The Given Circumstances

In life, at any given moment we know the given circumstances, and they are always specific.  We always know exactly who we are, where we are, what we’re doing, and why we’re doing it.  When you are preparing for an audition or have been cast in a project, whether it’s a play, a television show or a film, it is crucial that you determine the given circumstances of the story. 
 
Here are some very pertinent questions to explore:
 

• Who are you?
• What is your relationship to the other characters?
• What do you want and why do you want it?
• What is keeping you from getting what you want?  Where is the conflict?
• How will you get what you want?  What actions do you need to take?
• Where does the story take place and how does the environment affect you?

 
When playing a role you have to have a complete understanding of your character.  Knowing that you are playing “Richard – married to Rachel, early to late 30’s, short, and a nice man” is a broad generalization and will be of little service unless you explore the character in greater detail.  Investigate the script and do your homework. 
 
Here are a few questions to explore when considering character: 
 

• What is your name, your exact age, your occupation? 
• Do you have family, friends, neighbors?
• What are your dreams, aspirations, fears, anxieties, habits? 
• What motivates you?    
• What is your point of view on life? 
• How do you dress? 
• What is your status – economical, social?
• Are you religious, spiritual, political?
• What kind of food do you like? 

 
This is only a partial list of the questions you can and should ask yourself about character.  Some of the answers may be found within the script.  However a lot of them will need to come from your imagination and research.  The more specific your answers, the better.
 
The relationship between characters is the glue that holds the story together.  All stories are about relationships on some level.  The stronger and clearer your relationships are, the more powerful the story will be.  Here are some very important questions to ask when considering relationship:
 

• How do I feel about the other characters? 
• What is my relationship to them?    
• What is my history with them? 
• What do I like or dislike about them?
• How do they influence my behavior?
• What do I like or dislike about them?
• What is my social and economic status compared to theirs? 
• Can they give me what I want? 

 
This last question is an interesting one to explore.  Your relationship with the other characters needs to be directly related to what you want, your motivation. 
 
In life, there is a reason for everything we do.  We all have dreams, desires, and aspirations.  Every day we take action in order to fulfill those goals.  Some days we may be more proactive than others but all of us have daily motivation for our actions. 
 
In acting terms this may be referred to in several ways:
 

• Motivation
• Objective
• Needs
• Goals
• Intention
• What the actor is fighting for 

 
Whatever term you use it all means the same thing – what do you want?
What you want or need in the story should be broken down into several categories:
 

• Your super objective – what is your lifelong dream?
• Your main objective – what do you want to gain within the story?
• Your scene objective – what do you want in each scene?
• Your beat objective – what do you want to accomplish from beat to beat?  (Beats will be discussed in detail later)

 
What are you doing right now?  Reading this blog, right?  Why?  What is your motivation?  What do you want to accomplish from reading this?  You know the exact answer.  I’m sure you can break your answer down into the categories listed above.  We do everything for a specific reason.  We all want something out of life.  In any given scene it is crucial that you know what you are fighting for.  I make it a habit to write my intentions on the pages of my script so I’m constantly reminded of my motivation.
 
A great way to raise the stakes and give more importance to your motivation is to add a phrase to the end of your stated intention.  The phrase I like to use is, “Or I will die.”  For example, if your intention in a given scene is to find your car keys so you can go on a date, you may say, “I have to find my cars keys right now or I will die!”  This might sound a little dramatic but it will clarify the importance and urgency of the event – your date.  It will give the scene more conflict.  The way you phrase your intentions is entirely up to you and doesn’t need to be shared with anyone, but I suggest you always make it specific and extremely important.
 
Just because we know what we want doesn’t mean we’ll get it.  There is usually something keeping us from our goals.  This is known as conflict.  If you can identify the conflict, the obstacles you must overcome, then you can more effectively go after what it is you want. 
 
Any story worth experiencing is rife with conflict.  Think of your favorite book, film, play, or television show.  Is conflict involved?  Of course it is.  Conflict is good.  Conflict is great.  Conflict is what creates drama and comedy.  It’s what holds our attention.
 
In life we go out of our way to avoid any confrontation or discomfort.  We don’t like to disrupt life as we know it if we don’t have to.  We are creatures of habit and constantly seek comfort.  As an actor the opposite is true.  You must seek out those moments of conflict and fight to get what you want no matter what.  Let go of your ego and do not play it safe.  Don’t be a polite actor! 
 
I was working on a scene with two students in class in which the girlfriend wanted to have a serious conversation about their relationship and the boyfriend desperately needed a drink because he was an alcoholic.  After they ran through the scene I asked him if he got what he needed.  The guy playing the boyfriend said, “Well I couldn’t get into the kitchen to get a drink because my scene partner was standing right next to the couch and blocking the entrance.”  What?!  Jump over the couch, move her out of the way, threaten her, throw something at her; anything to get to that drink!  He was being a polite actor and not playing truthfully.  He was afraid of getting messy and confrontational and the scene suffered because of it.   
 
Knowing who you are, how you relate to others, what motivates you, what your obstacles are, and how you will get what you want will be insignificant if you disregard the environment.  The environment of any story is like another character.  It influences your behavior.  We behave differently depending on where we are. 
 
Think about a personal and private conversation you have had with a loved one.  Take a second and get really specific as to what you talked about.  Once you have a detailed image of it, picture having that same exact conversation in the following places:
 

• In the library
• At a crowded party
• At the table during thanksgiving dinner
• At a baby shower
• In line at the bank
• In the middle of the desert
• At a funeral

 
Can you imagine how each of those places would change your behavior?  Our surroundings influence our actions.  Too many actors disregard the environment and it shows in their work.  Don’t be that actor!  Relate to your environment in order to bring truth to your acting.
 
In conclusion, remember to be clear and specific about the given circumstances – the who, the what, the where, and the why.  Life is specific, and your work as an actor needs to reflect that.