Theatre 3-4
Acting Techniques from the Masters: Michael Shurtleff
The Importance of Being Honest: Acting Techniques from the Masters
The following are excerpts from Dr. Mary Schuttler's class on the masters of acting technique.
Summary of Michael Shurtleff's contributions
Michael Shurtleff is famous for his “TWELVE GUIDEPOSTS to ACTING:
1. Relationships (How to create them on stag; Describe the relationship.)
2. Conflict (What are you fighting for?)
3. The Moment Before (What happens right before the scene starts, how to start a scene)
4. Humor (Find the humor in your scene, why jokes don’t work)
5. Opposite (Finding the hidden tension in your scene)
6. Discoveries ( Making things happen for the first time.
7. Communication and Competition (Reaching the other actor; What are you right
about and what is the other person wrong about? How will you make them change?)
8. Importance (Locating the dramatic score; What is the most important moment?)
9. Find the Events (What is really happening in the play? What is an Event that happens
in your piece that changes your relationship?)
10. Place (How does Place affect your behavior? Create your setting on a bare stage.)
11. Game Playing and Role Playing (What is your role in the play? What game do you
play?)
12. Mystery and Secret (What do you know that other don’t?)
Biography of Michael Shurtleff 19??-
/ “When Barbra STREISAND, Robert REDFORD, Lily TOMLIN (a native of Detroit), Bette MIDLER, and Dustin HOFFMAN got their first breaks Michael Shurtleff was there.” - back cover Audition by Michael ShurtleffWeb Bio: Charles Gordon Michael Shurtleff was born on July 3, 19 , in Oslo Norway, to Charles Joseph and Ruth Matheson-Shurtleff. After graduating from Austin High School in Chicago, Illinois, Michael earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Lawrence College. He then went on to study at the Yale University School of Drama, where he earned his Master of Fine Arts degree. Shurtleff served in the U. S. Army during World War II.
Before beginning his career in theater Michael Shurtleff worked as both a teacher and court reporter. He started work in the theater as a casting director and production assistant for William Hammerstein in 1957 through 1960, working on musicals for the New York City Center. Shurtleff served on Broadway as casting director on David Merrick Productions including “Gypsy” (1959), “Irma La Douce,” “A Taste of Honey,” “Becket,” and “Do Re Me” (all 1960), “Carnival!” (1961), “Stop the World I Want to Get Off” (1962), “Oliver!” (1963), “1776” (1969), “Jesus Christ, Superstar” (1971), “Pippin” (1972), and “Chicago” (1975). In 1963 Shurtleff became President of Casting Consultants NYC. This casting organization, under the reign of Shurtleff, has been responsible for casting “Any Wednesday,” and “Anyone Can Whistle” (both 1964) just to name a few.
In addition to casting the films “All the Way Home” (1963), “The Sound of Music” (who could forget the awesome performance by Julie Andrews in the 1965 Best Picture?!), “The Sand Pebbles” (1966), and the film version of “Jesus Christ, Superstar” (1973), Shurtleff wrote screenplays and directed “Call Me by My Rightful Name” (stage 1963, film 1973). He also cast the critically acclaimed television series starring George C. Scott and Cicely Tyson, “East Side/West Side” (1963), and the brilliant casting of Dustin Hoffman as the lead in the film “The Graduate” (1975). The role was intended for a “Robert Redford type” and this unconventional casting paved the way for many talented actors who weren’t necessarily good looking by Hollywood’s standards.
Dancer-choreographer-director Bob Fosse said that Shurtleff’s book, AUDITION (1978), is “absolutely indispensable to any aspiring, or even mildly ambitious, actor. There is NO book of which I am aware that gives an actor such first-rate, clear-cut, no-nonsense advice.”
Name: ______
Period: ______
Theatre 3-4
Shurtleff Acting Assignment
Taken from Beginning Acting Dr. Mary Schuttler University of Northern Colorado
Answer the following questions as thoroughly as possible.
.
1. Describe relationship. To whom are you speaking? How are you related? Where’s the love? The animosity? The emotional need?
2. In one specific sentence, answer this question: What are you fighting for?
3. Detail the Moment Before the scene starts.
4. Describe the use of humor in your scene or monologue.
5. Point to an example or two of the use of opposites. (moments of hidden tension)
6. Find at least 3 moments of Discovery. (“Ah ha! moments when your character has a
realization)
7. Highlight the moment of Communication in your scene or monologue. (When is there a breakthrough between you and the person to whom you are speaking?)
8. What are you right about and what is the other character wrong about? How
should the other person change?
9. Highlight the most significant moment of importance in the scene.
10. What is an event that happens in your piece that changes your relationship?
11. What is your setting? How does place affect your behavior?
12. What is your role in the play?
13. What is the name of the game in your scene/monologue?
14. Describe a moment of mystery and secret you use in the text.
REVIEW CHECK SHEET BEGINNING
ACTING
• Acting is about one character trying to get another character To Do
something
(Essential Action)
• Acting is about finding the reality of your acting choice adjustment, doing
or tactic in the behavior of the other (The Meisner Technique)
• Acting is about purposeful/truthful moment to moment destinations
(Hagen)
• Acting is about clarifying the moment of change (Spolin)
• Acting is also about communicating:
Relationship and Status: How we feel about the other?
The Fighting For: Pinpointing the triggers of Past Life.
Humor: Wit.
Opposites: Finding Playing the Opposite of the obvious.
Discoveries: The first time/light bulb moment.
Communication: Make sure you send and receive messages.
Competition: Pinpointing the Contest in the Scene.
Find the Events: Mark the changes and the why’s.
Place: Using the full realities of the where.
Game: What’s the style and what are the rules?
Role Playing: Who dominates and how does that alter choices?
Mystery and Secret: Using the delightful unknown as a tactic.
And, as always, Find The Love or Enjoyment at some level in every scene or monologue
Name: ______
Period: ______
Theatre 3-4
Shurtleff Acting Assignment
1.) Who is your character? (Who are you talking as/about/pretending to be?)
2.) Where are you (your character)?
3.) What does your character want more than anything in the world?