Characterisation – status and movement

As an actor, you are always observing others consciously, which means you are deliberately analysing what you see and hear, and reading it for dramatic meaning.

• Dramatic meaning refers to the information created by everything on stage at a particular moment. It can relate to design, such as the set, lighting or costumes, as well as aural information, like sound, music and dialogue. It can also be about the placement of items and the characters' movement, their expressions, and so on.

• Transition in drama means to move seamlessly from one state or situation to another on stage. A transition can take place through an event or a character realisation that would naturally make this character or others change from one state to the other.

Now, it's your turn!

Create a character who transitions from one status to the opposite status. Remember to give them a reason for that transition within the scene. In other words, they transition from high to low, or low to high.

Your scene is to go for 1-2 minutes.

For example:

• A character realising they forgot an important item and then finding it. This could change their status from low to high.

• A character giving an important speech to the public and suddenly discovering their fly was undone. This could change their status from high to low.

Now, it's your turn!

Create a world for one of these characters from the leading body part activity.

The 2-minute scene should allow the audience to read dramatic meaning, or interpret the sort of character you are.

Use your movement to communicate information and meaning, and only use dialogue to enhance the movement.

Use these additional tasks to support your character and scene development

• Draw a picture of how you think your character looks.

• Collect images from the internet or magazines that represent the sort of person the character is.

• Work with a partner to create a scene where your 2 characters meet.