What is the honest trick to acting (theatre), acting help?

Question

I used to do a lot of drama in middle school, now in my high school years, i need brushing up. I have a natural talent for it . I am 15 years old and this is my passion. I have forgotten how to let a character take you over and feel what they feel. Anyone who knows what theyre talking about and speaks from the heart please give me some good advice from basic musts in theatre...etc.
thanks

Answer 1

The character never "takes you over" -- you are portraying the character. You can "inhabit" a character, but you're still in charge. Remember, acting is not some sort of real alternate universe -- it still boils down to a bunch of people telling a story.

The saying "Don't act -- REact" is utterly true. So you have to listen to the other actors and react/respond to them as your character would. The worst thing you can do is just stand there when you're not speaking and look like you're just waiting to say your next line -- the audience finds that annoying and deadly dull. Even if you're facing away from someone who's speaking, you can show that you're actively listening.

Do thorough preparation work before opening night. Don't just memorize your lines untill they're "good enough" -- learn them exhaustively until they're in your long-term memory. You'll appear distant onstage if you're having to fight to remember your lines. Having your lines memorized and your blocking/movements detailed will allow you to 1) not be nervous and 2) truly enjoy doing the performance.

Finally, always be humble and have an attitude of wanting to share a great story with the audience. Serve the material and the author, not your ego. Anyone can stand onstage and mindlessly bellow and momentarily impress the audience with their talents [just look at American Idol], but the truly memorable and effective artists are those who are connected to the material and make the storytelling their main focus -- it makes for grounded and interesting and detailed performances.

Answer 2

what a good answer Pippi gave you. The honest trick to acting is not to act,but to react. You feel what the character feels when you allow yourself to react without filtering the response in any way and holding back. The role + the actor = the character. Once you assume the place of the character in the story by stepping on stage in her place, you are the character. The effectiveness of your performance then is based upon the honesty of your reactions to the stimuli that make the character say and do what she says and does. Break a leg!

Answer 3

Honesty...thats all you need