Interview with SHARON CHATTEN by TERRY BERLAND (BerlandCasting.com)
What is it you see and feel that is the “breakthrough” as people are progressing?
The first breakthrough is truthfulness, that they are really talking to someone rather than sounding “like an actor”; to be feeling and thinking as the character and not just trying to make the words “sound” right. Also, that the actor is not dumbing down the character but allowing them to have an intelligence, heart, and sense of humor (as we as humans all have). Then comes the expansive breakthrough when the actor can juggle a lot of balls: crafting who their character is (based on the author via an understanding of script analysis), emotional and physical preparation, carbonation of prior circumstances, personalizations (people, places, events and endowed objects), objectives and intentions, destinations, and physicality. There are actors who do all of this intuitively, but it is important to have the craft to be able to make these choices consciously.
Are there distinctions that you see to being a really good actor?
On an intellectual level, a great actor must be true to the author and understand the music of the writing, the genre/style of the material, and be able to find all the clues the author gives as to the characters and story. Script analysis is vital. Then great actors morph into the character mentally, emotionally, psychologically, spiritual, and physically. There must be an ability to respond to imaginary stimuli and situations, which makes it possible for the actor to enter into the experience and emotions of the character. Really good actors are able to organically cook up:
- Who he is (the character when alone in heart, body, and thought knowing the history of that character from birth to current time)
- Where he is (place), where he is coming from and where he is going
- What is he doing there and what does he want (action/physicality)
- Who is he with (relationships/personalizations) and what he wants from them (objectives)
- What happened before he came there (given circumstances)
Actors must then listen and respond (as if for the first time) to other characters moment to moment, and with this immediacy, the spontaneity and chemistry between characters is experienced. Great actors do not do this externally, but fill up and really live the emotional life, heart, intelligence and humor of the character. No matter how broad the style of the writing (even heightened reality and farcical comedy) it is only brilliantly acted when emotionally supported. Great actors bring originality to their work and don’t fall into a cliché either in their own character choices or in their response to others and to situations.
What are other elements to being a good actor?
An actor must have full use of their voice and body. They must stay healthy and honor their instrument (themselves). Acting requires a full range of vocal and physical expression. I personally like Alexander technique (http://alexandertechworks.com/) as it helps actors to align their bodies and elongates and widens the actor so they take up 360 degrees of space. Many actors hunch or have excessive “forward energy” which makes them smaller and kills their charisma by shrinking themselves or leaning forward with extraneous tension. Many actors have thin little voices and have no control of their vocal production, or their regional dialect. Often both a voice teacher for proper full resonant use of the voice and a dialect coach are needed in the training. Other classes like dance, martial arts, yoga, etc are always helpful. Also study the great clowns and notice their physical gestures and emotional truth. With classic films readily available this is easy to do.
Celebs don’t need acting lessons, what is it that you do with them?
Well, there are celebrities who are not actors at all and are crossing over into acting from the music, modeling, or sports world so they certainly need class and/or coaching. But even very known working actors, if they care a lot about the craft and art of it, wish to explore and grow continually. With the pace at which film, TV and even the theatre works these days there is little to no rehearsal time. We never in any of the arts (or in life for that matter) get to a place that is finished. We never reach a point in any art form where we are “done”. We are always learning and growing.
What we do in private coaching sessions varies with the material and the way that individual actor works. Usually I have specific material for a project to work on with them (whether it be an audition or once they are cast) and I gear the session based on the time we have to work on it, what I feel is right for the material, and what intuitively I feel will get that particular actor where they need to go. Everyone works differently and I have to sense that out. Coaching is collaboration between the actor and the coach. A coach has to bring ideas to the plate, but also hear and feel what is coming from the actor.
We work together. Of course I am ready to fully guide an actor in case she has no idea where to begin, either because she is new to acting, or is experienced but is baffled by the material. It is vital for a coach to absorb what begins to come out of the actor at these sessions. Often the actor is not baffled or inexperienced, but rather they want to explore with someone whose taste they trust. Playing a role is not one size fits all. Each actor auditioning for a role will do it differently. If I were to coach a few people for the same role, each actor would find a way to be true to the author coming from their own individuality. A coach has to sense this uniqueness and help bring it out. It’s very fun!
Directors often do not have time on a set to explore nuances of character. They hope they have cast the piece well and that the actor will show up and do their job. Often there is little to no on-set rehearsal, so coaching sessions help provide a gymnasium for the actor to get out of their head and actually try things out. This way they show up on the set feeling good about what they are bringing to it, and should the director have tweaks and changes onset, that’s excellent. Too many actors just memorize lines and hope to get on-set to see what the director wants. This is a mistake. An actor must do their own work, and assume they won’t get much direction if any. Getting direction is a wonderful bonus!
Of course students in my ongoing classes learn in a very structured way the specific techniques geared to their training over time. It is very gratifying for me to have ongoing students in class once a week who are really learning the art and craft of acting and have the gymnasium of class to develop. Class is much different than private coaching (which is geared to performance of a particular role or audition). Ideally I think having an ongoing acting class once a week and getting private coaching for all auditions or once you get a role, is a wonderful combination.
Any other information you would want to convey to actors?
Yes, there is much to be said about “how” an actor works and rehearses, that comes from a good spirited attitude. Actors who beat themselves up or are sad, angry or defensive are really difficult to work with. There is a spiritual place respectful of the craft that makes actors want to “try it again”, or when given a direction want to take that nugget and explore it that is a delight to work with.
In comedy one has to edit out any angry or depressed little moments of “shoot what’s wrong with me, why isn’t it working” and stay in a fun frame of mind even when they can’t seem to get it. It’s important to keep your sense of humor through every take, every direction, every failure and be able to laugh at yourself until they say you are finished for the day. That’s where the funny bloopers come from after all!
In drama, stay in character when given direction and don’t come in and out of your character’s emotional place to chitty chat with people, joke around, or argue with the director etc. Keep the carbonation and emotional prep going like keeping the bottom of a bucket up, take direction, and just try stuff with an artist’s passion for exploration. Stop the kvetching to yourself or anyone else if you are not nailing it. Defensiveness and “but” this and “but” that when working with a teacher or director is very annoying. Work attitude is huge and I could lecture on it again and again. Over time, continually working as an actor is building relationships, so don’t burn bridges. I remember Robert Redford saying when asked what advice he would give to young actors. He said “have a life”. I agree. Love your art, work hard, commit to discipline in your craft, get good with the business end of it when you are truly ready in your craft (and only then!), but experience fully all the rest of your life too. Volunteer, nurture your friends and family, and enjoy other interests. Somehow make enough money to live comfortably. And don’t base your life’s happiness on the phone to ring from an agent or casting office. You are NOT as good as your last job. You are as good as you are, simply being a good human being. Know that.