Cold Reading Tips

Cold reading is for the most part dead. What most actors call cold reading today is actually a prepared read or at least a lukewarm read. For most auditions you've got the sides at least 24hrs in advance and by all rights you should be off-book and at performance level when you enter the room. Granted, I make a gallant effort towards this end, but usually end up half-memorized and half-committed to my choices; not an enviable position. Last night I picked up some wonderful tips on how to approach a cold read – and I can already see applications in the realm of prepared reads. Richard Seyd is the man responsible for this little bit of genius. The following is a paraphrasing of his lecture:

When an actor is given a script and only given a little bit of time to prepare all of the blood drains from his brain and floods his major muscle groups. Yep, fight or flight. So when you feel stupid in an audition, it's because you actually are stupid. That being said, if you create and practice a preparation for cold reads and auditions you'll be much more able to effectively wrangle your grey matter (it's had more practice).

When actors are given a script on short notice they often fall into the trap of immediately building a character and back-story without taking the time to fully understand the text. This is stupid. The text will inform your character choices, and will allow you to be more specific and accurate. A couple very good choices will serve you far better than a dozen ungrounded and unclear choices. In order to arrive at a clearer understanding of the text in a short period of time, you should read it in a series of passes, making a conscious effort not to think just about your character but to take in the totality of the scene.

1. Read the first few lines and a the last few lines of the script. It's entirely possible to read a script and have no idea what you just read, reading the beginning and end gives you context as you read through the whole script. Remember, time is precious.
   
2. Read the script as a WRITER. Ask yourself these questions:
   
   1. Why is this scene in the script?
      
   2. What page number is this? Are we still in exposition-land?
      
   3. How is the scene written?
      
      1. Short sentences?
         
      2. Long sentences?
         
      3. What is the significance of the style of the writing.
         
3. Read the script as a DIRECTOR. If you were to direct the actors in the scene, how would you tell the other actor to play their part? This will help you to generate lively responses when you are working with a CD or actor who is giving you a flat read (DO NOT take this as license to actually direct the other actor, that's a big no-sirreee JimBob).
   
4. Read the script as an EDITOR. Ask yourself these questions:
   
   1. Where are the close ups?
      
   2. Is there a turning point in the scene? Find It!
      
      1. This is where the character shifts their psychological state.
         
      2. It can be the last moment of the scene.
         
   3. Control the time.
      
      1. Where can you place a moment within YOUR lines that directs all of the focus to you?
         
         1. Put a marker in the first 4 lines of the scene. CDs make snap judgments; make sure they've had a chance to really take you in.
            
   4. Finally, read the script as an ACTOR. Make the strongest possible choice that the text of the scene will hold.
      
      1. Even if it's "wrong" it's far better to make a strong choice supported by the text and get a redirect than to make a middling choice and get dismissed.
         
      2. How can you raise the stakes in the scene?
         
5. Read the scene for CLARIFICATION. If there are any lingering questions you have (e.g. What is my relationship to this other character?) read the text with only that question in mind. You'll likely find the answer, if you don't just pick something.
   

While this post has grown into something of a tome, it's all really good stuff and definitely worth giving a shot the next time you're playing around with a script with some actor buddies. If it works for you, then make a habit of doing it every time you get sides, a habit of preparation is what will allow you to excel in a cold-read situation.