Script analysis is the technique that allows actors to learn how to best read a play. While the techniques needed may seem obvious, this can be deceiving.
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1. make preparation for your next
Script analysis is the technique that allows actors to learn how to best read a play. You may think
that all you need to do is just read through it and then portray the actor, but that's not all it entails.
What does the actor need to do to truly understand and analyze their script? How do you take the
playwright's words and bring them to life? What are the steps that you need to take to properly
prepare for the role? And, finally, how do you integrate your preparation into the rehearsals and
into the director's expectations?
Many actors simply don't know how to read plays. They tend to ignore critical aspects of the
script, they don't have a definitive process, and they don't recognize the opportunity they've been
given to interpret the playwright's words. They may have a lot of passion and raw talent. However,
passion and talent are not the only things that are needed to make an exceptional performance;
along with these things is required intelligence and careful reading of the words.
Don't think that this is an overly academic and dry topic. It's not. Script analysis should help the
actor to create vivid characters and to properly understand the playwright's meaning and intent. In
order to stay calm and focused when preparing for rehearsals, proper knowledge of script
analysis is key. The task can seem almost impossible. In cases like these, many actors jump to
inappropriate conclusions about their roles, turning them into characters that are not the ones the
playwright created. Plays are similar to life in that the superficial characteristics of an individual
are not always indicative of a person's true self; therefore, it's necessary for an actor to carefully
analyze a script to better understand the character they'll be portraying. Sometimes actors have a
problem due to the fact that they are unsure how to properly research the time period in which the
play is written.
Actors need to approach a play in a different way than your average person; an acting class
needs to teach them to see the script as flowing music, full of emotion and information that is
crucial to the telling of the story. It is this attitude toward the play that will permit the actor to truly
craft a great performance and character. Not only do you need a qualified acting teacher to learn
script analysis, but you also need to be completely committed to the script and to the words of the
playwright. You need to keep your eye out for even the smallest detail about the character.
To breathe life into a character, you need to first understand the character's place within the story.
To understand the cause and effect of a story, you also need to be able to break down the text
into smaller "chunks", as it were; this will allow you to give the role and the character the
necessary complexity. With the help of script analysis training, preparing a script can be a
wonderful experience. Struggle, however, will always have its place in acting. There's no such
thing as easy art. Acting and script analysis will always be a challenge, but that is as it should be.