I"m inspired by Karssima Belev's post 4 days ago about "Letting go and being in the moment" and the really interesting and helpful responses you gave. It made me think about times I feel 'over-rehearsing' has made my performance go stale. I totally agree that knowing our lines inside out is vital but my question is, how do you keep rehearsals alive without locking in delivery or losing spontaneity? I guess improvising the before and after of the scene with my scene partner is one way I have tried to this. What about other ways?
Acting : Rehearsal Ruts: When Over-Preparation Kills the Moment by Alexandra Stevens
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I don't think I have ever felt over-rehearsed. I rehearse until I know my lines like the back of hand. Sometimes, we just run lines. I haven't improvised the before and after of the scene, I do like that idea. What I was taught in acting class was, spend time building the relationships of the characters. For example, if it's a romance scene, then my scene partner and I will go on a date. Get to know each other in a one on one setting, as our characters. If the scene is me and my bff, then we'll go on a girl date. Don't even have to do our lines, just spend time together in the context of our fictional relationship. If there are characters that are related, then sit down and have a family dinner. Then run the scene.
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This is such a fantastic question, Alexandra Stevens. When I would be directing scenes in school, I noticed that over-rehearsal could sometimes lead to performances that felt a little too polished and stiff, like the spontaneity had been ironed out of the moment.
Some of the actors I worked with found it helpful to shake things up during rehearsal by changing the physical space or altering their movements and blocking, walking the scene, trying different emotional temperatures, or even switching objectives mid-run to find new discoveries.
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Ashley Renee Smith I think that is a good point, trying to learn something new each time about the character by for example switching objectives is a way to keep things fresh
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I agree @Ashley that over rehearsed is can make it seem unnatural. While I think it's important to rehearse in the actual space, there's ways to mix it up. I would suggest also, try a different activity I.e. if your character is knitting, make tea or change your objective.
What are some tips others have?