Why does the author advise against using the word 'attitude' in acting?

Correct answer: Attitudes are not something an actor can actively play.

Explanation

This question highlights the author's strong stance against focusing on 'attitude', which is seen as an unplayable abstraction that hinders genuine action.

Other questions

Question 1

What does the author state is the result of the sum total of the actions (what you do from moment to moment)?

Question 3

What did Clifford Odets explain was the reason for the highly descriptive stage directions in the printed version of 'The Country Girl'?

Question 4

How does the author redefine the word 'how' in the context of discovering real action?

Question 5

What is the key difference between 'really doing something' and 'mechanically doing it'?

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT one of the three categories for objectives and obstacles discussed in the chapter?

Question 7

In the breakdown of Lyubov Andreyevna from 'The Cherry Orchard', what is the stated obstacle to her objective of wanting to keep her home and the cherry orchard?

Question 8

What action does the author say Lyubov Andreyevna will take to achieve her objective of keeping her home?

Question 9

According to the author, what is the 'first beat' for Lyubov Andreyevna in Scene One of 'The Cherry Orchard'?

Question 10

What is the author's advice regarding an actor's approach to their work?

Question 11

What analogy does the author use to describe the relationship between actions, beats, phrases, and movements in a play?

Question 12

What does the author remember most about John Barrymore's performance in the recording of 'Hamlet'?

Question 13

The author states that real action is NOT which of the following?

Question 14

What practical step does the author recommend to avoid the trap of playing adjectives from stage directions?

Question 15

In the author's anecdote about the play 'The Country Girl', what accidental stage event helped the action of a fight scene?

Question 16

What does the author compare an actor watching their own performance to?

Question 17

In the example from 'The Cherry Orchard', which of these is one of the obstacles Lyubov Andreyevna faces in Scene One during her homecoming?

Question 18

What is the author's guiding principle when testing a potential action for a character?

Question 19

What was 'overpoweringly selective' and memorable about the actions of great actors like Duse, according to the author?

Question 20

What is the author's view on an actor playing a character's need to 'get someone's attention'?

Question 21

What does the author suggest will happen if an actor selects adjectives like 'passionately' or 'shyly' as part of their acting score?

Question 22

The chapter lists six overall character objectives and their corresponding actions for Lyubov Andreyevna in 'The Cherry Orchard'. Which of these is NOT among them?

Question 23

What is the author's primary criticism of the word 'reacting' in the context of acting?

Question 24

What happens to the nature of an action when an actor finds particular adjustments to elements like the person, object, or circumstance?

Question 25

According to the chapter, what should an actor do when threatening to walk out on another character in a scene?

Question 26

What is the consequence of all the preparatory homework and rehearsal work if it does not lead to action?

Question 27

What active verb does the author suggest as a possible action for a character experiencing 'old age'?

Question 28

In the author's example, what action might a character take to win someone over?

Question 29

What does the author state is the 'fulfillment of our character’s wishes juxtaposed against the circumstances and the other characters’ wishes'?

Question 30

In the provided list of overall actions for Lyubov Andreyevna, what will she do in response to her need for her lover, who is in Paris and using her?

Question 31

What is the author's main point about the action of 'Duse's film, Ashes,' where she confronts her grown son?

Question 32

According to the author, what is the 'main objective' for Lyubov Andreyevna in Scene One?

Question 33

The author suggests that your selection and execution of actions will be the determining factor of what?

Question 34

What is the danger of a misguided actor who finds an objective and then 'rides or floats toward it with his attitude'?

Question 35

What kind of verb should an actor look for when discovering real action?

Question 36

What is defined in the chapter as 'what you do from moment to moment'?

Question 37

In the analogy of the symphony, what do the individual actions represent?

Question 38

An actor's homework and rehearsal must have their consequence in actions, or what?

Question 39

How many overall character objectives are listed as examples for Lyubov Andreyevna in 'The Cherry Orchard'?

Question 40

Which of these is presented as an action Lyubov Andreyevna will take to deal with 'unpleasant reality'?

Question 41

The author criticizes playing the 'mood' of a scene by stating that, spelled backwards, 'mood' is what?

Question 42

What is the author's response to actors and teachers who reject the word 'how' because they believe it leads to adjectives?

Question 43

What action does the text suggest a mouse might cause a character to do?

Question 44

What does the author state is what acting is all about?

Question 45

In the 'Cherry Orchard' example, what is the action Lyubov Andreyevna will take in the first beat to achieve her objective of getting into the nursery?

Question 46

What playwright is noted for giving the actor 'no adjectives' in their scripts?

Question 47

What should an actor leave 'wide open' in the execution of an action?

Question 48

How many categories for objectives and obstacles does the author divide the character's hunt into?

Question 49

What is the author's final advice in the section on working positively?

Question 50

In the author's hierarchy of actions, what do the beats make up?