Monologue \"A Lie of the Mind\" Play

¶ … monologue "A Lie Of The Mind" play written Sam Shepard. monologue page "80." starts Frankie " Look- I make effort. Did ?." I u make ? essay outline:Take home test outline: Text: Audition Michael Shurtleff ( outline) Part 1.

A Lie of the Mind

Michael Shurtluff's guideposts are very important for all actors, regardless of their level of preparation. Through acting in accordance with these guideposts, one is likely to experience positive results while on scene. Most professional actors who come across these principles are very probable to acknowledge that they have developed a similar set of laws during their career. Although told from a general point-of-view, guideposts inform the actor regarding his or her priorities and instruct him or her in being able to have a good impact on the audience. One does not necessarily have to follow Shurtluff's guideposts literally, as he or she can interpret them or can attempt to apply them to their own set of rules (this being expected to personalize guideposts and make them even more effective).

I personally believe that following these guideposts can make one feel less hesitant about going on stage. Beginners will find that Shurtluff's set of advices is very helpful for someone who is not experienced in preparing himself of herself effectively when provided with a new script.

Part 2.

By applying Shurtleff's guideposts to Frankie's monologue an actor is likely to make a positive impression on the public that he or she is playing before. These four particular main ideas make it possible for the actor to undergo some of the most important phases before going on stage and while on stage. The relationship guidepost enables him to focus on the connection that exists between him and Baylor, Jake, and Mike, thus allowing him to be aware of the attitudes that he needs to adopt when faced with particular individuals. The conflict and the find the events guidepost helps him in using the monologue, his critical condition, and the circumstances that he is in with the purpose of appealing the public through inducing tension in viewers. Also, these two are also essential in helping the actor maintain a strong connection with actors playing Baylor and Mike, and by getting them actively involved in contributing to the scene in any way that they possibly can. The moments before guidepost assists Frankie's actor as he tries to employ diverse attitudes on stage and as he tries to prepare to get on stage.

I. Relationship

The Relationship guidepost in Michael Shurtleff's audition is meant to provide the person analyzing the monologue with more information regarding the protagonist's relationship and how it affects the person speaking. Shurtleff practically wants individuals to think about the protagonist's background with the person that he refers to. By focusing on this moment's environment and on all the events that led to this situation one is likely to gain a general understanding of the speaker's situation. Similarly, the analyst is also probable to comprehend more about the individual responsible for this situation, the reasons that influenced him in performing a particular act, and his position regarding the matter.

The actor practically needs to identify with the character in order to feel what he feels. He even has to consider how he would act if he were to be in the circumstances that the character is in, as this is likely to trigger strong feelings in the individuals and to eventually have him feel that he is going through real-life experiences. By focusing sufficiently on all characters and the relationship that his character has with them, the actor can have a better understanding of his position, especially considering that this enables him to look at the play from a subjective point-of-view.

One of the principal factors assisting the individual in being able to successfully identify with his character is the way that he feels about other characters in the plot. An actor needs to focus on the personality of his character and on the way that he would react to the nature of other characters in the play in order for him to be able to put across the exact message that the writer wanted to convey. The fact that they present people's attitudes as they interact is not necessarily what is important about relationships in regard to the play. A character can also relate to other characters by expressing his opinion regarding them and by providing the public with information regarding how he adapts his thinking to the behavior of other individuals.

Considering that strong relationships can deteriorate as a result of certain events and that they can also strengthen as a consequence of unifying circumstances, the actor needs to understand when it is right for him to appreciate or to detest particular characters.

Frankie is a moral individual and in spite of the way that he was treated by Mike and Baylor he does not hesitate to put across his understanding regarding their approach. Whereas he expresses criticism concerning Baylor's refusal to feel sorry for mistaking him with a deer, he somewhat accepts Mike's position because he acknowledges the gravity of Jake's actions. Through understanding the strong relationship between Mike and Beth the actor is capable of seeing Mike's torture techniques as a means to channel his frustration regarding Jake.

Even with the fact that Baylor insists regarding his lack of interest in expressing any feelings related to guilt concerning his decision to shoot Frankie, the latter does not appear to be furious with this overall situation. Instead, he expresses lack of understanding concerning the immoral attitudes that people around him constantly adopt. One of the intriguing concepts about employing the relationship guidepost in analyzing Frankie's monologue is his determination to believe that all people have the ability to express moral beliefs. While Jake would be infuriated with the way that Baylor and Mike behave, Frankie prefers to use ethics as a method to address both of them.

Frankie's relationship with Baylor is certainly tensed, given that the latter shot the former and that he even relates to how there is nothing wrong with what he did. However, Frankie does not express anger concerning the way that Baylor behaves and simply puts across his difficulty to understand people. While he would normally have to focus on the circumstances that he is in, Frankie discusses his relationship with his brother, the character of his brother, and his general disappointment with the fact that Jake is still immature.

Frankie adopts typical behavior in his understanding of other people, given that he constantly sees himself as the normal individual in his relationship with others. He believes that he is not responsible for the problems that he experiences, especially considering his self-esteem. In spite of the fact that Frankie manages to behave ethically he constantly gets into trouble because of wanting to help his brothers and because of failing to see the fact that the individuals that he comes across blame him for their mistakes.

II. Conflict

The Conflict guidepost concentrates on the well-being of the speaker and on the actions that he can take in order to overcome this difficult moment. His main concern in this situation is to identify the attitude that he needs to employ in order to attain his goal in affecting listeners. Through performing physical actions one is likely to have success in influencing his peers.

Shurtleff believes that any actor needs to understand the reason why he is still present in the scene, with the conflict practically being the thing that motivates him in wanting to impose his perspective. The actor needs to look for the conflict in the scene and focus on turning it into a dramatic episode. Other characters are preventing him from putting across his point-of-view and thus encouraging him in being even more irritated concerning his position. The actor does not necessarily have to use negativistic feelings in trying to get other characters and the public to want to listen to him, as he can also make use of warm sentiments in convincing them that he is worth being listened to.

Even with the fact that one would normally need to focus on performing actions that are distinctive for the character that he is playing, Shurtleff apparently wants to emphasize the importance of doing anything in one's power in order to keep the action flowing. There are numerous techniques that one can use in keeping people's attention on his character and on the play as a whole. Many actors fail to put across effective acting because they limit themselves in performing certain actions.

Through concentrating on reinforcing the play's general flow one is likely to contribute to the effect that it has on audiences. The actor needs to identify with the character and abandon any kind of prejudice regarding the gravity of a conflict. Even when he considers that a normal person would exaggerate by using this much passion in a conflict, the actor needs to employ indifference and to eventually make it possible for his presence to be essential for the scene. A conflict basically needs to be supported through physical acting and by having other characters become even more determined to challenge the individual infuriating them. The actor needs to have a thorough understanding of the action that he is about to perform and to later get actively involved in turning it into the scene's center of attention.

Frankie's main point of interest is to have Baylor and Mike understand that his brother is not necessarily accountable for his behavior. He considers that his brother's background is mainly responsible for turning him into a reckless person. The character's main center of attention needs to be Baylor, even with the fact that this character appears to be incapable of accepting mistakes. Whereas he cannot appeal to compassion when addressing him, Frankie can use indifference and general disrespect as means of showing Baylor that he is not as important as he considers himself to be.

Considering the fact that Baylor is used to be being the leader of the house and the one person that does not have to answer to anyone, it is only safe to assume that he would feel dissatisfied with the lack of attention that he is provided with. Frankie needs to make him understand that the man's incorrect way of judging people simply back-fires on him through the risks that he exposes himself to.

The actor playing Frankie needs to manipulate Baylor into thinking that it is in his best interest to cooperate and to understand Jake's condition. Frankie needs to use actions as a means to get Baylor to change his opinion regarding him and his brother. Through emphasizing the reasons why he came to Baylor's farm Frankie is enabled to make Baylor understand how things work. It is not necessarily that Frankie wants his brother to be absolved for his actions, as he has to influence Baylor in thinking that they are somewhat likeminded because they both consider Jake's actions to have been outrageous.

An actor playing Frankie first needs to get a thorough understanding of the character's needs in order to be able to fight for them. By acknowledging that Frankie wants to ameliorate the critical situation that he is in at the time when he produces the monologue, an actor can accept that it is in his best interest to have Baylor and Mike realize that it is wrong to want revenge. Frankie needs to fight for his well-being because this is the only thing that he can do in order to be able to help his brother.

III. The Moment Before

The Moment Before guidepost has the actor focus on the events that happened in the scene that preceded the one that he has to perform in. The moment before can actually refer to the over storyline that preceded the present act and it can address a series of occurrences in the character's life. Through putting across the feeling that he continues an episode that happened before, the actor makes it possible for the audience to feel that his acting merges perfectly into the overall storyline.

As he prepares to get on stage, the actor needs to have a good understanding of the events that preceded the scene that he is about to play. By thinking about previous events in trying to play a particular scene, an actor is more probable to experience positive results. The audience needs to be reminded in regard to the personality of the character that an actor is playing and it has to be provided with significant hints meant to assist it.

The actor's point of focus needs to extend to his character's history with the characters that he interacts with and to his personal views in regard to conditions that resemble the one that he is in at the moment of the scene. Even with that, the information that he gets regarding the character needs to be filtered so as for the actor to be able to focus on the situation at hand and on feelings that are likely to emerge as a result of such circumstances. The actor needs to regard this moment as being part of a continuity that requires that the character should put across sentiments that are characteristic to him. When someone is not experienced in playing a particular character, the respective individual can relate to his personal experiences in producing convincing acting. It is not sufficient for the actor to want to be good, as he actually needs to understand the character that he is playing and to support it as it attempts to achieve its objectives. Moreover, he should look forward to the moment when he gets on stage and consider it to be his opportunity to assist his character in a critical situation. Shurtleff most probably wanted The Moment Before to represent an essential phase that actors need to undergo before they get on stage and across their stay there.

The fact Frankie's monologue is preceded by a tensed conversation that he has with Baylor means that an actor playing Frankie would have to put great passion in expressing the character's personal beliefs. Frankie virtually reached a moment when he is not necessarily interested in what happens around him and simply wants to present the audience and Baylor with what he thinks about this whole situation. In order to do this, the actor needs to employ an authoritarian and yet calm attitude in trying to change the way that Baylor sees things. Frankie's moral character is particularly important at this stage because of the effect that it needs to have on the audience.

The actor needs to consider Frankie's past, his relationship with Jake, and his history having an abusive father. Frankie should not feel intimidated with the fact that Baylor and Mike pressure him and he should continue to maintain an indifferent position for most of the monologue. This indifference is not necessarily owed to his lack of interest in the outcome of this situation, as it is the result of the fact that his life experiences made him feel that there was little that could hurt him. He considered that humans were predisposed to doing immoral deeds, but he did not believe that this meant that he should not get involved in trying to help them.

By performing a thorough analysis of Frankie's personality, an actor is likely to realize that this character is fighting a continuous campaign intended to save his brother from following their father's footsteps. He does not seem to be concerned with the fact that he just got shot or that he is in an uncomfortable situation. All he cares about is presenting his audience with his brother's personality and with reasons not to employ prejudice in judging Jake.

Frankie's present situation is the result of a series of events that happened throughout the play until the moment when he got shot by Baylor. The fact that Baylor mentions a potential trial would influence Frankie's actor in believing that the man is actually afraid of the consequences of his actions. This makes it easier for Frankie to consider that he is advantaged by this position and that he can use it in order to persuade Baylor in thinking that it would be wrong for him to continue to torment Frankie.

IV. Find the Events

The Find the Events guidepost is meant to introduce factors like change, conflict, and culmination into the scene. Through identifying the changes that take place in the scene, the actor gets to introduce these respective transformations into his acting. Even if there appears to be little change in the general context of the play, the actor has to focus as much as possible in order to discover his relationship with other characters and how he can use changes in order to affect their personalities.