Bad Intellectual Actor…Bad?

Over the years I have read several acting books where famous teachers have railed against actors intellectualizing about the work.  In my own experience I have been told by educators time and time again that I think too much.  Then not that long ago, I was discussing with a fellow cast mate about a challenge I was facing with my character in a play we were rehearsing.  I was hung up on the objective for a particular scene and it was producing a block.  When I explained my predicament he immediately went into lecturing me that I was being too intellectual--that I needed to make the "discovery" in rehearsal AND planning what to do before hand is always bad.  But something about this just does not sit right with me.  How can you blindly discover how to fulfill your purpose?  If this isn't real life and your character has a function--then does it not make sense to show up with an idea of the direction of that function?  So...

Is "intellectual" a bad word for actors?

Right off, I will address my own experience about thinking too much and say--after years of fighting the battle--I DO think too much.  I can accept that and acknowledge that this is my artistic cross to bear.  BUT what I also discovered--when I was totally honest with myself--was that my "thinking" too much was really all about insecurity.  I doubt this is an issue that I face alone.  In fact, it was an issue that prompted Stanislavsky, and many other acting giants, to seek ways of redirecting the actor's focus AWAY from their insecurities to produce a truthful acting experience.  So what did I learn in my case?  For me, I was always thinking about being validated.  I wanted to impress.  My hopes were that as a result of pleasing those I was performing for (the audience, the director, and my fellow actors) then I would gain acceptance and have value.  Well OBVIOUSLY this is thinking too much but it is thinking too much about the WRONG things.  Maybe I'm being too honest about my experience but I hope my honesty will help open the eyes of others who share the same challenge.  No one is immune to fear and insecurities but it is how we deal with them that define our artistic character.  We must stand against the power these emotions wield over our actions so we can stay true to our purpose.  If I'm intellectualizing and EDITING my acting choices with the "approval" of the audience in mind--then I am not fulfilling my responsibility to the character and the story.  And that IS bad.  But this is a symptom of my fear and not a result of my creativity.  So is intellectualizing still a bad thing?

-It must be because we all know that planning ahead always results in bad acting.  Truth is discovered in rehearsal--right? 

Well...sort of.  Sure, I get where this all comes from.  It has to do with "thinking" verses "doing."  Doing is active.  Thinking is static.  Thinking gets in the way of truthful acting and creates too many road blocks for spontaneity during performance.  All true.  FOR PERFORMANCE.  But rehearsals are another story all together.  To begin with you CANNOT go into rehearsal with a plan that only prescribes you making the choices you discovered while sitting at home the night before--looking over your lines--and expect everyone to go along with it.  Truth comes from a believable give and take with ALL of your fellow actors on stage.  Without it acting turns mechanical and behavioral.  All fine acting is inspired from outside of you and is returned from within you but is never about you.  While it is true, rehearsals are the place to discover what works--it is also the place where you discover what DOES NOT work.  It is a place to fail.  A place to experiment.  But like every experiment you have to bring theories to the laboratory.  These are the choices which are informed by your homework.  I don't care how "in the moment" you are--if you don't know what your character is in the room for then what's the point?  Actors should be armed with an infinite number of choices.  They should never just "show up" and expect the magic to happen because that kind of magic can't be trusted.  And actors should never sit by and wait for someone to TELL them what their character's objectives and tasks are either.  It is better to be "wrong" than to show up empty handed.  Because at the end of the day, discovering spontaneity in rehearsal is all about "setting" that spontaneity for production.  And once it is set then it is your job to relive that spontaneity time and time and time again by making what appears the same discovery over and over again.  In order to do this you need technique and a road map.

HERE is where the intellect is not a bad thing.  I'm not of the opinion that actors should be emotional blunt instruments to be led around by our noses.  We have to understand the story and our part in it.  It is what gives each of us ownership of our creativity.  So let's be clear what the "intellect" is.

intellect: the power or faculty of the mind by which one knows or understands, as distinguished from that by which one feels and that which one wills; the understanding; the faculty of thinking and acquiring knowledge.

When I read this definition it makes sense why so many acting philosophies are against it.  Most acting schools of thought are associated with emotions and feelings versus the mind and thought.  At this point the actor who thinks too much is told to be a director.  But your Actor/Self has to KNOW and UNDERSTAND what your Actor/Character's purpose is to the story.  Understanding that purpose does not create the character's emotional life but it will set you in the line of fire for conflict that will.  This brings me back to choices.  One thing to always remember is we can never be so bold as to be married to our choices.  As many writers will tell you--sometimes you have to kill your babies.  It's the same with actors.  So always have more than one ready to go because your choices are the only creative power you have as an actor.  Which means the more the choices the greater your creative contribution.  I should however offer a word of caution about using the word "power" here.  It should not send the wrong message.  This is not an "us against them" thing.  Actors are NEVER against the writer and director or ANYONE within the creative or production team.  Still we are IN SERVICE of their vision and when that service asks for OUR contribution we must deliver.  AND we must remember that in the end it is our responsibility to sacrifice our choices to their direction.  Always.  This is WHY when you show up with an endless amount of choices--each choice you offer versus the ones you are given--strengthens your creative investment.  That personal stake is what connects us to the work.  So in that respect your choices give YOU the power of creation.

-But you still have to discover each moment in rehearsal!

I'm not disputing the fact that ALL choices are fulfilled within rehearsal.  But they can be revealed through other means.  So what might that be--what can inform or inspire your choices?  Your HOMEWORK!  As I mentioned above, your homework is understanding everything about your character and their purpose to the story.  Who they are?  Where they are?  What they want?  Their objectives and the tasks they need to fulfill their purpose--and ALL of that is within the lines of the text.  The actor HAS to "discover" these things before they ever show up to rehearsal.  You MUST bring all that information with you each day.  This is where the INVISIBLE WORK starts to saturate your Actor/Self.  This is where your choices are born.  Like seeds they start to grow.  Sure you may be struck by inspiration one night while going over the script and think--"EUREKA, I've struck acting choice gold!"  That's not a bad thing!  But you can't FORCE it to work!  My idea of intellectual homework for the actor is like preparing for a long road trip.  You collect maps and local guide books.  You make lists of supplies.  You pack what you think you'll need.  You know the general direction you want to go and are prepared for whatever might come your way.  BUT since you are not taking this trip alone--you have to bring all your proposals and present them to your travel companions before anything can be decided.  You have to travel together.

Over the decades the focus of acting has centered on emotion, psychology, and reacting.  We are all taught to be truthful, honest, and organic through exercises that concentrate on the Actor/Self.  This is incredibly evident here in America.  The influence the Actor's Studio and Strasberg had on the legacy of acting in this country is palpable.  In my opinion, since its inception the "method" has done nothing but continue to churn out personality actors who dangerously flirt with damaging psychological techniques.  I do not deny the vital importance of emotion in acting.  Or the necessity of organic creation.  Or that honest reacting is a major component of the acting experience!  But with so much focus given to emotional recall and sensitivity I wonder if we have narrowed the actor's range and potential?  Are actors becoming blunt instruments instead of artists?

So is being considered an intellectual actor STILL a bad thing?

Not at all.  I believe that actors should be intelligent "thinking actors" who are in charge of their process.  Creators who use the text as a road map for their performance while at the same time capable of being emotionaly present and alive in the moment--TRUE.  It is important to understand and KNOW your character's purpose.  It is part of your Actor/Self's duty as you hover between nature and your sketch of it.  BUT it is important to know THAT is as far as your intelect must be allowed.  And here is where things get tricky.  Your intelect cannot cross over into your character.  Once the Actor/Character--your creation--is alive you must forget all about everything that you know.  I know this sounds imposible to do but once you have an understanding of what your character's purpose is then all your choices will come to the aid of that purpose.  It will no longer be an intelectual idea but a very personal need that drives your character THROUGH the story.  The marvoulous thing is that THIS event is what the "magic" feels like.  I believe this is the sensation of inspiration.  The truth is that THIS is technique!  If you ever find yourself lost by returning to your intellect--where your mind understands the direction that your creation is going--then you will always find your way back to TRUTH.