening.
I want you to think about a moment you were watching the Olympics this week… think about a moment when you watched with bated breath. Think about a moment you were riveted - glued to the screen. This had me remembering Jon Jory’s book “Tips Ideas for Actors” and a passage where he talks about THE ACTION AND OBSTACLE IN BALANCE. https://amzn.to/3yspfFq (grab it here if you want! great, easy read)
When the action it easy, it’s uninteresting. When the obstacle is TOO hard, then everyone knows it won’t be achieved and they give up on a character. I remember a quote (i’m paraphrasing) from the book: “we don't play to see a woman lift a Kleenex… we pay to see her lift a piano.” That has STUCK with me.
So, how do you balance this? The actor didn’t write the script. Ahhh… it’s in the script but it’s up to YOU to decide what works for YOUR interpretation of the character.
When I played Mrs. Lovett, I realized that there were 2 broken hearts in the room. Mine and Sweeney’s. The action, the goal, was companionship at any cost. To not be alone. This is justified at many points that I won’t bore you with (if you want me to talk about this more… lmk). The obstacle - the man who may give you that companionship is completely preoccupied and obsessed with other matters. To me, this is balanced - it gives the actor plenty to do and overcome. It was something I kept to myself. It was my secret. And, at various moments I was closer or further from getting that companionship from him. The action and obstacle are in balance - even in a show that is so over the top.
Each moment in the show has to be on the brink of something being gained or lost. And you either gain it, or you lose it in each moment.
Now think back to that moment where you were holding your breath watching an Olympian this week. Were they trembling? Did they almost fall? Did they come up from behind? Whatever it was that caught your attention - the action and obstacle were in balance.
Dreams Don’t Die :)
Julie