Actors experience the story they are telling differently in relationship to different audiences and performing circumstances. Theatre performance will feel different than on-camera work. A story will feel different in front of a full live audience than an almost empty house. The repetition and disruption of filming can change the actor’s experience of that story entirely. In all mediums, a story can sometimes can feel easy to tell - the story can take on a life of it’s own - it inhabits the whole body and imagination; the actor feels “connected”. Sometimes self-consciousness sets in, and a story can feel false and the performed feels exposed. Sometimes, even after telling a story a hundred times, the very presence of new audience, lets you hear something brand new in the story - you discover something you have never known before about that story. In this series of questions, I am going to ask you about the extremes of these experiences in an attempt to understand how various audience types affect the actor’s experience of story. Please answer the following questions in relation to the audience medium for which you just performed. I ask that you indicate your emotional or awareness state with an “x” on a line scale. Your answer will ideally reflect your experience.
For example: When you woke up this morning, did you feel..... Hungry?
Not very __________________________________________________ Very
(You answer would indicate that you were neutral about your hunger - neither hungry nor full)
This morning when you woke up and discovered your car was broken into, did you feel..... Angry?
Not very __________________________________________________ Very
(indicating that you felt extremely angry and upset about this circumstance)
Name ___________________________________________
Perf# _______
Tuesday Oct. 16th
1. During any performance, an actor can feel very “in the storytelling” moment - or very connected to the character or the story he/she is telling. During that moment in which you felt MOST CONNECTED did you find yourself feeling.... Confident?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Free?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Focussed?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Truthful?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Engaged?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very Excited?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Relaxed?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Happy?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Creative?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Interesting?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Were you aware of ............... The audience?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The story?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Your physicality?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The room?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
1.b During the moment you felt the LEAST CONNECTED, did you feel. .......
Nervous?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Self-consciousness? Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Anxious?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Unsettled?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Distracted?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Fake?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Bored?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Disappointed?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Angry?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Embarrassed?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Were you aware of ............... The audience?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The story?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Your physicality?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The room?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
2. This piece/monologue/scene is something you have performed many times before and you are very familiar with this story and it’s content. In the context of this setting, did you find you DISCOVERED SOMETHING NEW in or about this story? YES / NO
(Circle one)
If you answered NO please move to question 2.B on the next page. If you answered YES, please answer the question below.
At the point in time when you felt you DISCOVERED SOMETHING NEW ABOUT THE STORY, did you feel ...... Confident?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Nervous?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Excited?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Focussed?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Concentrated?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Happy?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Engaged?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Surprized?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Relaxed?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Were you aware of ............... The audience?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The story?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Your physicality?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The room?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
2.B Sometimes actors can experience with pieces they’ve performed many times before the feeling of “phoning it in”. At the point in time that you felt you simply REPEATED or REGURGITATED SOMETHING YOU’VE ALWAYS PERFORMED, did you feel..... Bored?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Nervous?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Self-conscious?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Distracted?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Discomfort?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Embarrassed?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Relaxed?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Unhappy?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Were you aware of ............... The audience?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The story?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Your physicality?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The room?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
1. Sometimes during a performance, an actor feels the way s/he tells the story is different than on previous occasions and that this can actually change the story itself. In the context of this performance, did you feel the STORY you told CHANGED from previous tellings? YES / NO (Circle One) If you answered NO, please move to question 4 on the next page. If you answered yes, please answer the question below. At the point in time that you were most aware of the CHANGE in the story, did the story feel.... Different?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
A Lot
Clearer?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
A Lot
Livelier?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
A Lot
Easier to tell?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
A Lot
Did you feel..... Surprized?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Engaged?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Thrown Off?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Happy?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Focussed?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Relaxed?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Confident?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Were you aware of........ The audience? Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The story?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Your physicality?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The room?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
4.When performing, different external factors can affect an actor’s pleasure or displeasure in the experience. In this context of this setting, if you experienced PLEASURE were you aware of........ The audience?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The story?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Your physicality?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The room?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
If you experienced DISPLEASURE were you aware of The audience?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The story?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Your physicality?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The room?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very