I once had an extraordinary acting teacher – a large, powerful Scotsman named Michael. On our first day, he declared, “All plays have three essential elements: sex, death, and sabre-tooth tigers. You name the play, and I’ll find you the sex, death, and sabre-tooth tigers.” I cheekily responded, “Where are the sabre-tooth tigers in Hamlet?” He fired back, “Act 3, Scene 4 – look it up.” I’m still searching for those metaphorical tigers, but what Michael meant (I think) is that all plays share fundamental elements, and every scene possesses common building blocks. With the right approach, you can tackle any scene – no sabre-tooth tigers required.
Table of Contents
Punctuation
The first thing to examine when approaching a scene is the punctuation. Punctuation is the playwright’s way of communicating with you, the actor, across time. Through punctuation, you can glimpse a character’s mental and emotional state, as well as their general approach to life. A character who speaks in short, sharp sentences full of full stops is likely direct, assertive, and driven by rational thought. In contrast, a character with long, meandering sentences full of commas might be deeply emotional, reflective, or caught in a moment of intense memory. While this isn’t a rigid rule, it’s a useful starting point.
It is crucial to respect the playwright’s punctuation – every comma, full stop, and question mark has been carefully considered. As the actor, it’s your responsibility to honour this and discern why each piece of punctuation appears where it does. I find it helpful to highlight punctuation in my script, marking it with upward arrows for commas, downward arrows for full stops, and curved arrows for question marks. And don’t overlook question marks – they are potent storytelling tools that often go underused.
Objective
Every character, in every scene, at every moment, has an objective – a driving force that compels them to speak and act. As the renowned director Alfred Hitchcock said, “Drama is life with the dull bits cut out.” Your character has a goal they are relentlessly pursuing, and every line they deliver serves that purpose. When analysing your lines, ask yourself, Why is my character saying this? Why these particular words, in this specific order? Writers choose their words with precision, so there’s always a reason behind them.
A practical way to clarify your character’s objective is to frame it like this:
I want [specific outcome] because I need [underlying need].
For example, consider Romeo outside Juliet’s balcony. On the surface, he wants to be with Juliet romantically. But his deeper, driving need is to feel loved – a longing he reveals in his first scene with Benvolio when he laments, “Out of her favour, where I am in love.” He craves the sense of being in love, even though he has just met Juliet. An objective for this moment might be:
I want to be with Juliet because I need to feel loved.
Make sure your objective is something achievable within the scene itself, not a grand, overarching goal that drives the entire character arc. Also, your objective should involve your scene partner – objectives that focus solely on your own character can drain the tension and energy from a scene, leaving it flat and uninspired.
Beats
Now, let’s talk about beats. This can be a tricky concept, as every actor and director has their own approach. Generally, a beat represents a build-up of energy until something shifts – a character enters, exits, or the direction of the conversation changes. Beats are crucial for creating dynamic tension and keeping the audience engaged.
Think of beats as the moments when your character changes tactics. For instance, if your character is trying to charm someone to borrow money (objective), but the charm isn’t working, they might switch to pleading, intimidating, or even guilt-tripping. These shifts in strategy mark your beat changes.
Through-Line
Every scene tells its own mini-story, with a beginning, middle, and end, even as it contributes to the broader narrative arc of the play. Identifying the through-line of a scene helps you understand where it’s heading and where its climax lies. This is the point of greatest tension – the emotional peak of the scene. Your performance should build towards this moment, providing a satisfying release for the audience when it hits.
Subtext
Finally, consider the subtext – the unspoken meaning beneath the lines. Often, characters say one thing but mean another, reflecting their deeper motivations and emotional states. Understanding subtext can transform a straightforward line into a moment of rich, layered performance.
For example, in the film Sideways, when Miles talks about wine, he’s not just discussing grape varieties – he’s revealing his fears, insecurities, and longing for connection. Missing this subtext would result in a shallow, surface-level interpretation.
As If…
This approach, developed by the Atlantic Acting School, is a practical technique for quickly accessing the emotional core of a scene. It involves creating an ‘As If’ scenario based on your real life – an imagined situation that mirrors the stakes of the scene. For instance, if your character is desperately trying to win someone’s approval, think of a time when you sought validation in your own life, and channel that feeling.
It’s a powerful shortcut to genuine emotion and can significantly deepen your performance.