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A Roadmap to Behavior

Step two looking at acting scripts, focusing on behaviour and the how.

In this video Johan talks about using the text in the way that Meisner described as a roadmap to behavior.

When reading the script, you will get ideas about how your character is behaving. Try to express these ideas as active verbs. An active verb is a clear action that involves doing something to someone with the purpose of affecting them in some way.

Thinking in terms of active verbs is different from deciding how you’re going to say your lines. Since how we’re behaving is connected to the change we want to affect in the other person, our focus is still on them, and we’re still responding to whatever they’re doing in the moment.

Share your thoughts and experiences finding active verbs in the comments section below, and learn from your fellow students.
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Introduction to Acting

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