The Seventh Commandment

1. The Seventh Commandment Kendra, Megan, Crystal, Victoria, Maddy, Stephanie

2. Thou Shalt remember the magic if termsto know • Double Function- the ability of the actor/actress to accept the imaginary truth in the face of the actual truth • Emotion Memory- the feelings evoked when recalling a past experience in order to associate emotionally with an on stage situation • Imagination-the area of the mind that controls the creation and manipulation of facts, which can make a character or scene more interesting and believable • The Magic If- the question an actor/actress asks himself/herself in an attempt to relate on a truthful level with his/her character; it is the actor/actress taking the given circumstance and asking, “ If this were true for me, how would I react?”

3. Thou Shalt remember the magic if terms to know • Theatrical Reality- a new reality created onstage by he actor’s/actress’ imagination, in which actual reality is preempted by the given circumstance of the play • Truth- the state in which the actor/actress wholly believes the given circumstances surrounding his/her character in the play, thus, transmitting that belief to the audience

4. Thou Shalt remember the magic if imagination • As actors we MUST have imagination, after all we are on stage with cardboard scenery and bright lights • We need the imagination of a child- alive and vibrant- like fighting off the evil dragon and saving the princess! • Our imaginations justify ourselves in allowing us to believe in these false truths of theatre • According to Stanislavski there is no actuality on stage • Theatrical Reality can be achieved through imagination, more importantly the Magic If. • By the end of this presentation you should realize that theatre is all about your imagination

5. Thou Shalt remember the magic if • The concept is fairly simple, in fact it is almost too easy! • It plainly means that in taking on a character, and all it’s given circumstances, and ask yourself “If this were true for me, how would I react?” • The only difficulty is in the sense of truth you give these circumstances along with your commitment to that truth. • As Peter Pan once said “You have to believe!”

6. Thou Shalt remember the magic if • EX: A plastic gun, it doesn’t have the feel of a real gun- cold, steely, dense, etc. Nevertheless, theatrical reality can be achieved by using imagination to motivate your inner belief that it is an actual gun. If you don’t believe, your audience won’t believe. Ask yourself things like: • “If this were a real gun, what would it feel like in my hand?” • “If this were a real gun, would I carry it more cautiously?” • “If this were a real gun…” • In asking these questions, when considered honestly, work on our emotion memory, or the feelings we associate with past experiences. Truth will inject to your performance as you move from reality to theatrical reality.

7. Thou Shalt remember the magic if • Truth is not the truth until you believe it. • The gun will remain plastic until you believe it is real. When you imagination enables your emotion memory, the weight of the gun and you fear will be fathomable to the audience. • If you truly believe that a gun is a deadly weapon you will handle it as such, and in turn, the audience will except it as such. • Once you are able to juggle this double function, you will be able to get the essence of a great actor/actress

8. Thou Shalt remember the magic if • Double Function refers to the actor/actress knowledge of the actual truth, accompanied by his/her belief in imaginary truth • Reality is something we are forced to accept, but its when we are able to replace that with imaginative circumstances where new reality can exist: a theatrical reality • When this new reality is approached, with the sense of truth , sincere emotion will be expressed. • We must hone our imaginations, discipline ourselves to reject reality and accept theatrical reality through our onstage imaginations

9. Thou Shalt remember the magic if Activity ACTIVITY TIME

10. Thou Shalt remember the magic if Activity 6. Now, open the orange using your finger tips. 7. Peel back the rind feeling the pulp back underneath your nails. 8. Rip off a wedge and place it in your mouth. 9. Really taste the fruit as you chew it. Now swallow. 10. Feel it slither down the back of your throat on its way to your stomach. 11. Now open your eyes.

11. Thou Shalt remember the magic if Activity • Conducting experiments like this is utilizing the Magic If. • If you didn’t get the real truthful experience today that is okay. You imagination takes time to hone. • Keep trying until you do get that experience. • Once you have stretched out your imagination , you will find that your sense memory will be quicker to arouse • The powerful tool of the Magic If will greatly reward your acting process.

12. Thou Shalt remember the magic if Activity • Close your eyes and put your hands out, palms up. Imagine that you are holding an orange and really try to see it in your mind • The orange is large and bright with a shiny skin. Do you see it? • Feel its skin. It is soft to the touch – quite juicy. • Bring it closer to your face with both hands, keeping your eyes closed • Smell its sent. The citrusy fragrance is more brilliant, isn’t it?

13. Thou Shalt remember the magic if Quotes • “ Truth on stage is whatever we can believe with sincerity, whether in ourselves or in our colleagues. Truth cannot be separated from belief , nor belief from the truth… and with out both of them it is impossible to live your part, or to create anything. Believe in what you say or do on the stage and you will be convincing…” - Page 94 • “ From the moment of the appearance of [the Magic] If, the actor[actress] passes from the plane of actual reality into the plane of another life, created and imagined by him[her]…” - Page 94

14. Thou Shalt remember the magic if Quotes • “In order to be emotionally involved in the imaginary world which the actor[actress] builds on the basis of a play, in order to be caught up in the action on the stage, he[she] must believe in it… This does not mean he[she] should give himself[herself] up to anything like hallucinations,… He[she] does not forget that he[she] is surrounded by scenery and props… He[she] ask himself[herself]: ‘But if this were real, how would I react? What would I do?’… And normally, naturally… this If acts as a lever to lift him[her] into a world… of creativity…” - Page 94

15. Thou Shalt remember the magic if Quotes • “A sense of truth is the best stimulus to emotion, imagination, creativeness… ”– Page 126 • “At the base of every art is a reaching out for the artistic truth. The actor[actress] must believe in everything that takes place on the stage and most of all… in what he[she] is doing one can believe only truth…” – Page 126 • “ There is no such thing as actuality on stage. Art is the product of the imagination, as the work of a dramatist should be. The aim of the actor[actress] should be to turn the play into theatrical reality… Everything must be real in the imaginary life of an actor[actress].” – Page 126

16. Thou Shalt remember the magic if Quotes • “If imagination plays such as important part in an actor’s[actress’] work, what can he[she] can do if he lacks it? He[she] must develop or leave the stage… It all depends on what kind of imagination you have… The kind that has initiative… will work… untiringly, whether you are awake or asleep. Then there is a kind that lacks initiative, but is easily aroused.” – Page 75 • “ Every invention of the actor’s[actress’] imagination must be thoroughly worked out… It must be able to answer all the questions (when, where, why, how) that he[she] asks himself[herself] when he[she] is driving his[her] inventive faculties on to make a more and more definite picture of a make believe existence.” – Page 76

17. Thou Shalt remember the magic if QUIZ • Are all “Magic If” questions ok? T/F • Is the imagination important for this commandment? T/F • Should you know your character before or after you ask the “ Magic If questions? • Should all actors do this to better understand their character? • What is the “ Magic If”? • What is Double Function? • What is Emotion Memory? • What is Theatrical Reality?

18. Thou Shalt remember the magic if Quiz • What us Truth? • What are our names?