Why Working with Script is Hard

The script is a tricky bastard. The problem is that as actors, we always wind up dealing with the end result, the final article, the finished product, which does not easily give up the secrets of how it came to be.

In this situation it’s devilishly difficult to glean from the script the reasons for the action behind the words. The writer knows, but because they are using psychologically real characters, which do not speak their motivations, it’s often hard to fully understand why they say and do what they say and do.

Historically characters often speak their inner thoughts like in Shakespeare’s great soliloquies. Later, particularly in French comedies, servants might give away important information in ‘table dusting scenes’ – those where they chat whilst doing domestic chores, as the author exposes detail as chit chat.

But contemporary writing is not the same. And so we have to dig for ourselves into the intention behind why the characters do and say what they do and say.

Because we are not often in the presence of the writer (sometimes when we are they do not help, do not want to help or cannot help.) we don’t have easy access to the answers.

A few other problems contribute to this difficulty with script.

Factor 1: we’re a bit lazy, we’d like to have the answer without having to solve the puzzle. It’s natural, but not a good thing.

Factor 2: we like to rely on our instincts, our intuition is strong and it’s helped us in the past.

Factor 3: most of our training did not adequately prepare us for script work, why? Because our teachers have the same problem as we do!

Factor 4: we are lacking the tools with which we can unlock the intentions behind what the characters say and do.

These factors cause you to attempt to make meaning out of the words, but the scene is so much more than that for actors.

The script will yield it’s secrets if you own the right tools, but even with the right tools it will take time, long hours until you can use them to unlock these secrets with more ease and even then it will be hard work to make the very best decisions.

You can’t just use the words, it’s lazy, it’s superficial and it’s not using your skills to their most.

Be a better actor: learn to unlock the script, one scene at a time.