The Third Lesson

The third lesson is about dramatic action which the writer expresses in words, having that action as the purpose and the goal of his words, and which the actor performs, or acts, as the word actor itself implies. The young girl complained another problem to the teacher which she could not deal with a part in the talkies, she thought it is an impossible task that to do the best in the talkies. She gave her own experience which made her sad and depressed. She had a love scene, two and a half pages in the script and when she acting it she was interrupted eleven times, she realized she was afraid of the camera and microphone. First of all, the teacher looked the Arthur Collins's marble fountain and told her the only real rules in art are the rules that we discover for ourselves, also mentioned that the only thing she can do is to march abreast of times and do the best as an artist. The girl responded it was hard and impossible for her. The teacher said she is lack of action structure also dramatic action. Then she used an example of tree helped the girl to understand. Tree is the protagonist of all arts, an ideal structure of action which means we can connect the nature's law to the principle of art. The main trunk, the idea, the reason, it comes from director on the stage; the branches, elements of the idea, particles of reason, comes from the actor; the foliage, the brilliant presentation of idea, the bright conclusion of reasoning. Finally, the girl got the main idea of tree which she understands having the trunk or the spine of the play or thread of action in mind first, to string on that thread the secondary. A play is a long string of beads---beads of action.

From this lesson, I also learn the dramatic action is the process of performing which identify our goal first, then define an action or a technique and then express it. I agree with the girl that it is hard to rehearse a part in the talkies. It is hard to control of the fear of camera and light and microphone because it will make us unconsciously worried. My first experience of doing drama was horrible. For example, I took one drama class in high school and the teacher demanded us to do a project which play a poem in front of camera. It was hard for me because I never had this experience. I prepared and practiced. I remembered that in my turn of performing, I just recite it without emotions so that I was interrupted many times. From now on, I understand the recitation is like the foliage of a tree without the trunk and branches which also means the trunk is the main idea of a play and the branch is the technique of action. An actor need the idea of action and the element of idea in order to do the best in the talkies. Also acting should without the dramatic action which the trunk and branches of a tree. In the other hand, I like the humored way of the teacher speak to the girl which help her easily to understand.