WEBVTT

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Hi everyone!

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This session is about character.

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Actors bring the story
to life on stage.

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Although it may look easy,

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acting is much more involved
than simply going out and reciting lines.

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Keeping objectives in mind,

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actors use body, voice and imagination
to develop character through movement,

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improvisation, and relationships.

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In The Lion King,

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actors create a balance of human
and animal movement

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with their bodies to communicate the story
theatrically to the audience.

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Let's look at some animal movement
in ‘Circle of Life’ from Broadway.

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Take note of how each species
of animal moves on the stage.

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Which animal and which human
characteristics work together to evoke

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each character.

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In addition
to communicating species, movement

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is an important tool for communicating
a character's personality.

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Look at the difference between
the way the wisecracking, carefree Timon moves,

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versus the sly and opportunistic hyenas.

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Actors make vocal choices
so that their characters sound different

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from themselves.

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If I want to be more like Zazu,
I can speak like this.

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And if I want to sound more like Timon,
I can talk like this.

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The most important tool in an actor's
toolbox is her own imagination.

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We use our imagination
to create full characters.

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A playwright writes the dialogue
that actors perform for an audience,

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but actors will often use improvisation
when developing their characters

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to experiment with their characters.

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Voice, movement, and background.

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Improvisation is performing on the spot
without a script.

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All actors need strong improvisation
skills.

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You never know when something might go
wrong on stage, and staying in character

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is imperative to keep the audience hooked.

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Once I establish

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my character's movement and voice,
I have to figure out

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how my character feels about and interacts
with other characters.

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In The Lion King, Simba has important
relationships with Mufasa,

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Zazu, Scar,
Nala, Timon, Pumbaa, and Rafiki.

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The difference between
how these characters perceive Simba

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and how Simba perceives himself is often
the source of dramatic conflict.

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Many of Simba's relationships
evolve during the play.

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For example,

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Nala goes from Simba's childhood friend
to an adult crush in the jungle,

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to a partner in
taking back the Pride Lands from Scar.

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Developing relationships is an important
part of an actor's toolbox,

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and an essential ingredient
in communicating character to an audience.

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Each actor has a unique process
for developing character

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using body, voice, and imagination.

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Today, you'll develop your own process
by exploring character

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through movement,
improvization, and relationship.