The 10 Commandments of Acting
- Acting is a unique human activity, involving the whole personality: mind, soul and body. The development of an actor should be conducted in a harmonious manner, paying equal attention to all of his/her “tools” for the achievement of the creative goal.
- Acting is a profession, which demands total devotion, regarding time, energy and concentration. The stage is an altar, and actors are priests.
- Acting is a means of self-expression. To become ready to share your world with others in an artistic and exciting way you should experience the excitement within yourself. The actor’s development has to be pursued with fun, good spirits and humor.
- Acting is an artistic depiction of real-life human behavior. Achieving the knowledge of the laws that drive human nature requires sharp observation skills and a persistent interest in the science of psychology.
- Acting is a form of art, i.e. a way to educate and enlighten. In order to elevate the audience intellectually the actor should acquire great erudition and vast personal culture.
- Acting is a type of collective work. Developing personal qualities such as responsibility, reliability and tolerance is of utmost importance to the success of the enterprise.
- Acting is a process, aimed at revealing the inner essence and “life of a human spirit”. Questions like “What is my character? What kind of human nature do I represent?” are crucial. Their answers lie in discovering the character’s goal, as well as his/her own path of hurdling the circumstances standing in the way of that goal. By conducting the action conformable to these parameters, the actor builds the character’s true profile.
- Acting is an intense emotional involvement into the character’s concerns, anxieties and passions. Whatever the genre or the style might be, it should be carried out with wise sentiment, deep conviction, and strong belief.
- Acting is a territory of the subconscious. Its inclusion into constructing the character represents a major part of the process. The subconscious level is being unlocked by a system of conscious means, which should be discussed and trained throughout one’s acting career.
- Acting is creative madness. Inspiration goes to those who can preserve their humility, inner discipline, and psychological health, and harness them into creating characters that often lack those qualities.