Corey Q and A for the Nashville class
Corey Parker Nashville Class
Q: What is the mission of this class?
A: Every actor is coming from their own background and experience. The mission of this class is to support each actor- the uniqueness of their talent and background while offering support and growth in both the art and business of acting.
Q. Are there any specific acting books used in
your class?
A. While there are a number of acting books I may refer to, there is only one acting book that I want everyone to read and refer to.
“THE POWER OF THE ACTOR” BY IVANA CHUBBUCK.
I believe that Ivana’s book is well structured, practical, practicable and chock full of solutions for the actor’s ‘moments of difficulty.’ And the book puts us all on the same page. You don’t have to agree with everything in it, but read it and we can talk about that. I expect that everyone will have read the book. I also suggest you read and reread any sections that help you. Reading this stuff once is not going to change your work. You need to get up and do the work. It is a process. That is what class is for.
Q. What is the work ethic you want in your class?
A. Commitment. The harder you work, the more you will grow in this class. If you don’t have time to prep your scene, monologue or exercise, it limits how much I can help you. I work with whatever is put in front of me. Prepare your work as if for a job. Bring full commitment and then this class can bring you to the next level in your own work. Be aware that I am not talking about perfectionism, which can become a source of trouble for an actor. I am merely talking about Commitment. If you cannot commit to a partner, a scene or class- please let me know.
Q. Do you encourage outside rehearsal?
A. Yes, I believe scene work requires outside rehearsal. I know we are all busy, but we need to give ourselves a chance to rehearse the work. Your instrument needs time with the material. I think we need to look at the moments when we procrastinate- not to shame ourselves but to be aware that we have some fear operating at such moments.
Any time you can’t really commit to a rehearsal, would your attitude change if it was rehearsing for a studio film? If we make this effort to commit on a professional level in class, this level of commitment will pay off. Class is a microcosm of the actor’s commitment.
Q. Do this class have any rules that protect the actress or actor who rehearses outside of class?
A. Yes. Every actor and actress is entitled to work in an environment that is free of harassment (sexual or otherwise). This may take many forms, including but not limited to:
1. Unwelcome remarks, gestures or physical contact. Not sure if a remark, gesture of physical contact is welcome?
2. Offensive or derogatory jokes or comments (explicit or by innuendo, welcomed or unwelcomed). This includes the use of racist, sexist, homophobic or otherwise exclusionary and hurtful words or phrases.
3. Verbal, emotional or physical abuse or threats. This includes words or actions designed to humiliate, isolate or coerce.
Please contact me immediately if any such issues arise.
Q. How do you want actors to set up their work in class?
A. I don't see creation of place often enough. The first thing I always want is to set up the PLACE. Define the place of the scene or monologue and bring in a bag or two of whatever you need to create that place. It’s not just about plopping props down, it’s about creating the world of the piece you are working on. Uta Hagen talked about allowing the placing of objects of the scene to be a time of entering that world. Creating it for yourself.
Create fourth wall in your place. What is on the fourth wall?
Explore your character’s life in that place. What is their relationship to that place? Solve this physically. Practice at home.
Define an opening moment that establishes the character’s life in that place BEFORE any text starts. Scenes don’t start with the first line. They start with the life of the character in that place and that moment.
Q. What else do you want from actors in a scene?
A. Establish given circumstances: Who, What, When, Where, Why? But don’t see this information as mere data for your brain, this is for your imagination to work from and from which to create the life through exploring and discovery.
What do I/ my character want or need in this script?
What do I want in this scene?
How much do I want what I want?
Who am I talking to?
How do I try to get what I want from them?
What are the obstacles in the way of getting what I want?
What is my strategy?
What do I know of this? Have I experienced this dynamic?
When? With whom?
If I don’t know about this character, their job, status, this setting, etc,. Do the Research. We have this at our fingertips on our computer.
Q. Do you want a physical activity for a character in the scene?
A. Yes! We are rarely in a place talking words with no life in the place. There are a million ways to solve this- find an activity in the scene- a doing. Always create the life of the character in this place.
Q. Would you talk about Acting Shortcuts?
A. Over the years, actors have found that on camera auditions are the norm. In addition, casting has gone from an analog process to a digital process. I believe actors have adapted well to the reality: that there is very little time for not getting it “right.” This is a lot of pressure on the actor and can lead to bad habits as well.
Acting is an artform within a business setting. You don’t see concert pianists perform in a room of business executives for a potential job. Yet, actors do this for a living- bring their artform into a corporate casting environment.
There are some traps for the actor in this paradigm. One is that acting the “results” can become the currency- including acting tricks, short cuts, and people pleasing- anything that will book a job.
What suffers is the process of acting that can actually transform an actor’s work and lead to the actor’s creative potential. I find that an actor’s original love of acting has to do with the process itself, not short cuts.
Another trap that has resulted is that the actor, under all this intense pressure (casting agents, agents, managers, spouse, kids, bills) has often not learned to practice a commensurate amount of self care, which would be beneficial to maintain one’s well being physically and mentally. The health of the actor overall.
Q. How can the actor find a more balanced approach?
This class is an opportunity and a safe space for strengthening the creative - the process work, the permission to learn that can happen best when we temporarily let go of the need to ‘hit it out of the park.’ (A phrase created by agents and managers). We can revitalize and update our creative approach to our work, work the muscles needed when we let go of the short cuts and bring that growth back into our self tapes and auditions – letting them see us doing the work we love to do.
Finally, actors can be so desperate for short cuts that they do not commit internally to acting class, but instead try to skim it for any quick clues that might be grabbed in a short period of time. Nothing worthwhile works this way. There is no artform and no athletic sport where a few shortcuts is all it takes to succeed. It takes time and commitment.
The acting classes I came up in are my inspiration for creating space for actors to address all of the above and to reconnect with their own creativity and inspiration.
Q. Do you tell actors what to do?
A. I learned years ago that if a teacher tells the actor what to do all the time (choices, blocking), the actor will not learn how to do their work on their own - choice making. They just expect to be given the choices. I want to empower the actor, I want to support and encourage the actor in process so that confidence arises and is strengthened. I am working with you, eliciting your own creativity. This pays off creatively as well as in the paradigm of the business- you bring in your best work, not as a result but as part of your creative process.
Q. Do you encourage actors to keep an acting journal?
Yes. Actors are their own portable instruments (they don’t have a violin, piano, basketball, etc.) and so they don’t always have a sense of structure, as others artists might. The acting journal is where you write all of your work, your choices, your problems, inspirations, the solutions you find- to every thing you work on. Films you watch, performances you like, goals, dreams.
It becomes a structured way that you see your hard work and commitment, and gives you a way to refer back it. If you get an audition, you can look at your notes from earlier scene work and the process you went through, this can offer you a way to work on your audition that is grounded in process and creative problem solving. The acting journal is way to stay connected to process, to your work, to your heart, to your needs, to your self – in ways that others can’t do for you. Ultimately your acting journal can become a record of how you work and have worked each step of the way.
Q. Any last request for the actors?
A. Have Fun!!!
Corey Parker 2019
Q and A
Q: What is the mission of this class?
A: Every actor is coming from their own background and experience. The mission of this class is to support each actor- the uniqueness of their talent and background while offering support and growth in both the art and business of acting.
Q. Are there any specific acting books used in
your class?
A. While there are a number of acting books I may refer to, there is only one acting book that I want everyone to read and refer to.
“THE POWER OF THE ACTOR” BY IVANA CHUBBUCK.
(It’s available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.)
I believe that Ivana’s book is well structured, practical, practicable and chock full of solutions for the actor’s ‘moments of difficulty.’ And the book puts us all on the same page. You don’t have to agree with everything in it, but read it and we can talk about that. I expect that everyone will have read the book. I also suggest you read and reread any sections that help you. Reading this stuff once is not going to change your work. You need to get up and do the work. It is a process. That is what class is for.
Q. What is the work ethic you want in your class?
A. Commitment. The harder you work, the more you will grow in this class. If you don’t have time to prep your scene, monologue or exercise, it limits how much I can help you. I work with whatever is put in front of me. Prepare your work as if for a job. Bring full commitment and then this class can bring you to the next level in your own work. Be aware that I am not talking about perfectionism, which can become a source of trouble for an actor. I am merely talking about Commitment. If you cannot commit to a partner, a scene or class- please let me know.
Q. Do you encourage outside rehearsal?
A. Yes, I believe scene work requires outside rehearsal. I know we are all busy, but we need to give ourselves a chance to rehearse the work. Your instrument needs time with the material. I think we need to look at the moments when we procrastinate- not to shame ourselves but to be aware that we have some fear operating at such moments.
Any time you can’t really commit to a rehearsal, would your attitude change if it was rehearsing for a studio film? If we make this effort to commit on a professional level in class, this level of commitment will pay off. Class is a microcosm of the actor’s commitment.
Q. Do this class have any rules that protect the actress or actor who rehearses outside of class?
A. Yes. Every actor and actress is entitled to work in an environment that is free of harassment (sexual or otherwise). This may take many forms, including but not limited to:
1. Unwelcome remarks, gestures or physical contact. Not sure if a remark, gesture of physical contact is welcome?
ASK FOR CONSENT FOR ANY CONTACT- SEXUAL OR FIGHT SCENES.
3. Verbal, emotional or physical abuse or threats. This includes words or actions designed to humiliate, isolate or coerce.
Please contact me immediately if any such issues arise.
Q. How do you want actors to set up their work in class?
A. I don't see creation of place often enough. The first thing I always want is to set up the PLACE. Define the place of the scene or monologue and bring in a bag or two of whatever you need to create that place. It’s not just about plopping props down, it’s about creating the world of the piece you are working on. Uta Hagen talked about allowing the placing of objects of the scene to be a time of entering that world. Creating it for yourself.
Create fourth wall in your place. What is on the fourth wall?
Explore your character’s life in that place. What is their relationship to that place? Solve this physically. Practice at home.
Define an opening moment that establishes the character’s life in that place BEFORE any text starts. Scenes don’t start with the first line. They start with the life of the character in that place and that moment.
Q. What else do you want from actors in a scene?
A. Establish given circumstances: Who, What, When, Where, Why? But don’t see this information as mere data for your brain, this is for your imagination to work from and from which to create the life through exploring and discovery.
What do I/ my character want or need in this script?
What do I want in this scene?
How much do I want what I want?
Who am I talking to?
How do I try to get what I want from them?
What are the obstacles in the way of getting what I want?
What is my strategy?
What do I know of this? Have I experienced this dynamic?
When? With whom?
If I don’t know about this character, their job, status, this setting, etc,. Do the Research. We have this at our fingertips on our computer.
Q. Do you want a physical activity for a character in the scene?
A. Yes! We are rarely in a place talking words with no life in the place. There are a million ways to solve this- find an activity in the scene- a doing. Always create the life of the character in this place.
Q. Would you talk about Acting Shortcuts?
A. Over the years, actors have found that on camera auditions are the norm. In addition, casting has gone from an analog process to a digital process. I believe actors have adapted well to the reality: that there is very little time for not getting it “right.” This is a lot of pressure on the actor and can lead to bad habits as well.
Acting is an artform within a business setting. You don’t see concert pianists perform in a room of business executives for a potential job. Yet, actors do this for a living- bring their artform into a corporate casting environment.
There are some traps for the actor in this paradigm. One is that acting the “results” can become the currency- including acting tricks, short cuts, and people pleasing- anything that will book a job.
What suffers is the process of acting that can actually transform an actor’s work and lead to the actor’s creative potential. I find that an actor’s original love of acting has to do with the process itself, not short cuts.
Another trap that has resulted is that the actor, under all this intense pressure (casting agents, agents, managers, spouse, kids, bills) has often not learned to practice a commensurate amount of self care, which would be beneficial to maintain one’s well being physically and mentally. The health of the actor overall.
Q. How can the actor find a more balanced approach?
This class is an opportunity and a safe space for strengthening the creative - the process work, the permission to learn that can happen best when we temporarily let go of the need to ‘hit it out of the park.’ (A phrase created by agents and managers). We can revitalize and update our creative approach to our work, work the muscles needed when we let go of the short cuts and bring that growth back into our self tapes and auditions – letting them see us doing the work we love to do.
Finally, actors can be so desperate for short cuts that they do not commit internally to acting class, but instead try to skim it for any quick clues that might be grabbed in a short period of time. Nothing worthwhile works this way. There is no artform and no athletic sport where a few shortcuts is all it takes to succeed. It takes time and commitment.
The acting classes I came up in are my inspiration for creating space for actors to address all of the above and to reconnect with their own creativity and inspiration.
Q. Do you tell actors what to do?
A. I learned years ago that if a teacher tells the actor what to do all the time (choices, blocking), the actor will not learn how to do their work on their own - choice making. They just expect to be given the choices. I want to empower the actor, I want to support and encourage the actor in process so that confidence arises and is strengthened. I am working with you, eliciting your own creativity. This pays off creatively as well as in the paradigm of the business- you bring in your best work, not as a result but as part of your creative process.
Q. Do you encourage actors to keep an acting journal?
Yes. Actors are their own portable instruments (they don’t have a violin, piano, basketball, etc.) and so they don’t always have a sense of structure, as others artists might. The acting journal is where you write all of your work, your choices, your problems, inspirations, the solutions you find- to every thing you work on. Films you watch, performances you like, goals, dreams.
It becomes a structured way that you see your hard work and commitment, and gives you a way to refer back it. If you get an audition, you can look at your notes from earlier scene work and the process you went through, this can offer you a way to work on your audition that is grounded in process and creative problem solving. The acting journal is way to stay connected to process, to your work, to your heart, to your needs, to your self – in ways that others can’t do for you. Ultimately your acting journal can become a record of how you work and have worked each step of the way.
Q. Any last request for the actors?
A. Have Fun!!!
Corey Parker 2019
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