ACTORS EXPRESSION

℠

 

"Before you choose how you want your character to move, know how to be still in their preference."

-Piero Dusa          

 

If Actors Preference℠ is the foundation, Actors Expression℠ is the structure, the outward extension of the acting instrument you're building. Actors Expression℠ is a practical approach performance class for any actors beginner or advanced who wants to increase their chances at a call-back and stand out at an audition.

It teaches the actor to truly embody the character through a detailed exploration, including body language, behavior, speech, script analysis, phrasing,triggers,physical impediments and Dusa's remaining 16 Levels of Acting.

          How many times have you watched a performance and it was clearly obvious that the "actor" was portraying his own preference…merely "playing himself." A true character actor is one who can believably shift and play a character's preference even when it is opposite their own. There is a tendency for the novice actor to dismiss a particular character's preference when the action by that character doesn't feel authentic to the actor. In reality, when an actor is playing a preference that is not their own, it feels awkward and unnatural, like writing non-dominant hand. It’s the actor’s job to learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable and to play the behavior/thoughts/feelings/actions of a character based on the character’s preference, as written in the script, and not based on the actor’s own preference.

 

At the Audition

         Actors Expression℠ is the epitome of self-reliance, the result of which is the skill to direct oneself. Every artist has made the mistake of going to an audition guessing what the casting director might or might not want. Others go hoping for specific direction. If the actor has thoroughly done their homework, they will already have made choices for actions that are character-specific and appropriate. The casting director may not know what they want but if the actor knows the character and exhibits the character’s preferences, the actor's performance will resonate.

On The Set

          When preparing for a role, self-direction is a vital tool in the actor's arsenal. The actor will need to use the YELLOW quadrant to look at the big picture using imagination to create and re-create the scene, thinking about how the direction will look from the angle of the camera. The actor will need to be logical and shift to the BLUE quadrant, analyzing choices, framing, props etc. The actor will need to use the GREEN quadrant to know the specific details, practicing each step and continuity. The actor will need to use the RED quadrant to go with their intuition, using the emotional connection to the character to know how the character would feel and respond throughout.

 

         An example of one part of Dusa’s Level, Body Language of the Character, is Ben Kingsley’s character, “Don Logan” in the film, Sexy Beast. During the kitchen confrontation with Ray Winstone’s character, “Gary Dove”, Ben Kingsley uniquely breaks down the text and specifically uses vocal and body speed to achieve his objective. His vocal speed accelerates with his emotions, as his emotions rev-up, the audience can see his tension through his vocal and physical pacing. The speed fluctuates perfectly with his character’s BLUE dominating, ruthless preference.

          The next course in the system is Destructive Preference℠.

 

 

 

The Actors Expression workshop is one of a kind and exclusively taught by Piero Dusa. If you want to improve your call-back ratio, make chemistry at the screen test and have an unforgettable performance, contact us for more information on the individually tailored lessons or full workshops at info@pierodusa.com

 

Back to the top