Performers in the Workshop production of SURREALISSIMO! (2005)
had to be pretty confident to appear on stage and in press pictures dressed like this!
CONFIDENCE
Being confident doesn't mean that you have to feel sure of yourself all the time. Some people mistake arrogance for confidence. Arrogance is THINKING you can do something. Confidence is KNOWING you can. Confidence means that you care for yourself and believe in yourself - even if you make a mistake, or fail at something you try to do. It's important for an actor to be human. That makes people want to watch you.
Confidence comes from KNOWING your stuff and that means rehearsing, training, learning lines and BEING PREPARED.
Training is vital. As many actors pursue their careers, they continue to take classes of some kind in order to stay confident in their skills. This keeps their belief in themselves strong. You may not get steady work as an actor in the first few years of your career, so you'll need to find ways to keep building your confidence and self-esteem.
Another way to build confidence in your work is to focus on what you do well, rather than on things you do poorly. If you feel like you "blew it" at an audition, remember all the other auditions you felt good about. Even if you weren't cast, you did work you can be proud of and you can do great work in the next one. . .
CHARISMA
What is it that makes us want to watch certain actors over and over again? Some we'll watch in practically any kind of role or movie - (for me, I just think of JACK NICHOLSON or AL PACINO - no matter how bad the movie they're in - they're still great!) - because they have so much of what we call charisma, stage presence or magnetism. Some we love to listen to, because they have such beautiful voices (for me that'd be the likes of DENZEL WASHINGTON, MORGAN FREEMAN or ORSON WELLES). Others have unusual grace and beauty (like CHRISTOPHER WALKEN, JIMMY CAGNEY and JOHN TRAVOLTA - who were all trained dancers and even walk kinda cool!).
But physical beauty is only one component of stage presence - there are many character actors who couldn't be called "beautiful" or "handsome" in the traditional sense, yet they are quite attractive in their own way. And there are uncommonly beautiful people who have no stage presence at all. What is this stage presence? And what can you do to develop this magnetism, this charisma that makes people want to watch you as an actor?
There are several skills you can work on to create more presence. A large part of stage presence is being very sure about everything you're doing onstage or in front of the camera. For instance, when you're performing a monologue for an audition, if you've learned it forwards and backwards, and know exactly where and when you're going to move and how you want to present yourself with that piece, you have confidence in what you're doing. You'll be prepared and so - you'll be relaxed and the audience will feel this relaxation oozing from you.
If you just started working on the piece a few days earlier, it will be difficult for you to be present (or have presence) on stage, or in front of the camera, because most of your consciousness will be running around in your head wondering, "What's the next line? What should I do with my hands?"
It's very hard to exude confidence when you're not sure of what you're doing.
In watching films, you may notice that even when the character isn't sure of what he or she is doing, the actor always is. When plays have long runs in the theater, the actors may experiment with new bits of business, or try approaching a scene in a different way, but they are able to do that with confidence because they know their lines and 'beats' (pauses and timing) so well.
So the first way to develop stage presence is to rehearse until you're confident about what you're doing.
And don't just learn your lines - but KNOW them…
like you KNOW your own name!
Another component of stage presence is a willingness to share yourself. A strong desire to be seen and heard is even better. If you enjoy being the centre of attention, you probably already have a certain amount of charisma, or stage presence. On the other hand, a person who is shy often has a strong desire to not be seen and heard, to withdraw from attention, and actors who are shy may have to work harder to develop a strong stage presence. But that doesn't stop them. Sir Anthony Hopkins, Harrison Ford and Robert De Niro are said to be very shy as people - but that doesn't stop them as actors!
Think about what you'd like to share with the audience: an idea? A feeling? What can you convey to the audience through your portrayal of the character?
Finally, if you are enjoying yourself when you're acting,
the audience will enjoy what you're doing as well.
Having Fun! Cast members from the Workshop's production of ROBIN THE HOOD (Christmas 2005) left their inhibitions at the theatre door and had a ball performing their pantomime.
Even if you're performing in a tragedy, you're still doing something you love, and that can come through your work. Let your heart and soul shine through what you do, and people will be drawn to you and your performance. Positive energy draws positive energy; negative energy creates more negative energy. Be as vibrant and full of love for what you're doing as you can, and people will come to see you again and again.
Compiled by Adam Fresco (2006)
|
