Every scene you will ever act begins in the middle, and it is up to you, the actor, to provide what comes before.
Michael ShurtleffHumor is an attitude, a survivorโs way of looking at life. Itโs not about telling jokes.
Michael ShurtleffAn actor must make his needs (goals, wants, objectives) so strong that he is willing to interfere with the other actor in order to get what he needs. Interfering means getting in their way so that what you want is stronger than what they want.
Michael ShurtleffAn actor is looking for conflict. Conflict is what creates drama. We are taught to avoid trouble [so] actors don't realize they must go looking for it. Plays are written about...the extraordinary, the unusual, the climaxes. The more conflict actors find, the more interesting the performance.
Michael Shurtleff