Personal Narrative: A Career In Acting

If one would to ask you how Julie Andrews, James Earl Jones, and Jim Parsons have anything in common, the simplest answer besides them all having a name that start with a J, is that they’re among the many actors and actresses that enjoy successful careers both on stage and on screen. Although film acting differs from stage acting, the practice can still equip an actor to excel at both. But the point at hand is still at question, just how do these two different forms of entertainment both come together with their similarities, but yet separate when it comes to their differences?

When I originally changed my major, Fall 2015, I was weary of the prospect of taking acting classes. It further made me rethink my decision, when I entered the class on the first day and we placed our chairs in a circle. I am used to talking in front of large groups so I wasn't concerned with stage fright. However I was concerned about my ability to memorize lines, put emotion with them and portray what the text intended.

Running, wrestling, singing, forging, and working with my hands to create works of art are all interests that contribute to who I am. But any description of myself would be incomplete without discussing my involvement in theater. Over the last four years, I have had the amazing opportunity to become adopted into a family of loving, talented actors, who make up the Nooksack Valley Drama Department. This has been the greatest influence for growth in my life to prepare me for college and my future. It has directed me on my current path to becoming a confident leader and a reliable worker.

The outstanding component of acting is that it is an aspect that calls for a wide variety of skills. A single person to form a totally different personality from that possessed by the acting person must synchronize these skills. Some of the most common skills necessary for an actor are vocal projection, physical expressiveness, speech clarity, well-developed imagination, emotional facility drama interpretive ability. Also not to forget mentioning other important capabilities that an actor must have are; utilization of accents, body languages, dialects, improvisation, mimicry, emulation, stage combat and observation (Jurkowski and Francis 44). Another fascinating fact about acting is that it combines both talent and special training programs. Due to this fact it offers opportunities to any person who has an interest in becoming a theatre performer. The training has as well availed a chance for the emergence of professional actors who never seize from learning new elements from now and then. These people are among those who undergo training in various sub-disciplines making them diverse and multifunctional. An actor can be good at singing, dancing, partner work, scene work among others. Bundling all these qualities into one single person is a fascinating element which makes them fit for any duty that might be availed to them. Therefore acting as

As an actor, one must always learn one’s lines; if one does not, the audience will notice a break, and the illusion of the show

Generally speaking the mind can react differently to the same prompt due to the structure which it was formed from. Physcologists say there are ways to trick the mind into seeing or feeling a certain way. Consequently, how people percieve an act changes depending how it was performed. Whereas Shakesperes plays brought about an emotional appeal to the readers. Granted , in society today it has become more complex yet easier to make an act retrieve an emotional response from watchers or readers. Futhurmore, Willamson and Stewart both perform the same scene from Act 2 Scene 1 of William Shakespeare's play Macbeth

Lee is responsible for training and helping many of the finest actors and actresses in this country alone. Yet lee also is  criticise for his rigid methods have ruined an entire generation of performers. Strasberg  and Harold Clurman were the co founders of the well known  Group theatre in 1931 which was hailed as “America’s first true theatrical collective”. In 1951 Lee Strasberg  became director of the non-profit Actors Studio, In New York City, which it well know to be the “ nation's most prestigious acting school”. Soon later he found the Lee Strasberg theatre and Film Institute in New York and in Hollywood to teach the work he pioneered. With all of his accomplishments  he was named “Chief” of the Method Acting” in the theatre world.

Since I was eleven years old, I have known that I wanted to act. It was something that my parents never particularly encouraged, nor supported, but the seed was planted. I was sixteen when I first stepped into my high school’s theatre for my first day of drama class, and it changed my life. I felt at home and I would even call it the point of my salvation. From discovering the theatre and joining the world of the performing arts, I have grown so much as a person and have found a sense of self and purpose that I didn’t have before. I could not have imagined that I would, or even could, have the immense passion for acting and theatre that I have today, and it is beyond me how I became so lucky as to find something that makes me so incredibly

I had to practice audition songs and study my monologues relentlessly. I remember the first time that he really pushed me out of my comfort zone when I was cast as Ellerd in The Foreigner my freshman year. My director sat me down and had a candid talk with me, “Hey, this is a big role for a little person like you. I’m going to be hard on you because if you want these kinds of roles, this is where it will begin.” This was an instant wake up call. Opening night reared its ugly head, and everyone was going through their pre-show routine. As I was getting miced up, my director found me and had another one of his famous talks, “This is a big night for you, your first big role. I want you to know that I’m going to be your biggest cheerleader out there tonight. But these past few weeks rehearsing and practicing are finally going to pay off. And I want you to know that your performance tonight will show me if you are ready for the big leagues next year. So don’t be nervous, you’ll do great.” As I was entranced by his words, it finally hit me: he wants me to be in the future productions. He must really see me as an asset to the theater department. Maybe the stage is where I belong. Maybe I’ll really blow his mind with this performance, and that's exactly what I did. I nailed every line, the dialogue flowing out of me, almost like there was no script. As we finished our curtain call, we all stumbled off the stage to meet our audience for autographs and the occasional picture, but as I was leaving to greet my fans, my director stopped me with the biggest grin on his face. He explained how proud he was. I showed him exactly what he wanted.. Because of that performance, Mr. Nesseth saw me in a whole new way that gave me confidence and the foundation for greater

It is about the same knowledge I gained by being in dance, except it is a different form of fine arts, in a different setting, and with different people. This experience has only added to my ability to apply the previous knowledge and skills that I have gained. Inclusively, I have gained leadership skills, since I happen to be the Historian for the Company and 73 individuals look up to me and to the example that I, as an officer, set. I have learned that theatre is a physical art in which there is no such thing as personal space. I have learned that my body speaks a language of its own on stage and that I must use it to portray exactly what comes out of my mouth. Additionally, in respect to when I speak, I learned that I must annunciate and work on my diction so that the people I talk to daily or who watch any performance will be able to clearly understand what is said. Moreover, I have learned that after material is rehearsed a thousand times, it becomes boring and the actors may lose interest in performing it as they once did. Despite that, an actor should always have the ability to display the illusion of the first time as if they had never in their lives endured repetition of the same

Generally speaking the mind can react differently to the same prompt due to the structure which it was formed from. Phycologist 's say there are ways to trick the mind into seeing or feeling a certain way. Consequently, how people perceive an act changes depending how it was performed. Whereas Shakespeare 's plays brought about an emotional appeal to the readers. Granted , in society today it has become more complex yet easier to make an act retrieve an emotional response from watchers or readers. Furthermore, Williamson and Stewart both perform the same scene from Act 2 Scene 1 of William Shakespeare 's play Macbeth ; yet their setting, sound effect, tone, facial expressions and appearance differ.

Through this process it is my great joy to elicit compassion from an audience. The impact theatre can have on people’s lives is why I want to major in acting. Theatre inspires me and I want to pursue a career that will

In this essay , I’m going to introduce the sessions that helped me improve , clarify my comprehension of the craft of acting. I’m also gonna Include my understanding of what an actor needs from a script; how an actor uses backstory to inform the present and the techniques around the revelation of backstory and motivation,. What is my interaction with actors in preparing a script, and in on-set procedure? how i go about analysing an actor’s performance and how do I get the best out of it in terms of technique and impact both on set and in the edit; a reflection of my personal experience of being in front of the camera and how you grappled with the demands of the profession.

Cole, Toby, and Helen Krich Chinoy. Actors on Acting : the Theories, Techniques, and Practices of the Great Actors of All Times as Told in Their Own Words. New York, New York : Crown Publishers, 1970

The strengths and weaknesses of a committed actor can be paradoxical. For this area I chose to consult with an acting colleague of 17 years. I thought it was necessary to have an objective perspective to honestly describe what has been observed from someone that knows me, personally. The following paragraph from a close friend and veteran actor explains this quandary in her description of me.