“To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, dissatisfaction with self.”


-Joan Dideon


“When a man has reached a condition in which he believed that a thing must happen when he does not wish it, and that which he wishes to happen can never be, this is really the state called desperation.”


-Arthur Schopenhauer

 

 

"Sometimes it seems like we're all living in some kind of prison, and the crime is how much we all hate ourselves. It's good to get really dressed up once in a while and admit the truth -- that when you really look closely, people are so strange and so complicated that they're actually beautiful. Possibly even me."

 

-Angela Chase, My So-Called Life

 

 

Resent Somebody


The moment you start to resent a person you become that person’s slave. He or she controls your dreams, absorbs your digestion, robs you of your peace of mind and good will, and takes away the pleasure of your work.

 

A person you resent ruins your spirituality and nullifies your prayers. You cannot take a vacation without that person going along! He or she destroys your freedom and hounds you wherever you go. There is no way to escape the person you resent.


That person is with you when you are awake and invades your privacy when you sleep. That personis close beside you when you eat, when you drive your car, and when you are on the job.

 

You can never have efficiency or happiness. The person you resent influences even the tone of your voice. He or she requires you to take medicine for indigestion, headaches, and loss of energy. That person even steals your last moment of consciousness before you go to sleep.


So if you want to be a slave, harbor your resentments.

 

-Bill P. & Lisa D.

 


“If we only wanted to be happy, it would be easy; but we want to be happier than other people, and that is almost always difficult, since we think them happier then they are.”

 

- Charles de Montesquieu

 

 

 

“No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched.”

 

-George Jean Nathan

 

 


"Happiness is the art of living well. In these days, not many people are living well, and the few who are, well (hmm), to me, they don’t seem very happy. I’m happy. Most of the time. Well to be honest, I have more of my share of demons. Sometimes they chase me, and sometimes I chase them."

 

-Teddy Rist, The Philanthropist

 

 

 

“It may give you pleasure today, but your tomorrow might be miserable.”


-Source Unknown

 

 


“It’s hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place.”

 

-H.L. Mencken

 

 


“Speak when you’re angry, and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.”

 

-Lawrence J. Peter

 

 

 

 

Go Back

DESTRUCTIVE PREFERENCE
℠

 

 

 

Conflict occurs when one character opposes the desires of another. This engagement leads to an internal battle, where the character’s pathology manifests. Like every person in real life, every good character harbors destructive tendencies. This destructive side can dominate a character or may just resonate within the character's fiber or circumstances of the script, raising the tension in a scene(s) while the audience waits to see how this pathology plays-out. Note that by creating characters that include these "dark" tendencies, the artist creates a vehicle that connects with the audience on their most primal levels.


         To create a fully realized and believable performance, the actor must understand and even embrace the flaws and destructive behavior within each character. It is the character's flaws that reflect our human duality and it is that ambivalence which renders a character compelling. Destructive behavior can surface under varying circumstances and it can be reflected in many different forms. The highest levels of those forms represent a rocky period in the journey of the character usually when they are dealing with a critical moment in their arc or with a person that threatens to push that character out of their comfort zone. Even when it's not on the page, the great actors strive to identify their character’s pathology because, within the course of the story, their character will triumph by overcoming their destructive preference or fail with dramatic consequences.


 

        Destructive Preference℠ gives the actor the skills to recognize the degree of destructive preference written into the character. The actor will know where internal conflicts (hatred, low self-esteem, etc.) reside within the four quadrants and can then express those inner-conflicts externally (addictions, abuse, etc.) in continuity with that character. Destructive Preference℠ gives the actor the tools to play those extreme, dark, unpredictable characters the audience will remember. A character with deep-rooted social anxieties and no friends is invited on a weekend getaway by some new acquaintances. Hoping to ingratiate himself by showing everyone a good time - knowing they would never do this themselves - he spikes their drinks with what he believes is ecstasy.

 

         The beginning of a tragedy…or the main conceit in one of 2009's biggest comedy; "The Hangover." Zack Galifianakis uses a classic approach to Destructive Preference℠; his character's pathology manifests itself internally (low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, etc.) and is externalized via his behavior; drug addiction, abuse. The comedic result is a dark, unprecedented character the audience won't soon forget. Completing this workshop arms the actor with the know-how to take pathology to the extreme and create legendary characters that years later audiences still refer to by name.

 

 

 

The Destructive Preference workshop is one of a kind and exclusively taught by Piero Dusa. If you have the courage to look deep into yourself to create intense, edgy, dark, soul-changing characters contact us at info@pierodusa.com for more information on the individually tailored lessons or full workshops.

 

 

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© Piero Dusa 2010