how to make myself cry (acting)?

Question

i need to know how to make myself cry because i have a part in a play were i have to be absolutely crying my eyes out. i dont know how to do it. i cant do anything obvious like fluck out a nose hair or put onions in my eyes and i dont have any bad memories, i dont think, SO WHAT SHALL I DO thanks xxx

Answer 1

dont get any sleep, that will make your emotions come to the surface , then think of something horrible,,, the worst case scenario,, you just had a baby , and someone killed it! or pick anything from history,,, the childrens burning skin after we bombed Japan,, the natives on the trail of tears,,,,,,, the little abused girl at 5 who has been raped,,,,,,,,,,,,,,there is so much tragedy in life to draw from

Answer 2

There are many methods of mental preparation that can help you to cry on stage.

One is "Emotional Memory" think of a sad experience from your past and use it to put you in the correct emotional frame of mind for your character.
But since you don't have any bad memories (BTW You really need to go out and get your heart broken or something lol) a better option for you is called the "Magic If" Think to yourself - "I've never been in my character's position so I don't know how they feel....but what IF I were in their position, how do I imagine I would feel?" imagine how you would react and it will feel real to you/

If the mental stuff doesn't work - you can create the emotion through physical exercises. Tense every muscle in your body and quicken your breathing, screw up your face like you're sucking on a lemon - literally pretend you ARE crying and eventually it will come....you just need to let it happen

Answer 3

I was just in a show in which every single character had to be crying for the majority for the show. What we did was basically we could try and picture people close to us dying like your mother and how your father would react and stuff. It sounds sick, but I killed off every member of my family and friends to get through all the performances. I also find that if you make it look like you're crying eventually tears come or at least your face gets red so it kind of looks like you're crying. Honestly, different things work for different people but you're really just going to have to "get into the character" and become her so you can feel what she's feeling. It's challenging, but don't waste your energy onstage forcing yourself to cry and instead focus on feeling the lines and emotions and hopefully tears will come. Good luck!
<3 <3

Answer 4

yyyyy had it partially right. the rest of em don't have a clue.
here is a fool-proof way to make yourself cry.
disclaimer: this knowledge is to be used for entertainment purposes only. the real thing is always better. people like sincere tears instead of alligator tears. don't use this information for evil, only for good.

now - How to make yourself cry:

1 - Master the art of chin quivering. This is the key element. It's amazing, try it sometime. Just quiver your chin. You'll feel like you want to cry for real. I don't know what it is, sensitivity in the chin, nerve endings, I don't know what, but you'll really feel like crying.

2 - Do what yyyy said. Don't blink. When you blink your eyes, your eyes are being moisturized. So, if you don't blink for a lengthy period of time, your eyes will begin to manipulate the moisture that they are missing. Hence, tears are produced. The tough part is actually getting them to fall down your cheek. But, it will work.

3 - Throw a couple sobs in there - and you've got it made.

Remember: Use this for good, not for evil. Don't manipulate a whole bunch of people with this.

Good luck.

Answer 5

The Stanislavski method--or method acting--is all about having an objective. Pursuing that objective is how you get *real* emotion on stage. Think about your character in the scene you are having trouble with. What does she want? What is standing in the way of what she wants? Does she get around that obstacle to get what she wants, or does she fail? By trying to get the other person to give you what you want, natural, real emotion will come.

Answer 6

I do some acting on the side and thinking of something extremely sad does the trick for me. I hate to say this...but I think of someone close to me dying. Like my husband or my mom or anyone in my immediate family. I start crying like a baby. Works like a charm and it's extremely believable because afterall, it IS real.

Answer 7

at the time you need to cry, bring to life something that you had in the past that was painful or emotional, it works!

Answer 8

prevent your eyes from blinking til the tears come out

Answer 9

rub an onion in your eyes

Answer 10

think of the worst moment of your life; or think about something awful, the last thing you want to think about; and then think about how sad this world really is