The Literal
The Literal is the first question in the ground work analysis of a scene in Practical Aesthetics. Over time, my own practice has changed and adapted certain elements of Practical Aesthetics, but the Literal remains untouched because I believe it is a very vital part of understand the scene that you are playing. It allows you to stand back and be objective about the scene BEFORE you begin to make any interpretative steps. This objectivity is essential so that your interpretation is based on the basics of the scene, not plucked out of your ass as many actors are so willing to do.
The analysis question is: What is my character literally doing in this scene?
Here are my tips on The Literal
* It is best to speak of the character directly. Don’t say Cathy and Jamie are rowing. Begin with: Cathy is… Keep it in the 3rd Person.
* Always start from the simplest, least complicated place.
* Be Literal. If your Literal contains a metaphor, the chances are, it’s not a Literal.
* Avoid writing about what the character is thinking or feeling.
* Avoid saying that they are discussing, chatting, – all scenes are this thing.
* It’s okay to use ‘talking about’ if it is the essence of the literal scene for example – Andy is talking to his daughter about the birds and the bees. That’s fine.
* Do not interpret their actions, say what is literally occurring in the scene.
* Use the Popcorn Test. Imagine you’re at the movies. A friend has popped out to get you some popcorn, when they return they ask you ‘what did I miss?’ you swift summary of the scene is the Literal.
* You want to end up with a clear concise sentence that covers what your character is doing over the entire scene.
* Rather than ‘talking about’ scenes, I think it’s better if you can encapsulate the scene. Johnny is convincing Peter to go to the Party. The word convince is not an interpretation if that is what’s happening.
I know that the Literal confuses a lot of our students, so I hope that helps to make things a little clearer. Just Keep It Simple.