Rosie Saccardo
Since practices for Annie, the musical, are coming up, I thought it would be interesting to write an article about acting and how to get better at it. Some people do not realize that acting can be complicated and can take a very long time to master. It is more than just simply reciting words off of a page; acting takes research, connection to the real world, and being okay with embarrassing yourself! I am not a professional in any way and I am still learning myself. However, I have attended many acting camps and performances as well as picked up methods and tips along the way. There are a multitude of different elements to acting, here are eight that I use that I think are vital in order to truly get to know your character.
1.Character’s History/Personality
It is important to really get to know who your character is, their personality, and their history. (Think: who, what, when, where, why, how?) Knowing your character’s history will help you better understand why they act and talk the way they do. Is their personality confident, loving, and heroic? Or are they ruthless, angry, and evil? Your character’s personality also affects the way that you should stand and portray them on stage. If they are not confident, they would slouch and look at the ground when talking to others. Knowing your character’s history and personality is also helpful with understanding their relationships and the opinions they have on other characters in the story.
Example: In Beauty and the Beast, Gaston’s history, past, and family life is unknown. The actor must create the important events that make up Gaston. Why is Gaston so cruel to others? What was Gaston like as a child? What is Gaston’s history with Belle?
2.Drawing on Past Experiences
Now that you know your character’s history and personality, you have to connect your own experiences to your character’s experiences. Using similar events in your past allows you to understand what your character is going through and what kinds of emotions that their situation brings up. If you do not have the same kinds of experiences, then you can draw on ones that are alike or similar in at least some way. The opposite also comes into play… you can notice how you and your character are different–which is almost as important as noting your similarities.
Example: In Beauty and the Beast, the Beast feels very alone and like an outcast. The actor must think of times when they felt alone and when they felt rejected by society.
3.Intentions (and Shifts)
In real life situations, people have intentions that go along with their actions–whether they are big or small. Most of the time, people do not even realize they have intentions at all. In theatre, it is very important to keep track of your character’s intentions and when their intentions change. You must ask what are my character’s goals? What is my character trying to gain from this situation? As the story evolves and the relationships progress, your character’s intentions will shift from scene to scene. They can even have multiple or different intentions with different characters.
Example: Gaston’s intention with Belle is that he wants to marry her. At the same time, Gaston’s intention with Beast is that he wants to kill him. During scenes, the actor must be mindful of both these intentions at the same time.
4.Being Vulnerable/Not Embarrassed
Acting is all about showing what your character is going through, however, sometimes our characters go through embarrassing situations and have cringey ideas. These can be incredibly difficult for an actor to portray on stage correctly. If an actor is embarrassed by their character, their acting will become unbelievable or weak and they might break character. “Breaking character” means one stops acting abrupting and disrupts the scene. It is important to commit to your character’s beliefs and actions and to be comfortable and confident on stage.
Example: In Beauty and the Beast, Belle has to cry over the Beast as he “dies,” this is a difficult and embarrassing scene because those are tough emotions to exhibit and get fully into on stage.
5.Listen When You’re Not Speaking
When you are on stage, it is important to be in character at all times, even if your character is not talking and the audience’s attention is supposed to be on a different character. You must show your character actively listening to the other characters on stage and think to yourself: who would my character listen to? Do they agree with the other character’s ideas? What is my character’s reaction? If you are not listening to others on stage, then you are breaking character. Another mistake that some actors do, is they are thinking of their next line and they only focus on themselves. This is apparent to the audience as they can still see your face and can tell your mind is not focused on the scene. It is important to surprise the audience as they should not be able to predict what you will say or do next.
Example: In Beauty and the Beast, Belle and the Beast are having a conversation about the Beast saving Belle’s life. The household items, Lumiere, Mrs.Potts, and Coggsworth, are listening to make sure that the Beast acts like a gentleman. It is important that they listen as their characters and react appropriately to what Belle and the Beast are saying.
6.Use Voice/Body to your Advantage (your “instrument”)
It is important to move and talk in expressive ways as your character. You can show the energy of the scene and how your character is feeling in many ways. With your voice, you can use volume, tone, and speed. With your body, you can use hand/body movements, posture, and facial expressions. Once you have chosen specific movements and volume to go along with certain words or lines, you should write them down in your script to confirm that you will continue to use them and perfect your performance. Also, it is important to note that every sentence has dynamics and changes in the tone. Everything your character says should not be at the same volume or intensity. If everything your character said was at a very loud and intense volume, eventually, the audience would become bored of hearing the same thing from your character.
Example: During a sad monologue, the actor might start the monologue off as “happy” and then slowly get more and more intensely sad as the lines unfold to create an effect that surprises the audience and makes the monologue more interesting. The actor will also put pauses in when the character is having trouble expressing how they feel.
7.Blocking/memorizing
Memorizing your lines word for word is the first step in moving forward with playing your character and working through the dynamics of their feelings. It is very hard to experiment with new choices with other actors on stage if you are still looking down and reading off of your script. That is why I always choose to memorize my lines as soon as I get cast as my character. Another thing that is important to memorize ASAP is your blocking. “Blocking” is the movements that you make on stage and where your character walks and sits. Locking in your movements sooner rather than later will help you feel more prepared and comfortable on stage when the performance comes. It will also give you more time to work on other elements like playing with your character’s dynamics, volumes, and emotions.
8.Know Yourself (“ticks,” experiences, typecasting)
Knowing yourself can mean many things in theatre. First, you must know your “ticks.” “Ticks” are things that you do in real life that you don’t actively choose to do. For example, tapping your foot, cracking your fingers, leaning from side to side, shifting your weight, and biting your lip. These are just a few examples of things that actors do on accident. It is important to actively make choices. On stage, everything that you do must be a choice, whether it is acting or with your body. Do not do anything that could distract from your character and remind the audience of reality.
It is also important to remember your own experiences. Your experiences from acting as other characters helps you and teaches you lessons about yourself as well as helps you prepare for your future characters. Also, as I said at the beginning of this article, you should draw on your past experiences to help connect you with your character.
Finally, it is important to know your “type.” Your “type” in acting is the type of character that you play very well and the type of character that you are good at connecting with. This also includes your physicality, which means you look like a specific character. This will also help you know what kinds of characters you should audition and aim for.
Example: The actor was a male who had a deep voice and he usually played villains, so he decided to audition for Gaston.
9.Research
Finally, researching all of the characters and watching multiple versions of the production you are in is also necessary. Watching other actors’ interpretations of your character is helpful when you are having trouble making choices about acting and blocking, especially if there are aspects of the show that are difficult for you. For research, I use Google, YouTube, and read articles online. Asking the director is also very helpful because they have a vision for what they want the show to look like.
Acting and theatre are very elaborate, but with experience and by trying new things, anyone can improve! The first step is just getting on stage and trying your best. Also, please warm up your voice and stretch your body, even if you aren’t dancing or singing. Lastly, even if you have a bad performance or audition, just pick yourself back up again and learn from the experience. It will only make you a better actor and person! Break a leg!