Listening
There was a comedy improv class I took with Paul Ryan at CBS Studios a couple of years back, www.paulryanproductions.com, and I learned some very important things when I did. He had us doing a variety of exercises. Some of them were more comfortable than others. Then again, that’s kind of the point. To stretch.
One time, he gave us scenes to work on and then he directed us in a cold reading. We got to look over the material and then he brought us up in pairs. Before we read through the scene, he asked each of us a number of questions so we could bring our personal experience into the situation the scene portrayed so it was real to us in our acting.
When it was my turn with my acting partner, Paul started talking with me and asking questions about my life that would give me something to work with. My acting partner was off in his own little world, looking at his lines and getting a feel for his character, or at least it seemed that way. He didn’t listen to anything that we were talking about.
When Paul asked him questions, the guy was clueless about the whole scene, didn’t know what had been discussed and totally missed the point of what we were doing. He wasn’t even aware of it really because he didn’t know what he had missed. Paul and I didn’t say anything and didn’t bother to fill him in. We just went on and did the scene.
It was a huge lesson for me about listening and paying attention to what is going on in a room with other people rather than just focusing on myself. If I’m only concerned about what I’m doing, what I’m getting or what people will think of me than I’m usually going to miss the mark and won’t know what the right thing is to do.
Blessings!
Laura
Did you know you can buy downloads of my music? Check out the online store at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry
One time, he gave us scenes to work on and then he directed us in a cold reading. We got to look over the material and then he brought us up in pairs. Before we read through the scene, he asked each of us a number of questions so we could bring our personal experience into the situation the scene portrayed so it was real to us in our acting.
When it was my turn with my acting partner, Paul started talking with me and asking questions about my life that would give me something to work with. My acting partner was off in his own little world, looking at his lines and getting a feel for his character, or at least it seemed that way. He didn’t listen to anything that we were talking about.
When Paul asked him questions, the guy was clueless about the whole scene, didn’t know what had been discussed and totally missed the point of what we were doing. He wasn’t even aware of it really because he didn’t know what he had missed. Paul and I didn’t say anything and didn’t bother to fill him in. We just went on and did the scene.
It was a huge lesson for me about listening and paying attention to what is going on in a room with other people rather than just focusing on myself. If I’m only concerned about what I’m doing, what I’m getting or what people will think of me than I’m usually going to miss the mark and won’t know what the right thing is to do.
Blessings!
Laura
Did you know you can buy downloads of my music? Check out the online store at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry
posted by Laura Cohn @ 10:34 PM
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