We work with many varied exercises to help the actor get in touch with themselves, work deeply with inner conviction, and ultimately, validate that the source is there within them. In our work, we attempt to understand the acting blocks that stop the actor from opening up feelings and emotional responses that they would have to access to fulfill the roles they might have the potential to be cast in.nnFor any of us: actors, directors, writers, teachers, painters, musicians, these blocks are not just confined to the arts, ‘the life blocks in an individual are also the creative blocks.’ It is these “blocks” to which a teacher must be very sensitive. We must create a safe atmosphere that is encouraging and supportive for an actor tackling some of their own blocks, as we try to help them open up the range of talent that might be within them. We must, as teachers, be sure not to push or force, but to create a safe and trusting atmosphere where a breakthrough might happen. Sometimes when the blocks are so cemented within, the healthiest step might be to pull the actor aside and suggest they work on these “obstacles” to their feelings with a therapist. A thick wall has been built up – we must help the actor to find a way over it. And sometimes it is too thick for a teacher to help the actor break through, and the teacher should realize and acknowledge that.
Our teaching goal is designed to help the actor to open up and bring the richness within themselves to the work and the character. It is never very interesting or rewarding to watch an actor indicate or play an idea of feeling and emotion as they distance themselves from the character and thus the material. There has to be a connection to the feelings that the character is living through, not just an idea of them or an indication of them to make an effective performance. We want our exercises to become good working tools for the actor, that they then develop into their own technique. This will help them to expand the range of their talent and thus their casting opportunities.