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Theatre staging a play and acting tips.

1. So you want to put your own play on. How? You might have sent your precious play off to a theatre-or even several- and not had the response you want. Or maybe, youre not writing the kind of stuff thats easy to produce at the moment. Theatre is a fickle creature and she likes what she knows. But you dont always have to compromise or put your script in a drawer; there is something you can do. Put your play on yourself. Its not as daunting as it might seem with our friendly guide. Weve all done it and lived to tell the tale. Heres our advice.

II.

1. Make a budget. Even if youve got no money . There are certain things youll have to pay out for- no point denying it. Work out how much you can scrape together/beg/borrow. 2. Make a list of who you know Friends, colleagues, relatives- nyone who can be trusted to pitch in and be reliable. Whether its the odd fiver or much more, adapting a costume, moving scenery, standing on a street corner handing flyers out, whatever- start being extra nice to your friends. 3. Find a venue. This is the biggie. They dont come cheap- unless you think clever and choose somewhere that no one else has used, yet, like an old disused church or warehouse. This is also known as site specific theatre, but it has to be in an area where theres reasonable transport links. Do your research. Get a range of prices. Take note of how many people the theatre holds, what the deal is- some do box office splits; which means, every ticket you sell, the theatre takes a percentage, usually 60%. Other theatres rent out their space at a flat price. Do the figures - can you break even? Can you make a profit? Can you, personally, afford to make a loss? And check if theyll let you rehearse there, and if not, when theyll let you get in before you start the show. 4. Find your play. If its your own, then make a practical list; how many in your cast, what ages and types, how far youre willing to compromise. If you have a big cast, ie. larger than 5, can actors double up? Are there some very small, walk on parts that you dont really need, if youre honest? If so, be tough- get rid. Pare it down to the most economical, realistic scale. It might tighten up the play anyway. If youre doing someone elses play, let their agent/management know youre on a shoe string 5. Whos the boss? If youre planning on being the director, think hard- have you any experience? Is it a demanding play, does it have lots of scene changes, accents, etc. Would it be a better learning curve for you the writer to have an outsider direct it? You could find someone whos a bit of a name but temporarily out of work. Look out for directors at smallish venues whose work you admire. If youre going to do it yourself, then prepare. Let your cast know if youre new to it; theyll understand. 6. Find your cast Do you have an actor in mind? If not, do you have a specific need? Eg. Young people, older people, Czech people. You can always find actors who will be willing to play the parts- but you have to know where and how to find them. You dont want just any old souls. Drama schools are full of fantastic actors bursting to be let loose.

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III.

You Can't Yell "Cut": Dealing With Mistakes During Live Theatre Performances

Whenever I am working with student actors at the elementary school where I teach, I have to spend some time going over what to do when a mistake is made during a live performance. Young actors often think that what makes the difference between a professional and an amateur theatre production is that professionals are "better" and don't make mistakes. This, of course, is ridiculous. Whether we are beginners or seasoned professionals, we all make mistakes. The only difference between a performance that looks amateur and one that looks professional is the way performers handle the mistakes. When a mistake is made, such as a technical problem or a forgotten line, the one thing that is most likely to kill the show (or at least the scene) is a break in character. A break in character may take many forms but is often given away by things like dead air/blank staring, apologizing or talking directly to the audience, talking to someone offstage, or (heaven forbid) some sort of hissy fit. A break in character is obvious to the audience because an actor has lost their focus. Generally, anything that draws attention to the problem will make it worse. For example, if a microphone is not working, stopping to stare at the microphone or (god forbid) try to fix it right then and there is akin to saying out loud, "Hey there audience, just in case you missed it, do you see that we have a problem with the microphone up here? Don't we look silly? " And although this should be obvious, never ever say anything about the fact that there is a problem. This includes things like apologizing or asking to start over. By far the most common problem is a forgotten line. The solution for a forgotten line may come from the person who forgot it or a fellow actor. If you've forgotten a line yourself, sometimes very quickly saying the cue line again in your head will jog your memory. If you know where you are in the scene and are able to paraphrase the line, this will usually work, providing that your fellow actors will be able to get back on track in the scene based on what you say. If you remember another of your lines that comes very soon after, you may be able to skip ahead to that one (but be careful that you aren't throwing off your fellow actors). The most important thing to remember when a line is forgotten is to stay in character. Do something that makes sense for your character to do while you are thinking. If someone you are performing with has forgotten a line, the nice thing to do is help them. An even better thing to do is to help them without making it look like you have messed up! One way of doing this is to feed them as much of their line as possible in the form of a question. Be careful though that you are including enough of their line in the question to make it obvious, because otherwise you are just hanging them out to dry by asking them a question they may not be able to answer. Or, if the line is not character-specific (it needs to be said, but could be said by anyone) you may just be able to say the line yourself. And the number one thing to NEVER do? Never, ever, apologize. It's live theatre, things happen.

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IV.

How To Maintain Your Focus

When kids first start learning to act, their primary concern is usually their lines. How many? How long are they? When I first started acting in elementary school, I would come home after the first rehearsal of every play I was in and say "Look Mom, I have six whole lines all by myself!" So I would spend the next six weeks memorizing my lines, practicing them with different inflections until they were absolutely perfect. Those six lines were so polished I couldn't have done them any better if I had being doing a run for months. But it didn't make me a great actor.The problem had nothing to do with my lines at all. It was the times when I wasn't speaking. I was just standing, waiting for my next line. It never occurred to me to react to what the others were saying. The most difficult acting occurs not during your lines but in between them. What to do: 1) Listen. How interested is my character in what the other character has to say? This does not mean you should stare at the person delivering the line. Be natural. Do you stare at people when they are talking? Pay attention to your actions the next time you are having a conversation with someone. How do people naturally listen? Does how they listen differ depend on how they feel about the person and what they are saying? 2) React. How does what the other character have to say affect you? The line that comes before yours is more than just a cue. It is your motivation. 3/4 of the time it is the reason for your next line. Make it believable. 3) Respond. Why is my character saying this? So, you've got a line. There is a reason it is there. What is it? What is your character thinking that gives them the need to express the line? "Think the thought that makes the line inevitable." What not to do: 1) Don't pull focus. React, but don't be "bigger" than the one delivering the line. Upstaging can be hazardous to your health. 2) Avoid uncharacteristic thoughts. As long as you are onstage, think only things that your character would think. Never, under any circumstances, let yourself think things like: "Oh god, my leg is so itchy." "Boy, does his nose ever look funny in this lighting." "Hey, is that Mom in the third row?"

These kind of thoughts are a sure-fire way to bring you out of character and spoil a performance. If you find yourself thinking anything like this during a show, you need to re-focus.

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V. A.

Memorization for Actors

How to learn your lines for a monologue or scene

While the most obvious reason for memorizing your lines may be so that you don't look silly carrying a script on opening night, there are many other reasons. Whether amateur or professional, learning your lines early on improves your credibility with directors as well as fellow actors. You don't just say those lines for an audience, you also say them to crew & cast members who have cues, blocking, and dialogue that rely on your words. If you aren't off book, or are constantly needing to be prompted, you are making it more difficult for everyone else to rehearse. It's an inconsiderate way to behave. Also, when your lines are memorized early, you have more time to concentrate on really acting - you can worry about blocking and your character's feelings, since your lines are coming to you easily. In an audition, your monologue is prepared in advance, and the audition panel will expect more from it because of this. If your monologue is not memorized, it sends a strong message to the audition panel about how committed you are. Remember, too, that in order for you to give a truly meaningful performance, you must be able to rattle off the lines without thinking about it. Stress can do funny things to our brains, and you can't rely on the lines "coming to you" in the middle of the audition. Only once a piece is totally, thoroughly, and completely memorized can you conquer stage fright and build an emotional foundation. Memorization is the beginning of everything. It's difficult to walk in and win over an audition panel if you aren't sure of the words of your song or the lines of your sides of monologue. Memorization has to come at the top of the list of preparation.

1. Just Do It
Often, those of us who complain that they have difficulty memorizing songs and monologues for auditions or performances have not actually spent any considerable amount of time on it. Remember, rehearsals are for working with your director and fellow actors, NOT for learning lines. Memorizing your lines is actual work, and there is no way around it. Having a scheduled time of the day or week set aside for this type of work is important if you are serious about performing. Using the time when you are off-stage during rehearsals is also a good idea (and it makes you look good!) Say It Out Loud Common sense should tell you that things should be practiced the way they should be done. It stands to reason then that in order for you to memorize your lines you must practice them out loud. Pay Attention To Cues Remember that the lines that you memorize will not be performed in a bubble. There are other people involved. One of the mistakes inexperienced actors make is memorizing their lines without also memorizing the cues. What good is memorizing your lines if you don't know when to say them? Learn The Lines In Context Whenever possible, learn your lines while also practicing your blocking. If you have learned lines and blocking together, then when you are performing, the lines will remind you of the blocking and vice-versa. Split It Up Playwrights make things more convenient for performers by splitting the script into acts and scenes. Take advantage of this by splitting up your memorizing work into manageable pieces. In most cases, your directors should give you a rehearsal schedule that will indicate when you will be working on certain scenes. Common sense should tell you that working on memorization in the same order will help you look well-prepared at rehearsals.

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Whitepaper: .
Objective: . 6. Look For Patterns
Pick out the most important words in a sentence and find the relationship between those words. Are there rhyming words? Does the same letter repeat at the beginning of words? What links one important word to the next important word or one sentence to the next sentence? Do What You Have To Everyone learns in their own way, so do what works for you. The list below is a good starting point, but if something doesn't work, find something else.

7.

Memorization Tricks * cue cards (one for each scene, which also can be used to keep track of blocking) * tape recording (make a tape of only the other character's lines, then use it to rehearse - this is great if you do a lot of driving) * rehearse with a friend or relative * read the line above yours, covering your next line with a sheet of paper. Say the line, lower the paper to check for accuracy. Repeat as you work your way through the scene. * Cover the script with another sheet of paper except the line you are saying. Glance down at that line and pick up as much as the eye allows you. Look up and say the line aloud, slowly. Repeat this pattern through the entire page. * Use a computer to retype the scenes you are in, putting them in larger print and using colored ink for the major words. The visual cues on this printout will make the lines easier to read and will aid memorization. It's also amazing how much of your lines you will learn just through the act of typing them. * Write out the lines on a sheet of paper writing down only the first letter of each word. For example: (From "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder) Emily: I can't bear it. They're so young and beautiful. Why did they ever have to get old? Mama, I'm here. I'm grown up. I love you all, everything. - I cant look at everything hard enough. Would be read as: Emily: I c b i. T s y a b. W d t e h t g o? M, I h. I g u. I l y a, e.-I c l a e h e. I do this for both long paragraphs i need to learn, or monologues...but also for dialogue i have trouble with. You can either write out the other person's lines in their entirety between your lines, or you can just write a snippet of them to help jog your memory. Hope this helps a bit, it usually does me some good.

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Acting Tips: How To Research & Build Your Character General Character Background Questions * Where were you raised - city, suburbs or country? * Are you the life of the party or a wallflower? * Are you a leader or a follower? * Are you religious? * What is your birth order? Are you the responsible oldest child, or the carefree charming youngest? Are you an only child? * What was your childhood like; sheltered, abusive, dull, happy? * Where is the character in terms of location and time period? Scene/Monologue Specific Questions: * * * * * * * it to Who is the character talking to and where is this person located? What is the relationship between the character and the people to whom he/she is speaking? What has happened just before the character starts speaking? What provokes the character to speak? How does the character change from beginning to end of the scene/monologue? What is the character's objective during the monologue? What does he/she hope to accomplish by saying it and what different tactics does he/she use during accomplish the goal?

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