Acting
The word acting is derived
from the Latin word pretentious meaning "to speak with
an accent." In acting, an actor suppresses or augments
aspects of their personality in order to reveal the actions
and motivations of the character for particular moments
in time. The actor is said to be "assuming the role"
of another, usually for the benefit of an audience, but
also because it can bring one a sense of artistic satisfaction.
The first actor is believed
to be Thespis of Icaria, a man of ancient Greece. "Plays"
of this time, called choric dithyrambs, involved a chorus
of 50 who sang the story to the audience. The possibly apocryphal
story says that Thespis stepped out of the chorus and spoke
to them as a separate character in the story. Before Thespis,
the chorus in all plays would sing in a narrative way, "Dionysus
did this, Dionysus said that." When Thespis stepped out
from the chorus, he said "I am Dionysus. I did this."
From Thespis' name derives the word thespian, meaning any
sort of performer but chiefly an actor. The International
Thespian to possess a number of skills, including good vocal
projection, clarity of speech physical expressiveness, a good
sense or perspective, emotional availability, a well developed
imagination, the ability to analyze and understand dramatic
text, and the ability to emulate or generate emotionall and
physical conditions. Well-rounded actors are often also skilled
in singing dancing, emotional expressiveness, imitating dialects
and accents, improvisation observation and emulation, mime,
stage combat, and performing classical texts such as Shakespeare.
Many actors train at length in special programs or colleges
to develop these skills.
At Expressions
our fully qualified and highly experienced Patrick Mcgrath
tutors pupils both privately and as part of our Junior Associate
School programme. Pupils can take examinations under Trinity
Guildhall and also take part in many performance and shows. |