Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction
The Large Structures of Thought
Finding the Large Structures
Discussion
Interpretive Zones
The Transition
Structuring Dialogue
Discussion
Punctuation
“Practising What You Preach”
The Rehearsal Unit
Productive Rehearsals
Testing Your Structures
Routine Structural Analysis
Looking Ahead
Contents
The Small Structures of Thought
Inserts
The Parenthetical Phrase
Relative Clauses
Figures of Address
Comparisons
Listing
Itemized Lists
Structural Lists
Maintaining Spontaneity
General Principles
Routine Text Preparation
Looking Ahead
Packaging Text
Charting Speech Rhythm
Word Groupings
Creative Reinvestment
Suspending Speech
Anticipate and Reinvest
Repetition for Volume
Level Change
High and Low
Line Contour
Packaging for Comprehension
Contracted Structures
Inverted Structures
The Hierarchy of Packages
Contrast and Variety
Inspiration Versus Control
Looking Ahead
Inflection
The Function of Inflection
Open Inflection: “Boing”
The Closed Inflection: “Thud”
The Questioning Inflection: “Huh”
The Pulled Inflection: “Pow”
The Extended Open Inflection: “Mom”
Horizontal Stress
Practising Inflection
General Principles
Creative Presence
Looking Ahead
The “Pull”
Writing Intention
Intention and Interpretation
Discussion
An Informed Choice
Positioning the “Pull”
Listening for “Pulls”
Prioritizing Emphasis
Looking Ahead
Performance Pace
Inherent Pacing Change
Fast and Slow
Ebb and Flow
Pace and Emotion
Springboarding
Monosyllables
Shakespeare’s Meter
Misconceptions
Text Comprehension
The Pause
The “Vertical” Pause
The “Earned” Pause
The Impulse-Driven Pause
Performance Pace
The “Blurt”
Dispelling Thrust
Anticipation
The “Suspension Bridge”
The “Ball Toss”
The “Mute”
The Patina of Spontaneity
Looking Ahead
Impulse
The Reactive Chain-of-Command
Developing an Impulse Vocabulary
Isolating Thought
Impulse-Driven Action
Preparing the Text
Nurturing Impulse
Preoccupation
Feelings… Nothing More Than Feelings
Technical Liberation
Looking Ahead
The Imprint
The Physical Imprint
Sustaining the Imprint
The Dumb Show
The Impulsive Blank
Capturing the Moment
The Facial Imprint
Eye Movement
Freeing the Imprint
Imprinting the Voice
Looking for Tone
Listening for Impulse
A Complete Expressive Event
Looking Ahead
The Acting Plane
The Acting Plane
Developing the Acting Planes
Rationale for the Chair
The Influence of Packages
Large Structures
Tapping into the Gravitational Centre
Discovering the Gravitational Clock
Precision and Stillness
Creative Standing
The Defining “Pull” Clause
Zeroing in on the Acting Plane
Pelvic Motor Energy
A Wider Expressive Palette
Looking Ahead
Stagecraft
The Spatial Clock
The Fundamentals
Odd-Numbered Steps
The “Plant and Tuck” Stop
Open and Closed
The Cross-Step
The Weight Shift
The Upside Curved Cross
The Pivot Step
Upstage Appendage
The Rotation
The Chair Option
Sharing the Clock
The Roundhouse
The Pursuit
The Top Counter
The Block
Maintaining Dramatic Tension
Looking Ahead
Implicit Movement
Direct and Diffuse
Discussion
Expressive Nuance
Juxtaposition
Implicit Blocking
Moving with Direct and Diffuse
The Extra Impulse
The Performance Clocks: Gravitational, Spatial, Facial
Unlocking the Movement Codes
Looking Ahead
Interactive Movement
To and Fro
Shedding Tension
Status
Distance and Proximity
Moving in Increments
Discussion
Elastic Tension
Distance and Proximity in a Monologue
Discussion
General Principles
Developing from One Thought to the Next
Contrapuntal Movement
Stage Business
Competing Stimuli
Preoccupation
Set Design
Properties
Discussion
Shifting Stimuli
Extra Impulses
Discussion
Invaluable Aids
Looking Ahead
Liberating the Instrument
Obstruction and Collision
Externalization
Challenging the Acting Plane
The Stance
The Physical Axes
Disciplining Stance
Excessive Movement
Gesticulating
What to do with Those Arms
Stock Gestures
Shifting Focus
Mugging
Excessive Volume
Thrust
Emoting
Intellectualizing
The Art of Acting
Looking Ahead
Creating Character
“Art Imitates Life”
Body and Movement
Fieldwork
Character-Specific
Characters in Text
Word Choice
Discussion
The Dramatic Detective
Discussion
Widening the Impulse Vocabulary
Personalization
Transparency
Impulsive Preoccupation
The Character Voice
Attention to the Script
Looking Ahead
Pushing the Boundaries
Stimulating the Creative
Finding the Expressive Centre
Challenging the Voice
The Energy of Impulse
The Animal Within
Developing From Impulse to Impulse
Interaction
Body Language
Communicating Impulse
Letting the Animal Emerge
Developing Relationships
Extending the Interactive
Costumes and Props
Keeping the Character Fresh
Liberty
Looking Back
Appendix A — Solutions and suggestions
Appendix B — Preparing to perform
Glossary
Index of exercises and explorations
