“Read it. Then I read it. Then I do more reading of it.” – Maggie Reed, Acting Sitcom Coach “I tend to read it first from the perspective of someone who hadn’t just been cast.” – Brandi
Alyssa Young, Actress
“First time through, I’m trying to step back and get some perspective on the whole work before i start tunneling in… Experiencing it more as an audience member.” — Cynthia Granville, Actress
3. Get A Sense Of Your Character Within The Script. After you have read the overall story through once, then most actors tend to go back and read the script again! However, it is in this second time of reading the script that the overall sense of the character you have been cast in emerges. Questions about who your character is and what their relation to the plot is are now able to be brought into question.
“When I read a script I question every person, place and thing. What does that item mean to him/ her that he chose to ask for it? Why that place, what does it represent? I figure out all of the relationships between every character that’s referenced in the script. And the previous circ*mstances and what will happen afterwards. I don’t get hung up on the actual lines, I just try to understand what’s happening (the story) and break it down into sections having a theme (what’s the objective?) for each chunk.” — Steven St. Pierre, Actor
4. Do Any Other Necessary Research. While the script can provide the actor with essential details about their character, it can also being hinting at information that’s not necessarily spelled out for you. That’s where outside research and even the imagination can come into play. Whether you need to better understand a time period, a profession, a lifestyle, or even how your character came to be the way they are, now is the time to do that. You’re taking this time to build upon the foundation you have already initially laid out.
“…Examine all the who, what, where, whys, of what’s going on for my character in each scene. Making mental or written notes on all the unanswered questions I have so when I’m at the first read I am ready to ask about those questions. Also do research on that time period if it is not present day and take a look at the author’s other work to get clues on how they work/think.” — Rosalie Tenseth, Actress
“I’ll then do some research (on the profession of the person, time and setting, who they’re speaking to etc.) And then I go through a series of why questions. I also like to create backstories if I have time. I’ll go back as far as childhood if necessary because it’s so interesting to me…down to how many cousins they have, a memorable birthday party, etc.” — Courtney Williams, Actress
5. Get The Script On It’s Feet. There’s no better way to tackle a new script then by actually working on it! Throw away all of the nitty gritty details of your character, listen to the actor reading opposite you, and live spontaneously in the moment. Don’t think about what inflection should be used for each line. At this point, you can trust that you know your character and the
