Acting - There's More To Being A Performer
By Michael Russell

Being a performer is not as easy as it looks. You are not just a child playing around on stage. There is much to think about when it comes to being a good performer. One of the more important things to consider is what your audience sees. Making sure that you have created a set that is appealing to the eye and believable will draw your audience in. Making sure that the audience can see what is going on is vital, since that is what the performance is all about. Finally, ensuring that you have thought out the costumes will ensure that you are relaying the message that you desire your audience to receive from your performance.

The set is what allows your audience to see where they are being transported to. Is it a train station near the city in the early 1900s or New York City in the year 2000? Are you taking your audience to the classrooms in a rural community or to the inner city? Your set will play a vital role in what your audience will take in from your performance. Making sure that you do a professional job on the paint and design of the set will make it visually stimulating. Making sure that you build it in a way that will make set changes a breeze is very important to the flow of your production.

Ensuring that your audience can see all that is taking place during the show allows them to make predictions about what is going to happen next. It will allow them to relate the events and places to experiences they have had as individuals. Allowing your audience to see all that is unfolding is important for your audience, so that they may see the expressions of the actors and actresses and to hear the performers clearly.

Costumes are a key component to a production gone well. It is important to think about the time period, to research the type of clothing they wore, the colors they wore, how they wore their clothing. The costumes are going to be what makes the show authentic to your viewers. Wearing clothing that does not match the time period or circumstance the character is in will discredit what is taking place and cause the viewer to be more focused on the improper dress than what is being said and done on stage. The costume allows the audience member, like the set, to be transported to a different place and time and to be drawn into what is going on.

Appearance is vital when acting. You may even want to video tape your practices or perform them in front of a mirror to ensure that your audience will have the most positive and authentic experience possible.