Masking unmasked : four approaches to basic acting / Eli Simon.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Simon, Eli.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Acting.

Masks.

Physical Description:

xx, 181 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.

Summary:

In Masking Unmasked, Eli Simon updates the ancient art of mask acting for the contemporary stage. This is the contemporary actors' bible to the ways in which mask acting can be used to develop character and movement in relation to mask size: full-face, bag masks, clowning, and half-face commedia masks. Each section addresses fundamental acting principles and shows how the use of masks can be applied to the contemporary stage. It is the perfect book to use as background to traditional, non-masked acting principles because actors in masks experience the primary goal of acting. Using a mask, they are required to tap into profound physical, vocal, emotional, and psychological transformations in the course of creating a character. The use of the mask and the actor's relation to it promotes honest, believable, and detailed work. Illustrated profusely throughout, the accessible exercises developed by Eli Simon teach actors a variety of techniques and systems. Eli Simon's Masking Unmasked takes ancient acting techniques and adapts them for the modern stage in an indispensable book for today's actor.

Contents:

Masking Questions and Answers 2

From mask to Hu-Mask 5

Actor Approach 6

Four Families of Masks 7

Validation 10

Journaling 10

Building Masks 13

Handling Masks 13

Chapter 1 Full-Face Masks 15

All-Powerful Masks 16

Transformation 17

Dream State 17

What, Are You Crazy? 18

Once Again, with Feeling 19

Pre-Mask Foundation Exercises 19

Exercise 1.1 Warm-Up 19

Triggering Exercises 21

Exercise 1.2 Touch Trigger

Physicalization 22

Exercise 1.3 Sound Trigger

Vocalization 23

Exercise 1.4 Merging Triggers

Comprehensive Character 23

Modifying Results 25

Exercise 1.5 Maximizing 26

Exercise 1.6 Minimizing 27

Setting Up for Full-Face Masking 28

Building the Masks 28

Studio Set-Up 28

Mirrors 29

Clothes 29

Hair 29

Wigs 29

Cloaks 30

The Standing Line 30

Three Tables 30

Watchers 30

Core Exercises: Acting in Full-Face Masks 31

Exercise 1.7 First Impressions 31

Strong Emotion Ahead 33

Exercise 1.8 Dropping into Mask 34

Let's Get Physical 35

Exercise 1.9 Stance 35

Exercise 1.10 Walk 37

Exercise 1.11 Gesture 38

Essence 39

Exercise 1.12 Statues 39

Speaking Up 41

Exercise 1.13 Finding Sounds 41

Wigging Out 43

Exercise 1.14 Wigs 43

Cloaked in Mystery 44

Exercise 1.15 Cloaks 44

Child's Play 45

Exercise 1.16 Simple Doing 45

Core Exercises: In and Out of Full-Face Masks 47

Exercise 1.17 In and Out of Mask 47

Exercise 1.18 Putting Baby to Sleep 48

Core Exercises: Reviewing and Modifying 49

Exercise 1.19 Maximizing Hu-Mask Discoveries 49

Exercise 1.20 Minimizing Hu-Mask Discoveries 50

Advanced Exercises: Group Masking 51

Exercise 1.21 Singing Together 51

Exercise 1.22 Dancing Together 52

Exercise 1.23 Going Outside 53

Exercise 1.24 Play Ball! 54

Exercise 1.25 Faraway Village Adventure 54

Exercise 1.26 Marketplace 56

Exercise 1.27 Wilderness Adventure 58

Applied Full-Face Masking 59

The Greeks 59

Exercise 1.28 Servant 61

Exercise 1.29 Royalty 62

Exercise 1.30 Review

Working In and Out of Mask 64

Chapter 2 Bag Masks 67

Shifty Business 68

Pre-Bagging 69

Making Bag Masks 69

Studio Set-Up 70

Neutral Walk 70

Exercise 2.1 Neutral Walk 70

Core Exercises: One-Character Bagging 71

Mask Performances

It's in the Bag 71

Exercise 2.2 A Friend 72

Improving: Deeper and Cleaner 72

Exercise 2.3 Once More, with Clarity 73

Surprise, Surprise 74

Exercise 2.4A Surprise I 74

Exercise 2.4B Surprise II 74

Core Exercises: Two-Character Bagging 75

Vocal Shifts 75

Exercise 2.5 Simple Conversation 76

Exercise 2.6 Talk This Way, No Talk This Way 78

Exercise 2.7 Vocal Variance 79

Core Exercises: Three-Character Bagging 80

Physical Shifts 80

Exercise 2.8 Three's Not a Crowd 80

Exercise 2.9 Walk This Way, No Walk This Way 81

Exercise 2.10 Street Scene 81

Exercise 2.11 Walking and Talking, Take Three 83

Exercise 2.12 Simple Activities 84

Exercise 2.13 Street Scene with Activities 86

Maximizing and Minimizing 86

Exercise 2.14 More or Less 86

In and Out of Bag Masks 87

Exercise 2.15 Bags Away 87

Advanced Bagging: Four Characters and Beyond 88

Complex Shifts 88

Exercise 2.17 Shift, Shift, Shift, and Shift 88

Exercise 2.18 Talk Show 90

Exercise 2.19 New Place, New Characters 91

Exercise 2.20 Fight Night! 92

Exercise 2.21 Speed, Speed, Everything's Speed 93

Exercise 2.22 Ages of Life 93

Exercise 2.23 Along Came Spot 94

Exercise 2.24 Mob Scenes 94

Applied Bagging 95

Jokes 95

Exercise 2.25 Joking Around 95

Complex Scripts 96

Exercise 2.26 Launcelot Gobbo 96

Chapter 3 Clowning 99

Essence 100

Studio Set-Up 102

Audience 102

Laughter 102

The Nose Knows 103

Costumes and Props 104

Core Exercises: Basic Clowning 104

Rules 104

Let's Face It 104

Exercise 3.1 Face Play 105

Connection 107

Exercise 3.2 Three-Face Connection 108

Exercise 3.3 Activity Connection 109

Yes-Mode 109

Spotlight: Charlie Chaplin 111

Exercise 3.4 Yes, It's Dumb. Isn't that Great? 111

Exercise 3.5 Interview Contradictions

Yes-Mode Test 112

Essence 114

Essence in One Word 114

Deepening Clown Essence 115

Exercise 3.6 Essence Dance 115

Exercise 3.7 Dance performance 116

Essentially Still 117

Spotlight: Buster Keaton 117

Exercise 3.8 Minimized Dancing 118

Exercise 3.9 Stop Dancing 118

Exercise 3.10 Solo Statues 118

Risk 120

Exercise 3.11 First Audition 120

Raising the Sakes 122

Spotlight: Lucille Ball 123

Exercise 3.12 Second Audition 123

Vulnerability 125

Exercise 3.13 Love You, Hate You 125

Exercise 3.14 Instant Routines 127

Repetition and Modification 128

Advanced Clowning: New Directions 129

Alternate Essences 129

Spotlight: Harpo Marx 129

Exercise 3.15 External Shifts 129

Exercise 3.16 Activity Shifts 130

Exercise 3.17 Dance Shifts 131

Applied Clowning 132

Sharing the Stage: Duos 132

Spotlight: Laurel and Hardy 132

Exercise 3.18 Launching a Duo 132

Exercise 3.19 Dance Duos 133

Exercise 3.20 Improvised Duos 133

Exercise 3.21 Synchronicity 135

Chapter 4 Half-Face Masks 137

Commedia Connection 138

Copy Cat, Dirty Rat 140

Top or Bottom? 141

Pre-mask Foundation Exercises 141

Exercise 4.1 Modern Stock 142

Exercise 4.2 Swapping Faces 143

Exercise 4.3 Face and Body 144

Exercise 4.4 Walk the Walk 144

Exercise 4.5 Talk the Talk 145

Exercise 4.6 Back to the Mirror 145

Setting Up for Half-Face Masking 145

Clothing 145

Wigs 145

Costumes 146

Props 146

Studio Set-Up 146

Building Half-Face Masks 146

Core Exercises: Acting in Half-Face Masks 147

Rules of the Road 147

Exercise 4.7 Five Quick Stances 147

Exercise 4.8 Walk This Way 148

Exercise 4.9 Fluid Statues and Gestures 149

Exercise 4.10 Finding Voice 151

Exercise 4.11 Wigs and Hats 151

Exercise 4.12 All Dressed Up 152

Exercise 4.13 Propping Up 153

Exercise 4.14 Reviewing Hu-Masks 154

Exercise 4.15 In and Out of Half-Face Masks 155

Core Exercises: Dynamic Duos 156

Exercise 4.16 Sharing Activities 156

Exercise 4.17 Song Birds 157

Exercise 4.18 Talk, Talk, Talk 158

Exercise 4.19 Conflict 159

Advanced Exercises: The Great Outdoors 160

Fresh Air at Last 160

Exercise 4.20 Goodbye Studio 160

Building a Crowd 161

Exercise 4.21 Busking 162

Exercise 4.22 Lazzi 163

Applied Half-Face Masking 165

Creating an Original Commedia 165

Exercise 4.23 Taking Stock 165

Exercise 4.24 Solo Entertainments

Special Skills 166

Exercise 4.25 Choosing Scenes 167

Exercise 4.26 New Hu-Masks

Adding Spontaneity 168

Exercise 4.27 Scripted Monologues 169

Exercise 4.28 Scenes for Three 170

Putting It All Together 170

Exercise 4.29 Theme Song 171

Exercise 4.30 Practicing in the Studio 171

Exercise 4.31 Back on the Streets Again 173

Exercise 4.32 Adding Lazzi 173

Building Full-Face Masks 176

Building Half-Face Masks 178

Building Bag Masks 180.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

1403962952

OCLC:

52178251