An Actors learning styles.

We all learn differently. That's what we've been told for the last twenty years or so. I'm rehearsing for a play, The Borrowers by Mary Norton, at Theatre of Youth in Buffalo. Our director Meg Quinn, is a patient director with soft, warm, parental looks and voice. So when she asks you to try something different it also feels like it would be alright to disagree with her. I myself am not that kind of actor, the kind who disagrees with the director, I pride myself, maybe too much, in at the very least trying what the director is suggesting, But not all actors, like people are the same. I've seen it. This got me to thinking about the different learning styles that we have been discussing in the arts in education realm of my theatre artist career.

Actors like many artists use a variety of learning styles. Working alone, working in groups, music to learn, writing, visual imagery, physical games...

Watching the cast work through their various choices and remembering Meg state that it looked liked us six actors we were all doing six different plays. we weren't remembering to tell the story. Instead we were all still trying to figure other things out like what's the new/old blocking? Why can't I remember my lines? Was that a Jamaican accent this time?

But actors employ a variety of techniques to get to the different emotional and physical places they have to bring themselves in order to show and tell a story as an ensemble. Sometimes that may not come together until opening night, which is tonight... I was challenged, still am. 

Children's theater is tricky, especially when the material has the elements of comedy and the fantastic. The Borrowers are the little people that live under the floorboards . I play Mrs. Driver, the cook who discovers them and tries to destroy their little lives. It's fine to play the villain, but it's been a struggle to define who she is in the course of the play. I've been more involved in the way I think I should play her, instead of considering what kind of personality she embraces. In order to do this effectively I've had to embrace a variety of learning styles.

Usually I like to get right into the role, grab the script and start playing. I've worked with directors who have enjoyed starting rehearsals with theater games and exercises. That sometimes works at developing trust with actors who haven't worked together before.
 Meg is the kind of director that asks her actors lots of questions about how they feel about the choices they've made. She wants you to think really think about what you are doing and saying and why.
I like that.
But I also like keeping things to myself, using music to recall an emotion and improvs. 
I've been trying to consider the story more as if I was younger, how would I enjoy this?
How can an actor effectively tell the story, engage, entertain, and educate a young audience?
By having fun, and remembering what was exciting for you when you watched a story unfold.
Today as I said is opening night, we are expecting a pretty full house, the theater olds about 400.
We've had two preview morning shows this week with schools with very good responses. So when we break those legs in an few hours, I'm hoping for lots of laughs (kids like to see Mrs. Driver get beat up in the second to last scene) and post show questions!
Check in with me later this week for photos and an update on the continued learning process of a stage actor!