Characters entrances should be made through the holes in the set. Some people call these doors, but I don't like to limit things by labeling them.
Characters should not try to enter through the walls; this will increase the show's running time.
If there is furniture, characters should move around it or on to it as the script requires. Actors like to hold on to the furniture. Make them stop. Holding on to the furniture makes actors feel safe and puts a barrier between them and anything the audience might throw.
Characters should not try to enter through the walls; this will increase the show's running time.
If there is furniture, characters should move around it or on to it as the script requires. Actors like to hold on to the furniture. Make them stop. Holding on to the furniture makes actors feel safe and puts a barrier between them and anything the audience might throw.
Actors should be in full view of the audience at all times (if your performance is bad enough to make people throw things at you, you should take your lumps).
Western cultures read from left to right, so movement from left to right is comfortable to them. Most characters should enter from left to right. If the entrance is meant to shake things up (someone coming in with bad news or naked), disturb people (someone coming in naked with bad news), or make the audience uncomfortable (someone coming in with bad news about naked people), characters should enter from right to left. On stage, you can only have sex or kill people from right to left.
Characters should stand so that the audience can see their faces. This is helpful so the playwright can hear clearly how wildly the performers are veering from the text.
Western cultures read from left to right, so movement from left to right is comfortable to them. Most characters should enter from left to right. If the entrance is meant to shake things up (someone coming in with bad news or naked), disturb people (someone coming in naked with bad news), or make the audience uncomfortable (someone coming in with bad news about naked people), characters should enter from right to left. On stage, you can only have sex or kill people from right to left.
Characters should stand so that the audience can see their faces. This is helpful so the playwright can hear clearly how wildly the performers are veering from the text.
Actors should stand fully facing the audience when giving a speech or talking about something that died. The actor shouldn't look AT the audience, but should either look up (which appears hopefully wistful),down (which appears despondent), or through the audience (which appears "deep in thought"). Where the actor chooses to look is up to him or her; this is what people mean when they refer to actors making choices. The actor should also face front when pretending to listen to another actor say something of high dramatic impact. The listening actor is probably going to do some crazy things with his or her face, and the audience wants to see it.
Actors should stand slightly turned to one side but still facing out when pretending to talk to each other in normal conversation, since no one in real life ever does this and it is therefore thought to look natural. Moments of internal conflict are also performed in this stance, with the tormented actor facing away and looking off into space as if trying to find where his/her mother is sitting in the balcony. Actors can also speak to one another in full profile.
Actors should NEVER face away from the audience unless they're on their way backstage to stitch on a severed limb.
Try to keep performers from standing in a straight line onstage. This will make them want to sing and kick their legs. Everything possible should be done to keep actors from singing and kicking their legs.
Actors should stand slightly turned to one side but still facing out when pretending to talk to each other in normal conversation, since no one in real life ever does this and it is therefore thought to look natural. Moments of internal conflict are also performed in this stance, with the tormented actor facing away and looking off into space as if trying to find where his/her mother is sitting in the balcony. Actors can also speak to one another in full profile.
Actors should NEVER face away from the audience unless they're on their way backstage to stitch on a severed limb.
Try to keep performers from standing in a straight line onstage. This will make them want to sing and kick their legs. Everything possible should be done to keep actors from singing and kicking their legs.
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