What Makes A Great

I dedicate this post to the life and work 
of the great Philip Seymour Hoffman. 
 May his memory be a blessing for all of us.

Last month I received this email from my colleague, Ashley Kerns, the Assistant Director of Education at Walnut St. Theatre:

Friends,
Happy New Year, I hope this finds you well.  As I approach the beginning of our theatre school semester for the spring 2014 I am asking the folks around me, involved in the art of theatre- “what makes a great actor?”  I teach the intro to acting class for adults  on Wednesday nights.  I usually ask the students this same question in the first and last week of classes to see how their answers change.  I begin class each week with a quote/meditation of a famous actor/director.  I am creating a document with thoughts on acting for the semester and I am interested in what you might have to say about the subject!
SO- if you have the time and can respond to this I would greatly appreciate it!
In as many or as few words/lines as you like and in YOUR opinion:
What makes a great actor?
I thank you!Ashley

I found this was a wonderful question to contemplate, particularly at the start of a New Year.  So I asked Ashley if she would pass on the responses she received to Creatavita. She enthusiastically said yes.

Now, I know some of you reading this are saying “Big deal. I'm not an actor, I'm a graphic artist, I'm a modern dancer, I'm a singer/songwriter, I'm a dad.” Ah my friends, my friends. You sell the world of creating and your own talent short when you think that way. As Herald Stark (one of the finest old-school voice teachers ever), said to me: “Don't put your talent in a box.”  In every statement that follows, I'm pretty sure you can replace the word actor with your discipline and some truth, perhaps minutes, but still a truth, will be revealed to you.

Read on to see the responses to Ashley's question,

What makes a Great Actor?

First, the responses from Ashley's colleagues, all of whom are professional actors and arts educators:

******

Acting- in my opinion- starts with what is instinctual.  We all have instincts and impulses which is why I believe acting can be a universal art form.  With the new students it will just be a matter of getting them back in touch with those impulses/instincts.

*******

I've got my grad school teacher's answer ingrained into my head (which I believe is via Meisner): "Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances."

Great actors are like two-year-olds - they have fully invested in the imaginary circumstances of the play, and they make you believe in the imaginary circumstances of the play.

For me, "behaving truthfully" comes down to how fully committed the actor is to playing their action. To really doing it. Great actors don't mail it in, or say "It kind of goes like this." Great actors are totally invested in changing the person they are playing the scene with. When they throw a dart, the dart hits the bull's eye with force. Their throw doesn't lack the commitment to make it to the dart board.

Great acting is honest. It carries with it a moment-to-moment reality. Nothing occurs out of a vacuum.

Great acting is unselfish, coming from your scene partner more than it is created from a grand-standing whim.

******

Focus - knowing your character and never ever breaking character while performing.

******

Present. Positive. Open. Aware. Passionate. Intuitive. Imaginative. Well versed in story-telling both textually and physically. Committed to an ever-changing craft. Willingness to jump in and serve the work, collectively.

******

Like Kathleen Turner told me in a master class: what makes a great actor is one who respects, disciplines, and manages to be consistent in there technical training and in performance! Always striving for growth and inspirational change as an artist!

******

Determination, an open mind, attention to detail, and a willingness to look foolish.

******

I think its the giving quality, both on stage and off- the care for the other human beings he's sharing the stage with! And of course, the commitment to telling a veryyyy important story.

******

The ability to transcend current physical circumstances, to transport themselves (and therefore the audience) to a specific place and moment, and most importantly to communicate honest emotion.

******

A great actor is someone who can be in the moment over and over again. Every moment is new, even for the thousandth time. A great actor is someone who can listen in the moment, as if they're hearing for the first time. A great actor doesn't have to do too much - except that not doing too much is the hardest thing in the world to do.

******

Someone who is able to be vulnerable. If you are unable to dig deep within yourself, your acting will always be a mask of acting, not true living, breathing acting. The best actors I know are either very well grounded or just a touch bit crazy, but always in touch with themselves and able to commit fully to the work. I find the worse actors are people with a lot of personal walls up, guarded people. Also people, who have created a persona for themselves, that they hide behind.

That's why I have always found it so important as a coach to have at least a glimpse into the personal life of my actors. It's important that you become a good reader of people. It so greatly influences their work, for the good or the bad.

******

What makes a great actor? Someone who “shows the movement, not the effort behind it.”

******

And, the responses from the students in Ashley's introduction to acting class, Hitting The Boards:

******
Commitment!

******

To fully take on a character

******

Confidence

******

In my opinion, a great actor is someone with extremely high self-confidence in themselves and what they do. Also have a good work ethic.

******

Conveyance of emotion

******

To portray a character in a way that makes them disappear and the character be truly believable.

******

The ability to become someone else

******

Portraying emotion

******
The ability to create and/or interpret a character

******
Someone who can portray a range of emotions and connect with the viewer

******

Someone who enjoys what they are doing

******

Someone who you believe is not acting

******

Someone who can tell a story as “truly” as they can, emotionally, working with the chemistry of their cast mates/director.

******

At the conclusion of this session, sometime in April (provided it stops wintervating!), Ashley will ask this question to her class again and we'll post the responses here at Creatavita. It will be very interesting to what changes, if any, take place.

I hope this post has made you think about greatness in art.  Maybe even in your art.