[MaryMag]

i haven't used the word "hotties" in a long time. i am dumb.

anyway, i hate acting exercises where you don't have a character to hide behind, where you have to call out what you personally are feeling. it's tough enough to expose yourself.

IT'S EVEN WORSE when you have to do this 3 inches away from someone you are physically attracted to and being required to stare him in the eyes. It was an exercise in exploring our comfort level and personal space. And we were supposed to just say one word at a time to describe how we feel. Others were saying, "silly" "uncomfortable" "awkward". And all MM wanted to say was "hot" "bothered" and "dear GOD you have PECS since when you do have PECS"

sometimes i crash and burn in acting exercises.

[mizzie]

Out of curiosity, what DID you say?

[MaryMag]

"i'm sorry mike i can't do this"



that's what i said

[Chevstriss]

try having simulated vampyric sex with a hot soapstar EVERY NIGHT in front of 1,200 middle aged soap fans. On a real bed. gettin' nekked. NIGHT AFTER NIGHT.

lawdddeeeee I would go home to my sleeping husband, smell Soapstar's sweat on me where he held me in our Cirque du Soleil lift, and dream about him

[LesWickedPhantom]

Oh geez... been there, MaryMag...

a few years ago I did a summer acting class. One of the college interns there was the kind of guy I've been dreaming about my entire life. Handsome, sensitive, serious, and uber talented. We were doing a one-on-one exercise one day to help me with my characterization, only he kind of sprung it on me, so I didn't KNOW it was an exercise for like 20 seconds into it. He got like inches away from my face, and I kept backing up into the wall behind me (it wasn't THAT kind of scene, but he's really intense), and when he expected me to respond, my knees buckled a little, and all that came out of my mouth was... "...uuuuhhhhhhh... *unconvincing line in script*...uhhhhh..."

[Salome]

I seriously dont understand this thread. its acting class right? whats the deal?

[jazzygirlsings]

I totally get what you're saying...You want to be a good actor and really say what it is your feeling...

At the same time, it's like you're exposing yourself to the other actor by saying what you really feel...and that can be awkward once you're outside of class...LOL!

I can't tell you how giggly I was when the hottest guy in my acting class in conservatory was in the middle of a musical scene and the teacher told him to do whatever he felt...AND HE PATTED ME ON THE A$$!

Needless to say, outside of class, we just blushed at each other an awful lot and never really said much else to each other! LOL! I'm such a wuss!

[jazzygirlsings]

[Beagle On Stage]

I despise exercises like that and have concluded that there is nothing to be gained from them. I've done things onstage that you won't see on cable television, I don't need to explore my personal boundaries in an acting class taught by some pathetic d-bag who wears the same sweater to every class and thinks writing down made up trivia about your character is a substitute for actually being a competent actor. But then, my views may be tainted by lackluster experiences with such classes and instructors.

By the way, I was once in exactly that situation, and we just kissed instead of saying how we were feeling. We got more out of it that way.

[Monsieur D'Arque]

You can see EVERYTHING done on cable TV these days. Unless you took it from behind while jerking off into a dog's mouth, pardon the vulgarity, you're not too hot for TV.

[ChrisFitzpatrick]

[Cake_in_Song]

It's meant to be painfully difficult, I think. If your character on stage was way too close to someone she was attracted to, it would be that awkward. But I still hate it. I have major issues looking people in the eye and being serious. I always feel the need to giggle or make funny faces. I had a bit of a thing with a guy in my acting class (ended badly...DO NOT ASK), and the one time we worked together, it was awful. I could do absolutely nothing. And from that point on, any performances in front of him were terrible. I still haven't come to the point in my acting where I'm able to understand romantic/sexual things as purely part of my character. It's part of my anxiety disorder. I can get in front of hundreds of people and play a total whack-job, but I can't even phone my best friend, because I am paranoid beyond belief she will think I'm obsessed with her. Seriously. I can't start conversations on MSN. I did a show last year where I had to play a girl breaking up with her boyfriend, and I couldn't get comfortable physically with him. I was scared that if I acted like I was attracted to him on stage, he would think I was attracted to him in real life. And the boy I really did like sat in the audience and watched the show every night (he was doing a show the same night...he wasn't eternally devoted to me). I'm such a stupid person sometimes, but it's going to take buttloads of work to get past that fear. I think it really started in grade 11, when all my friends at the time ditched me and said I was spineless and annoying, and they didn't really like me. So now I get scared that people don't like me, so I try to pretend I never think about people ever. I even pause before responding to people on Facebook/MSN because I don't want to seem like I'm too eager.
I'm a lameface. And that pretty much had nothing to do with acting excercises. But in my head, it did.

[Mara]

[DaddyDiesel]

I am indifferent to this I guess. I can see the positives on where it could help an actor and then I see how it might not. ou seemyself I would feel really awkward and not really learn much. BUt then a method actor might remember what that feels like and use it in one of his charactors.

Off topic: I read the title and thought that you were working out at gym with hotties and not enjoying it. My initial response was going to include "I kind of like it since my stomach muscles are in a constant state of use. Since I would probably being sucking in my gut the whole time."

[MaryMag]

acting exercises are MUCH harder than real acting for an audience on a stage

1) on stage, you are asked to react to imaginary circumstances. not real ones.

in other words, you have that to "hide" behind. i could be totally physically attracted to the actor i have to make out with onstage and i could just use my natural attraction to him. and when he comments, wow you were so intimate with me great job. i can come back with, yeah i was just so into the character i am such a good actress.... in an acting class, i couldn't hide behind the character. i'm reacting as me, mm, to him, mike.

2) on stage, the audience doesn't know you.

in a class, your audience/peers get to know you. they spend lots of time with you. they can read you. they see there may be some reality to two actors making out on stage, when in real life they're constantly eating lunch together and playfully touching each other a little too much.

in summation, on stage you can let secrets out and pretend you were just acting. in class, they know it's how you really feel.