Stage Acting 101 -- Becoming Your Character and Making Sure the Audience Hears Every Word and Sees Every Movement

First, stage acting is EXAGGERATED with visible movements and facial expressions. Stage acting exaggerates natural gestures and movements so the audience can see them.

Stage acting requires the actor to "play to the back of the house." In other words, when performing on stage the actor must make everything s/he says and does BIGGER so that the patrons sitting in the last row of the third balcony can hear and see the lines and action.

Second, stage actors must PROJECT THEIR VOICES (not "yell"); use their diaphragm and breath control to put some depth and power behind their dialogue. Film actors do not have to project their voices as much as stage actors. They deliver their lines of dialogue much like we communicate in everyday life. Stage actors must also develop VOICE CONTROL. On the stage, more so than in film, it's not what is said that is most important but rather how something is said that communicates with the audience.

Third, stage acting requires a CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE because it is performed live with no second takes. Acting for film requires a talented performance, but it has the "luxury" of reshooting scenes until they are, in the eye of the director, ideal. Film acting lacks the immediacy of live theatre.

Finally, stage acting demands a FRESH PERFORMANCE, no matter how many times you've performed the show. A patron attending on Day 3 of the show should experience the same level of energy, technique, emotion and talent as the patron attending on Opening Night.

Voice Projection: work that diaphragm so that the older lady, who is hard of hearing, sitting in the last row of the house, can hear every line of dialogue.

Exaggerated Gestures and Facial Expressions: practice making physical and emotional dramatics bigger so that the nearsighted man in the last row of the third balcony can clearly see all stage action.

Characterization: develop a character by determining who or what it is and how it reacts to sensory information. Explore the 5 Ws of acting and use your 5 Senses. The 5 Ws of Acting:    WHO is your character?    WHAT is your character doing in a scene? What action is it taking?    WHEN does the action of your scene take place?    WHERE does the action of your scene take place?    WHY is this action happening in the scene? Using Your 5 Senses:    What does your character SEE, HEAR, SMELL, TASTE and FEEL at each moment in the scene?

Immerse yourself in the role completely. Forget that you are pretending and try to become the character you are playing. Envision how that person reacts to life, how that person dresses, walks, thinks and converses with others. Draw on these visualizations when portraying the character. Always stay in that state of mind when acting. If you try to pretend to be sad, it's an effort; if you are sad, it comes out in your acting well. Do not try to act the character - instead, be the character