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Why Writers Should Take Acting Classes by Carl Ramirez
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Why Writers Should Take Acting Classes |
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Education
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It's no wonder that some of the greatest writers began their careers as actors. The art of writing and acting have always been profoundly intertwined. All of the greatest writers have had an instinctual understanding of the actors craft, the ability to create a character, to play with and against text, and to shape a journey over the course of a play or movie. And every great actor has an instinctive understanding of a writer's craft as well: the ability to cultivate a compelling arc for a character, by exploring the dramatic structure and the conscious and unconscious desires that lie underneath the text. Dramatic writing could not exist without acting. And acting could not exist without dramatic writing. Yet strangely, these interrelated fields are often taught as if they were separate disciplines, with actors receiving little training in writing, and writers receiving even less training in acting. As any of you who have taken my classes know, for precisely this reason I've always integrated acting concepts into my writing classes. I believe writers should learn how an actor approaches a play or screenplay, and even have the experience of physically inhabiting a character, giving them perspective that will forever change the way they see both writing and acting. For instance, what is character from an actor's perspective? And how can that help you as a writer? As writers, we are often seduced by "characteristics" when we try to create character. But these characteristics do not make a character Why? As any trained actor will tell you, the reason for this is simple. Characters are not adjectives. Characters are verbs. And these verbs begin with a want. When a any actor worth his or her salt looks at a screenplay, that's the question they're asking - and that is what the screenwriter should be asking as well. Because once you know what your character wants, you know who that character is.. The want affects the way characters speak, act, dress, choose, love, hate lie, cheat, whatever. It is the unique way that they do these things that distinguish these people from anyone else in the world, that make individual characters. Let your character pursue the want on the page, and all the other aspects of his or her personality will reveal themselves to you. And when you crack that shell open, you'll have all kinds of deliciousness to enjoy. This is just one example of how writers can use an actor's approach to think about their characters to not only help them discover the qualities that differentiate a character, but also point toward the structural moments to which the plot must build. For this and many other reasons, I'm offering a brand new class, which will allow you to experience screenwriting from the other side of the page. Whether you've always dreamed of being on the stage or screen, or simply want to deepen your own writing by understanding the actor's craft, you need to take this class: TEXT TO BODY & BODY TO TEXT: An Acting Class With A Writing Twist Under the guidance of acclaimed director and teacher Isabel Milenski, you will discover how to knock down the walls between you and your characters through the magic of performance. You'll not only learn how an actor approaches a play or screenplay, you'll have the experience of physically inhabiting a character, taking with you a new perspective that will forever change the way you see both writing and acting. So, whether you've always dreamed of being on the stage or screen, or simply want to deepen your own writing by understanding the actor's craft, you've got to take this class! No experience is required. Only a desire to explore and create. Ready To Take The Next Step? TEXT TO BODY & BODY TO TEXT:An Acting Class With A Writing Twist At TADA! 15 W 28th Street, NYC NOW ONLY $150 For 4 Weeks! Or sign up for a Screenwriting Workshop or Master Class today and learn the skills you need to mine for the good stuff, in a supportive community of writers just like you. All classes are held in the New York City Area. essay writing service
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