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Drama=Conflict
Ifitdoesn’thaveconflictit’snotdrama.Conflictisthebasicstructureofdrama.Inallforms
ofstorytellingthenormallifeofthecharacteristhrownoffbalancebythe“incitingincident”.
“Incite”meanstostimulateorprompttoaction.Whenalifechangingeventhappensthat
throwsourcharacterontoacompletelynewpath,wehaveourincitingincidentandthestart
ofastory.AgoodexampleiswhenHamletencountershisfather’sghost.
IncitingIncident=Hamletseeshisfather’sghost
Therestofthestoryisaboutthestruggletoputthecharacter’slifebackintobalance.
Typicallyacomedywillendwithawedding,atragedywithafuneral.Thedramaticconflict
comesfromthecharactertakingactionagainstobstacles,realorperceived,togethisorher
lifebackinbalance.
TheStructureofDrama
(diagramfromRobertMcKee’sSTORY)
AsactorsweworkintheliteraryformofDrama(whichincludesbothComedyandTragedy).
Therefore,wemustabidebytherulesofitsstructure.Wehavetolearnhowtodecipher:
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Whatourcharacterwants(desire)
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What’sinourway(theobstacle)
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Actions(behaviors)weneedtoachieveit
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Aswebreakdowneachscene,weformulatetheactions(behaviors)drivenbyourdesire
whichinterplayagainsttheobstaclestobringustoresolution,thatweddingorfuneral.
Thisprocessphysicalizesthescript,takingitfromoffthepageandputtingitintolive,
breathingbodies,sothestorybloomstolife,becomeskinetic.
Butouractingmusthavenotonlyaphysicalizedsidetoit,itmustalsobeemotionallydeep.
Thegoodnewsisbyplayingouractionsouremotionswillwanttogetinvolvednaturally.
Wejusthavetoallowthem.
Stanislavskisaidthatemotionsdonotoccurwithoutacoexistingphysicalactionand
dubbedthisphenomenathe“psycho-physicalunion”.
“Onstage,ifanactorexperiencesonlyinternalfeelingsoronlyphysicalactions,then
theperformanceisdead.Thereasoningbehindthisgoesbacktotheunionofthe
psychologicalandphysical.Thetwogohand-in-hand.Ifanactorattemptstoportray
acharacterbyemployingoneaspectoftheunionwithouttheother,thentheyare
performingincompletely.Internalexperiencesandtheirphysicalexpressionare
unbreakablyunited.Whetheritisthroughafacialexpressionorthetappingofafoot,
everythingahumanexperiencespsychologicallyisdisplayedthroughphysical
means.Thisistermedapsycho-physicalunion.”
Ortoputitanotherway:“Thebasisofactingisactionnotemotion.Thebasicpremise
behindthepsycho-physicaltechniqueisthatifyoutakecareoftheactionsinsucha
waythattheyarefullyjustifiedbythegivencircumstances,thentheemotionwilltake
careofitself.”
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ToquoteMatthewHarrisonoftheActor’sFoundry:“Characterdoesnotexist.
Characterisaction.Characterisjustanamalgamationofalltheactionsyou’re
playing.”
Onceweunderstandthephysicalizedsideofthescenewemustforgeastrongpersonal
connectiontowhyourcharacterwantswhatheorshewants.Thisiscalledthe
personalizationandfilteredthroughactions(behaviors)willevoketruehuman
emotions—inbothyouandtheaudience.
Sothebigquestionis,howdowegoaboutfindingtheunionofthephysicalizationandthe
personalization,orStanislavski’spsycho-physicalaction?
Itallstartswithbreakingdownthescript.
THEEXTERNALS(ThePhysicalizedAction)
1SuperObjectiveistheover-reachingwantorneedofthecharacterfortheentireplayor
film.Example:Hamletwantstoavengehisfather’smurder.ThisneeddrivesHamletthrough
theentireplay.
SuperObjective=Avengemyfather’smurder!
2SceneObjectiveiswhatthecharacterwantsineachsceneoftheplayorfilm.Itwillsupport
theoverallsuperobjective.InActIScenesIV&VofHamletourheroshowsupatmidnight
onthecastlebattlementsbecausesomeonesaidtheysawhisfather’sghostwalkingaround
therethenightbefore.WhatdesirebringsHamlettodosuchathing?Itseemshewantsto
talkwiththeghost.Butwhy?Whatcantheghosttellhim?Perhapsifitwasmurdered?What
wouldthatdo?GiveHamletproofofwhathehassuspectedallalong!SoHamlet’sscene
objective,hisdesire,wouldbe,“Iwanttogetproofthatmyfatherwasmurdered.“
SceneObjective=Provethatmyfatherwasmurdered!
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3TheObstacleiswhat’sblockingyou(thecharacter)fromgettingwhatyouwant.Hamlet’s
obstacleishisowndoubtthathissuspicionsarewrong.Hemustovercomethisobstacleby
gettingproofthathisfatherwasmurdered.Todothis,hemustconversewith...aghost!
(Whichgivesusanotherobstacle–fear).
Obstacle/s=Doubt,Fear
4TheActionoftheSceneisthestructuralcogs,theinterworking’softhedramaticstructure
ofthescene.Tofinditwemustlookunderthewordstowhatthecharacterisdoing.Inthese
scenesHamletwantsproofofhisfather’smurder.Sowhatdoeshedo?Hegoeswithafriend
atmidnighttobravehisfather’sghost.Ignoringhisfriend’spleasforhissafetyherecklessly
followstheghost,confrontingit.Heallowstheghosttowhethisdesireforrevengeby
hearingitsharrowingtale,thusbringinghimtokillhismurderousuncleassoonashecan
gethishandsonhim.Theactionofthescenecouldbestated,“Iamcompellingmyfather’s
ghosttodivulgethetruth.”(Seehowitisdifferentfromthesceneobjective?Thescene
objectiveisjustwhatHamletwants.TheactionofthesceneiswhatHamletisdoingtoget
whathewants.)
SceneAction=Compellingthatghosttotellthetruth!
5TheVerbisthetacticalbehavioryouemployagainsttheobstacletogetwhatyouwant.
Amongotherchoices,Hamletcould“confront”,“query”,and“implore”theghost.Scenesare
usuallybrokendowntothreeorfourbeats(“changesinbehavior”).Youwillusuallypickone
playableVerbforeachbeat.Remember!Ifyoucan’tdoit“to”theothercharacter,it’snotan
actionverb!
Hamlet’sVerbs=Confront,Query,Implore
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THEINTERNALS(ThePersonalization)
Nowthatwe’vegotthephysicalizationofthescenegoing,let’sturntotheinside.No
scene/actingperformanceiscompletewithoutheartfelt,realemotion.Buthowdowefind
that?Takingalookattheactionofthescenefromtheexternalsidewillstartusdownthe
internalstaircaseofthescene.
aLiteralActioniswhatthecharacterisliterallydoinginthescene.Basicallyit’sjustthe
actionofthescenerestated.
LiteralAction=Compellingmyfather’sghosttodivulgethetruth.
bEssentialActionistheliteralactionboileddowntoitsverymostbasicidea.Let’sbreakit
downsimply.Firstweaskwhotheothercharacteristoourcharacterinthisscene.Whois
theothercharacter?Hamlet’sfather’sghost.Whatdotheymeantous?Aretheyan
unpredictable,souldestroyingentity?Ormoresuccinctly,ademon?Nextwelookatwhatwe
aretyingtogetthemtodo.Inthiscase,wearegettingthemtodivulgethetruth.Let’sboil
themeaningofthatdown.Whatinthisinstanceisthe“truth”?ThatClaudiuskilledtheking.
Whatistheessenceofthat?AhorriblesecretthatcouldturnHamlet’slifeasheknowsitinto
utterchaos?Thatcouldmakehim,withabarebodkin,turnmurdererhimself?Andwheredo
murderersendup?Hell,ofcourse.Socouldwesimplystateitasadamningsecret?Which
wouldgiveusthe
EssentialAction=gettingademontotellmeanecessary,butverylikelydamningsecret.
cIt'sasif...nowarmedwiththeessentialactionwecanattachourownfeelingstothe
situationHamletisin.Weaskourselveswhatwoulditbelikeformeto“getademontotell
meanecessary,butverylikelydamningsecret.”ButIdon’tbelieveindemons,youtell
yourself.Oh,really?Sayyouhaveaweightproblem,orcouldimagineyoudo.Whatwould
thathorriblelittlemonsterinthebathroomcalledascalebeclassifiedas?Ademon?Every
timeyougetonitthelittlerednumbersthatshowupcaneitherputyouinheavenorhellfor
theentireday,right?Andwhatwouldbeadamningsecret?Whatwouldreallystopyourlife
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fromgoingswimmingly?Hum...swimming?Bringstomindthatbathingsuit,thatdoesn’tfit
anymore...andthatbeachtripplannedfornextmonth.Suddenlyyou’vegotyour“Asif”.It’s
asif“Iamgettingonthescaleswhichwillspitouttheproof(inbrightred,glowingnumbers)
thatI’mgoingtolooklikeabeachedwhaleonthatfastapproachingvacation!”Thescales
equalsthedemon.Theweightgainequalsthatdamningsecretthatcouldputyourlifeinto
chaos(thoseuncontainablebulges—ohtheshame!)
ORWHATEVERITISFORYOU.Theonlyrulewithan“asif”isitshouldstrikeacordinyour
soulthatmakestheemotionalessenceofthesceneringouttoYOUandyoualone.
dTheKernelisanimageortokenorevenawordthatinstantlyclicksyoursystemintothe
“asif”.Forexamplewiththeabove:Youseethescalesgloweringupatyoufromthe
bathroomfloor,youfeelthebulgesofthosefaileddiets,youpicturethehorroryouwillstrike
onthebeach,peoplerunning,screaming,throwingthemselvesoffcliffs...
Kernel/Triggerword=“Blubber!”
THEBIGTRICK
Afteryouhavedoneallyourhomeworkofbreakingdownthesceneandrehearsedwithyour
actions(verbs)andpersonalizations,whenperformancetimecomesletgoofallthework
youhavedone.Don’ttrytothinkaboutit.Justbethereinthemomentandtrustthatthe
workwillcomethroughonitsown.Itwill.