Presents a sequence of exercises that address the importance of using words effectively, and considers the insensitivity so many young actors today have regarding the words they have been given by playwrights to say. Intends to help students better connect and deepen the meaning of the words they use as actors with the objectives they choose to…

Continues a discussion of script analysis for actors. Focuses on specific scenes and how an eventual scene-by-scene analysis will help students determine a "throughline" of a play's action. Uses a scene from "Romeo and Juliet" to illustrate scene analysis. Gives 13 script questions for students to answer. Presents six tips for…

Describes an effective scene study class including the sequential tasks of: analyzing the script independently; collaborating with a scene partner and finding common ground; developing the throughline of action; and working the moments, the beats, and the overall scene until each moment flows into the next. Considers ways to set up classroom…

Suggests that improvisation is an excellent catalyst for getting a scene jump-started or back on track. Presents two specific examples of how the author used improv in his own scene study classes. Notes the fundamental task teachers must master prior to improv work is how to isolate the essential dynamics of the scene. (RS)

Presents a sequence of exercises that requires students to think about telling their stories in terms of physicalization. Requires students to think about their blocking: their chosen movements on stage, the gestures they use to communicate their stories, and the business they must create to keep their stories believable and clear. (SC)