I just finished the Summer Intensive program at Atlantic Theater School! It was a joyous, unforgettable experience taking those intense six weeks of full-on immersion to Practical Aesthetics, and sharing those weeks with some of the most talented people I know. I came to the Atlantic without preconceived notions of the technique. The goal of every acting technique is to equip an actor the tools he or she needs to be a more efficient actor. When a complex character, a play or a difficult scene comes along, there will always be a moment where one of these tools will come in handy–which is why having all these techniques at hand would provide a strong foundation for a working actor in the future. It all depends on the actor which one he or she chooses to pursue.
For the latter weeks of the program, I chose dramatic material from plays: Cock, Angels in America, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Doing practical aesthetics on them, made the process efficient, thoughtful, and more visceral. The goal of Practical Aesthetics is to unleash the truth of the “moment”. As the actor, you’ve done the basic preparation: memorization,play research, character and script analysis, and etc. But the most exciting part for me was to be fully engaged in the moment with the other actor and make stage magic out of those preparations. Suddenly the “text” became fresh and new, the “actions” became more authentic and instinctive.
I experienced it doing a scene for “COCK,” where we were told both actors should not rehearse outside of class, and just do it first-hand in class. The scene we chose is about a couple having a verbal altercation about infidelity. At first, I was scared of not doing any rehearsals prior, but I trusted the process. Once the other actor and myself were both on our feet doing the scene for the first time, then I felt the magic of Practical Aesthetics. The actions and words of the text came out like nothing you’ve rehearsed in your room. Everything you had in mind for the scene has rapidly changed. What had happened were two actors intensely tethered in the moment. The trust between me and my scene partner was fully-charged, and visceral that even if one had missed a line or forgotten a word, it did not matter–as we were both fully engaged and connected to the scene. It only took one breath, and one look from each other’s eyes and suddenly, the intensity of our impulses, actions became more truthful and authentic.
One thing I love about practical aesthetics is that it’s actually practical. Doable in a sense, that everything you need to do is in the text itself. Paired with your strong imagination and skills, then the action that you’ll choose corresponds to a more truthful as-if, which in turn would fire the match as you set through to your actual scene. The result is an intense, in-the-moment, more truthful piece of acting. Practical Aesthetics teaches the actor to be smart, fully prepared and be confident as always. It’s like equipping your actor with a strong armor and weapon to tackle every piece of literature from the classics to the contemporary pieces of theater with such finesse and determination.
Vincent Pernia
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Summer Intensive
Our Summer programs present students with the opportunity to gain a working and rigorous understanding of the Atlantic Technique, Practical Aesthetics, and to immerse themselves in a life-long community of dedicated actors.
Summer alumni have gone on to robust and prolific careers in theater, TV, and film. They include Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids), Charmaine Bingwa (“The Good Fight”), Anna Chlumsky (“Veep”), Zach Woods (“Silicon Valley”), and more!