Essay Option 3: Spanish poet Antonio Machado wrote, Between living and dreaming there is a third thing.

Guess it. Give us your guess.

Acting is the third thing that Machado alludes to; it is the mix of fantasy and reality, which makes it much more than just another expression of art. The work necessary to achieve it, however, is incredibly difficult, requiring patience, openness, meticulous work, and spontaneity. Acting is the element between living and dreaming because it is an almost unachievable mix of the two; it is the suspension of disbelief, which tricks audiences into believing real people are having real experiences in front of them. This state is achievable, but it requires an actor to have the ability to remain in both their own mind and the mind of the character. (DIAGRAM) Actors achieve the suspension of disbelief when they are able to stay true to their own mind as well as absorb the mind of the character. The most undesirable theatrical results are shown in points A and B. At these points, the actor is letting too much of his own world get in the way of the performance. The actor could be: self-conscious or anxious, letting emotional problems project into the scene, or, worst of all, trying to entertain as opposed to remaining in the moment. On the opposite extreme, there is the Dustin Hoffman Zone, the state for an immature actor, in which the actor disregards his well-being and immerses himself in every part of the role (aka, method acting). Onstage and onscreen this may actually seem like great acting, but to achieve point C in any performance or rehearsal can be dangerous to the performer. In preparation for the dentist torture scene in the film Marathon Man, Dustin Hoffman, a method-actor, isolated himself in his room for days, starving himself of both food and sleep. Hoffman subjects himself to torment in order to experience the life of the character at the expense of his physical and mental health. The goal of the actor is the suspension of disbelief, in which, the actor traps the audience in his emotional world and thus keeps them vulnerable to the experience of the performance. Taking on the mind of the character while also staying in my own mind is my difficult mission as an actor; the way I approach it is twofold: first I have to immerse myself in the imaginary world the character lives in and then I have to allow my own instincts to guide my character through a rehearsal or performance. The meticulous bookwork, which provides a base for the role, is all about immersing myself in the life of the character. I have to do serious research by dissecting the characters life in all aspects, from their occupation and family background to their specific word choice and physicality. These are the given circumstances, which shape the characters life emotionally and physically. Once I absorb these given circumstances, I am able to access the life of the character whenever I need.

The next step is crucial as this is the point where I integrate my own behavioral responses into the character. I must relax, concentrate on the given circumstances, and allow myself the freedom of spontaneity in order to successfully achieve the suspension of disbelief. Once my scene partner and I are in the minds of our characters, we start our scene; we have to be hyper aware of each other in every way. No matter how well I know the lines, I never know how my partner will approach the scene; I have to be ready for anything that my partner might throw at me. By integrating my inclinations into the character I am closer to achieving the suspension of disbelief. This is the deciding step for all actors to either remain in the dreaded DHZ or to humanize the character and achieve the blend of reality and fantasy that audiences crave. The suspension of disbelief can elicit powerful emotions. Why else would people cry for Romeo & Juliet, admire John Proctor, or resent Stanley Kowalski? Powerful acting is partially rooted in the script, but more importantly, it occurs when the actors commit themselves to their roles and bring their characters to life. The suspension of disbelief is difficult to differentiate from reality or fantasy because it ties the two so closely together. Its like living in a vivid dream: you get so caught up in the fantastic things happening all around you, you forget to take a step back and realize that youre only sleeping.