Mamet: "Work" and Oral Interpretation

"Work": Mamet says in this chapter that it is not necessary for actors to try and find deeper meaning within a play. They are simply supposed to speak the words that are written on the page. This confuses me a little; what about subtext? Does it not exist to Mamet? Does he also not like Dramaturgs? He doesn't seem to think that actors need to know the background of a play. I like Mamet, but he seems to be a little too minimalistic for my taste.

Oral Interpretation: I think that this chapter just answered my question about subtext. It seems to me that Mamet doesn't believe in it. He says, in a roundabout sort of way, that the only thing about the script is what is written on the page. That is it. "...the best service you can do is to accept the words as is, and speak them simply and clearly in an attempt to get what you want from the other actor." Point made. Check mate.

Mamet: Auditions & Paint By Numbers

Auditions: First of all, this chapter was a little bit confusing at first. Basically, Mamet is saying that he hates the audition process; an actor is expected to pretend that this is the performance, when it is not, "For much of the beauty of theatre, and much of the happiness, is in a communion with the audience." Mamet seems to really not like auditioning, but it's an essential part of theatre. It may be hard at times, but how else would things get accomplished? Some of the advice in this chapter is kind of common sense, such as saying things like "I was terrible" is not effective self-improvement. Well, of course it's not...but we're actors and we're always self-conscious. Personally, I think I'm usually self-conscious because I don't want people to think I have a big ego. I try to force myself to stay grounded and humble.

Paint By Numbers: Mamet hates rehearsals. I agree with him; I also loathe the rehearsal process. He also does not like school; this seems to be an overwhelming theme in this book. I partly agree with him in the fact that if you have a group of competent actors come together and know their parts, they need not rehearse for months on end. Shakespeare and his fellows did not rehearse for long, for instance. They also typically did not attend school. I think that if you are going to study a specific field in theatre (technical, playwriting, directing, etc.) then school would be benefitial. But, if you're studying acting, school isn't necessary. I may go to graduate school to focus on Shakespearen studies; that's another thing that could be helpful simply because the language is so very different.

Mamet: Business is Business

"Someone says character is the external life of the person onstage, the way that that person moves or stands or holds a handkerchief, or their mannerisms. But that person onstage is you. It is not a construct you are free to amend or mold. It's you. It is your character which you take onstage."
Another great quote! I think this makes a very good point and it's why it's hard for actors to get rid of the personal quirks while performing. Since every character you play is still you, it can be difficult to separate the character from yourself. I know that I have a problem with my hands while I act; I feel protected if I hold and play with my own hands. This is a hard thing for me to tear away from my acting.

What I got out of this chapter is that Mamet believes that one should always live in the moment and take each job they are offered, because they never know when the next job will come. This makes sense to me and that's what I'll end up doing.

Mamet: I'm On The Corner

This chapter confused me a little; and frightened me, too. Sure, it's fun to think about how you'll live an adventurous life while following all of your dreams. But, I tend to be a realist and I do not think this is necessarily realistic. I think that sometimes people may need something to fall back on. But I also agree with Mamet when he says, "Those with 'something to fall back on' invariably fall back on it. They intended to all along." That may be true. Personally, I won't really have something to "fall back on" if my intended acting career fails. The only thing I can think of (and hope does not happen) is going back to working guest services at a hotel. But I don't consider that something to fall back on. I consider that a skill that I may need in times of struggle.
The theatre world is a uncertain one. It's hard to ever know in any job if you will have it in a year, in five, or in ten.

Mamet: Find Your Mark

This chapter is about how Mamet believes that the act of performing is heroic. Mamet also believes that when people say they "can't" do things, it's not true. To quote him, "...every other 'I can't' excuse is engendered by the play because our suggestibility knows no limits." I think that this idea is an interesting one and I believe it partly. I think that maybe all that needs to be done is getting into the correct mindset. Actors frequently have difficulty putting their personal things behind them. I know that I do this, too. But that is also the beauty of acting...however badly your personal life may be going, you are then able to forget about it for a few hours. It's a comforting release.
"So wisdom consists in this: do not attribute feelings, act on them before attributing them, before negotiating with them, before saying, 'This is engendered by the play, this is not engendered by the play.' Act on them."
I am always finding nice quotes from this book. I think that Mamet makes a lot of good points in his book.

Silly London

The final chapter, horray! Anyway, this chapter talks about modern-day London. The chapter discusses the different opinions of Londoners; from people who believe that the growing Islamic community is dangerous, that the transportation system is horrid and the crime rate too high, to people who believe that the city has never been better or brighter. I'm looking forward to going there to find things out for myself; I'm sick of merely reading people's opinions about things I'm about to see. I want to see them for myself! The author distastes the Americanization of London and gives several examples as to why he dislikes them. I guess I can understand where he's coming from; I think that I would find it annoying if my city's administration was replacing classic places with new, foreign, uninteresting places.

London Cosmopolis

The first few paragraphs of this chapter are very interesting to me. The author discusses the many different people he encounters throughout the day; all who have different ethnical backgrounds, but are still considered Londoners. I think that this is amazing. I know that this is what America is supposed to be, too, but I have not encountered a whole lot of very different people in my life yet. Most of the people that I have met have been from English, German, Norweign, and Irish decent. I'm greatly looking forward to going to this large city with it's huge melting pot of culture. I can't wait to dip my toes in it, so to speak.
I also had no idea about the number of riots that took place around the city in the 1980s. There was a lot of racial tension throughout London and the topic of immigration was often to blame for these numerous riots, injuries, destruction, and deaths.