Tai Chi for Actors!

Tai Chi is a form of Chinese exercise that delivers powerful health results in a gentle but effective way. Tai Chi is over five hundred years old and is taught in five different forms.  It is an excellent way to get the actor’s instrument in tune!  It costs little to start (about 10.00 for a DVD/Book combo) and can be practiced daily at home. This is great for those of you who are on a tight budget! 

It is an art form with movements similar to Ballet and Ballroom dancing. Tai Chi appears easy, but be prepared for sore muscles and quite a bit of sweating! I am excited to bring this to the actorsmotivation blog. I have been practicing Tai Chi for 3 years and this art/exercise is not something to be missed! 
If living in Manhatten, Tai Chi is practiced in Union Square!   It is easy to find (see map)  and provides an oasis in the midst of  the busy NYC life style!

Tai Chi DVD/Book                                                 David Wayne

Warning: as with all exercise check with you physican first before attempting any athletic endeavor.

What sort of Actor are you?

Who you are inside will largely determine what sort of actor or actress you will become.  There are specific questions that must be asked in order to discover your acting type. For example, what sort of things do you enjoy doing?  Extreme sports such as hang gliding, motor cross, flying an airplane or jumping out of one are the makings of an action hero.  Some actors enjoy culture such as museums, opera or theater.  These interests could fit character roles such as professors, lawyers, artists or doctors.

What you look like or your physical type also will have a profound effect on your acting career.  Directors in film and theater are always looking for different types. There are as many types of actors as there are people in the world.  Models are usually between 5’10” and 6 foot.  Character actors can range from short and rotund to tall and skinny.  It is imperative that an actor knows who they are and what physical type is best for them.  Our acting and physical types change over time.

Relationships alter our lives and our acting.  Marriage, parenthood, divorce, deaths, education and other choices cause the actor to grow and expand his or her choice of roles.   We should remain sensitive to these changes so we may represent ourselves in the best light possible.   Knowing our type makes the job of an agent and casting director that much easier!

Vulnerability is one of the most valuable tools an actor can possess.  This comes through education in the classroom and our life experiences.  The Meisner technique and the Stanislavski method are two types of acting that will challenge the actor.  Many actors of the past have relied on these techniques to hone and perfect their craft.

Actors such as Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Bridges, Joann Woodward and Grace Kelly studied at The Actor’s Playhouse in New York where Sanford Meisner established his classes.

The Stanislavski Method has sharpened the talents of other actors as well.  Al Pacino, Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro immersed themselves in this type of acting.

Uta Hagen, one of the most gifted teachers on the technical craft of acting wrote:

“Theoretically, the actor ought to be more sound in mind and body than other people, since he learns to understand the psychological problems of human beings when putting his own passions, his loves, fears, and rages to work in the service of the characters he plays.  He will learn to face himself, to hide nothing from himself – and to do so takes an insatiable curiosity about the human condition.”

David Wayne