Proper Connections

From the January 15 - 21 edition of BACK STAGE magazine (or newspaper), a lesson in Proper Connections, written by one Paul Cuneo (editorial@backstage.com). He's the guy in the pink over there. He's an actor an the creator of the Movemental Technique for performers, and a teacher at Stella Adler Studios, LA. This is a condensed version of his article from his column in BACK STAGE, The Craft.


(If you're ever in New York City, do me and yourself a favor and grab a copy of it. Grand Central station, little shop where they sell candy and magazines and newspapers, little cubby hole by the floor. BACK STAGE. If you find anything good, comment it on the blog somewhere and let me know.)


Emotional links to props can reveal compelling character behavior.

"Props can seem like little more than physical objects needed to create a sense of realism of fulfill an external action (drink, carry laundry, shoot). The deceptive simplicity of an author's stage directions, such as Pinter's "She goes to the mirror, combs her hair" in the final scene of Betrayal, can lead one to believe that a prop, such as a comb, is almost incidental. But by consciously developing the same powreful emotional connection to a prop that you subconsciously develop to your personal nostalgic treasures, you can increase your emotional availability; have a deeper, richer, more truthful stage experience; and discover the most compelling physical behavior for a scene."

... "In order for that [prop] to evoke something in you emotionally, you must invest yourself in the prop to such a degree that losing it would feel like losing a part of yourself, the way it would if you threw out [an] old sweater [grandpa had given you before he died]. The actor in you will know this is all imagined, but you will, as Mamet would say, accept this new reality and allow it to govern your physical behavior."

Cuneo's abbreviated list of connecting with a prop:

"Hold the prop and notice what you naturally like or dislike about it, without worrying about attaching any memories yet. Note all the details of the prop, how you hold it, what it looks like, what it feels like, any flaws in it, anything worth noticing and anything not worth noticing.

Now imagine how you, as your character, came to have this prop. Imagine specific memories - for example, the circumstances under which you came to recieve the prop. Why is the prop even remotely important to the character, what memories does looking at it and holding it evoke, no matter how mundane? When, where, why, how did this prop originally arrive to them? It must move you somehow, internally, externally, big change, little change, something must change.

Physically act out the events of your imagination in your space - you'll remember everything more vividly. Use the prop when you do this. You are building your connection to the prop, and when there is a connection, the actions are convincing."


There is more about bringing it into a scene, but I haven't had time to try it out for myself yet and I'm not sure how to word it. Cuneo used the comb in a scene of Betrayal as his example, but since I've never read Betrayal and you might not have either, I decided not to bother. Let me know what you think!

www.backstage.com/thecraft