As an actor, you are required to perform a wide variety of duties. I remember auditing an acting class several years ago, and there was a beginner actor in the midst. When it was his time to deliver his monologue, you could tell he had talent; however, he was simply reciting the lines with “stereotypical” emotional purpose and prose. This is a common mistake among young actors; they put the bulk of their concentration and mental aptitude to actually speaking instead of looking inward for the emotion and objective of the dialogue.
Professional actors must understand how to link dialogue with the super-objective of a particular scene and script to ensure their character is always moving forward.
Of course, your character would move forward as the dialogue in the script ensures this occurs; however, the fluidity of this emotional (and physical) movement is solely up to the actor’s ability to recognize the super-objective and undergo the process of linking (or connecting) his dialogue to the overall purpose.
What is the Super-Objective?
Within every script there are numerous objectives, and each character may have his own unique objective. In a single scene, there may be numerous immediate-objectives, which are the actions required by the character to meet his current goal; however, these immediate-objectives (or simple-objectives) all lead the actor to the super-objective(s).
Connecting Dialogue with the Super-Objective
In order to properly link your dialogue with the super-objective, you must first understand and pinpoint the objective. This is typically done by thoroughly reading the script and performing a character breakdown.
After you have uncovered the super-objective of the script, you must go through each of your scenes and analyze your character’s dialogue. When your character speaks, how is he moving forward to meet his objective? What is he hoping to accomplish with his words? Does he meet any obstacles, and if so, how does he handle them? How does his words cause action to take place both physically and emotionally?
It is vital to act and speak according to the super-objective to ensure the story is properly told and the emotional level of your character fits seamlessly with that of the story/emotional arc of each scene and the overall script.