building and maintaining energy Similar to “audience awareness”, an actor‟s energy is difficult to define. Read the following link on developing your energy as an actor: http://www.jbactors.com/actingreading/tenactingtips/actorsenergymasters.html (Teachers: please read the article for some interesting class-room activities. The mix of psychology and acting is particularly useful.)
classroom activity BRAINSTORM As a class discuss the following questions:
What is “energy”? How is energy different to intensity? Why do you need “energy” on stage? What is the effect of shifts in “energy” – both within one actor‟s performance and between different actors?
PRACTICAL TASK
Say the following lines from Stick, by Carolyn Burns, with varying levels of energy. You may like to say them all with the same energy or change the energy within the excerpt.
Louise: So I‟ve got five minutes? Okay. I‟ve got the talking stick. What am I supposed to talk about? Pause What about the weather we‟ve been having? Pause Do I have to talk for the whole five minutes?
Perform your lines for the class. As a whole class, stand in a circle and create a low energy sound and movement that can be repeated. Gradually build the energy until as a group you intuitively find an ending.
REFLECTION What was the effect of different levels of energy? What was it like to perform the different levels of energy? How did you generate the different levels of energy?