This is part four of my blog from the last few months.
I get asked frequently about acting exercises that an actor can do at home. For the past few months, I’ve shared some here. If you want to review them, check out my last 3 months of blogs. I covered the Three Phone Call Exercise, The Lost Object Exercise, the Personal Fantasy, and this month I’ll share the Character Fantasy Exercise.
Maybe you’re in between classes, you want to do some extra work, or you just want to explore and stretch yourself in the privacy of your home without being watched and judged. Or maybe you’re curious and want to see and experience what actors do and try an exercise or two. Doing these exercises is a good way to work on specifics, details, activity of doing, and imagination. Here is a fourth exercise that you can do on your own. Take your time and discover your way.
There are two types of this exercise:
The Personal Fantasy Exercise and the Character Fantasy Exercise. Last month I spoke about the Personal Fantasy, this month is the Character Fantasy. They are slightly different.
Exercises at Home #4 – CHARACTER FANTASY
ONE PERSON
This is another exercise in imagination and imaginary circumstances.
In this exercise, you are imagining you are somewhere, alone.
CHARACTER FANTASY
In this fantasy, you are actually playing a character, and being the character. You decide where the place is and what is happening.
Examples of a Character Fantasy:
You’re an inmate in jail.
You’re an FBI agent ready to go on a dangerous case.
You’re a drug addict on drugs somewhere.
You’re a cop getting ready to commit a crime in your apt.
You’re a prostitute in a lawyer’s office waiting to speak to a lawyer.
Get creative, and make this person alive. Give them a strong point of view. What are the feelings, the attitude, how does he/she feel and what are they are about to do, or what they have already done. Dress the part.
If you want to do this with a friend, have them enter and have them play a character as well. Both of you can get lost in the fantasy of your two characters interacting. Be creative – example: a doctor entering an inmate’s cell.
In both this and the personal fantasy, make strong choices, give these people lives, with strong points of view, feelings, needs and wants.
Keep your imagination alive! I’ll end with another of my favorite quotes.
“Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live” – Anonymous.