When you have to cry on cue how do you achieve it?

Question

Usually when I have to do that I am always so 'into' the moment it comes naturally. There have been times when I have had to resort to remembering sad times in my life and putting that into the context of the scene I am in. For instance, when I was playing Tom Wingfield and giving my last monologue about his sister, I thought about my own sister and how I would feel if she were in the same predicement as Tom's sister. Sometimes it's hard to do, but when it works it's very effective.

Answer 1

Your first answer is the right one. If you are acting and the character is supposed to cry you will cry. to take the time to do your stanislavski exercises is dangerous because you stop acting to do it. Discerning playgoers may see you stop and start again.

Answer 2

I hate the idea of crying "on cue". I think if you're doing a scene (or monologue or whatever) and you're in the moment and tears come, great! It's a natural expression and it will come across that way. If you're trying to make yourself cry because that's what it says to do in the script and you have to resort to "tricks", then it becomes unnatural and that will also come across. The audience won't feel your emotion, because there is none. Fake crying is obvious and it can really take away from a dramatic scene.

This is only my opinion, but I'm not a big fan of using personal memories to cry. You're either talking about opening up an issue which might have been previously resolved or using a memory in which you might not have enough control over your reaction. If you grandmother just died, and you use that for your stimulus, you could end up a big weepy mess instead of just a few tears.

In the example you gave of thinking about your own sister being in the same situation as your character's, I think that actually falls more under "acting technique" than "crying on cue". As actors, if we've never been in a particular situation, we have to do our best to imagine what something would be like if it has never happened to us -and that can involve doing research and interviewing people that it HAS happened to in order to gauge realistic reactions. Imagining that will give you insight in how to deliver the lines, pauses, tempo, etc. I haven't read The Glass Menagerie in a while, but does it say in the script that Tom cries during the monologue? If you're really into the moment, maybe he does, but sometimes maybe you're trying to hold it in and he doesn't but can still convey sadness through tone and body movement. Is either one more right than the other?

Answer 3

I'm sorry, but all of these answers are incorrect.

Audiences want to watch someone doing their best NOT to cry. It's the struggle that's interesting and touching.

Just bawling away is a terrible choice to make -- since it's a release, there is no tension, and the audience will actually get a little embarrassed and uncomfortable. Also, if you cry real tears, the distance from most of the audience means they won't actually see the tears, and if you're blubbering you're going to muddy your diction.

Please remember the old acting axiom: "Excess within control." It means that no matter how emotional or energetic you play a scene, you still need to be focused and grounded and in control of what you're doing. You can APPEAR out-of-control, but you must not actually BE out-of-control. That's just another facet of acting -- making yourself appear to be doing something without actually doing it.

Answer 4

Ron:

Are you asking a question or showing us how sensitive you are? Are you relating past moments as an illustration or are you bragging?

Either way, I react with a profound indifference.

Crying On Cue is Acting 101. You have had some insightful questions in the past. This is not one of them.

Cider will spank Dumb Questions.

Answer 5

if you find you cannot commit to the powerfull emotions created in the scene to make you produce tears, a good little tip is to just keep your eyes open and fight the temptation to close them, walking around on stage helps this as you get a breeze in your eyes that drys them out. Then when you finally blink, your eyes will prouce alot of fluid that will appear to be tears... try it!!

Answer 6

well remember to never break character. if you stay in charchter you will have an easier time. otherwise if you need to be like crying like opening sceen well just put pressure on your nose and try to think sad thoughts...

Answer 7

i had to do that once! i thought about my boyfriend telling me he had cancer.. then i thought about the day my dad told me he was leaving.. then once i thought about my dog getting sick and dying. all very tear jerking.. if you want to get teary and not be sad, you can think of a loved one in heaven enjoying their time away from suffering! :) it works too! well have fun fake crying!

Answer 8

mostly im just in the mood!m!m and i dont know how but ive tried to make myself o it so often i can just do it on que now like without thinking i just cry its kinda cool actually and scary too

Answer 9

to me i canjust cry on cue for others it helps if you rember something very sad or think about death

Answer 10

I used what I was taught by my acting teachers.