Acting – memorize, listen and react; NYFA scene 1, take 1 aaaand action

Pinch and Ouch.

The legendary acting coach Sanford Meisner taught that acting had to be absolute truth. That it has to come from the heart, that you have to follow your instincts.

He illustrates this by giving a student a line: “Mr Meisner.” He pinches the student suddenly, who shouts out “Mr Meisner!” The pinch justified the ouch. The reaction is spontaneous and truthful.

Sounds simple doesn’t it ?

Believe me, I wouldn’t say it is simple. We had busy 3 weeks, busy with classes, many days a 9am to 7pm schedule, besides busy with memorizing text, and getting familiar with the story, with the characters.

We are a really great group. And some amazing young talents. There is my favorite actress Apple from Hongkong. She studied Drama, and will study filmmaking from January on. She is very professional, and its fascinating watching her when she acts. I think its already amazing watching her. And besides her incredible talent I just like her amazing energy, sooo positive, so nice having her around! Absolutely adorable talented Apple!

Then there is Finty, 19 years old, from Reading near London. She is absolutely cute, a sunshine, small tiny and long curls, beautiful smile, and when she is playing a character who is angry she bloats her nares and becomes a little dragon. I love watching her playing, and listening to her. Simply amazing. I have the honor to play her older sister in a scene of “The proof”. She speaks a little German, and its amazing how she pronounces. But most I love listening to the lovely British she brings to our class. I like Finty a lot, so much talent, such a wonderful natural personality and yet very professional already and very present in class.

There is beautiful cutie Klara, with her deep blue eyes that are melting every mans heart, and her beautiful long blond hair. Klara and I played together in Thelma & Louise, and it was so much fun. Klara is so easy to get along with, a pure sweetheart. Liked her from the first moment on and connected. She is not 20 yet and has already lived in London for an internship and now she is here in New York. Shows again, age is just a number. Yesterday I have seen a music video she was playing the main role, SO GOOD! Her parents must be very proud of her, she is simply wonderful.

Iina, our cute tiny blond Finish girl, with the beautiful smile. She has no idea how great she already is. She was playing this girl in the mental home on Friday, I thought it was one of the most difficult roles of all of us. And she was playing it so real. Yesterday her and I have been in the final project of one of the filmmaking students. She was the depressed daughter who killed herself, because her Mother (me) depressive drinker since her husband died was locked in her sadness and couldn’t take care of her daughter anymore. Iina was amazing, she cried when Ben, the Director asked her to. I found it very very difficult, to bring this sad and depressive feeling to me in front of the camera. I was able to find it, when I had my quiet moment, before shooting a scene, to be back at my Dads funeral, or our last moments, or the heartbreaking moment seeing my brother suffering because of the loss we all had to deal with. But to remain this feeling when I was back at the set, and the camera was rolling, was really really difficult for me. Not sure, if it helps to do Yoga, but there must be ways to connect easier with our own set of memories of feelings. And I believe its essential to become a good actress. Iina was doing absolutely fabulous.

I figured those roles, like the one I described Iina playing the girl in the madhouse, are a lot more difficult than playing the funny, flirty, laughing girl.

In my class are as well, beautiful Yamour from Istanbul. She plays very well the tough demanding chick, as well as the passionate girl, when she needs to convince others. I was playing with her a scene from the play “The dew point”, she played Greta, the current girlfriend of Jack. I am Mimi, Jacks ex-Girlfriend, now engaged to Kai. Greta is 20 years younger than Jack, an artist who will never be faithful to any woman. And she is jealous that Mimi and Jack are still close, and he comes to visit her regularly. So Greta shows up at  Mimis apartment, and wants to know if Jack and Mimi (I) are still having an affair. It was so much fun playing and rehearsing with Yamour. Great fun!

Then there is Akira. Akira is from Kasachstan and studied Event Management. She is always prepared, very care taking of things we can all do. She plays the tough chick extremely well. I loved it, when she was “Henson” in the interrogation room. I was “Dunn” the detective who knew her already, and I had to throw light in the case. Was fun, and a great power play between her and me. Haha! Akira was with me to see the Dalai Lama, great memory!

Jannecke from Amsterdam, tall with long blond hair, always nice, very open-minded. Very nice girl, I like her. Very dutch, easy to get around and easy to connect, friendly no matter who is approaching her and very direct. I like the Dutch mentality a lot. Maybe because they are so easy to deal with, and not “me, me, me” like many people. I didn’t have a chance to act with Jannecke yet, but I am sure it would be lots of fun.

Agnes, German with Polish routes, very friendly, always and to everybody. She is a bit shy. She is always so nice and trying to pleas other, that I am sometimes afraid, other people might take advantage of her. I hope not, as she deserves everybody treating her with respect. She will be in her more advantaged scene with Jannecke on Monday. Looking forward to seeing it.

There is Angelina, she is Russian and lived the last decade in Dubai, and now moves to LA to study one year acting there. She is pretty, and reminds me a bit of Angelina Jolie, maybe  I just think they are similar because they have the same name and dark hair and are pretty, maybe its because of the similar lips. Not sure. Angelina plays the seductive woman, and the flirty with rich men very well.
Although I must say, I am not a fan of Angelina Jolie at all. She looks very superficial to me. If I would like women, she wouldn’t be my type. I prefer for example Salma Hayek, what an amazing woman with substance and so beautiful.

Last but definitely not least there is Melvin. He is from Puerto Rico. He is very much into it, and acts very well, especially when he is not moving too much. No matter which roles, he was playing them great. I bought it. Loved him with Finty in a scene where she is in love with him, but he is realizing he is gay and in love with her brother. They played it so well, I was fascinated watching it. He is a very nice guy and has to deal with 10 chicks in his class, and he is handling it very well. Like his direct open way he addresses his thoughts and questions.

I will be on another filmmaker students final project film on Tuesday. A comedy. Looking forward to that 🙂

…and CUT !

xoxo
GGG