Improvisation
50 questions available
Questions
What does the author describe as the "ice-cold shower-shock" that can be a problem for actors, including great stars?
View answer and explanationAccording to the author, what are the two incorrect, extreme ways that actors typically handle the shock of an entrance?
View answer and explanationWhat are the three essential questions an actor should answer in their preparation immediately before making an entrance?
View answer and explanationWhat is the author's stated goal for an entrance, summarized by the phrase "I want to be in, not on!"?
View answer and explanationIn the first example of the entrance exercise, what is the actor's first and immediate objective after getting out of bed in the morning?
View answer and explanationWhen applying the entrance exercise to scene work in a play, the author states that off-stage stimuli and doings will have little or no value unless they serve what purpose?
View answer and explanationHow many additional principles does the author list for applying the entrance exercise to scene work with a character in a play?
View answer and explanationThe author provides an example of an actor playing a fight manager who solved his entrance problem and transformed his character by imagining what specific circumstance?
View answer and explanationWhat play does the author mention in the final paragraph as featuring a magical and memorable first entrance by the actress Laurette Taylor?
View answer and explanationAccording to the author, what is the negative consequence of simply paying lip service to the three preparation steps or mechanically clicking them off?
View answer and explanationWhat incorrect backstage behavior does the author warn against, where an actor considers themselves a "pro" who doesn't need preparation?
View answer and explanationWhat does the author suggest an actor must convince themselves of with "true innocence" while waiting backstage for their cue?
View answer and explanationIn one of the entrance exercise variations involving the kitchen, what event causes the actor to enter laughing?
View answer and explanationWhat is the second principle for applying the entrance exercise to scene work, concerning the character's state of being?
View answer and explanationLaurette Taylor's memorable entrance in the play "Outward Bound" is described as magical because she came onto the stage in what specific manner?
View answer and explanationWhat is a key assumption the author makes about the actor before they even begin the three-step preparation backstage?
View answer and explanationIn the example of coming home on a crisp October day, what is the immediate event happening as the actor stands outside their front door?
View answer and explanationWhat does the third principle for applying the entrance exercise state about the nature of an actor's personal preparation?
View answer and explanationAccording to the fourth principle of application, under what condition might an entrance be chosen for its own sake rather than as an essential beginning for the total scene?
View answer and explanationWhat specific backstage activity does the author describe as a "disaster" for an actor waiting in the wings?
View answer and explanationThe author's goal for the entrance is to create "a continuance of your life." What does this phrase mean in the context of the exercise?
View answer and explanationIn the first variation of the kitchen entrance example, what physical action is the actor performing in Step 2 while standing outside the door?
View answer and explanationTo what kind of person, who must warm up for an event, does the author compare herself when discussing preparation?
View answer and explanationIn the example of arriving home to a ringing phone, what does the actor do with their coat immediately after frantically getting the door open?
View answer and explanationThe author states that spontaneity and a feeling of immediacy can only be achieved if the actor does what?
View answer and explanationWhat is the nature of the "added dimension" to an entrance, which the author describes under the fifth principle of application?
View answer and explanationIn the final entrance example provided in the chapter, what does the actor see on the welcome mat that causes them to shiver in disgust and alter their entrance?
View answer and explanationWhat advice does the author give to an inexperienced actor regarding personal preparation for an entrance?
View answer and explanationWhat is the ultimate positive result of the correct and repetitive execution of the entrance exercise, according to the author?
View answer and explanationIn the initial example involving an early morning entrance into a kitchen, what does the actor do in Step 3 that constitutes the entrance itself?
View answer and explanationWhat is the author's stated purpose in having the actor choose 'primitive' examples for the entrance exercise to begin with?
View answer and explanationIn the example of coming home to a ringing phone, what does the actor discover is the reason their keys fell?
View answer and explanationWhat does the author identify as the final action of Laurette Taylor's entrance in 'Outward Bound' that completed the moment?
View answer and explanationWhen making an entrance in a play, the actor must come in with the expectancy of the character's life and encounter what?
View answer and explanationIn the kitchen entrance example, what is the actor's assumed off-stage action in Step 1?
View answer and explanationWhy does the author state that 'Victory is not a result of panting and puffing and tensing up'?
View answer and explanationWhat problem might arise if an actor is the only one in a production using the 'added dimension' of imagining something like walking into a gale?
View answer and explanationIn one variation of the entrance exercise, what is the assumed action of Step 1 that leads the actor to enter the kitchen singing loudly?
View answer and explanationThe author contrasts the task of "entering" with the goal of creating what?
View answer and explanationWhat does the author suggest to 'empty yourself like a vessel' before an entrance?
View answer and explanationIn the example of the fight manager, what was the actor's initial problem with the role that the 'added dimension' helped to solve?
View answer and explanationWhat physical feature of the set is central to the description of Laurette Taylor's entrance in 'Outward Bound'?
View answer and explanationWhat is the author's response to an actor wondering why their entrance was only successful 'three out of eight first entrances in a week'?
View answer and explanationThe chapter's title, 'Three Entrances', refers to what?
View answer and explanationIn the example of coming home to the ringing phone, what does the actor do when the wrong key is being used in the door?
View answer and explanationWhat must be 'fully done' to avoid muddling an entrance or creating anxiety?
View answer and explanationWhat is the very first action described in the second set of entrance examples, where the actor is coming home on a crisp October day?
View answer and explanationThe author emphasizes that the usefulness of the entrance exercise can go beyond preparation by making the actor examine what?
View answer and explanationWhy does an actor who is already on stage when the curtain rises have an advantage over an actor who must make an entrance?
View answer and explanationWhat does the author suggest an actor must be tuned into for their off-stage preparations to have value?
View answer and explanation