In a word, no. Think of the script like a treasure map. You’ve got to study it, tear it apart and put it back together to find all the hidden meanings, clues, subtext and motivations that drive your character from one end of the story arc to the other. Books have been written on this. It can be a very complex process but it can also be as simple as reading the script over and over and over again until it becomes a part of you. My own process is somewhere in between.
I read the script at least five times and try not to judge the character I’m playing. When you go through a script for the first time a lot of things will jump out at you. You’ll get impulses and feelings that may or may not be based on who the character is but rather on who you are. That’s why its so important to read the script all the way through, several times. The first time is just to get to know the story. The second time you read it, you should begin to make notes about your feelings. The third time, you’ll want to write down anything your character says about themselves. The fourth read should be about taking notes on anything another character says about your character. And the fifth read through, should be about understanding why your character is saying and doing what’s written. This is a line by line analysis that will help you discover how that particular thing that you’re saying affects you as the character, the other person or people you’re talking to, and the story.
If you skip any of these steps before you begin to work on your subtext and motivations, you won’t really have a full understanding of who your character is which can lead to some very bland and predictable choices.
I found a great article and video explaining how to analysis a script from well respected acting coach in L. A., Kimberly Jentzen. The article will take you about 10 minutes to read and the video is about 20 minutes long. If you don’t already know about breaking down a script and you’d like to learn about some ideas for where to start, this is a great place. If you already do this, I’d love to know what methods work best for you. Who knows, they might be just what someone else is looking for, too.