THEA 301 -
Fundamentals of Acting
Uta Hagen Exercises
General Information
• With each exercise, you will define and then re-create two seemingly routine minutes of life when alone at home. These two minutes are spent in the execution of a simple task in pursuit of a normal objective.
• Your exercise is based on a thorough examination of the six essential questions found on page 134 of A Challenge for the Actor.
• Remember to define the physical and psychological sensations inherent in the circumstances.
• The exercises will all take place in your re-created room - where you live now. Do not set them in any other environment.
• When rehearsing in the privacy of your own home, you should already be making considerations for your selected actions, avoiding those that cannot be transferred to the classroom.
• Use real objects, endowing them with the physical and psychological properties that will make them your own. Avoid anything that will force you into pantomimed actions. Be sure to use these objects as tools to further your actions, not as "props."
• As in all art, you will need to be highly selective about what you incorporate into your exercise. Choose only what you need to communicate your intention. Learn how to select pertinent behavior, finding meaningful actions.
• The exercises are not intended to be mute. If you discover that you sigh, grunt, or grown, use expletives or otherwise verbalize your wishes, don't hesitate to include such responses in your exercise. However, keep it true to your own behavior under the given circumstances. Do not use language to explain what you are doing.
• Keep it simple by avoiding melodramatic situations.
• You should rehearse the exercise at home for at least one hour. This means doing it, not just thinking about it!
• Time the exercise. They should be two to three minutes in length, no more, no less. If it is too long, reevaluate the need for the actions, sharpen the selections, pare down everything you don't need to fulfill your objectives.
• The most important criteria used in evaluating the exercise will be the question of belief: was the execution believable?