How can an actor keep their performances fresh

It took two weeks for the set to be prepared for the opening scene at the dance studio. First, questions of light and the camera were needed to be positioned in a way that both captured the expansive windows behind the studio, while also capturing the main stage and the floor beneath. The scene required 30 dancers. All of them were to be performing the dance when, all of a sudden, the star actress falls in the rehearsal. This triggers a moment of humiliation for the main character. And all of this creates the opening moment of conflict in the film — like a mini story within the large story — a kind of microcosm between the dance instructor and the shamefaced dancer herself, which starts the film with great drama right at the first minutes.

The dialogue between the dance instructor and the fallen dancer consists of a long back and forth between the two characters. At the start, the instructor is giving the dancer encouraging words. But after the young actress pulls herself back to her feet, she looks angrily at the instructor and finally speaks her mind.

She is upset about the choreography. And the fact that their old instructor just left the institution, leaving them with this new trainer, and one month before competitions is even more of a source of tension.

And so the young dancer, standing before all of her peers, steps forward and she begins what’s to be a long monologue — a probing and emotionally wrenching one — which is to serve as both exposition of the story, helping the viewer understand what is at stake in the scene and story. We are to also discern other important details, such as the lead actor’s beliefs, how hard they have been working, and with a further kind of confrontation to the dance instructor, pointing her finger at her for replacing their old instructor.

The first few takes of the actor’s monologue were good. She hit all beats and made all the right points in the script. But by the 3rd take, and then the 4th, and having repeated her lines in the exact same ways, very quickly the scene was falling flat as the actor grew tired. And in turn, the instructor’s performance fell flatter too. It was as if the momentum in the scene was slowing. The other background performers in the scene were growing tired. And something truly important was suddenly lost.

The director scratched his head. He could not understand it. But then, during a break, the actors coach approached the lead and began giving her some feedback.

They were in a private room in a trailer. It was quiet and, after the actor finished her protein shake and banana, she looked up disgusted with everything. Only the acting coach knew how to tackle the subject, and so she leaned in and began giving her feedback on how to keep the performance fresh:

1. Lines are not there to repeat each take. The performance and the set of events is there to create a journey. Each take is its own journey of discovery. No skilled actor repeats the performance. Each take is a chance at journeying further into the world of the scene and character herself.
2. Between the 1st and 15th take, there should not be sameness. An actor uses each take as a fresh opportunity to search. Search for what? Search for the truth of the character’s inner-world. This might be arrived at by making little tweaks in the performance. Explore as you go and let the search take you somewhere new each take.
3. Once you have explored and tweaked your performance in many ways, keep asking the director what they like and offer more suggestions. Keeping things fresh is not all about the actor’s decision making. It should come from tiny decisions that an actor makes based on the feedback of the director. It might also come as a suggestion from the director his or herself.
4. Have fun with each take. The greatest performances come from when an actor is present and filled with joy in the act of exploring and searching take by take. When there is presence and joy, freshness is a direct effect. The audience will be able to see all of this, even when the character you portray is not joyful at all. But how do you do this?
5. Keep spontaneous and after testing many little changes in each take, keep exploring and enjoying the discovery experience. Part of getting the right take is getting lost in the search. The idea of getting lost is being totally fresh and not in any routine or rut, doing the same thing over and over again. This kind of take is usually the one that makes the final film. So keep on your toes and stay curious.

Judging the idea of doing 20 takes to get the 21st take perfect seems daunting. But that is only the case when each of those 20 takes are the exact same, aimed at being executed in the exact self-same ways. Once an actor realizes that each little take is a universe in itself — an opportunity to unpack the infinite list of opportunities — this is when acting stays fresh and never grows boring. That is the moment when the actor is but a child, playing and exploring in the sand. And isn’t it true that even after the 2nd or 3rd hour of playing in the sand, that when the parent calls the kid to get up and stop playing, for it’s time to leave, even then the kid is as absorbed as in the first few minutes of child’s play. With acting, it should be the exact same thing.