How To...

After today's workshop all this information seems to be kind of jumbled around in my brain. I understand each aspect individually, it's the putting together of it all into one cohesive technique that kind of makes me dizzy. This is exactly what I expected of course; it's a lot to take in and although it all makes sense, it's difficult to bring it from concept, to application. I think the best thing for me to do is to simply make a list. If I map out each step for myself in my own words it will make it easier to process. So here it is: 

How to Analyze a Scene
1. Read the scene thoroughly
2. Memorize your lines like a machine (so you can spit them out later with out thinking about it)
3. Find what my character wants from the other character
4. Figure out how my character is going to accomplish this
5. Make it real. Find a scenario in my own life in which I am trying to accomplish the same thing.
6. Forget about the character. Forget about the lines. Simply try to accomplish your goal.

It's really quit simple, and even after the first day I can tell that it is going to work for me. Of course, it's new and I need practice, but there is something natural about it, even though it's a bit unsettling. If that makes any sense. My biggest problem is going to be breaking old habits. Like any inexperienced actor, I have convinced myself that true acting is becoming the character and acting the lines. It's as though I am brainwashed. No matter how many times I hear otherwise, there is always a little part of me that resists. I think it's because I believe deep down that the character is simply more interesting than I am. I can understand why an audience would come to see me play a character, but why on earth would they want to come and see me be me? Why would they care? I know this isn't true, the great Stanislavski said so himself. So I guess I'll just have to tell myself that Stanislavski probablly knows a thing or too more about acting than I do. I'll just have to put my faith in him.