Techniques of Acting

Actors use a variety of techniques that are learnt through

training and experience. Some of these are:

1. The use of the voice to communicate a character's lines and express emotion. This is achieved through attention to diction through correct breathing and articulation. It is also achieved through the tone and emphasis that an actor puts on words .

2. Physicalisation of a role in order to create a character and to use the acting space appropriately and correctly.

3. Use of gesture to complement the voice, interact with other actors and to bring emphasis to the words in a play, as well as having symbolic meaning.

Acting Awards

• Academy Awards ("Oscars") (movies)

• Golden Globe Awards (movies)

• Emmy Awards (television)

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award (movies)

• Tony Awards (theatre)

• European Theatre Awards (theatre)

• Laurence Olivier Awards (theatre)

(http://encyclozine.com/Actors)

Method Acting: acting style in which the ideal of a "true"( or "real") moment or impulse is valued most highly; the actors try to feel the emotions of the character so that the actors' choices and the characters' would be as one. Pioneered by Konstantin Stanislavski, currently taught most formally at The Actor's Studio in Manhattan. Most American Method acting was based on an early, incomplete experiment of Stanislavski's; many if not most modern teachers have moved away from the original (Stanislavskian) "method" as it is difficult to teach well. Marlon Brando is perhaps the best example of a masterful methodist who uses various parts of many school of thought to acieve success. (http://encyclozine.com/Theater_terms)

Stagecraft

Stagecraft is a term that refers to just about anything that happens backstage before, during, and after a theatrical production.

It comprises many disciplines, typically divided into five main sections:

• Scenery which includes set construction, scenic painting, theatrical properties, and special effects.

• Lighting design.

• Sound design which can include theatrical sound effects.

• Costume design including costume construction and makeup.

• Production, comprising stage management, production management, house management and company management.

Normally, stagecraft consists of a Stage Manager, who sets up all the scenery, organizes the cast, and runs the lighting instruments. A full-time professional theater may include hundreds of skilled carpenters, painters, electricians, stagehands, wigmakers, etc. In this form, modern stagecraft is a highly technical and specialized field, with many sub-disciplines.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stagecraft)

Stage Combat

Stage Combat is the practice of creating the illusion of physical combat for plays, theater, or film. When a story or script calls for one character to act violently on another, stage combat is used. The aim of stage combat is to create a visual and auditory picture which looks like real fighting, but in which none of the actors are harmed. This is done primarily by taking advantage of audience distance and fixed point of view, and by the actor's "faking" of appropriate strikes and responses. Stage combat can include simple slaps and punches, basic hand to hand fighting, and advanced crafts such as swordplay, fighting with various weapons, and martial arts.

For example, if a script calls for one character to punch another in the face, the actor will place himself face to face with his partner, and then "throw" a punch which does not actually contact with the person he is "hitting." At the same moment, the partner will jerk his head back as though he has been punched. In addition to using "fake" strikes, stage combat also often includes striking against a soft part of the body or striking very lightly, to show that they have been hurt.

Advanced stage combat such as swordplay is mostly dependent upon careful choreography and extensive practice between the combatants. Scenes are choreographed and practiced at very slow speeds, and then slowly brought up to full speed as the actors become more secure.

The primary concern of fight choreographers and stage combatants is the safety of the performers and audience. Even stage combat is risky, and it is perferable for actors to have as much training and experience as possible. Most professional actor training programs include studies in stage combat. A show which includes a great deal of fighting will most likely have a fight choreographer and a fight captain, who runs fight scenes and ensures that actors are remaining safe.

(http://encyclozine.com/Stage_combat)