Casting is the process by which characters are born. By choosing an actor suddenly the character is given eyes, hands, and a heart: the whole palette of humanity. Directors are looking for the performer who brings her character to life, so that she is no longer an idea or words on a page but rather living, breathing, walking and speaking right before their very eyes. Continue reading
Physical Actions, or choices that you make to do something physical as your character, can often come across as gimmicky. To be effective, they either happen spontaneously in a moment, or are well thought out and/or worked on during rehearsal. They’re an asset only if they don’t intrude on the story or upstage where the focal point should be. They can be extraordinarily effective but must be used sparingly and creatively.
The substance of a physical action must come from within the play or from the life of the character. Otherwise it is nothing more than a gimmick.
Please comment below and let us know your thoughts or questions…
To have a successful career in stage, film, or television, you can’t treat your career casually. You must work on your instrument daily. If you are not in class or working, your instrument atrophies. You can delude yourself into believing it doesn’t, but deep down you know it does.
It breaks my heart to see talented actor’s careers go down the drain because they treat their talents with an indifference, apathy, or simply unwise behavior. Continue reading
In this video, I discuss the work an actor must do to effectively prepare immediately before auditioning or performing. And it has nothing to do with reviewing lines…
As always, please share your thoughts in the comment box below.
For the second part of this lecture, please visit the StageSuccess YouTube channel here.
Each week, the video from my lecture in class will be posted. I hope you enjoy…please question and comment and help us to generate discussion.
For the second part of this lecture, you can go to the StageSuccess YouTube channel here.