Inner Monologue in Acting

R. Roznowski

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9781137354280, 9781137354273
• eBook ISBN: 9781137354297
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Art General

What should an actor be thinking onstage? This overlooked, important question is the crux of this new book that combines psychological theory, numerous practical exercises, and a thorough and wide-reaching examination of inner monologue in various forms including film, musical theatre, and comedy.

1

Acting

May We Agree?

May we agree that good acting contains vulnerability, honesty, rawness, flexibility, compassion, responsiveness, and boldness? If you don’t believe acting is any of these things, then read no further and explore other methodologies. Any teacher or book is merely a guide that allows you to find your personal way of accessing the truth. Truth in acting holds varying definitions so you must find your best entrance into creating honesty onstage. For some, it is inner monologue.

This is not a new pathway or even a novel concept. Inner monologue holds a brief mention in most acting texts. What I expand upon in this book is the importance of having thoughtful, conceptual, and vulnerable actors who live on stage or screen with depth, complexity, and obstacles. All of this is achieved or enhanced by inner monologue.

I yearn for a fleet of actors who understands and appreciates the basic elements of human psychology. Who embrace the idea that we are never inert. Who are constantly in motion, in critical need and in recognition of motivation. In order to best represent our full human selves onstage, we must tap into the source of a basic element that drives us and our most intimate and honest expression—inner monologue.

May We Accept?

May we accept that inner monologue is that constant stream of pure thought that drives our conscious, subconscious, and unconscious lives? Inner monologue is the voice within our heads that commands, prods, guides, inhibits, consoles, and never rests. Inner monologue is our best friend and our worst enemy, our moral compass and our ethical barometer. Even our dreams paint portraits related to our inner monologue. If this intrigues you, read on.

How can we harness what is true? The ugly? The vulnerable? The reality that is within each of us? How can we best represent honesty? The answer to me and to countless others is inner monologue.

I wish to share what has worked for me as actor, director, and educator and what has given pause and depth to actors in productions and students in classes. I in no way suggest that this is the ultimate answer to acting. I do, however, avow that this overlooked approach is a new way of enhancing the tried (and in some cases tired) methodologies of acting.

What is it that makes an actor special? Analytical skills? Sense of humor? Ethics? Honesty? Knowledge? Point of view? All are true. Any of these can be enhanced by a closer attention to the detail within inner monologue.

Do not get me wrong; I believe that a character wants something (an objective or goal) and a character has ways to get there (a tactic or action) and there are things that prevent her/him from achieving this (obstacles or blocks). The connective tissue for each of these concepts is inner monologue.

I do not suggest discarding the established methods that have been the hallmarks of my acting, directing, and teaching. These are the basics of the traditional Western method. I do suggest the addition of a new way of approaching performance, direction, or coaching to assist an actor in finding new levels in her or his work. Inner monologue is offered as an augmentation, a supplement to an actor’s standard approach.

I wish (as I hope you do) for a better world of honest, reactive, and vulnerable actors. Inner monologue can assist with getting us there.

May We Align?

May we align our purposes? Whether you are reading this book as actor, director, or educator, the end result is the same—honest acting. The goal is similar, but the rationale may be different.

My goal as actor is to never settle for the same old choices, but rather have a variety of options ready to go at the audition or in the rehearsal room. In order to initially get the job or be hired again by the same producers, I aim to create a reputation for unfettered imagination combined with technique that allows great work.

My goal as director is to make an actor in a production seem to truly inhabit the world we (playwright, designer, and all collaborators) have created. That means creating a shared version of style, environment, stakes, and logic through deeper interaction with the cast. I aim to create a unified production that answers the needs of the script.

My goal as educator is to expand actors’ current choices by developing their standard analysis. I must push an actor to test his or her boundaries, explore new strategies, and try various options. I aim to create a class where students can invent many justified versions of the same scene in order to fully connect with their partner.

For actors, my aim is to give you the tools for deep and complicated work that allows you to create communion with your partner and the text.

For directors, my aim is to ensure you have seamless transitions and honest moments of clarity and depth onstage.

For educators, my aim is to offer you options that test your students to always remain alive onstage and prove that they have done their homework.

No matter the reasoning for reading thus far, you must understand that this book and its musings and exercises have three very different audiences in mind. My hope is that you will explore it from these various vantage points and appreciate its main emphasis: the creation of honest and thoughtful acting.

2

Inner Monologue (IM) in Basic Psychology

Certainly any book on Inner Monologue (IM) must answer the most basic psychological question: where does IM come from? Dr. Christopher Hopwood from Michigan State University’s Department of Psychology states:

I guess the short answer to your question is that, as far as I know, there are no well-accepted theories about where inner monologue comes from. We certainly have theories, just not unanimity. For instance, whereas social and clinical psychologists might tend to emphasize the role of motivation (but disagree about how conscious the motivation likely is), cognitive psychologists would likely focus on memory and information processing.

Inner monologue; interior monologue; conscience; good angel vs. bad angel; voices in your head; stream of consciousness, free association, underthoughts; a conversation with oneself; subvocalization; cognitive linguistics; language of thought; libido: no matter what the theoretical or colloquial label, the result is the same—a constant, nearly uninterrupted flow of thoughts that occur in every person’s mind. For actors, the trick is understanding, harnessing, and adapting their personal inner thoughts in order to create the IM for the character they portray. For the director, learning to speak this most intimate interior language with the actors paves the way for more depth in discussing performance and a compelling connection to the cast. For educators, the goal is to assist a student in understanding the nuances of the individual personal IM and character IM.

In the basest of psychological terms, IM can be traced to the fundamental subconscious of any person. This subconscious metaphorical pinball game of contemplation whizzes from thought to thought, based on stimuli and free association. With IM, one thought leads effortlessly (or some might say, with great effort) to the next. The basic transaction of thought occurs spontaneously and sometimes defies words. Your IM can be comprised of ironic musical phrases, images of past lovers, or the recalled smell of a favorite ingredient.

Examine a few common tasks:

Reading a message from an old friend sparks various actions—this unexpected pleasure may take you to the memory of the last time you were together. To play your shared favorite song. To look at a picture from years ago. To remind you to write to another acquaintance. To find the link of the video you wanted to share with him. To check your sent messages to see whether you were the last to correspond. And there the original message awaits; unreturned.

Shopping online—you start searching your favorite site for the shoes you must have. You see a sale at a different site and click on it. That reminds you to check the movie listings. A banner ad catches your attention so you click and follow that like Alice down the rabbit hole.

Looking up news on your computer—reading a story may trigger you to click a new tab that catches your attention. Once in this new window, you may be distracted by an unrelated headline in the lower portion of your computer screen. This story makes you seek further information and definitions that could go on endlessly if time allowed and curiosity was unabated.

Your brain allows a series of “unexplainable” clicks that are ultimately unrelated to the original task. Your browser history may actually give you tangible proof of how your inner thoughts ricochet tangentially. You perform these tasks in outward silence while your loud IM drives you to other necessary or seemingly unrelated zones.

While these thoughts offer circumstantial proof of how your IM works, let your mind wander next time you take a shower. This private time is exactly that. In the spirit of full disclosure, here is part of my recent IM when showering: I have to call her about the audition for that boy . . . was she mad? Seems—get that quote. Email—unfair. Shock absorbers. Laundry. Sigh. Warm. Too warm. Oh, damn, I forgot. You’re late! While not compelling playwriting, it makes sense to me (the main character). It offers a glimpse into the fractured way in which my mind connects the incongruent thoughts that infect my brain for a second before floating away to be replaced by new ones. Free association.

Sigmund Freud used the concept of free association in his work. In basic terms, a patient was asked to allow his mind to wander and verbalize her/his inner thoughts. (Author’s note: for future reference I will use the terms “her” or “his” interchangeably.) Rather than an analyst’s interruption or advice, the patient would be able to recognize and solve her problems through uncensored and free-flowing thought. The concept of free association is the use of IM as the most intimate way of understanding what drives any person. One of the earliest forms of psychoanalysis used the concept of IM as the gateway to the true core of any person. Free association and IM may be thought of as synonymous.

Using the most basic of psychological terms, you can break down the possible traces of IM using Freud’s id, ego, and superego. This widely accepted (and widely derided) theory can certainly offer a springboard for the various functions and uses of IM in acting. I understand there are many psychological theories related to IM, but I shall use Freud’s theories in their simplest forms in order to narrow our focus. My hope is not to educate you as actor in Freudian (or any other) theory, but rather to connect and expand your understanding of how your personal IM works and how you can use it to become a better actor. A great acting book that explores psychology from various points of view is Tools and Techniques for Character Interpretation: A Handbook of Psychology for Actors, Writers, and Directors by Robert Blumenfeld.

Id

In fundamental terms, the id connects you to your most basic needs. It wants you to feel pleasure at all times with no consideration of the consequences. A newborn is pure id—crying, sleeping, eating, or relieving himself whenever he feels the inclination. This idea of the id is closely related to IM and is your most personal relationship. IM is where you get to “say” whatever you wish. You “talk” to yourself about your basic needs. Your IM is constantly reminding you of how hungry you are, how attractive that person is or how boring this book is.

Your relationship with your id and IM is one of complete and utter trust. You subvocalize your most selfish and heinous thoughts there. The id is a large portion of your IM because it is hidden. It is private. It is basic. It is unconscious and uncensored thought.

Bench Exercise #1

Sit in a public area (a mall, a library, a bus stop) and simply focus on your basic needs—hunger, sleep, or sex. Let the stimuli of the trafficked area allow your IM to float from need to need.

What would make you happy? Would that food truck’s offerings sate your hunger? Would that music lull you to sleep? Would that person be amazing in bed?

Try to focus your IM on simple and basic principles of pleasure. If your IM starts to judge or censor yourself for such “base” thoughts, simply disregard and try to focus only on the task at hand—satisfying yourself through IM. You may note that your selfishness and your libido take control and navigate your IM through this exercise. That is fine. Our next concept offers a more balanced approach. (Author’s note: Some evercises are meant to be performed alone as actor, while others are written for educators or directors. Feel free to adapt based on your needs.)

As we go through our Freudian exploration let us use Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire lead character, Blanche DuBois (a character devoted to her IM), as a theatrical example. Blanche’s action in the opening scene of the play shows IM in its id form. Following her harrowing journey, Blanche surveys the cramped quarters of her sister Stella’s apartment, wipes her perspiration, and most importantly, gulps down some liquor. The motive for each of these moments onstage is driven by the id part of the IM—she wants to stop the oppressive heat, dull the pain, and sleep.

As actor, how can you constantly keep Blanche’s IM alive? It can be exhausting to create the inner life of this character. When portraying Blanche, you must constantly silence her blaring id needs in order to remain in this new household. Her past id actions have brought her to Stella’s apartment where she is unwanted, so she must control them.

As director, how can you help your actor to understand the needs of the character through IM? You must assist your actor in exploring all areas of IM by offering variations of possibilities that the actor may not think of. Simply stop the rehearsal and ask an actor: “What is your character thinking?” It will begin a bond and contract between actor and director to share in the exploration of a character’s deepest thoughts.

As educator, how can you endow your actors with the freedom to explore the many possible carnal needs of Blanche? You must assist your actors i...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Introduction
• 1 Acting
• 2 Inner Monologue (IM) in Basic Psychology
• 3 IM Everyday
• 4 IM in Acting
• 5 IM as Enemy
• 6 IM versus Subtext
• 7 IM in Transitions
• 8 IM Alone Onstage
• 9 IM in Objective/Tactic/Obstacle
• 10 IM Out of Your Head
• 11 IM in Script Scoring
• 12 IM in Drama
• 13 IM in Film
• 14 IM in Classical Theatre
• 15 IM in Musical Theatre
• 16 IM in Comedy
• 17 IM in Style
• 18 IM in Auditions
• 19 IM in Other Psychological Theories
• 20 IM in Other Performance Forms
• Conclusion
• Works Referenced
• IM Testimonial Contributors
• Index