Straightforward and Wise Acting Advice by Bryan Cranston

It's all about quality...

I met him years ago. Super nice guy!

Stage Fright?

Do you suffer from stage fright? As an actor performing any kind of theater or, for that matter,  speaking engagement, remember that at the end of the day you are a humble vessel in which a message is being presented through.

Here's some general wonderful advice from a well-respected actor 

on how to handle stage fright...

 

Directing...

Simple and straightforward book on the art of directing film and theater. 

An easy read and an absolute gem!

Stage Tip - Casting

CASTING ACTORS in ROLES

Choosing which actor is going to play which role can often be the most daunting, fun, challenging, enlightening, difficult and/or breathtaking thing you do when you begin putting your performance piece together. Yes, there is the potential of having a bipolar or schizophrenic experience...So, put on your seat belt!

Things will go right...and wrong...depending on whether you made an educated choice. This isn't to say that casting has to be laboriously laid out. You can just as easily point and say "you, you and you" will play "this, this and this". Sure, the production might miraculously come together with hardly any effort, but why take the chance of the opposite happening? Prepare...at least a bit.

Get the right actor to play the role and more than half of your job is done as director. You can then concentrate on overseeing that the ambiance of the scene as a whole is interpreted the way you want it to be (actor's performances as a group, the set, the costumes, and, most importantly, the MESSAGE). It allows you to take the time to focus and make sure the scene is flowing the way you want it to. And what a beautiful thing that can be.

Stage Tip - Simply BREATHE

I've heard many times that public speaking is the biggest fear most people have. This can be true for some in terms of acting and/or singing, as well. Regardless of what it is you fear most there is one way to calm those frazzled nerves - Breathe!!!

You say, Ridiculous! I can breathe in my sleep! Well...yes, you can, however, during times of stress we have a tendency to hold our breath or do the 'shallow breathe freeze' without being conscious of it. This then leads to muscle tension, crazy-insecure thoughts zipping through our minds and the fear that we may black out at any moment.

So, if you find yourself in front of the congregation because your worship/drama leader thought you'd be perrr-fect for a particular role in the church sketch, the most powerful thing you can do is to remind yourself to inhale (deeply) and exhale (slowly). Expand those lungs! This will get blood flowing, calm your nervous system and bring clarity to your mind.

And, please make a note not to initially start this exercise when you're just about to begin performing the role onstage before a live audience [wink]. START as soon as you are given the role, BEFORE rehearsals begin. Make this a part of the PROCESS, not the last resort. Practice the art of breathing.

The same goes for prayer. Pray for God's spirit to guide you through this creative process when you first get the role, not at the last minute (Help, God! Help, God! Eek!) when you find the stage lights beaming down on you with all eyes staring and waiting for you to say your first words.

Prepare! You'll feel so much better ;o) Aaahhhh!

Theater Tips

   
Ah, drama. Entertainment in the form of theatre, television and movies. But what about church? That's right, church....conveying God's powerful message through drama in the form of scenes and monologues (also known as skits, vignettes, sketches) - taking a script and acting it out. And why not? Jesus Himself was a storyteller. And isn't that what dramatic pieces are...storytelling?