I've been loving mockumentaries since I first saw "This is Spinal Tap" and loved this article about the cast of "Abbott Elementary" - interesting read about how an actor relates to the camera.
https://www.cinemablend.com/interviews/abbott-elementary-stars-talk-the-...
Anyone else have a favorite Mockumentary?
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I'm curious if any actors here can talk about the training on breaking the fourth wall. It's so unnatural, so I'm curious how acting teachers or coaches teach that.
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Consider it the most natural ;) Easier said than done, eh? I know. I've been a guide on a tour bus and completely uneasy breaking the wall. Yeah, the craft is in a quandary. For me the breakthrough was on the job, mid-run of a show, in the middle of a scene, not any teaching. A great moment! I attended a conservatory and the (modern) acting class was about being in character in isolation from the audience (and yourself), then the Shakespeare (acting) class about including the audience and the on-camera class was about acting with no consciousness of the camera. !@#%^& The camera is unnatural: an extra long telescope the audience has been given to be in the scene (imagining being on stage with hundreds/thousands of telescopes following me on stage, somehow both humorous and horrific). The best scripts find the balance of isolation and inclusion. The aforementioned playwright mastered this balance ingeniously. Build a scene between two or more players. Then suddenly one player is alone continuing the conversation with the audience, called a soliloquy, less we forget the show exists because of the audience. These have been the most natural moments for me: completely invested in the character, the audience invested in the scene and we talk/quid pro quo and no one is uneasy because it is an extension of the scene, rather than extension of the telescope. This is why most scholars agree Shakespeare doesn't translate to the screen. However, the greatest players, no matter the writer, invest themselves and the audience and extend the scene to them and dissolve the camera. Hard to do. Acting on screen brings a player more audience, more work and more money. The challenge is continuing to have that most natural and rewarding moment: the discussion with the audience.
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Hello Amanda. For me I explain breaking the fourth Wall as getting your audience involved in your performance. They aren't just watching, they are part of the performance through their sight, their comments, their olfactory sense, auditory sense, etc. Their space is part of your stage. Just that they don't know that their actions are part of the planned act for the performance.
Hi Eric Andrew - thank you for your insights! I've done a lot of improv, where breaking the fourth is a consequence in the story telling. Hearing it from a Shakespearian view is really cool!
Edozie John - the immersive experience of breaking the fourth is what intrigues me about it! Talking with audience members is so unexpected, and the art comes from the performer keeping their character on point. Have you done any immersive theatre shows?