Character Building is Very Very VERY Important!

While doing my research on some theatre techniques that would benefit my senior project, I came across a very informational article that said that building character is one of the most important aspects to becoming a great actor. According to Lyn Gardner and Dee Cannon in their article "Character Building and What Makes A Truly Great Actor", there are 10 steps/questions to build character effectively.

Building character effectively according to the article means "becoming a fully realised three-dimensional character, with a rich backstory...the character you play is truthful and not a cliche, a caricature, a thin external representation of someone who barely resembles a human being...what you say is real and that you're not reciting, spouting or commenting."

1. Who am I?

• You should know your character as well as you know yourself. This can be done through:
• A good script
• Research details
• Use the imagination

2. Where am I?

• Establish a relationship with your environment, props, and stage pieces.
• Also make sure to know about the geography, for it can change the way your character acts.

3. When is it?

• Seasons can change the way a character acts.
• Modern physicality cannot be brought into an earlier time period.

4. Where have I just come from?

• Work out what your has been doing, where they've been.
• Find the state of being and always know your previous circumstances.

5. What do I want?

• Find your character's intention, motivation, or action.
• Have a life on stage and have purpose for walking and talking.
• Otherwise you will be "just acting" which is fake.

6. Why do I want it?

• Always have a strong justification for your actions, which will give your character a strong motivation.
• This is to make the character more real, and also because plays have a heightened version of reality.

7. Why do I want it now?

• You must know why your motivation has to be right now.
• Gives your character an immediacy that is crucial in acting.

8. What will happen if I don't get it now?

• The stakes should always be high and the consequences of not getting what you want should be very important to you.

9. How will I get what I want by doing what?

• Work out how you are trying to affect the other person with what you are saying.
• "Action" your script
• For every change in though, you need a transitive verb.
• Think about how you can affect the other character by your tone.

10. What must I overcome?

• Outer Obstacle
• Resistance to obtaining your action.
• Inner Obstacle
• Inner Conflict
• There must always be a problem you are trying to overcome.