Let me begin by explaining the experience of acting in amateur theatre:
In amateur acting, we are looking at individuals who participate in local community theatre, at a playhouse, or educational facility. Most actors started small, like in a school play or by accepting a minor role. Age doesn’t matter—first-time actors begin at all stages of their lives. What they all share is once they have performed, they have been bitten by the theatre bug, the accolades, and the urge to act again.
I work with children and teens and my casts range from first-timers to four–five years of experience (of course, I have marvelous exceptions who have acted with me from a tot to young adulthood).
Who receives my highest honors in the world of amateur theater? These are the actors whose identities disappear on stage, leaving behind only the character they portray. For example, let me discuss two of my actors in particular. One is a skinny, pale-faced eighth-grade male and the other is a college-age male with a 1950s look right out of the musical, Grease.
My eighth-grade male played Captain Hook in a play I wrote called Captain Hook Finds a Mate. Captain Hook is a larger-than-life character, recognizable by children and adults alike. The story of Peter Pan has never died and lives on in books, playhouses, television, and on the big screen. Though Hook’s crew is bumbling, his presence is huge; his commanding voice, his fierceness, and his belief in himself as a vengeful pirate. This actor played to a crowd that knew this tale well—whether it was Mary Martin flying across the stage, Dustin Hoffman, or the classic Disney cartoon. Could this actor capture the same feelings the audience has identified with for years?
The answer was, “yes!” When he performed the “skinny teen” disappeared and all you saw was Hook: the pirate that commanded respect from an abysmal crew. He never lost sight of who was the boss. The proof was in the pudding when he came off stage after the show (make-up and costume off). A parent walked over to me and asked, “Is that the actor who played Hook?” When I said yes, they argued it couldn’t be! “That skinny kid played Hook!?” was the immediate reply of disbelief. What they couldn’t fathom was how he disassociated from himself and became his character.
Even though he looked hauntingly handsome in his Hook costume, appearance does not make an actor. What makes an actor is the ability to become fully absorbed in your character. When my young actor exited the dressing room, he was only Captain Hook and he seemed seven-foot-tall!
The next actor portrayed a Butler named Winston Moore in my latest production, American Abbey. This actor prepared by studying a butler’s behavior. Every word and gesture was calculated from the way he walked, the way he spoke, and even the way he folded a newspaper. His character called for an even temper, despite being repeatedly pushed over the edge by the newly-hired valet. When his temper was exposed, it was quick and he always regained his composure when he had to take back charge as head of staff.
This level of acting takes talent, and you achieve this through many methods; however, this actor gave a brilliant performance through his focus. I watched this actor prepare himself every night by removing himself from conversations, excitement, nervousness, or what I know as “backstage drama” (a director’s worse nightmare). He blocked out his environment as he prepared himself each night. By the time the white gloves were placed over his hands, I no longer saw a twenty-something-year-old, I saw a distinguished man in his late fifties deeply devoted to his work. He made his true identity disappear.
There are several ways to achieve this:
- Look at the Inside-Out and the Outside-In. Inside out is research, research, research! You should know the play backward and forward, the era, the time of year, etc. You must know your character as well as you know yourself. Outside-In is your character’s personality. Is your character shy, bold, aggressive, reserved, etc? After learning these characteristics, you must walk, talk, and connect with other actors as the character would themself.
- Knowing – Where is this character going? What is the objective, what is the writer telling you, and what is the director asking you to do? At the end of the play, where is this character, and what did they achieve? Achievement isn’t always a victory for a character—it could be death. Does the character move to acceptance, the unknowing, or fear? You must move with the character.
- Focus – Acting requires concentration and hard work. Don’t get me wrong, acting is a fun, exciting ride. Total focus is making rehearsed sentences and emotions feel like spontaneous dialog and action. Always focus your energy before a show!
- Believe – The best advice is to believe in yourself as the actor that received “the right” to portray your character. If you believe in yourself as an actor, you will believe in your character.
These practices will help you become an actor that makes a story believable and elevate your skills to a higher level in the world of amateur theater. Just remember: local theatres don’t have the big dollars for voice coaches, dialect coaches, acting coaches, etc. What we have is our stagehands, technicians, set designers, costumers, producers, directors, volunteer actors (and if we are lucky, choreographers—mine has been YouTube). Most of the work will come from within you and only you. Acting is a study—a fun study and worth the while. As an actor, your job is to entertain, particularly during tough times. Give the audience their escape for the evening whether they are singing along, laughing out loud, or crying because they are touched. It’s all up to you!
