Uta Hagen's Nine Questions

The outstanding component of acting is that it is an aspect that calls for a wide variety of skills. A single person to form a totally different personality from that possessed by the acting person must synchronize these skills. Some of the most common skills necessary for an actor are vocal projection, physical expressiveness, speech clarity, well-developed imagination, emotional facility drama interpretive ability. Also not to forget mentioning other important capabilities that an actor must have are; utilization of accents, body languages, dialects, improvisation, mimicry, emulation, stage combat and observation (Jurkowski and Francis 44). Another fascinating fact about acting is that it combines both talent and special training programs. Due to this fact it offers opportunities to any person who has an interest in becoming a theatre performer. The training has as well availed a chance for the emergence of professional actors who never seize from learning new elements from now and then. These people are among those who undergo training in various sub-disciplines making them diverse and multifunctional. An actor can be good at singing, dancing, partner work, scene work among others. Bundling all these qualities into one single person is a fascinating element which makes them fit for any duty that might be availed to them. Therefore acting as

Uta Hagen was born in Göttingen, Germany on June 12th, 1919 and passed on January 14th, 2004. Hagen moved to Wisconsin in 1924. In 1936, she began classes at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After her studies, Uta moved to New York in 1937 and received her first professional role as Ophelia in Hamlet. After that, Hagen played the role of Nina in the Broadway production The Seagull. Working with Lunt and Fontanne in this production had an enormous influence on her because she admired their passion. Hagen had a breakthrough in her theatrical philosophies while working with Clurman on the “Streetcar Named Desire” national tour. She was inspired to write a book, named Respect for Acting about how to “make a character run through [you]”. She

When your interest is as broad as theatre it’s almost impossible for your identity to not be represented. However, like many of my peers, I’ve struggled to find my identity and have floated between different adjectives for the past seven years. Luckily for me my love for Broadway guided me to a perfect show that let me know it’s okay to be confused about who I am.

“Respect for acting” by Uta Hagen is a book she wrote based on her acting philosophy. Based on

Everybody loves to ask questions; they enhance our cognitive ability and can create better people in the long run. In the book, Wait, What? by James E. Ryan, the reader will learn the five essential questions, according to Ryan, that will give the reader the ability to ask and answer good questions. These five questions can be used in all sorts of topics and conditions, and will make the reader more fluid and comprehensive with the answer that will arrive after the question. The five questions that are discussed are: Wait, What?; I wonder…?; Couldn’t we at least…?; How can I help?; and What truly matters? Ryan discusses these questions in the book by how he applied them into his own life, and made a successful personal and professional life out of these five questions. While doing so, Ryan defines the true meanings of these questions, and how they should be properly used. Ryan also discusses how these questions can spur out other marvelous questions. In this book, Ryan strengthens the minds of readers to questions; a view of questions never before seen.

Lee is responsible for training and helping many of the finest actors and actresses in this country alone. Yet lee also is  criticise for his rigid methods have ruined an entire generation of performers. Strasberg  and Harold Clurman were the co founders of the well known  Group theatre in 1931 which was hailed as “America’s first true theatrical collective”. In 1951 Lee Strasberg  became director of the non-profit Actors Studio, In New York City, which it well know to be the “ nation's most prestigious acting school”. Soon later he found the Lee Strasberg theatre and Film Institute in New York and in Hollywood to teach the work he pioneered. With all of his accomplishments  he was named “Chief” of the Method Acting” in the theatre world.

For this assignment I will be analyzing Gwyneth Paltrow. Gwyneth Paltrow was born in 1972 to parents who were also in the business of acting. Her mother was an actress and her father was a producer/director. Paltrow herself became an actress as well as a singer and food writer. She originally studied anthropology but later dropped out of school and decided to act. Her first movie was called “High” a made for tv film that her father directed. She did really well in the beginning of her acting career but this slowed down after winning an Oscar. She believed she wasn’t ready for the pressure of acting and so made some poor decisions in films she decided to be a part of. Her acting career later picked up again when she starred alongside Robert Downy Jr. in the Iron Man movies.

A while back, I became a acquainted with the work of the actor Rick Ravanello, and through watching his films and shows, I have met other equally talented and genuinely kind industry professionals. Susan Slome happens to be one that I noticed the moment her character appeared on screen in the Lifetime movie Dangerous Company. Recently, Susan set aside some time to answer a few questions about her path to become an actress, some of her notable roles, and even her perception of the ever-evolving acting industry.

There have been a wide variety of memorable actors and actresses that have taken Hollywood by storm. Ranging from opera singers to theater performers, all of these stars may share many similarities and differences, ranging from personality to number of awards. Of the many famous female stars of Hollywood, Katharine Hepburn and Meryl Streep are by far some of the most accomplished and well-known. Both Hepburn and Streep acquired an interest for theater, acting, and performance at a young age. Katharine Hepburn’s interest in theater and acting was sparked as child when she and her siblings created a group, the Hepburn Players, with her neighbors to perform plays.

The book is referred to as intent to live because most of the great actors who perform the acting seem not to be acting but living. This is depicted on how they portray their act; very real from the eyes of the audience. Larry moss has described these instances in this book on how the actors can achieve this level of acting by sharing out the techniques he has developed for over thirty years. As per Larry Moss description, the techniques highlighted can help actors in setting their imagination, emotions and behaviors on fire. These shows how hard work of preparation is helpful in performances that will yield good fruits. This great

Your work must always remain alive in the moment. And there are many kinds of exercises I will be presenting in the Listening series that can help you build this skill. In Listening Part 2, I explore the importance of not only opening your eyes to observe, but equally important, is opening your ears to listen. One of the striking truths in acting is that you will continuously be searching under the surface for the subtext. Listening involves this kind of inquiry.

Getting ready to go on stage, I felt the first stomach-sinking feeling of being truly nervous, for the first time in my life. Eliza Gant was the character staring in my high school’s spring play, and she had completely taken over my being. Her motherly instinct found its way into my teenage lifestyle, and the way she approached conflict with a loud voice and obvious attitude altered my usually easy-going demeanor. I had never played a role so great and I was truly worried that my own unique characteristics would come out on stage, unconnected with this woman who was so unlike me.

Understands to integrate cultural and historical contexts with personal experiences to create a character that is believable and authentic, in a theatre work.

At this age she didn’t even have a nervous bone in her body, she stated “I was too young and naive to the audition process to be nervous.” She further stated about her audition process now, “Since then though, the audition process has become one of the scariest parts of my love for theater.” Jordan’s love for theater came from the sense of loving to entertain others and see them smile from the antics of the stage. The reason why theater became her undying passion for life is, in her words, “...it gave me the confidence that I have today, I love singing and entertaining people and I also love participating in the stories of other people.” She finds motivation and joy in seeing others laugh and cry through the emotion of playing characters from various storylines and, in a way, become that person from the fictional story. Theater is such a deep passion of Jordan’s that she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Theater Direction. She mentioned some of her successes through her action career “..we have won several awards and becoming a local staple in the San Diego theater scene.” Naming a few, a well renowned theater festival held in the San Diego called Fringe festival, her theater company created a spoof musical on the musical arrangement of Les Miserable, and to the story of The Hobbit, calling it Les Midge. They won “Outstanding Direction” and “Best Musical” within the whole festival of over 50 entrants of various theater

The strengths and weaknesses of a committed actor can be paradoxical. For this area I chose to consult with an acting colleague of 17 years. I thought it was necessary to have an objective perspective to honestly describe what has been observed from someone that knows me, personally. The following paragraph from a close friend and veteran actor explains this quandary in her description of me.