Thoughts on Building a Character

Whether you are cast in a community theatre production or a multi-million dollar movie, building a character is an actor's job. Sounds simple, right? Well, in my experience as an actor, director, and playwright, I have found that building a character that is unique in its own ways can be a very big challenge. Below are some of my thoughts on what an actor can do as “homework” to start giving their characters a life of their own, thereby facilitating a richer experience not only for the audience, but for themselves as well.

• Read the script. And then re-read it. As you do, pay close attention to how your character helps tell the overall story. What is your role in getting the overall picture across?
• What does your character want? It is important as an actor to ask yourself what your character's objectives are. Most likely, they have a grand objective for the show, but they also have objectives for every scene they are in (sometimes even from moment to moment). Really think about what your character wants whenever they are onstage--- after all, why else would they be there.
• How do you get what you want? Your character's ACTIONS informs how your character is played. Actions are what a character does to get what they want. For example, does your character flirt, deceive, or threaten to get what they want? Or do they coax, plead, or promise to get what they want? There are many, many verbs to create many, many actions. And have fun figuring it out! Play!
• Create an Autobiography! This can be a wonderful exercise to be creative about your character. Write out your character's life story. It needn't be an epic, but give them a back story: where are they from, what were there parents like, what major events have shaped who they are within the world of the play? Write this story in first person, i.e., “I was born in the Bedford Falls hospital at...” etc. For those with larger roles, there may be a lot of clues in the script. For those who have less clues in the script, here's a chance to create a great identity for your character. Every “townsperson” is more than just a “townsperson”! They are a human being! Give them a story that influences their reactions every time they're on stage. Give them a name, and give them a purpose! Have fun and be creative, but be sure to stay within the “world” of the play and within the playwright's intentions (for example, in “It's a Wonderful Life”, it probably wouldn't be wise to give your character a backstory that includes being a super villain on a distant planet who fell to Earth on a meteorite).
• The movie poster: This is an exercise I use with my casts a great deal to help the process of creating a physicality for their character. Imagine that your character, no matter how big or small it might be in the play, as the star of their own movie about them. What do they look like on the movie poster? Do they stand tall, chest out, shoulders back? Do they hunch? Do their eyes shift to the sides, or look straight on? Are they smiling? Are they angry? Really close your eyes and picture this movie poster, and then begin to bring the physicality in your body. Mimic the posture, and see if it feels right. In time, try walking about and seeing how the character's posture translates into a walk. What feels right? What part of the body leads your character? Where is your energy located? Imagine what your character looks like, and remember: they don't have to look like YOU. Eventually, you will have to try to look like THEM.
• Voice: What does your character sound like? Look for hints in the script. Do they speak haltingly? (“I'd like...a...uh... glass of...water?”). Figure out a cadence that seems right to you.
• Relationships: How does your character feel about everyone they interact with? Many may find clues in the script, but if there are no clues to be found, then determine on your own. In “It's a Wonderful Life” especially, it is important that everyone have thoughts about others in the town. It is a small town story, with small town gossip. Everyone knows everyone. You all will have opinions on Mr. Potter for example. You may have gossiped about who Violet is dating now.

All of this character building work is vital when building working inner lives and motivations for every character on stage. This is what makes a production tight and believable. The more you know your individual character, the more you are doing your part to help tell the story of the play.

And when you know your character, you can let go and really begin LOOKING and LISTENING and REACTING to your scene partners.

Thank you for reading this post.  In case you can't tell,   I am in the midst of directing a production of "It's a Wonderful Life".  Yay!

Until next time, please remember--- theater is a sport.

REHEARSAL NUMBER 2: Bobby Offers Advice to Community Theater Directors

REHEARSAL

#2

Greetings and salutations everyone.  My name is Bobby Keniston, and I would like to welcome you to Theater is a Sport, a blog run by me, Bobby Keniston, a realtively young man who has been obsessed with theater my entire life.  If you are a student actor, a playwright, a community theater junkie, or a plain old drama geek, you have come to the right place.  As Shel Silverstein might say, "Come in.  We have some tales to spin.  Come in.  Come in."

At this moment, aside from listening to the Magnetic Fields sing 69 love songs, I am sitting at my computer hoping to relay a little bit of advice to community theater directors about what to do at your second rehearsal.  A good while back, I wrote a post about the importance of a read-through and table work in general, and, assuming you agree, it is now time to talk about the first rehearsal away from the table. 

First of all, don't get me wrong--- there are some plays of complex themes and language that may require more than just a single rehearsal of table work.  If you are directing that sort of play, then, by all means, stay at the table if you must.  However, in my experience, I have found that the sooner the actors are up and moving around finding their characters in their voices and bodies, the better.  Clearly movement is very important on stage, and there is no time like the present to have your actors begin to start to feel things in their frames, renting out their bodies to their characters. 

Remember as I move forward that I am talking about community theater here.  The advice I am about to present is intended for amateur productions, where most of my experience as a director exists.  What I will present is also applicable to school theater, where I also have done a great deal of work.

When I direct community theater, which is composed of very game, often talented, but by and large untrained actors, I like to treat early rehearsals as almost an introduction to acting class.  In fact, I had an actor from one of my community theater productions tell me (in a positive tone) that after working with me, he felt like he deserved credit for basic acting college course.  WhileI don't know if that is true (although this young gentleman did learn a lot and grow exponentially), I do think education is part of being a community theater director (obviously it is the most important part of being a school director).

This is why, following the table work, I like to devote at least two, maybe more, rehearsals to character work.  Guiding the actors into finding their characters physicalities, voices, motivations, etc.  I like to start with brief physical warm-ups (including some voice stuff), and then move into what I call "The Movie Poster Exercise". 

The Movie Poster Exercise works very well with students, but is also appropriate for community theaters as well.  Have the actors close their eyes and focus on their breathing (they should be standing).  Pay attention to actors' breathing at this early stage, making sure they utilize dropping their breath into their middle (or diaphragm, as it is called).  Right from the start, make sure to encourage this type of breathing, as it will save you time later when dealing with vocal projection...

But I digress.

So, with their eyes closed, tell your actors to imagine their characters in their minds as if their characters were the stars of their own movies, and to picture how they would look as the hero on their own movie poster.   Assure your cast that the character need not look like them (one day they will have to look like them, but that's later).  Tell them to focus on how their character is standing, what body part do they seem to be leading with or exaggerating, what expression is on their face, how is their posture, etc.  Have them get a clear picture of this in their heads.  Then, and this is why their eyes are closed (so they won't feel silly or shy), have them slowly start to bring this posture into their own bodies.  Have them mimic their characters' movie posters with their own bodies.  Then, as they all seem confident, have them exaggerate it (use the idea of levels 1-10, and make them show this posture at an exaggerated 10, and then mess with different levels).  

Once you are through with this, have them drop it and return their bodies to neutral and open their eyes.  Now, I have found, is a good time to have them walk throuh the space, milling and seething as it is called.... have them start nomally, then play with the speeds (double speed, triple speed, half speed), making sure they do not bump into each other.  After a bit of having them walk as themselves, encourage them to start thinking of their characters' movie poster and start bringing that posture into how they walk.  Have them walk as their characters in a variety of different speeds.  After this exercise where everyone is doing it together, you might want to have people shar some things individually, point out where their character appears to be "leading from" and whether or not it is their intetion.  This is a great way to start having your actors creatively begin to "own" their characters, which is what every director should want.  Remember, you are their to guide and get a vision across, but it is very important to allow your actors to feel creative and to build their characters (if there is something that you feel is completely wrong, of course you will have to steer them in a different direction).  But this rehearsal should be a kind of productive play (after all, it is called a "play" for a reason).  This is all very fun, but it is also all very much a kind of work, too.  

In fact, the very foundation of work that everything else will build from.

In future posts I will happily be talking about character's voices, using improvisation in rehearsals, and all kinds of other stuff.  Thank you for tuning in tonight.

Until next time, feel free to check out the links below and remember--- theater is a sport.

 https://www.facebook.com/#!/TheaterIsASport

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Bobby-Keniston-Playwright-Page/148232788536601