Earle Gister - LIKE A LASER

One of the greatest joys of being an actor is getting to know and be influenced by the people I've been fortune to cross paths with.  I guess that can be said about any path in life.  Still I have met some wonderful folks over the years.  Many great artists who have burned their memories on my heart so they are always with me. 

I'm lucky to say a few have been amazing mentors--teachers who have shaped and forever change my life.  One in particular is Earle Gister.

Earle was Chair of the Acting program when I was at Yale.  I've mentioned him in previous posts but this one is dedicated to him.  Earle passed away on Sunday, January 22nd.  While the news of his passing is sad I can't help but think of the thousands of talented actors that he was able to influence with his insight, wisdom, and passion.  He's personal passion was Chekhov and there he was a master.  Of course, his genius was not limited to Russian Realism.  His passion for acting and the actor transcended all periods and genres.  For me, before I met Earle, acting was something that I just did by the seat of my pants.  I had strong instincts but no way to control them.  No way to understand them.  No way to broaden my abilities.  Earle gave me the confidence and the tools to be fearless of material.  He helped me to DEFINE my aesthetics.  He helped me to discover HOW to achieve them.  Acting takes great discipline.  Anyone can wing it and have moments of success with their instincts.  But GREAT acting is achieved with work, play, creation, joy, artistry, passion, perspective, courage, and commitment.  Earle made me excited and honored to be an actor.  So to honor his memory I've gone through my notes from his class and selected a few gems.    

9-7-1996: Earle's first class was an introduction to the craft as he sees it.  He explained the need for it and the reason we do it.  TO HAVE FUN!  Like children at play without any fears or serious contemplation of why we play what we play.  We just play.

Characters are characters not human beings.  No complexity.  Functional.  Functional in the play.  A semblance of human beings.

Transformational Acting - changing the self to the Who Am I

Action = How I want to make you feel

Find the NEED to be there--the need to be with each character

Don't play obstacles

Vulnerability -- The reason for playing action

Threading -- Tie yourself to the objective and it will pull you through the play

Play the action until you must change it

Sources are outside of us--never language--others, furniture, surroundings

It's got to cost you something for it to mean something

Focus on the characters in the scene not the actors

Acting cannot occur when self judgment is present

Positives -- play them, negatives deny energy

Something we create not something that we live--it is an artifact

You are the artist.  You are empowered.  You are responsible for your choices.

The actor is in service of the playwright

Don't generalize.  Get specific.

Don't just KNOW the facts (the Given Circumstances) personalize them

Action is the character.  They are defined by WHAT they do.

If you walk out of rehearsal feeling depressed or beat up then you are not doing your job--HAVE FUN!!!

Don't write diaries about your Who Am I

Don't be a character at the mercy of the actor's attitudes

Behavior Acting - Playing attitudes of behavior...don't act the character's feelings

Interaction is the key to discovery

Characters can't hear--Actors hear

Take time--Beginnings are important

Focus on the DOING not the WHY of the doing

Point of focus is the objective not the obstacle

Play an action on every line

Do!  Don't show!

Behavior is no good unless it is organic!

Exercise Room not Performance Room

Recognition - find problem
Definition - Define problem
Solution - solve problem

The want pulls us not the language...we do not act the language we recreate an experience

The only way to judge your work is to focus on your partner

How you talk to yourself is enormously important!!

If you are vague or uncertain the work will also be vague and uncertain

Five minutes of imagination every day!

Objective must be doable

Hearing is a byproduct of want.

Trust the action!

Go into an audition with your choices!

Be Bold!!

Don't ask psychological questions.  Stick to simple questions...what I like, what I don't like.

Do one thing completely and simply

Imagination personalises action

Reflect AFTER your work not during

A character can do two things 1) Do it and do it some more 2) Do it and pay for it.

Trust your work.  Trust your partner.

Don't play subtext...exist in it.

Like a laser!!

Never be afraid of the material.  Exercises everything.  Confront; go to the places you don't want to go.

"We shall find peace.  We shall hear the angels, we shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds.  We shall see all the evils of this life, all our own suffering, vanish in the flood of mercy which will fill the whole world.  And then our life will be calm and gentle, sweet as a caress." -Uncle Vanya

Thank you for your passion and inspiration!

Earle Gister

(1934-2012)