You and your actor roommate wondering what are the best acting exercises for two to do at home?
I have been in your situation. I used to share a room with other actors. We always looked for ways to improve our acting at home.
Luckily for us, we had similar acting techniques and hence we used similar acting exercises.
We used series of seven exercises daily as they covered every aspect of acting like being in the moment, connecting with another character, physicality, dialogues, etc.
If you want the same all-around improvement in your acting ability, learn these seven acting exercises for two with your fellow actor and practice them daily.
These acting exercises for two are taken from different acting techniques likes Eric Morris acting techniques, Meisner’s acting technique, Uta Hagen’s acting technique, and many more.
I tweaked it a little based on my experience and the results I achieved with these exercises.
Let’s see these acting exercises for two in detail:
Before being an actor, we are all humans.
The big issue with us is that we think a lot.
24X7 something or the other is cooking in our mind.
To play a character on stage or on camera, you have to empty your mind so that you can fill it with the thoughts of the character you are going to play.
So how do you empty your mind?
There are a lot many ways to do that.
Especially when you are alone you can use meditation or simply concentrate on your senses before you prepare for the role.
However, when you are with a fellow actor it is a bit different.
Even if you are not thinking about your life, you are thinking about the other person in the room.
So both have to be comfortable and equally involved in the moment.
My coach used to say be in a state of being everything will flow.
So how to be in the state of being when you are practicing with another actor?
Follow These Directions:
If you follow these directions, you both will be at being. Your mind will be clear and it will be ready to receive responses from your fellow actor.
In the last exercise what we did is merely acknowledged the presence of the actor. Now this acting exercise for two will allow you to get connected to your fellow actor.
If you take a moment and think about the fictional story, you will realize that all or most of the characters know each other very well even before the story begins. And in reality you all the actors playing these characters might have met a couple of times.
So how do you bring the connection that is required for the story?
That is why this type of exercise is really important. It will not only help you know your fellow actor but also bring you both closer as a person and bring the required level of comfort.
How this checking out your partner exercise works?
This exercise requires you and your partner to stand face to face and check out each other.
You have to look at the details like clothes, face, jewelry, body language, etc.
When you know a person inside, you know how he or she dresses, stands, etc.
Even if there is a small change, you will know it.
This is how the connection between you should look like.
So how do you develop this connection through this acting exercise for two:
What this exercise does is make you more attentive towards your fellow actor. You will notice the small details of your actor. Also as you are more attentive you two will have a feeling that you know each other very well.
Once you have acknowledged your presence and created a connection it’s time to add some conversation.
Dialogues are an important part of acting.
For most actors, this is the only thing. That is why they make the mistake of just working on how they will deliver the lines. You should work on them but not until you are connected with the character or the other actor.
Since we have made a connection with the help of the above two exercises. Now, let’s add some speech.
This exercise is one of my favorite acting exercises for two. This exercise was developed by the famous acting coach, Sanford Meisner.
The beauty of this exercise is that you don’t have to memorize any lines. You speak what you observe.
Also, it takes you out of your head. You are not worried about your next lines.
You are just reacting to what you are receiving from your fellow actor.
I used to do this exercise just before the scene. I and my co-actor used to keep doing these acting exercises for two until we are in the follow and all of a sudden we used to start speaking lines from the script.
When it’s done right, the scene looks natural and authentic.
So what this repetition exercise is actually?
During this exercise, you look at your partner and say what you observe about him or her. And the partner repeats the same exact words but in a tone that suggests he or she is answering or commenting on what you have said.
No way you have to mock each other. You are acknowledging what has been said.
Let’s directly dive into steps so that you understand it in detail:
This video might help you:
This exercise is great for bringing in the vibe of the location from where you just coming.
When you observe in real life, you can see whenever a person is coming from somewhere you can sense it.
Why is it important in acting to know where you are coming from?
Let me explain to you with an example
Let’s say the scene is about you meeting your girlfriend after the gym.
And in the scene somewhere there will be a line you saying to your girlfriend, “you have been to the gym.”
If you just the line I have been to the gym, the audience might not believe.
But if you are breathing heavy and look tired, and then you say the line, the audience will connect.
You have to bring the audience into the world of your character with your acting that’s when the audience can feel the magic.
So, it is always so where you are coming from when entering the scene.
To develop this skill, this exercise will come in handy.
This is a one-person exercise but requires someone to observe so that you know if you are able to exude the place you are coming from.
You can always take turns to perform.
Let’s look at the steps involved while performing this exercise:
Remember you have to convey the location only through physicality. Maybe through your walk, may through your dress, and through your body language.
Always add this exercise to every scene. Make sure your walk and body language immediately convey where you are coming from.
The way you handle the stage or set is also the most important aspect of acting. And when there are two actors, you have to respect the space.
Also, be aware of what other actor is doing in the scene.
You have to respect each other’s activities in the scene.
And sometimes you two will be involved in some activity, so you should know how to finish each other’s activity.
To improve this aspect of acting, you can take the help of mime a little.
We used to do this a lot while I used to do theater. This not only helped organize our space on the stage but also avoided bumping into other characters on stage.
How does this exercise work?
Well before you I give the steps, I should tell you should read or understand the mime.
Because in this exercise we will be creating props in thin air.
You will have to believe you are actually holding something in your hand or interacting with a physical object.
Do this exercise as long as possible and change at least 3 activities if possible. I would suggest recording the whole exercise if there no one to give you the feedback. If there is no one you can criticize each other and help each other improve your skills.
Most of the acting exercises for two we have done until now are physically based. This exercise will make your dialogues more effective. This exercise is devised to bring out the objective behind the lines.
In many acting techniques, you might have heard this phrase what do you want in the scene. Define your objective for the scene!
If you do this exercise you will learn to play the object when you say your line. Not just line, you will be able to bring out the objective in your body language too.
This is totally an improvisation exercise. You don’t need any scenes or dialogues. All you have to do is play the objective for your scene.
This objective has to be as simple as possible, like
To make you love me
To make you give me the money
To make you stay
It has to be the simplest emotion. And choose only one for the exercise and improvise until you get what you want in the scene.
These are steps that you should follow for this exercise:
I advise you to have an observer or if there is no one set up a camera and shoot your performance.
No matter how many acting exercises for two you do unless until you apply them to a scene you won’t know how much you have improved. You can find the two-character scene and practice them daily to ensure that you are able to perform them with ease.
To ensure that keep a goal of performing a scene every two-three days or once a week.
Having such a goal gives something to work on every week. Especially when you are in a phase where you are only giving auditions and looking for work. It is a good idea to feel your time with something to work.
But preparing for the scene has its own process. I know everyone has a different way to approach a scene, but still, there is a basic process that you should follow.
Start by selecting a two-person scene. It can be anything you want. Always try different genres and different kinds of scenes to make yourself versatile.
When you have selected the scenes, ensure that you work on your characters before you do the scene. Give at least a couple of days to work on your character.
I use a 100 question worksheet to develop a character. I just spend an hour on it whenever I am developing a new character. Within an hour I have what I call a character bible.
Whenever I am in doubt about what my character would do in different situations all I do is refer to this bible.
Once you have prepared the character, assign a couple of days for rehearsal. Do experiments, discuss, give each other feedback and try to ensure that when the day of final performance comes, you give your best.
Once you have fully prepared the scene, either you can shoo it with the help of our director friends, shoot it yourself or invite few friends to see your scene.
After the performance, get the feedback of your friends, teachers, colleagues by showing the tape or live performance.
If you follow these acting exercises for two regularly you will be able to see good improvement in your skills. As an actor, you must have an exercise routine just like you have a routine for your gym. Even when start getting professional gigs, always practice them.
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