Discovery

“Every scene is filled with discoveries, things that happen for the first time. No matter how many times it has happened in the past, there is something new about this experience, this moment. Each of the many scenes between the constantly bickering George and Martha in WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF would be boring and tiresome if the actors did not find what is new, what is different, what is particularly at stake in the scene. Acting is a whole series of discoveries.

The discoveries may be about the other character, or about oneself, or about someone who is offstage, or about the situation now or the situation as it existed ten years ago and how that affects the now. The more discoveries you make in a scene—the less you rely on “we do this every day”—the more interesting your scene will be. It’s hard to bring vitality and life to routine, but they are difficult to escape when you have the excitement of discoveries. Take nothing for granted; make an emotional discovery as often as you can find one in every scene. Ask yourself: What is new?” –Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part by Michael Shurtleff

For the actor…

A big tool in your arsenal for making it feel like the first time, is discovery. Everywhere in the text, find moments where your character can be surprised. The more you dig, the more discoveries you will unearth.

And a way to activate discovery, especially in auditions or early in the rehearsal process, is to make a slightly audible “Oh!” at each one. (Thanks to my friend and wonderful actor/teacher Kurt Naebig, for this tip.) You can drop the “Oh!” later on, but the sense of discovery will stay with you. Kinda like muscle memory.

(And if it’s a negative discovery, feel free to substitute an “Oh!” with a “D’oh!.” Equally effective. 🙂

The audience loves to watch characters discover. Just like when you’re interested, we’re interested, when you’re surprised, we’re surprised. Which in turn, brings us joy and keeps us engaged.