Character vs. Self

When developing a character, the actor will employ an approach that moves forward on two fronts: The first is to make an external study of the character, observing people in the world around to make choices that are within our capacity to mimic: I might choose to emulate the way my father-in-law dons and doffs his specs when playing professorial suitor, or I might choose to rush through sentences with the heart-palpitating energy of an old friend. Mode of dress, the pitch of the voice, the carriage of the body pain in the joints, age: these are all external choices. The second is to find common ground with the character, all the ways he or she can identify with hopes dreams, fears, compulsions, both positive and negative emotions. Connection. For an actor to best succeed in this mode, she must gain some understanding of herself. This exercise explores both modes of work with an eye to unifying them in the creation of a character.