The more experienced actors seemed to face the same challenges as those less experienced, specifically how to deepen, widen or re-connect to emotional flow to best “support” the text.
Every trained actor knows that physical tension can present a formidable challenge to the actor and that just “trying” to relax does not do the trick.
In our Studio, actors do breath work to establish an emotional connection by slowing the text down, taking a breath at each point of transition and then waiting for a flow of feeling to begin before speaking the line on a light exhale.
Then we progress to the singing as a way to deepening the connection. The actor sings a song that has an emotional relationship with the monologue before actual performing the text. The value of the song is increased by the specific choice the actor makes as to the imaginary person to whom they were singing.
A new discovery made in our January Lab was that of actual singing the monologue on an improvised tune by the actor before doing it solely as speech.
The linking of song and monologue created inner life for both actors who consider themselves singers and those who do not. It helped create emotional flow that was full, free and effortless.
From Lab participant Jayson Simba
. i found the whole singing thing a great way to establish the flow of the piece (monologue) - it forces you to take different breaths and find a rhythm or moment that we otherwise would over look. although I’ve never considered myself a singer It allows me to let loose, relax and not think so much. also the exercise where you had us really focus in detail and specifics of someone close to us, then sing to them.”
From Mona DePena
“hey steve! what a bitter sweet ending to a fantastic study group - seems just when i was 'getting it' the sessions are over!…“I'm very happy about our class work. I have now realized that I would like to learn to sing, and be an actor who is a singer as well. this is a lot from a girl who doesn't sing not even in a shower, I left last weeks class singing in the subway. I never thought that singing could improve my acting skills, my breathing.”
From Alison Linker
"I found the use of music very helpful in going deeper in the monologue, both in singing a complementary song beforehand and performing the monologue as a song itself. Singing the song before my text helped me to establish a flow because, as you pointed out, I can find the flow more quickly and consistently when I sing. When I improvised the monologue as a song, the words and emotions instantly became so fresh and spontaneous because I truly had no idea what sort of sound would come out of my mouth. I surprised myself. I allowed myself to change the color, quality, and volume of the text in ways that I probably wouldn’t have discovered by spoken repetition alone. Most importantly, I think the improvisation of the music encouraged me to engage every last scrap of my energy and person."
