The 2 Most Important Acting Questions to Ask in a Scene

Acting Blog or Actors

The 2 Most Important Acting Questions to Ask in a Scene

I believe that the two most important questions you must ask yourself when breaking down a scene or a monologue are: 
“What does the character want?” and 
“Why do they want it?” 
If you can always start by answering these two important questions then you are 90 percent towards success in the scene. 
By answering these questions you will be more grounded in your work, more truthful and more importantly, more confident. The answers don't have to be perfect, and in many cases you make up the why, but all that matters is that it makes sense with the circumstances of the story and that it exists for you. If it exists for you, it will exist for the audience. 

This is true for any scene, whatever the medium, and no matter how big or small. And once the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of the the scene are answered, the ‘how’ takes care of itself. You will know how to fight for what you want once you know what it is you are fighting for, and why you are fighting for it.  
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