Actors need to have a "bullcrap meter" and a video demonstration

You need to know when you are faking it and when the emotion is real.  One of the biggest things I continue to struggle with is the realization that I am already good enough.  I don't have to create an emotion.  I don't have to make an extra this or an extra that.  If the emotion is there, great, just walk into it - so to speak.  But it's been a challenge for me not to conjure up some kind of an emotion when  I believe the scene calls for it.   When you've been trained so long in a certain thought, it becomes hard to break such old habits.

Boo hoo, woe is me and all that bunk.

And frankly, casting directors know when you are faking it; they see acting all day and there is no fooling them.  So don't fake it!  That way, at least they can call you an honest performer. 

One of the things that helps me rid this nasty habit is a recently installed "bullcrap meter".  Whenever the needle moves, I stop and start over again from a few lines before.  It's been hard to install said meter, because I naturally want to make progress and blast through the piece - but my coach has made it obvious when his needle moves.  There I am, in the middle of a piece,  in front of the intimate acting class.  I'm just chillin', siting in a metal folding chair and then......

"Nope!  Start again." says Steve


Ok, I'll start again, I think.... 

"Ap! Ap! Ap! Ap! Ap!" instructs Steve


Oh boy, I guess I'll take that again.

"No Phillip, again." Steve rebukes


Ok man, just breathe you can do this, just speak! 

"Hot Damn!  One more time just like that." Steve encourages (!)


Focus....and here it goes...

"Ha!  You son-of-a-bitch you!" 


So here is my bullcrap meter hard at work as I wrestle a Iago monologue from "Othello".  Obviously, ones bullcrap meter is always subject to calibration. [UPDATE: I now realize that I left out a line '....mere prattle without practice is all his soldiership.  but he sir, had the election] followed by: and i, whose eyes had seen the proof....  Oh well, I'm not embarassed, it's not like it's on the internet for the whole world to see.

Actors should never judge their character; embracing my inner Iago.

That what my sensei told me, and it is very helpful.  He also said to eliminate all "fluffernutters", meaning all the unneccssary embellishments when you act, e.g. don't comment on the line with your face after saying the line.  Got it?  OK.

A few days ago I took one of those silly quizzes on facebook.  This one was "Which Shakespearian Character are you?"  I would have bet a gajillion dollars mine would have been Falstaff.  Jocular, lighthearted, quick witted, slow footed and all around party animal.  But noooooooooooooooooooooooo, I had to be "Iago."  Iago!  What?

Then after a while I realized that I was judging the character.  Yes, it's true; Iago is a bloodthirsty, calculating sociopath.  But at least he isn't this junk!  I swear to God, they must only sell that stuff to sorority girls or tertiary level alcoholics.

So I chose to prepare a Iago monologue from "Othello" tonight for class.  I also decided to find personality traits that I, a decidedly non-sociopath would have in common with Iago.  And wouldn't you know, I found something. 

Sociopaths (and I admit I am painting with broad brush strokes here) will do whatever they can to get what the want, even if it casues harm to others.  I admitted to myself that I hate it when I move out of the way of physically smaller people on the street.  Why do I accommodate those turdwads?  Why do I always sway and bob and weave through foot traffic?  I am a 6-3, 255 pound man with a working knowledge of boxing.   So if you don't want to get out of the way, hey man, suit yourself. 

I tested this out last night when Mrs. PhillyRay and I went to MoMA to see an exhibit and some of the mainstay pieces, Jackson Pollacks, AD Reinhardt etc.  We met on 57th and 5th and walked down 5th Avenue, it was around 6pm.  It was crowded, predictably so.  My conscience told me to budge.  Budge not, say I.  "Stay the course, PhillyRay" I thought.  U-oh here comes someone,  steady, steady...wait for it.  THWAP!  BOOM!  OOF!  (Shout out to Edward Ruscha)  I even saw people about 15 yards away and thought "Oh man, this is going to feel great!"  That's right, I even started to look forward to these shoulder knocks.  (Side note:  my friend Mark is the king of not moving out of the way. It's such a treat to walk down the street with him, in all honesty.  It's hysterical.)

I had embraced my inner-sociopath, my inner Iago, if you will.  It felt great. 

Even just a little step like that can make you connect with a character you would normally struggle with.  You're not willing to do that?  Well, then...despise me if I do not.

Actors need to let it rip, proverbially speaking of course. Also, boxing class recap.

I love empty subway cars.  There, I said it.  For those of you who live in NYC, you know how rare those cars are.  Usually when I walk into what I think is an empty subway car, there is a stinky bum or vomit or something less than stellar in existence.  "Fooled again!" I think as I quickly walk between cars. 

But not last night, this was an honest to goodness empty subway car and you know what I did?  I let it rip.  I worked on 2 monologues and really explored rate, inflection, pitch and dynamic.  I went totally ape shit.  It was exhilarating.  It felt oh so good, and I even got to the point where I discovered things about the monologue that I hadn't noticed  before.  It was a great experience.  Not only did I find things that I could do that I had never thought of, but I also left that train feeling energized.  I should admit that if someone came into the car I would have kept going.....not in the interest of progress, but because I was so wrapped up in it, there's no way I would have noticed. 

Actors, if you find yourself on an empty subway car......let it rip.  I implore you.

After missing 2 out my last 3 boxing sessions due to acting and real estate work, I made my triumphant return to class last night from 630-730.  Although I had not been to class for a while, I have been running about 10 miles a week and I do 500 jump ropes before and after a workout.  I feel much much quicker out there.  I'm able to execute a jab, jab and left hook combo and then quickly get out of harms way.  That wasn't always the case.  I used to execute the combo and then catch a counter hook to my cheek.  Contrary to popular belief, getting hit in the face isn't fun.  Thank you, jump rope!  You're the best. 

Acting Class, a breakthrough of sorts. Another Dr Phil video too.

So last night in acting class I had a bit of a breakthrough.  I put up my "Breaking Bad" monologue again, loyal readers will know which one I am talking about here.  It went pretty well, better than last time even.  But Steve told me that he could tell that I was still acting.  He could see the technique being applied and he could tell that I was processing information and putting it to work etc.  Normally this is a good thing, it shows that I am applying my craft, that I am doing my homework so to speak.  For someone at my level, it's not really that good of a thing.  I need to get past that threshold and enter the realm where no one...not even me, knows where I am going next.

Got it?

Think about it for a second, when you talk to your friends you don't know where the conversation will lead or what your reaction will be, your friend's reactions will be etc.  You just talk.  It's so natural, its the most natural.  Ubernatural.  Au Naturale.  It's almost like Keanu Reeves in the Matrix when he finally sees how he can manipulate the system, and he sees nothing but code.  The  breakthrough is equally dramatic.

In many ways I am very close to acting in the matrix, to put it crudely.  We did a simple exercise where I performed my monologue but played with a pen and studied the pen and put all of my focus on the pen.  The trick here, is getting the focus off of yourself.  By doing so, I was completely surprised by where I went vocally and physically.....and I gotta tell ya, I wasn't even thinking about doing those things.  Like the first kiss in a romantic comedy starring Freddie Prinze Jr, it just happened. 

But how can I achieve this?  How?  All actors want to get to this level.  The only way is through technique.  Steve tells us that there are only 16 ways to say a line.  You just have to work on those ways.  It's practice.  Do you think that Michael Jordan practiced dribbling and free throws?  You bet your ass he did.  Do you think that Nadal practices his serve?  Damn straight he does.  Do you think that the guy from Bravo's "Flipping Out" practices being sassy and botoxed out of his grill?  Yes, he does.  Without question.

This is a a good thing.  In many ways, I.AM.RIGHT.THERE.  And I also have a lot of work to do, but each time that you practice working on technique, the session time gets shorter and shorter because it's deeper into your bones.

End piece.

Monologue from Acting Class

Here it is with the mischief/charm, confidentiality and R.I.P.D. and game play role play.  It's come a long way I think.  I'm still struggling with moving too quickly on to the next point before I take enough time with a current point/thought/idea/notion.  That'll come around though.  Here it is.  Leave contract negotiations in the comments


Monologue from "Breaking Bad" on AMC from Phillip Chorba on Vimeo.

So that's that. 

Another piece I've been working on....

This is a monologue from the movie "An Everlasting Piece".  I really like the monologue.  I chose to work on this one and show it to you loyal readers (more like reader, singular, ha) because it's of someone who is crazy.  If you haven't seen the movie, netflix that badboy.  It's a dark comedy that takes place in war torn Belfast, directed by Barry Levinson.  Here it is, it's not finished but it's close I think.


Monologue from "An Everlasting Piece" from Phillip Chorba on Vimeo.

Is there anything in particular that you cared for, or didn't care for?  I'm looking for another set of eyes on this one. 

What I've been working on...

Here it is....it's pretty close to finished.  A few critiques after the video.



Lancelot Gobbo Monologue - "Merchant of Venice" from Phillip Chorba on Vimeo.


1)The confidentiality was there, the speech variation was good, im satisfied with the sense of play and how i found the moments and importance on the line early on "...and he tempts me, saying to me.." I was pleased with how I layered mischief and a bit of sex.

2) Discovery around the end of the monologue was....ok, but I need to vary how I sound when I say "to run from the jew I am to be ruled by the fiend".  not all discoveries in real life are...exactly...the...same!

3) I need to remember where the conscience is located at all times.  Mid monologue it moved to "the neck of my heart", then a few moments later, I reference him being on my shoulder again...that can't happen.  Its sloppy and shows a lack of concentration.  bad philip!  tisk tisk tisk.  right at "well my conscience says budge." so frustrating!!!!!! c'mon man!

4) the game play role play of the fiend and conscience was.....ok (i know im a perfectionist) but that really gives me an excellent opportunity to chew scenery.

5) ingesting the fiend was steve's idea last week, but the coke snort and rub was my embellishment. he does refer to him as "the fiend" after all.

I'm really getting into the Gobbo monologue (maybe too much)

So the more I read over this monologue and the more I study the word play and work it on its feet the more I friggen love this monologue.  Its so layered with different thoughts.  There is a fine line however.  Gobbo, more than most other Shakespeare clowns, is the most scatter brained (although Dogberry fans would be in the right to call foul). With scatter brained lines, like great power, comes great responsibility.  As an actor, you really have to earn every "aside", every bit of "game play - role play" or the piece falls flat.  Shit.  It falls even more than flat, it would be terrible.  I'm going to put it up again next week and have someone record it with my blackberry.  I want to upload it on my computer and watch it.  I want to kick my training into high gear.  I remember when I was having trouble with my shooting form for basketball, I recorded my shot so I could see what was going wrong.  It fixed my freethrow, it should also fix my monologue.....in theory.

Who knows, I may even upload it on the site and give yall modafuckaz a look-see.