Acting "big" onstage

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 8/2/06 at 10:40pm

I've always wondered, when acting onstage I've been told to act "bigger" on order to project the character to the audience. How does one act "bigger" while still trying to be subtle and keep it natural?

This is another one of my acting tips please, threads. Any help would be appreciated. :)

[MarkRascati]

Posted: 8/2/06 at 10:41pm

It's not out of the ordinary to comprimise naturality to make the character bigger...that's part of what theater is all about. Just picture yourself as an audience member in the back row of the theater, and what they would want you to do, while you're acting.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 8/2/06 at 10:42pm

I've pondered this as well, but I think it just means make your actions bigger. When you're acting in a 3,000 seat theater, the back row may not be able to see your subtle gestures, so you need to make them larger; however, I don't think you have to make them so large and grand that you seem like you're overacting. It's a fine balance, but it just comes with experience and practice.

...sorry, I guess that didn't really help...

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 8/2/06 at 10:56pm

But the 'bigness' needs to become natural in itself. In my opinion, you can't ever act well and compromise the truth of action. Acting is living truthfully under imaginary circumstances (quick, who said it?), so really , you need to truthfully be 'big'. It needs to be assumed when you step onstage, that way you never come off as being 'schmacty'.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 8/2/06 at 11:03pm

I've always been told that acting "big" is taking the emotions you see in movies and multiplying them by 10.

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 8/2/06 at 11:09pm

But in order to consiously think that while on stage, you would have to sacrifice any posibility of being truthful.

[BrightEyedInNYC]

Posted: 8/2/06 at 11:58pm

we shouldn't be thinking about our actions on the stage. i believe that's for rehearsal time so that it comes naturally in performance.

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 12:05am

I agree.

Thinking and acting can't coexist in my opinion.

[angelrock25222]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 12:25am

from a directorial stand point, whether it feels natural or not, always be bigger (which by the way, doesnt mean screaming or over exaggerating inflections, etc). its easier for me to tone you down, then to keep bringing you up.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 12:57am

[OddExoticCreature]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 1:00am

think of this scenerio:

your character is talking to someone and the other person says something rude. Suppose your character would naturally scrunch her nose, narrow her eyes, and scoff. That's probably what you would do on screen, or real life. On stage, you would have to make that bigger for the audience. So your character choice would be to turn your head away, scoff audibly open-mouthed and then scrunch up your face whilst crossing your arms. Something like that. You're not overacting, you're just making your reaction bigger. Overacting would be to wave your arms, go "UUGGHGGHHHH GAWD!!!!" and stomp your feet. lol. which of course, could work for some characters haha.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 1:07am

Yeah, I totally agree. I think you just have to make your character's reactions bigger and everything in the show bigger so that it won't come across as "HEY LOOK AT ME! I'M ACTING!"

[OnMyWay]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 1:21am

I believe that quote was from Sanford Meisner. One point for me!

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 8/3/06 at 5:16pm

Thanks for all the help :)