The Art of Acting

“Die Sinnlichkeit der Wahrnehmung lebt vom genauen Hinschauen.” Wenn Sie Menschen begeistern wollen, motivieren wollen, dann muss es Ihnen gelingen, sie das sehen zu lassen, was Sie selbst sehen.

Dazu ist es zunächst notwendig, dass Sie selbst ein klares Bild vor Augen haben. Das klare Bild wird Ihren Worten Energie verleihen, wird Sie die Worte finden lassen, die wirklich erreichen, die den eigentlichen Sinn treffen, und keine abstrakten Begriffe die nur Ihre Intelligenz unter Beweis stellen.

Ich arbeite mit einer Übung, die diese beiden Aspekte - Vorstellungskraft und deren Kommunikation – trainiert. Die Anregung für diese Übung kommt von Stella Adler, („Stella Adler ist die Königin der Schauspielausbildung“ THE NEW YORK TIMES ). Im Laufe meiner Unterrichtspraxis habe ich diese Übung ausgebaut, weil ich entdecken konnte, wie ergiebig diese Quelle ist.

Die Aufgabenstellung:

Ich nenne verschiedene Räume unter denen die Teilnehmer wählen können, und fordere sie auf, das Publikum auf einen Rundgang mitzunehmen. Sie können zum Beispiel wählen zwischen:

1. Frisiersalon Brigitte
2. Ein Souvenirladen in Bad Tölz
3. Ein Fischimbiss in Schanghai

Die Schülerin A hat sich für den Souvenirladen in Bad Tölz entschieden. Sie beginnt mit den Worten: „Ich stehe also in diesem Laden. Er ist total vollgestopft mit allen möglichen Sachen“ . Spielleiterin: „Schau genauer hin, was siehst du genau vor dir?“ A: „So einen Korb mit kleinen Holzbrettern, die man sich an die Wand hängen kann.“ Spielleiterin: „Nimm eines heraus. Was siehst du?“ A: „Da sind so Sprüche drauf“ Spielleiterin: „Lies vor“. A: „Lebst gsund stirbst, lebst ned gsund stirbst a!“ (Gelächter beim Publikum – auf einmal blitzte eine Vorstellung , ein Bild von dem Geschäft auf).

Immer wieder während der Übung stößt man auf die gleichen Phänomene: B: „…da steht ein rechteckiger Tisch.“ Spielleiterin: „Das ist eine neutrale Bestandsaufnahme. Du musst genauer hinsehen. Woraus ist der Tisch gemacht. Was ist das besondere an diesem Tisch?“ A: „Es ist so ein Tisch zum Zusammenklappen, wie man ihn im Garten verwendet.“ Spielleiterin: „Wie sieht die Tischplatte aus?“ B: „Da ist ein Plastiktischtuch drauf mit Weintrauben und Schnörkel drauf.“ Spielleiterin: „Geh näher hin.“ B (tastet das imaginierte Tischtuch ab): „Das ist unter der Tischplatte mit Reißnägeln festgemacht.“

Bei der Übung entdeckt man, dass man konkret werden muss, um Bilder entstehen zu lassen, um physische Wirklichkeit zu schaffen. Die Sinnlichkeit der Wahrnehmung lebt vom genauen Hinschauen, von der persönlichen Auswahl und Entscheidung, dass man eben diesen Tisch sieht – und nicht irgendeinen. Sobald es zu allgemein wird, bleibt es uninteressant. Es begeistert weder den Erzähler noch das Publikum.

Mit der Zeit gelingt es dann immer besser ein Bild zu schaffen, und die anderen dieses Bild sehen zu lassen. Durch diese Übung bekommt man ein Gefühl dafür, welche Bilder meinen Worten Energie verleihen. Sehr schnell spürt man selbst, ob es „zündet“ , oder ob ich nur vor mich hin rede,ob ich mich mitteilen kann, oder ob das Publikum „draußen“ bleibt.

Überprüfen Sie anhand dieses Beispiels, wie “sinnlich” Ihre Kommunikation ist! Trainieren Sie Ihr Vorstellungsvermögen und bekommen Sie ein Gefühl dafür, wie Sie andere an Ihrer Vorstellung teilhaben lassen – dem Wesen von Kommunikation.

(Sorry, this Post is available only in German as the connected material is German only)

Kennen Sie das? Sie werden von anderen als unsicher wahrgenommen, obwohl das nicht Ihre Absicht ist. Oder umgekehrt: man empfindet Sie als arrogant, obwohl Sie daran interessiert sind, bei Ihren Zuhörern mit Sympathie zu punkten.

Gefühle lassen sich oft nicht verstecken. So spiegeln sich Wut, Ärger oder Freude in den Gesichtszügen wider, auch wenn die Sprechenden unter Umständen einen anderen Eindruck suggerieren möchten. Schon Kinder, die älter als ein Jahr alt sind, lernen sich zu verstellen. Spätestens ab ihrem dritten Geburtstag sind Kinder sehr wohl in der Lage, falsche Tatsachen überzeugend vorzuspielen. Dr. Maria von Salisch, Lektorin an der Freien Universität in Berlin hat eine sehr interessanten Beitrag zu diesem Thema geschrieben, der der Frage nachgeht, wann und wie Kinder Darbietungsregeln lernen, wann sie sie praktizieren und wann sie darüber im Gespräch Auskunft geben können. (Lesen Sie ihn hier: DER GESICHTSAUSDRUCK IST DIE BOTSCHAFT)

Ich möchte damit unterstreichen, wie tief die non-verbalen Muster sitzen und wie wesentlich es daher ist, sich mit dieser Seite der Kommunikation zu beschäftigen, wenn es darum geht, WIRKSAM ZU KOMMUNIZIEREN – und das zu vermitteln, was Sie WIRKLICH vermitteln wollen. Hier kommt das Kapitel „Status“ ins Spiel, über das ich am 20.Okt. in diesem Blog geschrieben habe; denn mit jedem Tonfall, jeder Bewegung vermittle ich Status, bringe ich zum Ausdruck, ob ich mich meinem Gegenüber überlegen fühle ( das ist oft minimal, aber doch bemerkbar ) oder unterlegen.

Die „neutrale“ Kommunikation gibt es nicht. Es gibt aber die „geschmeidige“ Status-Kommunikation. Also die Fähigkeit, meinen Status den Gegebenheiten anzupassen. Und das kann man trainieren.

Wie ich Status vermittle und, dass ich auf jeden Fall Status vermittle. Das tue ich nämlich über meinen Körper und meist ohne bewusster Entscheidung – also durch Stimme, Tonfall, Atmung, Blicke, Kopfhaltung…

Was Sie also sehr wohl erreichen können, ist, ein Bewusstsein über Ihre Körpersprache zu gewinnen. Danach beurteilen Sie, ob Sie etwas ändern wollen. Falls Sie etwas kommunizierten, was von Ihnen so gar nicht beabsichtigt war, können Sie das jetzt ändern. Sie können aber durch dieses gesteigerte Bewusstsein auch einfach Ihre Körperkommunikation mehr genießen und sich mit ihr noch sicherer fühlen.

Wenn ich in meinen Seminaren Übungen zur nonverbalen Kommunikation anleite, können Sie sich sicher sein, dass ihrem Körper und Ihrer Persönlichkeit keine Standardlösungen vorgegaukelt werden, das liegt nicht in meinem Interesse. Sie sollen aber erfahren ( am eigenen Leib ), wie Ihr Körper kommuniziert und Sie werden auch ausprobieren können, wie sich Veränderungen anfühlen.

Hinweis auf den Workshop CHARISMA & PRÄSENZ: AUTHENTISCH “ICH”.

• Start: Montag, 23.1.2012, 18:30 – 20:00
• 5 x Abende
• Details & Anmeldung im EVENT CALENDAR: Seminars & Workshops

The Art of Acting

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.” (original by Marianne Williamson, quotes by Nelson Mandela)

Many of us need to read this phrase a second time before the real meaning trickles into our minds and hearts: that we might be powerful beyond the state in which we are now.

With this thought the image of ourself might get shaky – in a positive way on the one hand, but on the other hand we feel the fear of the unknown. Welcome this fear! It is always part of the game when we start crossing boarders and extending our limits.

You can even substitute this fear with pleasure – and this is what I see as one of my main tasks in my lectures and trainings: to firstly unveil habits and bring them to the conscious mind (how do I speak to others, what does my body express,…) and to then introduce uncertainty, the unusual, in order to bring the participants’ own, deep potential into movement.

Also in this case “playing games” is my credo. I have invented the game I want to introduce you to now in the course of my acting lectures. It is called “I am a piece of art“.

• Everybody introduces him-/herself to the audience with a stage-name which is composed of his/her own name plus an addition. This addition should be spoken spontaneously without too much thinking. Examples from my lectures: Julia „Cranky,“ Lisa „Squeaky Voice,“ Marlene „Block“…
•  
• Afterwards each of them presents their speciality: I encourage the participants to be really personal and feel as the attraction of the evening, and be it only with the ability to “look helpless“.

The introduction goes like: „And my speciality is…“

Examples from my lectures: „…I can’t stand still“, „… I have never got a chewing gum sticking to my soles “, „ … I can be quite stubborn“

Now the game starts with me as the director, like this:

• Director: „Julia Cranky, I am very pleased that you are our guest star this evening. You know that this is our general rehearsal and the last opportunity to tell also the stage technicians and the ballet what you expect and need from them. Can you now please show us how you will perform the “not standing still”? “

  Student: walks on the spot, moving from one leg to the other.

• Director: „Wonderful. Do you have special wishes concerning the lights?”

  Student: „Very simple, no light effects. Nothing should distract from myself.“

• Director: „Wonderful. Our Corps de Ballet, the super-numeraries and the choir are also ready. Do you need something from them to stage your speciality?”

 Student: „Yes, I would like to ask the choir to sing a Russian Lullaby“

• Director: “No problem, will be here in a second… The choir on stage, please!“

Now I instruct the others to join into the play. No “I don’t know how,..” is permitted because: in any case, we all don’t know how…

With this exercise we have created everytime whithin just a few minutes a unique piece of art in the best sense of the word which was liberating and amusing to all participants. He/she who could not present his/her stage-name as self-confident at the beginning told it after this kind of general rehearsal with full confidence.

The less you try to stage something “special” the more compelling the “living piece of art” becomes in the end – why?

It becomes special because you present yourself as the person you are – and judge yourself not only according your strong, socially desirable characteristics. You start to develop a more kind approach to yourself, humor and you become aware that being self-confidend does not mean not having weaknesses or not being able to admit them.

What this game does for you is to train your sovereignity and it ensures that this comes with ease.

This game will be part of the WORKSHOP starting on January 23rd, 2012. Please check out the EVENT CALENDAR for details and registration.

Sanford Meisner

“The amateur thinks before he acts – the pro acts before he thinks.” This is not only one of the best examples of what a good citation can do for us (it puts the insight of a whole book into a few words) but it gives us the main key to deciding whether we are experts or not (yet): those who really know their “stuff” have it built into each of their body-cells so they do not need to think of it anymore but can just adapt it to the situation – for pros expertise is like experienced car-driving under changing conditions. The amateur still needs to think of how to use his knowledge and has therefore great difficulties to adjust to unknown situations. He is like somebody starting driving-school. He has to think of each manoeuvre before acting. It would be hard for him to adequately react to varying circumstances.

Why should that be interesting when it comes to speaking?

Because we are so often told “to be yourself”. How often in your life have you heard, before going out on stage – be it as a pupil in class or later as a presenter in front of an audience – those very encouraging words: “Just be yourself and everything will be fine!”. And then you started concentrating on how to be the best of yourself and … became actually an “amateur” in being yourself. Because thinking of yourself before acting completely spoils the expertise of being yourself. And that – we have already learned that – spoils the whole presentation.

“Authentically being oneself ” means being able to respond/ react to your environment (= your audience, the people you deal with) spontaneously, without thinking about it. In HOW you respond lies your authentic SELF.

Sanford Meisner, an actor and strong influencer of the art, has developed the so-called “Meisner Technique” which is based on his belief that acting finds its most profound expression in specific behavior that comes out of the actor’s authentic human response to circumstances and other people. Because of this, his entire training method relied heavily on accessing the actor’s impulses, through which real responses and real behavior were accessed in the moment.  

The basic exercise that Meisner invented to train the actor’s responses is called the “Repetition Exercise”. The main rule is: “”Speak before you think.” – Which differs heavily from what we have been taught as children (“Think before you speak.”).

How does it work?

Acting partners face each other. One responds to something in the other person that prompts them to speak. The other partner reflects the sentence back. This continues until one of the partners changes the repetition based on spontaneous observations. This is the foundation for dozens of exercises to follow.

Example:

• Partner A: “You’re smiling at me.”
• Partner B: “I’m smiling at you.”
• Partner A: “You’re smiling at me.”
• Partner B: “You’re blushing.”
• Partner A: “I’m blushing?”
• Partner B: “You’re blushing…

Seems kind of strange and waste of time? Then try it out and you will find it relieving to tear down that intellectual wall and connect yourself again to your true self and your natural impulses.

This exercise will be part of the WORKSHOP “CHARISMA & PRESENCE: AUTHENTICALLY ME”, starting on January 23rd, 2012. On 5 evenings we will dedicated ouselves to the quest of AUTHENTIC SELF-EXPRESSION with the goal to enhance your PRESENCE ( and therefore CHARISMA) – be it for the purpose of professional presentations or for private interest. For more information check out the EVENT CALENDAR.

The Art of Acting

You can be sure: your personal stock of imagination is endless. Imagination is the ability to remember things you’ve never thought of. While playing, this “account” is being opened – and then you’ll discover with which ease ideas start bubbling over! It’s all about outwitting your own, internal brakes.

What holds you back? “I can’t think of anything”, why are we saying this? Why do we believe this? Because we want to be particularly original, we want to get it “right”, we want to avoid any criticism,… the list of reasons is long, as long in fact as the list of habits that we usually use in order to suppress liveliness and to control every and each situation. But inspiration has nothing to do with control. The less somebody is victim to these mechanisms of self-protection and control, the more relaxed he/she can act and the more attractive he/she will be for the audience. That makes sense, doesn’t it?

But let’s not think of the audience just now. Let’s concentrate on liberating your own imagination and lightness. I have mentioned the constraints only because they block our way to authentic self-expression. Playing can move these constraints much better out of the way than any theoretical discourse.

Here is one of the games which provide stunning results. You need to be in two.

“The Experts Interview”

Here are the rules: One person leads the interview, the other one is the “expert” of a non-defined argument. The interviewer asks according to the principle of supposition. The expert answers always in an affirmative way.

It goes like that – see an example from my course:

• Interviewer: “You have collected the saliva of your relatives, haven’t you.”
• Expert (must affirm): “Yes, that’s right.” (and adds according to his own imagination) “This collecting was sometimes quite annyoing to my relatives, but with time they got used to the procedure…”
• Interviewer: “And you reached stunning results.”
• Expert: “Yes, indeed. I discovered the connection between salivation and… “ (the experts is running out of ideas, the interviewer completes the sentence)
• Interviewer: “…and net income.”
• Expert: “Exactly.” (Students’ laughter)

The conversation continued in an amusing and quite bizzare way. The essence of this exercise is that it happens effortlessly. There is no need to come up with original ideas because the game ball is always served. You just have to take it! Each of those interviews is original and full of imagination, only because participants outwit their own blockades. Every time it is with great pleasure that they discover their supply of imagination as absolutely endless and that the door is wide open only if ambition, fears and wrong expectations are left behind.

In a series of such exercises all that matters is the liberating experience as the basis of personal and creative acting.

Karin Koller @work

“As an actor you can’t hide” – this is what I say to my students at the start of their classes in order to encourage them to being themselves and being really generous.

This is also true for non-actors: there is no way to hide as soon as you step onto the “stage”, as soon as you are going public – whether it is a big or a small group of people to whom you want to bring out your message.

Very often, however, we hide behind objectivity and realism. A very bad misunderstanding: “the facts are speaking for themselves.” The livelyness is created by your speaking (= acting out), not by the facts. The facts will remain liveless until you will understand that “life is inherent to each thing “.

A lot of mediocre and even boring speeches are held by absolutely honest people who search for objectivity and do not want to place themselves into the foreground. This modesty we “sell” as a virtue when, in fact, it is just a way to protect ourselves from being vulnerable.

Be generous! Be vulnerable!

You will move people when they feel who you are, what you stand for and what inspires your enthusiasm. And this enthusiasm is nothing which can be “ordered”, it cannot be an “obligation”. Enthusiasm is not a question of “bluff” and constant grinning, but an absolutely vital question:

Gerald Hüther, neuro-biologist: “Only in the status of enthusiasm a group of cells of the nervous system in the middle brain will be activated to pour out a cocktail of neuroplastic transmitters. Enthusiasm is a fertilizer for the brain. To the great regret of all brave duty-performers and orderly “functioners” this is something which never happens in the routine working modus of the brain but exclusively in the wonderful status of enthusiasm.”

What is really important to you, is what will stimulate your enthusiam. And this enthusiasm can also jump over to others – so be personal! The fact about facts is: Facts will not protect you (they are the “additional give-away”).

I find the German expression “to lean oneself out of the window” smart and appropriate: “Lean yourself out of the window” – only like this the others will be able to see you. Your subjectivity is what they are looking for.

Be generous! Be vulnerable!

Karin Koller @work

First Rule of Spontaneity: You must not try to control the future.

Karin Koller @work

When training confident communication “status games” are of fundamental importance. Keith Johnstone has invented these exercises. His book„Improvisation and the Theatre“ has become a standard component of every modern acting school. Keith Johnstone (http://www.keithjohnstone.com/) has worked from 1956 to 1966 as director and actor at the Royal Court Theatre in London.

In the 70ies he moved to Calgary and started teaching at the University of Calgary. This is the birth place of the theatre group Loose Moose Theatre and the beginning of the “Theatersport” which has become one of the most wide-spread form of the Modern Improvisation Theatre.

What is “Status”?

Very simply: High Status = domination, Low Status= submission

Every tone, every movement transmits status (note: with “status” we do not intend the social status: “doctor” = high status; “cleaning lady” = low status). Status has to be intended as something that one “does“.  I am more than sure that you are doing it every day – but maybe unconsciously.

Let’s have a concrete example:

A collegue tells you: “I really liked your work.” Your answer: “Boh, I am actually quite unsatisfied, it wasn’t anything special.” YOU think of yourself as humble, even charming. But actually you transmit a completely different message: your admirer has no idea of your field if he finds something good that is, in fact, nothing special. You have actually identified yourself as superior to your counterpart, dominant and therefore with higher status – consequently lowering the status of your partner (Keith Johnstone calls that phenomenon “Seesaw”). 

How to use these exercises:

A group in which nobody communicates constructively is a group in which everyone wants to change the status of the others while showing a friendly face.  If you succeed to lead such a group into so-called “status – transactions” it is quite sure that the mood will improve. There will be lots of relieving laughter and in very short time a group in which everybody works against the others becomes a group of real collaboration.

With “status-games” you will reach awareness regarding the status you prefer to play in daily life and learn how to change this status whenever you want it or whenever the situation needs it.

By this you will become a real “STATUS – EXPERT” – one characteristic of successful people.

Try this …

If you tell others deliberately about your booboos you will help people to relax and to feel good. In fact, people like to hear about the mishappenings of others but told in a way that does not look for sympathy. Like that you act in a low status and bring others to the high status (principle of the seesaw) .

The advantage is that people will like and trust you. The disadvantage turns out if you can’t get rid of that low status – the status of the one who always expresses him-/herself out of the low status: nervous, with a lot of unnecessary movements, timid voice, who always tries to be loved,…

This person will not be taken seriously and will not be able to win a leading position within the group.

The notorious High Status – person will, on the contrary, intimidate others. Staring hard at somebody, determined walk, voice and gesture that takes the whole room…  

The STATUS EXPERT raises and lowers his/her status gracefully.

Is there a group that you would rather feel good with? People who are feared without wanting it – or people who suffer from not being ”feared” enough or from not being respected as much as they would deserve it?  

In the first case you would be captured in a “high status”, in the second in a “low status“.

What to do?

For the notorious high-status-player: when you compliment somebody on something, note well whether you express this compliment really without any restrictions, i.e. “You are much more relaxed than usual!” You think you have said something nice? Not at all – you just told the other that usually he/she is quite unrelaxed and tense. If you really meant it then it was ok – but if you meant it to be really nice and supporting it is a proof for the fact that you actually don’t know anything about the status you are “playing”. Just try to say something positive – without sending the spine with it. Smile and look at the other person openly.  

If this is something unusual to you – the better it is to try it.

A tip for the notorious low-status-player: Do you have the tendency of speaking quickly or with low voice, do you end every sentence with a nice smile? Is it hard for you to keep a calm position and do you tend to keep your head a bit inclined? Then just try very small changes. Hold eye-contact longer than usual. If you notice, while in a conversation, that your head is slightly inclined, just move it up. It surely feels different if you say “We have to talk about it once more” with an up-right posture. If you constantly need something to cling to while talking,get rid of it. FEEL THE DIFFERENCE. Just try to make some mini-experiments which nobody knows of but you.

And you will see – it’s fun.

Recommended further reading:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Johnstone 

Karin Koller @work

Very often, while addressing the impact of non-verbal communication in my trainings, I have been wishing that my repertoire of examples and exercises would be less “business-focussed” and more experimental. Because when it comes to learning how to express oneself effectively on the non-verbal level for many it is a journey into the complete unknown – it’s about “consciously loosing your consciousness” which means to be willingly letting go of control in order to make each cell of your body express what you mean – freely.

This art of “complete, effortless, authentic expression” is the art of each great actor. One always feels what he or she says as being authentic. This brings the fictive character to life. The actor truly “acts” under fictive circumstances and he learns how to do that in order to be perceived as an authentic person. We, who act in real-life circumstances, gain a lot from learning the same lessons. Learning the same lessons will improve the effectiveness of our communication in business- and ”normal life”-circumstances.  

With the theatre director KARIN KOLLER, who studied at the re-known Max-Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna and directs since 1990 in major theatres in Germany and Austria (click here for her complete CV: Vita Karin Koller) and who also teaches acting in Vienna, I have found the ”missing link” to completely cover the area of non-verbal communication. 

We will work together in a series of seminars (stay tuned!) and she will give YOU the possibility of getting more insight into the art of “complete, effortless, authentic expression” on the non-verbal level by following her blog-posts eachThursday under the category of “Karin Koller: The Art of Acting”.

The posts in this category will be available in GERMAN & ENGLISH to start with.