DEE CANNON’S APPROACH ON CHARACTER

ACTING RESEARCH
BACKGROUND MATERIAL
INFO:
 
 
1. SOCIAL EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
2. ECONOMIC INFLUENCES
3. POLITICAL LIFE EVENTS
4. MUSIC
5. ART
6. LITERATURE
7. THEATRE / MUSIC HALL / FILM
8. FOODS
9. FASHION
10. RELIGION
11. PLAYWRIGHT’S LIFE / LETTERS / COMMENTS
12. CREATE PERSONALIZED CHARACTER AUTO BIOGRAPHY
 
 
BRIEF EXPLANATIONS OF EACH OF THE TEN QUESTIONS
 
 
 
1. WHO AM I? This means the type of person you are. When it is yourself then you
know the answer in the fullest possible way. If it is a character, then you must research
you: BACKGROUND, CHARACTERISTICS, INFLUENCES, EDUCATION, LIKES AND
DISLIKES, REALATIONSHIPS, ATTITUDE TO OTHER CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY.
 
2. WHERE AM I? What kind of place is it? What sort of furniture? objects, colours,
texture? What does all this mean to you?
 
3. WHEN IS IT? Is it Winter? Spring? Summer? Autumn? What is the year?  What isthe
time of the day?
 
4. WHERE HAVE I JUST COME FROM? What has happened previously? What are my
previous  circumstances?
 
5. WHAT DO I WANT? This is your ACTION. An ACTION you want, desire, 
wish, or intention. Better still, it is your NEED.
 
6. WHY DO I WANT IT? This is your JUSTIFICATION for the ACTION. You most 
always have a good reason for wanting and needing your ACTION.
 
7. WHY DO I WANT NOW? The “NOW” gives you immediately. You must know why 
it has to be at this moment in time, why not before, why not later?
 
8. WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I DON’T GET IT NOW? The stakes should always be high.
The consequences of not getting what you want must be very important to you.

 
9. HOW WILL I GET WHAT I WANT? BY DOING WHAT? This is a smaller Action that
is called an ACTIVITY. You can BEG, PLEAD, TEASE, CHARM, GET SYMPATHY,
ETC. By doing these activities, you make your partner feed something specific in or-
der to push ahead your Action.
 
10. WHAT MUST I OVERCOME?  This is the OBSTACLE or RESISTANCE to obtain-
ing 
    your Action.  There must always be a ‘problem’ that you are either living with, or
trying to overcome.
 

DEE CANNON’S ACTING NOTES

 
 
WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR POCKETS?
WHAT OBJECTS DO YOU ALWAYS CARRY?
WHAT IS YOUR BEST PHYSICAL FEATURE?
WHAT IS YOUR MOST DOMINANT CHARACTER TRAIT?
WHAT IS YOUR BEST PHYSICAL MANNERISM?
WHAT IS YOUR WORST PHYSICAL MANNERISM?
WHAT DON’T YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF?
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF?
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST FEAR?
WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU TELL A LIE?
WHT WORDS OR PHRASE DO YOU OVERUSE?
WHAT IS THE TRAIT IN OTHERS THAT YOU DISLIKE?
WHAT MAKES YOU MOST DEPRESSED?
WHEN & WHERE WERE YOU HAPPIEST?
WHAT ARE YOUR STRONGEST PREJUDICES?
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST REGRET?
WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS?
WHAT TALENT WOUL YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE?
WHO OR WHAT IS THE GREATEST LOVE OF YOUR LIFE?
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST EXTRAVAGANCE?
WHAT WOULD MOST IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE?
WHICH LIVING PERSON DO YOU MOST ADMIRE?
WHICH LIVING PERSON DO YOU MOST DESPISE?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PIECE OF MUSIC?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PAINTING?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK?
WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE WRITERS?
WHAT ARE YOU READING AT THE MOMENT?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE WORD?
WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE?
WHICH HISTORICAL FIGURE DO YOU MOST IDENTIFY WITH?
 
 
 
CHARACTER PROFILE
 
Who Am I?
Rounding Out Your Character Exercise
 
Answer all the questions from your character’s point of view.  Based all your answers on
the Given Circumstances.
 
What is your full name?
What else are you called?  (nickname)
Where do you live? (city, state, country)
Where were you born?
Date of birth (Day, Month ,and Year)
Do you have any brothers and sisters? How may older and younger?
 
What do you remember about the house you grew up in?
 
What do you remember about the neighborhood you grew up in?
 
What were some of the special occasions in your family? (holidays, reunions, picnics,
vacations, etc.)
 
Name some of the special homemade foods you ate as a child.
 
Name and describe some of the games you played as a child.
 
What is your favorite childhood memory?
 
What is you worst childhood memory?
 
How do you feel about your age?
 
What do you do for exercise?
 
What is your best feature?
 
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
 
What is your favorite meal?
 
What are your favorite foods?
 
List three of your favorite films.
 
Who are your favorite movie stars?
 
In what other forms of entertainment / recreation do you enjoy and/or take part?
 
What is your favorite sport? Do you follow it professionally?
 
What time do you usually get up in the morning?
 
What time do you usually retire?
 
What is your favorite time of the day? Why?
 
What is your favorite season? Why?
  
What was/is your relationship with your family?
 
What year in college are you?
 
What subjects do you excel in?
 
What was your overall grade point average?
 
What do you like best about this college?
 
Are you now a member of any clubs, organizations, or religious congregations?
 
Did you ever smoke? (when, why, and how much?)
 
What is your favorite drink, alcoholic and nonalcoholic?
 
What kind of limits do you put on your alcoholic drinking?
 
What section of the newspaper do you read?
 
What do you enjoy doing most in your free time?
 
What kind of music do you enjoy listening to?
 
What have you read recently? (book, magazine)
 
Which do you prefer: city or country living? Why?
 
Do you like intimate parties or large gatherings? Why?
What is your favorite color and why?
 
What is your greatest fear?
 
Who is your closest friend?
 
How would you like to spend your next vacation?
 
What type of clothing do you most like to wear?
 
What are your favorite TV programs?
 
What would you enjoy doing on an evening out?
 
What would you like to be when you grow up?
 
What is your favorite animal?
 
What are your prejudices?
 
Do you consider yourself an indoor or outdoor person?
  
What are your feelings or opinion about:
 
sex?
politics?
war?
old age?
 
What role does religion play in your everyday life?
 
Are you happy with your lot?
 
What do you feel the future holds?
 
How do you feel about each of the other people you meet in this play?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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UNDERSTANDING THE PERIOD OF YOUR PLAY
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Have actors use this worksheet to better understand how their character lived and func-
tioned in a time and place different from their own.
 
 
Make a list of the books your character might have read.  (What were the popular books
of the period?)
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Make a list of the music your character might have listened to. (What was the popular
music of the period?)
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Make a list of the films that are placed in the same time and place as the play you are
working on.
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Make a list of paintings and/or photographs that depict the same time and place as the
play you are working on.
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CHARACTER JOURNAL
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Encourage your actors to keep a daily journal to get in closer touch and in better tune
with their character.  The following is a list of basic questions they can use for this exer-
cise.
 
 
What new information have I learned about my character today?
 
 
 
 
 
 
What questions do I still have about my character?
 
 
 
 
 
 
How does my character feel about the other characters in the play? ( Let your charac-
ter’s voice respond to this question.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
What one or two things do I plan to accomplish during the next rehearsal?