Before you can act in a scene, you have to know what is happening in it. This is something I always remind myself of. Just because a scene consists of few lines does not mean it is an easy piece to perform. It requires the same amount of preparation, if not more. Often, actors dive into a scene too fast, trying to play with emotion, voice, movement, or some other element without really understanding what is going on. They get the scene to be loud, but not clear.
Before you read a scene aloud, give the reader the chance to get their head around the piece. Don’t think about acting yet. Instead, get a basic understanding of the story. What is happening? What is the character going to do? How are they feeling? If a cue is given, why does it occur there? Is it a response to something? Is it a response that was expected? These answers to questions will help you create a sense of clarity within the scene.
Once you know the basic plot of the piece, you can read it aloud. Do it again without trying to perform it; simply read it aloud with clarity and understanding. After you have read it for meaning and clarity, find the character’s intention in the scene. You have to find what the character wants. Keep in mind that this does not have to be complex; it can be very simple, like convincing someone of something, not telling anyone a fact, or wanting someone to go away, and other similar actions. A useful exercise in the rehearsal process is completing the sentence, “In this scene, I want _ person to _.” This will help the actor move beyond a simple description and move toward an objective, rather than an emotion. “I am sad” does not tell you very much about the intention. However, “I want someone to stay with me” does have a clear direction. The next thing the actor has to do is find where there is a shift in the scene or the mood. This shift is called the change of a beat. It could be a change in tactics, thoughts, or an action. Within a few lines, there could be as many as three beats. A scene could go from being humorous, to being serious, to being very tense. The beats help the actor understand where a shift in tempo, volume, pause, action, etc, should be used, and why.
You have to be able to find where you are going to have a pause, a change in voice or tone, or a different action, before performing the scene. When you do read it aloud, try not to rush the lines. You will find yourself getting rid of the last word in a sentence because you are already worried about what the next line is. Do your best to let that last word live in the moment for as long as you possibly can. Use your breath to your advantage. Before a longer line is said, take a breath and prepare yourself for that line by taking a breath first. It is good to have a pause, especially for the character to consider their options, but it is not okay when it is an unintentional pause just to remember where you are at. It is the difference between acting and rehearsing.
Your body should also be working with the scene, but you should first understand the scene before making any physical movements. If you do choose to move at all within the scene, be conscious of the meaning behind your movement. Are you closing distance from the actor and therefore increasing tension? Is your body still while the other actors speaks? Is there any meaningful body language you are conveying? If not, then your body could become a distraction to the audience and the scene will be less effective and meaningful. As a beginner, you can easily fill a stage with body movement, but the audience has to be able to understand how to read the scene. Sometimes just a single moment of stillness in a scene can be much more powerful than trying to be “busy” within the scene. Try reading the scene while standing very still, then read it while you have a very specific, intentional reason for your body movement. Then compare the two versions; which tells the scene more clearly?
Your best way to know that you are well prepared is not so much knowing that you have “finished” a scene, but knowing the objective of your character, understanding the beats that are changing throughout the scene, and where your pauses and/or body movements have any meaning and why you made them. Before you act out the scene, you should read it and check: Is your objective very specific? Are you hearing the other actor and their cues? Is your body working with the scene? If you can answer yes to all these questions, then you have a better chance of being more focused in rehearsal, and less like guessing during rehearsal.