Help! My Actor's a Flat Stanley!

It would be mean to say that the tree backdrop showed more range than this actor–but it was close. He was so emotionless that he would make Spock look like 2007 Britney Spears.

To be fair, he was a self-conscious high school senior with zero acting experience. Why he chose that moment to pursue his theater dreams was a mystery—though I suspected it had something to do with the girl in the sundress who was also auditioning.

And why did we cast him? Well, he was a male. Who was breathing. Like everyone else, we were short on male actors for our Jazz Dinner and had to take what we could get.

How to 3D Act

Improv Games - If they’re shy or self-conscious, the best thing to do is some goofy group games. If everyone is looking foolish, they’ll cut loose too. Plus, laughing together and creating group inside jokes always makes the cast more comfortable. Try opening the first few rehearsals with some improv games.

EmPhAsizE WoRDs - Take one line and have them repeat it, stressing a different word each time. For example:

• “THESE pretzels are making me thirsty!”

• “These PRETZELS are making me thirsty!”

• “These pretzels ARE making me thirsty!”

• And so on. (My Seinfeld peeps–I see you.)

  
  

Changing the emphasis forces variety and reveals how meaning shifts with delivery. Have them try every variation, then choose the one that best serves the moment.

Mood Switch - Have them perform their lines while you call out different emotions on the fly:

Stanley: This is the skin of a killer, Bella.

You: Now angry!

Stanley: THIS IS THE SKIN OF A KILLER, BELLA!

You: Now sad!

Stanley: This… is the skin (sob) of a killer…(voice cracking), Bella.

You: Now excited!

Stanley: OMG, this is the skin of a killer, Bella! Squeee!

Pushing emotional extremes helps actors discover range. Once they’ve gone big, they can dial it back into something more natural and stage-appropriate.

I don’t think Stanley ever ended up with Sundress Girl. But he did come a long way from that audition. At one point, he even improvised for a few seconds when another actor missed her entrance. A measure of success for a former Flat Stanley.

Just because they start as Stanleys doesn’t mean they stay that way. With your coaching and encouragement, you could have a Boisterous Britney. And that, my friends, is what makes directing rewarding.