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‘Life's a theatre set in which there are few practicable entrances.'
Victor Hugo
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MARK
Having played many complex characters on stage, I feel compelled to offer some guidance or those embarking on their own acting journey. It's an exhilarating pursuit, but one that can be emotionally taxing. Here are some insights I've gleaned:
Understand the emotional toll that immersing yourself in a character's psyche can take, and recognise when it's necessary to prioritise self-care practices.
Strive for equilibrium between your acting career and personal life; make time for activities that nurture your soul and keep you grounded.
Build a supportive network of fellow actors, friends, and family who can offer encouragement and understanding during the highs and lows of your journey.
Practice self-compassion as you navigate the unpredictable terrain of the acting world; be gentle with yourself and acknowledge your own humanity.
Experiment with various coping mechanisms to help you navigate the emotional intensity of character portrayal.
Make your mental health a priority; seek professional help if you find yourself grappling with persistent feelings of distress or imbalance.
Establish clear boundaries between your on-stage persona and off-stage identity to ensure you can disconnect and recharge as needed.
Take moments for reflection and introspection, allowing yourself to process the emotions stirred up by your character portrayal.
Stay true to yourself amidst the demands of the acting world; your authenticity is your most potent asset.
Remember that it's perfectly okay to seek help when you need it; whether it's professional guidance or a listening ear from a trusted friend, don't hesitate to reach out.
Your journey as an actor is a profound voyage of self-discovery and growth. Embrace the challenges, relish the triumphs, and always prioritise your well-being.
Mark
You’ve worked hard in rehearsals, and you’ve finally reached the performances. There is now a shift from spending an intense (relatively short) amount of time with your fellow company members to negotiating a new relationship as either a touring member or potentially only seeing each other just before performances. Being aware, as a cast, of this transition is useful.
The director may have put in place a group warm-up or something to prepare you as a company before the performance. If not, what can you put in place that supports you to feel ready for a performance?
Tip
What works for one person might not work for another, so have a discussion and let people know what works for you. Be prepared to compromise!
Performance nerves
Everyone deals differently with nerves. Some people can get very chatty and have a lot of physically energy, others can feel very internal and want to be quiet and focussed. Neither are right or wrong. Discuss with your company members how you work to avoid any frustration or conflict.
Tip
Look at the Nervous System section, this might help you understand how you respond. Your nervous systems' response to nerves will probably be similar to your threat/stress response. Knowing how you respond might give you some ideas of things you can do to support yourself. See the Anxiety and Regulation sections for more on this.
De – rolling.
De-rolling is like it says on the tin. It’s finding a way of stepping out of a role/character after rehearsals or performance. There are some factors that may lead actors to have a more challenging time de-rolling. These factors may increase the need for the actor to find the right technique or ritual to support them, and can include:
Roles based on real people.
Roles that are physically demanding
Roles performed multiple times a week.
Roles that are traumatic or emotionally heightened.
De-rolling tools
Brushing off Using firm sweeping movements, energetically brush the character off from head to toe.
Unzipping Pretend that you are unzipping from your head all the way down to your feet and take off your character. You can pretend to hang it up somewhere that you can come back to put it back on when needed.
Shake it off Shake off the character whilst vocalising a sound. This loosens muscles, changes your posture, and physically creates a break from the character, which in turn should create an emotional break.
Stepping into role Have something which gets you into character: tying hair up, putting on a piece of costume etc and use this as a ritual before starting rehearsal/performance. Do the opposite to step out of the character.
Mantra Say to yourself (replacing your name with the character’s): I am stepping out of ???? and stepping into ????
Music Find a piece of music that you can play after the performance that helps you to de-roll. You might want to dance to this, or walk home listening to it - whatever works for you. You may want to find a piece of music to listen to before the performance that helps you get into character too. That way you can have a pre-show and post-show ritual.
Shower Once home, or if the venue has the facilities, taking a shower after the performance can help to de-roll. If the venue does not have the facilities, then pretending to have a shower and washing off the character can be equally as effective.
Tip
Brushing off and taking a shower and/or listening to music can be useful techniques to energetically step out of any situation that has been emotionally hard. A bad day at work – brush it off! An argument with your partner - go for a walk and listen to some music that feels supportive!
During rehearsals or production, try to be aware of your feelings and check-in with yourself whether your de-rolling routine is working? Consider asking the following questions:
What is the most difficult aspect of playing this character?
What do I love about playing this character?
Is it getting harder for me to get into character?
Is it getting harder for me to get out of character?
Is my routine/ritual for getting out of character working? If not what else do I need to do?
Do I feel exhausted, angry, depressed, or numb long after each performance?
Are friends, family, cast members getting concerned for me?
If you become aware that you are struggling, can you shift your de-rolling ritual to something more supportive? It might be that you need a longer ritual or a different technique. Can you discuss with the director to see what support can be offered?
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