I have two lines that I LOVE to use to torment my Company. The first of these lines is, “That says something very interesting about you.” The second line and subject of today’s blog is, “Or not.” Here’s my thinking behind these maddening, seemingly worthless quips:
One of the challenges of any monologue is that you hit that wall. Everything was building and growing and then it just stopped. Now everything is understandable, clear, logical, and inhumanly dull, and, worse yet, predictable! The moment I can predict the next moment then the moment that we are currenly in falls flat. The only thing that makes the current moment of interest is the impossibility of knowing the next. How can the “right scene” become the “interesting scene”? How can “correct” become the “compelling”? How can the “safe” become the “dangerous”? One tool is “Or Not”.
As an acting teacher I collect can openers to help pry open scenes and get to the contents. “Or Not” is one of those can openers. Here’s how it works: When I poise the question to the actors, “How would two characters touch, speak, and physically move to each other when they are falling in love.” The correct responses would be to
1. touch? gently
I respond, “Or not.”
2. speak? softly
I respond. “Or not.”
3. move? with round curves.
I respond. “Or not.”
But these choices do not open the scene. They confirm the scene and I want the scene opened up. Apply the can opener.
Now this love scene become rough, loud, and full of sharp angles. Is this right? More then likely NO. BUT it is an ideal tool to crack that scene open. Right it may not be – – interesting it will be. Given a choice, I’ll take interesting over right every day of the year! Right is highly overrated.
And so, Company, for our next class we will be jumping with sorrow and caving in with joy! Don’t be late.