Could you please expound on this more? Perhaps with an example of how it is taught now vs in the book? Thank you!

@@DavidAranovich1 They ask four questions now instead of 3. What is the character literally doing? What does the character want? What is the Essential Action? ( the solution to the want) As if? Some of the stuff in the book is better explained in other books by the Atlantic company. I just found all of this out 11 months ago when I wrote the comment. My freshmen acting professor teaches it how it is explained in the book. Years later I attended workshops of an Atlantic teacher and watched their videos explaining the foundation. I could tell somethings were switched or explained better.

@@sovietninja6865 Thanks for all this! Alas, I don't fully understand the diff between what the character wants and the essential action. Also how the "As if" is taught differently now than in the book. Lol. Do you know where these other books and videos are that explain all this more? Thank you in advance!

@@DavidAranovich1 The other books are: Karen Kohlhaas the monologue audition and Teaching Acting with Practical Aesthetics by Troy Dobosiewicz. Karen explains the as if and the action more clearly within her book, same with Troy. In the practical handbook it does not fully say how to use the as if. In Atlantic they speak the as if to their partner or to a certain point in the room. They then switch the as if into the lines and as if is to remind the actor this is how They are when they’re doing that action. The action then must be worked on at home and in rehearsals to make it habitual to the text. The difference between want is what does the character want in the scene. (Example) Want: Jake wants to save Julia Actions: ( solutions to your want) 1. to steer a loved one in the right direction 2.To convince a loved one to make the right choice 3. To slap a friend into reality With the as if, you have to use people who are personal to you and a situation that really gets your gears going or it will not be as affective. The as if you have to speak out what your trying to do and go into your imagination without forcing yourself to see someone there. I was confused about it as well and that’s why I did some more research. I think the practical handbook needs to be updated really badly. Atlantic has a full breakdown of the technique on the backstage KZfaq channel.