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Let's take a more in-depth look at each of these 3 steps!

Analyze your tendencies - Step 1

For some actors (like myself) stretching plays a particularly important role in warm-ups. Whether you are playing a very physical character in a fight scene, or a very tender and loving romantic scene with little blocking, freedom from tension and rigidity is just as important for an actor as the lines you speak.

What we must remember, as performers, is that audience members can tell when we (the actor, NOT the character) are letting tension creep in and motivate our body and its movements. This is one of the easiest ways for an audience member to get taken out of the moment, and have difficulty believing your performance.

Remember fellow actors:

No matter what type of physical movements your character makes, *YOU*, the actor, should look completely natural and comfortable performing them.

So naturally, if our bodies are filled with tension and stiffness, we will almost certainly *Not* look natural and comfortable in our portrayal of a character.

So make a deliberate effort to study your own physical tendencies. How you walk, motions you regularly make with your hands, legs, eyebrows, lips, etc...

Once you are able to Analyze your tendencies physically, you are ready to...

Release your habits - Step 2

Now that you have hopefully studied some of your physical habits, now the even more difficult task of Releasing them begins. This is where the entire topic of this post has been leading to... Stretching and Warm-Ups.

If you are like myself, and a multitude of others, perhaps you carry most of your tension in your shoulders and back. Others perhaps carry it in their forehead, eyebrows, or jaw. Every one of us exhibits tension in different ways... Unfortunately, all of them can be LETHAL to your acting performance if left unchecked.

The key to Releasing your habits is a combination of tried and true techniques, as well as good old "trial and error". For some actors, deep breathing exercises help release tension. For others it is yoga, or variations thereof. Others yet may find it helpful to find a quiet space to be alone so they can focus on the work they need to accomplish.

The point is, each and every one of us has a different way to Release stress and tension. If you take the craft of acting seriously, either as a career choice or just as a passion and hobby, you should seriously consider finding your best method of Release if you have not already been lucky enough to do so...

Once you have gone through Step 1 and Step 2, you are ready to...

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