Description
Keeping in Character
By Michael Ruby
One thing directors often say is to stay or keep “in character.” Simply put, this means to keep acting, to behave as your character no matter what the situation. If you drop a line, miss a cue, or even if a prop or piece of scenery breaks, you're supposed to behave as if it was supposed to happen. Or, at the least, react naturally to it.
Why? We go to the theater to escape the world for a while. To be taken into a story. To live with a set of characters and experience their laughs, their cries, their highs and their lows. Though they are on a stage only a few feet in front of us, we willingly believe that they are in a real environment and behaving realistically in that environment.
When something happens that challenges our belief in that world, the illusion is broken - which can be very unsettling for the audience, and for the actor as well. Our expectations are not met, and we find ourselves disappointed.
That isn't to say we can't see unrealistic or fantastic stories on stage. An audience will believe anything you present them, as long as you adhere to the rules you set at the beginning of your performance. For example, if you start the play as a villainous vampire who can not live in sunlight, your character should never hug your neighbor at noon time.
So, how do you maintain the illusion and “stay in character?”
Pay attention to what is happening on stage. Don't let your mind wander and be distracted by the audience shuffling, the crying baby in the back, the hot lights or the woman with her nose buried in the program instead of enjoying your brilliant performance. Stay in the moment and stay connected to your scene.
Prepare. Learn your lines. Know your objective and your intention - what you're doing and why you're doing it. Stay focused on these and the scene will play out naturally.
A note on preparation and focus: they start before you step on stage. Find your emotion and your intention before you enter the world of the scene.
Some tricks for preparation include repeating your objective and intention before you enter, or choosing a physical object or animal to represent your character. For example, if your character is high-strung or paranoid, you might consider yourself a time-bomb…ticking, ready to explode at any moment.
Lastly, acceptance. Let's say that you're entering through a door. You open the door and the knob breaks off into your hand. You see it. The audience sees it. You can either ignore it, or simply acknowledge it and move on. Just acknowledge it casually and move on. The same goes for missed lines or cues. Often times, the audience won't know anything went wrong unless you do something to indicate that a mistake has been made.
Pay attention, prepare and accept. Your audience will thank you for it, and you'll thank yourself by giving a stronger, more complete performance.
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