Theatre: Art in Action

Chapter 1: Acting

Overview

As an actor, your instruments of expression are your body and voice; you give life to a character through movement and speech. In order to develop the ability to play a variety of characters, you need to train your body and voice to be as versatile as possible.

To be a successful actor, it is important to develop self-awareness as well as learn what it takes to be part of an ensemble—a group of individuals working together.

Pantomime is acting by using facial expressions and gestures, without words. Pantomime is performed onstage to create various theatrical effects.

To develop an effective stage voice, you need to learn diaphragmatic breathing. You must also train to project your voice and articulate words in such a way that every member of the audience can hear and understand you.

Improvisation is speaking or acting without a script. Improvisation helps the actor develop spontaneity and imagination, and it can also be used in character development.

Storytelling can be considered the earliest form of acting. The storytelling tradition continues today, and its techniques can be seen in plays, movies, and television.