At this point you feel ready for something concrete to work on. You're all set to stand up in your room and start practicing something. Anything.

So I'll tell you how to practice standing.

You've been standing since you were thirteen months old? I wonder. But even so, stand in front of a long mirror and look at yourself in profile.

Is your head thrust forward? Are your shoulders pulled back in "military fashion"? Is your posterior jutting out astern? Are your feet pressed tight together? If that's the way you're standing— stop. Let's correct that stance right now.

Imagine you are suspended from a big hook fastened under your breastbone, or sternum. As your body starts to respond to the power of suggestion, your chest will go high. You'll grow long through the middle. The buttocks will flow smoothly in a plumb line with the rest of the body. The abdomen will flatten out. Pretty soon you'll get tired of standing like this; your shoulders will relax and come slightly forward and down.

For the time being, let it go at that. You look fine.

Here is a further explanation of how to stand.

Raise your chest high by lifting your upper ribs naturally and easily. To do this, you're using the intercostal muscles. Now keep the shoulders relaxed. No stiffening of the back and shoulder muscles.

For the sake of experiment, look in the mirror and pull your shoulders back in so-called military style. Then bring them forward to a relaxed position, letting the arms hang comfortably.

You will notice that when you bring the shoulders forward —still keeping the chest high—you increase the shoulder width almost an inch on each side. Within the limitations of your own physique, this position gives you the V-shape that Robert Mitchum, Burt Lancaster and some of the other famous film figures are noted for.

Remember, all you have to do is to keep the chest high, the shoulders relaxed and slightly forward, the buttocks pinched and the lower abdomen flat This is good posture.

After lifting the chest high with the upper rib muscles, you will find upon close examination that all the upper ribs are fastened solidly to the sternum or breastbone. Below the upper ribs are four more ribs that float around the lower part of the thorax. The thorax is that part of the body enclosed by the rib cage. The semi-detached ribs are called floating ribs. Don't worry about them —for the time being.

Suspended from an imaginary hook, with the chest high, shoulders relaxed and slightly forward, you achieve the upper part of the V-shaped torso. Complete the bottom part by pinching the buttocks together—keeping them more under than behind you. At the same time flatten the abdomen.

Having absorbed and applied these posture instructions, look at yourself in the mirror again for a checkup. What an improvement!

To appear at your best when standing—always with the imaginary concept of suspension in mind—keep

Chin level
Chest high
Shoulders relaxed and slightly forward
Spine straight
Waist long
Abdomen flat
Buttocks pinched in and tucked under
Weight resting lightly on the balls of the feet

That's good posture.

All posture instructions, unless otherwise noted, are the same for both men and women. Feminine students will soon have proof that the effect of the V-shaped posture on their figures gives them something of that Elizabeth Taylor look, that Esther Williams style.

The Venus de Milo has it too.

Exercise

Assume the V-shape posture. Retain it as you tighten every muscle in your body. Then, still in position, relax as much as you possibly can without any collapse of the muscular structure. In other words, keep the same mold, or position, but use an absolute minimum of tension to hold the mold.

Repeat this contrasting tension-and-relaxation eight or ten times throughout the day, whenever you have a chance.

Every time you do this, you'll be working on a lesson in RELAXED CONSTRICTION.

Relaxed constriction is disciplined freedom, or controlled ease.

To give yourself a simple example of relaxed constriction, stand up and put your arm out (palm up) at a right angle with your body. Make a fist and bend the arm at the elbow until your fist is on an approximate level with the top of your head. Your forearm is now at a right angle to your shoulder, like a carpenter's square.

Tighten that arm. Tighten every muscle in it until the arm trembles with tension. That tension is constriction.

Now relax all the tension except that which is needed to continue holding the arm in its right-angle position.

When you can feel all the excess tension drain out, walk around, sing a song, recite a poem. But keep right on holding that arm in position. Without a great deal of weariness, your arm will be able to stay there, at its right angle, as long as you tell it to. You can almost forget its existence.

That's an example of RELAXED CONSTRUCTION. Of POPULARITY (the opposites: tension-relaxation). Of BALANCE (the harmonious equalizing of these opposites).

This is the first time I have used the words "polarity" and "balance" since explaining them to you. Be sure that you understand them thoroughly, because they will recur many times throughout this book.

George Fenneman, Groucho Marx's "Able Aide" who has also gained popularity elsewhere, is an expert in the effective use of relaxed constriction, balance and polarity. His use of these principles enables him to put exactly the right degree of energy in the right place at the right time. It helps him to make his points with relaxed animation.

To experience something is quite different from merely reading or talking about it By going through the motions and actually experiencing relaxed constriction, you have begun to integrate its principles and practice into your very being.

Further experience in other phases of the mechanics that go into acting will help make the technique of the art genuinely a part of you.

In your experiments with relaxed constriction you have discovered how to free yourself from unnecessary physical tension; to retain and project vitality.

There's another key word—VITALITY. It, too, will be used here frequently. Its possessor radiates energy, controlled but not "switched off" in repose, animated but not uncontrolled in action. No finer example of this quality of infinite vitality exists than that which emanates from Yul Brynner.

There are a few simple observations for posture in relation to characterization.

In a straight modern role there's quite a lot of latitude regarding a man's stance, but a certain standard does exist Ordinarily, the base, or space between his feet, should approximate the width of his shoulders.

In the classics the feet are usually close together. For a character role, the less the intelligence of the character, the wider the base. Drunks, too, sprawl with legs apart. But as sobriety and intelligence return, the base gets smaller. Loretta Young, playing a dual role in a television show, once gave a dramatic illustration of character contrast between a narrow and broad base. As a well-bred young matron, she used her own graceful narrow base, while opposite herself on the same screen she sprawled as a drunkard.

The more dignified, feminine and ladylike a female character is, the smaller the base on which the actress stands. Except to suggest tomboyishness, a rugged outdoor type, or vulgarity, an actress always stands (and sits) with feet close together.

Now let's go back to where I left you, standing up in front of the mirror with your V-shape. Tense your body in this good position till every muscle trembles. Then relax all the tension you possibly can, still retaining the exact form and posture you've been working for.

Remember to fit movements using the principles of relaxed constriction into various spare moments of your day. The exercise will serve you well in coping with bulging bay-window tendencies and broad hip problems.

Before you know it, you'll have a pleasing new posture. Always keep in mind: an actor must look symmetrical—must look EXCITING.

You should be able by this time to read over the following list of words and have each one bring you immediately a clear mental image of what you've learned so far.

High chest
Relaxed shoulders
Long waist
Flat abdomen
Pinched buttocks
Balance
Polarity
Vitality
Relaxed constriction
Experiencing
Energy
Base

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