ACTING

ASPECT OF THEATER

Aspects of Theater can be

perceived from a variety of point of

views. There are certain elements

needed to come together to achieve

theater. I believe you need a

performance of some kind, to make

a performance work you need

characters to portray what is

happening in that performance,

and most importantly you need an

audience to reach out to.

PERFORMANCE

Theater is performance, what is

performance exactly? Performance

is an action or series of action taken

for the ultimate benefit (attention,

entertainment, enlightenment, or

involvement) of someone else

(Cohen 15). A performance can be

seen in many ways but mainly you

catch a performance either when it

is live or that of one which is

scripted and rehearsed.

CHARACTERS

Characters are essential to theater

because you need something to

portray physical and emotional

feelings in order to make a

connection. It is every bit as

important for not only the

character to connect with what he

or she is portraying but to be able

to do it in a way that an audience

a well connects with what the

actor is doing.

AUDIENCE

Without an Audience there is

nothing or nobody to view what is

happening. Storytelling requires an

audience (Cohen 43). An audience

needs to be able to relate to what

the character is portraying in a

performance, because at the end of

a performance how an audience

reacts tells the story of how well

the performance connected.

WHAT TRAINING DOES ACTING REQUIRE?

SCHOOLS

The training of actors is a major activity in hundreds of

colleges, universities, conservatories, and private and

commercial schools across the United States today; and theories

of actor-training constitutes a major branch of artistic pedagogy

(Cohen 299).

Although no formal training is strictly required to become an

actor or actress, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

reported that most professionals in the industry participated in

college drama courses or acting conservatories (Education.)

TRAINING

Actors usually train at an acting school or in a college program.

However, some people enter the field without such training.

Those who want a college degree take classes in radio and

television broadcasting, communications, film, theater, drama,

or dramatic literature. Many continue their college training and

get a master's degree in fine arts. Training may include classes

in stage speech and movement, directing, playwriting, and

design, as well as acting workshops (United.)

SKILLS

Actor training entails two distinct phases:

Development of the actor’s approach to a role

(largely creating the characters in life).

Developing the actor’s vocal and physical

instrument (Cohen 299.) Because endless roles

are available, the more an actor knows how to do,

the more auditions they are able to go on.

HOW HARD IS IT TO FIND A JOB?

Getting a theater acting

job is not only difficult due

to the amount of people

all trying for each part but

also due to once you get a

job it, lasts such a short

time, unless you land a

touring show.

Given the competition in theater

acting, a bachelors degree or higher

is recommended to even get an edge

over others trying out. Getting a job in

acting is TIME CONSUMING! People

say that job hunting is a full time job

until you get one. But with acting

(unless you make it big which

statistically is not a very good

percentage) is a constant job hunt.

Actors who work in performing arts

companies are

expected to see slower job growth than

those in film.

Many small and medium-size theaters

have difficulty

getting funding. Job Growth projection

for Acting in General is only 4%, which

means pretty much no

growth. As a result, the number of

performances is expected to decline.

Large theaters, with their more

stable sources of funding, should

provide more opportunities.

HOW DOES ONE GET A JOB?

Move to bigger cities such as Los Angeles or New York

City to get better jobs working in theater. Understand

that even when you get better-paying acting jobs in

theater, including Broadway, the pay is going to vary,

depending on your status. According to the Bureau of

Labor Statistics, stage actors get about $14.48 an hour.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5908197_job-theater-actor.html#ixzz2CbaECwLL

It is also recommended starting at a community level

and building up to improve your acting. Getting an agent

can aid in your job search, but in the end what really

matters is if the director like you. As a actors reputation

grows, the projects they get work through will get bigger

and bigger or in more prestigious venues

CLODIUS AESOPUS

A friend of Cicero the famous politician and

philosopher, Clodius and a equally famous

comedic actor Roscius both were said to instruct

Cicero.

Clodius was known to study his roles with great

tenacity before hand to make sure he had the role

down right, he would even gaze upon the mask he

would wear (in some plays) for a considerable

amount of time to get into character.

TRAGEDY STRIKES BACK!

In one of his plays, Clodius

became so engrossed in his

character that he forgot himself

and using his truncheon (stick

or baton) struck and killed one

of the servants on stage. Now

that is dedication!

Once Cicero had been exiled,

Clodius adapted a role in one

of his plays about a man who

had been exiled and applied it

to Cicero and did it so well

that the audience stood and

shouted with applause, and is

said to be one of Cicero’s

greatest defenses.

DEFENSE AND DEATH

Clodius was last

recorded in History in 55

B.C. where he appeared

at a theatre dedication in

Pompey, where he was

advanced in age, his

death was not recorded.

CLAUDE RAINS

“Often we'd secretly like to do

the very things we discipline

ourselves against. Isn't that

true? Well, here in the movies I

can be as mean, as wicked as I

want to - and all without

hurting anybody. Look at that

lovely girl I've just shot!”

CLAUDE RAINS

Claude Rains, born Nov. 10, 1889 in London

Began career in at the age of 11 in Nell of Old Drury

His acting talents were recognised by Sir Herbert Beerbohm

Tree

Claude died May 30 1967 in Laconia, New Hampshire

STAGE CAREER

FILM CAREER

WHO AM I?

KENNETH BRANAGH

ABOUT

Branagh, the middle of three children, was born and brought up in

Belfast, the son of working-class Protestant parents Frances (née

Harper) and William Branagh, a plumber and joiner who ran a

company that specialized in fitting partitions and suspended

ceilings. At the age of nine, he relocated with his family to Reading,

Berkshire to escape the Troubles. He was educated at Grove

Primary School, Whiteknights Primary School, then Meadway

School, Tilehurst, where he appeared in school productions such as

Toad of Toad Hall" and Oh, What a Lovely War!. At school, he

acquired an English accent to avoid bullying. On his identity today

he has said, "I feel Irish. I don't think you can take Belfast out of the

boy," and he attributes his "love of words" to his Irish heritage.

CAREER

Kenneth Charles Branagh (born 10 December 1960) is a Northern Irish-born English

actor and film director. He is best known for directing and starring in several film

adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays, but has also directed and appeared in a

number of other films and television series (IMDB.)

At age 23, he became the youngest actor in the Royal Shakespeare Company to ever

play the lead in Shakespeare's "Henry V".

Was one of the directors considered for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

(2004). He had appeared in the previous film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

(2002).

He has been a fan of "Thor" since childhood. When Marvel Studios selected Branagh

as the director of the Film adaptation, they sent him the complete collection of the

Marvel Thor comic’s series as reference material for the character.