CRAFT NOTES by Ed Hooks


Pursuing Objectives

You can't learn how to act by reading a book, not even one by Stanislavsky, Meisner, Adler or Hagen. How-to acting books make for interesting reading, but a cerebral understanding of acting is not going to do the trick. You learn the art and craft of acting by actually getting up on stage and doing it, the same way you learn how to ride a bicycle or fly an airplane. Acting is a hands-on, direct experience kind of thing, which is why doing it is thrilling and frightening simultaneously. You learn how to swim by jumping into the deep water, not by messing around in the wading pool.

Having said that, I am now going to try to explain what an "objective" is and why it is important to you as an actor. When you are acting in a scene, you should have an objective 100 percent of the time. Think of it as a destination or a task that you want to accomplish. An objective should be provable. If you want to fly to London, getting to London would be your objective, and you would know whether you got there or not. An objective should not be vague. "I want to be a happy person" is an admirable sentiment, but it is not a viable objective for an actor in a scene because happiness is too subjective to measure. Will any of us ever get to a place in life where we figure we have achieved the apex of personal happiness? I don't think so. But let's say, for the sake of argument, that having a family might be a significant ingredient to your happiness formula. If so, then getting pregnant would be a good objective. Unless you aren't married yet, in which case a better objective would be to get a date.

One problem I have noticed is that acting teachers are not consistent in the way they (we) use the word "objective". I recently read the manuscript for a new text on acting, written by an experienced actor, and he talked about how you should "play your objective". That isn't correct. You play an action in pursuit of an objective. Getting to London is the objective; buying a ticket on British Airways is an action in pursuit of that objective. Packing your clothes for the trip is an action in pursuit of that objective. Taking a taxi to the airport is an action in pursuit of that objective. You may have countless actions, one after the other, all in pursuit of the same objective. The idea is that you pursue the objective until you either achieve it, or until another objective takes its place. Your pilot has to land your airplane in the Hudson River? The heck with London, now you just want to get ashore without getting your laptop or Kindle wet. That is your new objective.

Action in pursuit of an objective is part of the equation of acting, but you need conflict (obstacle) in order to make the equation theatrical. You play an action in pursuit of an objective while overcoming an obstacle. Theatrical reality is not the same thing as regular reality. Regular reality is what you get at the spa or the mall. Theatrical reality has structure, form. Ideally, a director should be able to freeze frame actors on stage and ask each one what he is doing. The actor should be able to answer in theatrical terms - action, objective, and obstacle. This is, however, easier said than done. If stopped mid-performance and asked that question, an actor might reply for example, "I am listening to Leslie." "What's your objective?" "To hear what he has to say." Sigh .... To hear what the other character has to say is not a viable objective. Listening is an action, but the conversation between this fellow and Leslie presumably has some point to it. Words are just a tool, and acting has very little to do with words in the first place. "Why are you listening to Leslie?" "Okay, I want him to admit that he has been secretly dating my girlfriend." Bingo! That would be a viable objective. Either he will tell you, or he won't. See what I mean?

All of which brings us back to my original point. You can't learn how to act by reading a book. Now that you thoroughly understand what an objective is in acting, you need to get on a stage and start playing scenes. Soon enough, you will discover that it is not enough to just be truthful and natural and spontaneous. You are going to have to pursue objectives. With actions. While overcoming obstacles. Take it to the bank.