The purpose of acting is to bring characters to life and to tell stories. While writers have the job of creating those characters and stories, the actors take them off the page and put them before an audience – whether that audience is in a theatre or on the other side of a television screen. Ultimately acting is an artform designed to evoke emotions in us. We watch acting to be moved, entertained, or educated. There is also a strong sense of escapism as we dive into the illusion of another world that the actors create.
Considered the truest test of acting ability, theatre acting has the added pressures of performing in front of a live audience where, unlike screen acting, there’s no option to just retake or hide behind good editing. Stage actors have to get things right the first time every night. Nerves and stage fright can also be a hindrance for some actors. You also need to ensure that you’re employing effective voice technique. Stage mics can only help you so far. You’ll want to aim to be speaking to the audience members at the very back of the theatre farthest from the stage.
