So Therefore... ─ A Practical Guide for Actors

‘Every scene or action or speech has a so therefore. It is the goal, the ultimate statement of the character. You should know the so therefore as you begin your scene … The climax and the payoff is the so therefore.’ – from Al Ruscio’s Preface
When working through a scene with a student, renowned actor and acting teacher Al Ruscio will ask, ‘so therefore, what?’ to urge them to capture the specific actions and desires that define their character at that moment. So Therefore… interweaves tried-and-tested practical exercises with sound advice, and illustrative tales from Ruscio’s remarkable career, to form a training handbook as uniquely pragmatic as his favourite phrase. Breaking down his method into three broad focuses, Ruscio considers:


Warming Up – including relaxation, going ‘beneath the words’ and emotional recall;


Scene Work – ranging from character analysis to an exploration of action;


The Play – discovering its spine, progressing through rehearsals and sustaining a performance.

But So Therefore… also reflects wisely on such diverse subjects as Stage versus Film, and Stamina, Luck and Chutzpah. Enriching and generous, it is the culmination of a career that has taken in dozens of major motion pictures, and spans the entire history of television – as well as half a century spent training actors.
Al Ruscio graduated from the famed Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre and has been teaching acting for five decades. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Screen Actors Guild and is a current voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Al Ruscio graduated from the famed Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre and has been teaching acting for five decades. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Screen Actors Guild and is a current voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Contents

Foreword by Martin Landau v
Acknowledgments vii
Preface "So Therefore" (a few words about my title) ix

Part One: Warming Up

Introduction x
Relaxation x
Concentration xx
Imagination xx
Beneath the Words xx
Sensory Exercises xx
Improvisations xx
Animal Studies xx
Life Studies xx
Emotional Recall xx

Part Two: Scene Work
Character Analysis xx
The Spine of the Play xx
The Spine of the Character xx
Your Objective in the Scene xx
Actions in the Scene xx
The As If xx
Preparation xx
Scenes xx

Part Three: The Play
Introduction xx
Read the Play xx
The Main Idea and Special Quality xx
The Climax xx
Character Analysis xx
The Spine of your Character xx
Rehearsals Begin xx
Elements of Characterization xx
The Use of Improvisations xx
Blocking Sessions xx
Detailed Work On Each Act xx
Run-Throughs xx
Dress Rehearsals xx
Opening Night and Beyond xx

Part Four: Stage versus Film

Projecting versus Being xxx
The Scene versus the Shot xxx
Opposing Views xxx

Part Five: Stamina, Luck, and Chutzpah, & Other Lessons
Stamina, Luck, and Chutzpah xxx
Remembering Lear xxx
The Semi-Final Lesson xxx
The Final Lesson xxx

About the Author xxx
References xxx