Divisions in approaches to acting
There are many different schools of thought when approaching the topic of how to act, but possibly the oldest and clearest division lies in the difference between Presentational and Representational acting. Representational acting, the older of the two approaches was largely the more prevalent historically, and gives rise to many stereotypical portrayals of actors of old. This approach relies on a formalized external approach to theatre; attained by removing one’s own thoughts and emotions for fear that they may interfere with the character and the craft that is being created. In this situation the actor sees himself as separate from the character and as more of a craftsman than an artist, plying his trade and going through his method to produce a clean result without ever feeling the emotion or state that is being portrayed. Representational acting tends to follow the theatrical trends of the time and can often seem dated when viewed in a different time period. A representational approach to acting can allow for a thoroughly convincing image of a character and situation, but it is increasingly viewed as simply that, an image. However skillfully achieved, it can seem that this style of acting leaves a certain unbridgeable gap between the actor and his audience, a certain safety which, whilst entertaining, can often prevent the audience from experiencing a sincere emotional connection with the character.
Presentational Acting
Conversely, Presentational acting tends to reject fashion and trend and as such remains as unchanging as human nature itself in its ability to connect to an audience. A presentational actor draws on his own experiences and emotions when determining how to act in a certain situation, and in creating a character, changes and adapts the relevant parts of them self to live as, and connect to, the character as an experience. He seeks to understand his own emotion in order to understand the emotion of the character and, consequently, how to act in a certain situation.
Making the distinction
Particularly in modern performance however, the distinction is not always a simple case of black and white. A particular style of acting with American origins known as method acting, embraces the Presentational approach wholeheartedly to the exclusion of all else, but is often viewed critically for fear that the actors risk losing control as the line between character and actor becomes blurred and muddied. This is not to say that it is not a valid approach, a few noteworthy film actors have achieved great success by stopping at nothing to understand and really live the role that they are to portray, but, as counter intuitive as it may seem, there is such a thing as being too realistic in theatre. At the point at which an audience can no longer tell truth from fiction, their own survival instincts will kick in and they will cease to be involved in a story and instead shut off, whilst wondering whether something has gone wrong and whether or not to be worried. A good example is the issue of using fire on stage. Although you’re initial instinct may be to use real flames for the sake of authenticity, you’ll often find that the audience spends more time concentrating on the smoke and the fire, wondering if it’s doing what it’s meant to and worrying about what might happen, than focusing on the characters and the story. It also serves as an unpredictable element for the actors’ performance and may well serve only to break character.
Acting is Playing!
An approach that is taught at many drama schools is to be sure to “find the lightness” in any given role or situation, to find the enjoyment and the game in any characters circumstances in order to allow a sincere exploratory connection. Finding the joy in life in general is a good first step on the road to finding the lightness in any character you create. Remember to enjoy the creative process and remind yourself always that your primary goal as a performance artist is to entertain; to tell a story.
Kids Act LA Acting School is playing an important role of mentors in the lives of children who are looking forward to learn acting. The institute has a strong guidance system that could provide complete support and guidance to the prospect performers.
The children at Kids Act LA Acting Classes master all the aspects of acting, from cold readings to monologues. The Kids Act LA kids especially have a lot of fun. The whole process is empowering and fun. The Kids Act LA kids love to create powerful scenes which are the results of extremely focus work and dedication on the part of the Shakespeare trained instructors.
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