Blocks

In this book, Donnellan talks about how actors come up with blocks in rehearsals, which prevent them from continuing with their work, such as a runner in a marathon - hitting the wall - they have to push through it to find the finish line or answers that they are looking for. For example: If an actor is not sure how to interpret a scene or monologue.

Some ideas that we came up with are:
- Not understanding or relating to your character.
- Learning your lines
- Objectives
- Not understanding the language (e.g. Shakespeare)

Donnellan liked to have these "blocks" written in a very simplistic form, so that it is very clear and simple what the actor is struggling with. For example, not being able to understand or relate to your character, simply becomes, "I don't know who I am."
So:
- Not understanding or relating to your character: I don't know who I am.
- Learning your lines: I don't know what I am saying.
- Objectives: I don't know what I want.
- Understanding the language: I don't know what I am saying.

The main "blocks" that Declan Donnellan talks about in his book, which he thinks are the most important for an actor to overcome are:
1. I don't know what I am doing.
2. I don't know what I want.
3. I don't know who I am.
4. I don't know where I am.
5. I don't know how I should move.
6. I don't know what I should feel.
7. I don't know what I'm saying.
8. I don't know what I'm playing.

He wanted to make it clear that a director will not change. They will not alter their ways of working for you, but phrasing it in this simplistic way, may allow the director to alter things to help you. For example. If you are confused about the space, you say to the director, "I don't know where I am" and they could use tape to mark out which rooms or objects are where on stage, to allow you to visualise it.

These blocks are internal. They allow the actor to close down and to focus on what is inside them.