Have you ever watched a movie or play and felt that the story was dragging, that it took forever for the plot of the scene or story to move forward? Well, there are many reasons for this; however, one of the most prominent explanations is the actors were unable to properly construct progression within the delivery of their dialogue.
As an actor, you must remember that it is your responsibility to ensure that the flow of the story is kept and each scene progresses the characters to their next stage.
Recognizing Individual Stages
In order to ensure that your performance allows the story to move forward in a natural manner, you must recognize individual stages within a scene and within the dialogue.
A stage may be defined as a shifting of attitudes or objectives. A single scene may have as little as one stage or multiple stages according to the dialogue and action of the actors. The stages of each scene may be used by actors to mark off objectives and emotional shifts.
Within your script, mark off the beginning and ending of each stage and write a short description of the purpose of the stage. This way, during rehearsals you may have a visual market to ensure you do not skip over the importance of a stage or hinder the natural progression of the scene/story.
Acting According to the Stage
As you approach a scene, it is important to review the current progression stage your actor is in. This information will help you when it comes down to actually performing the scene as it ensures that your character acts according to the natural wants/desires for that particular moment.
The emotional approach your character takes is based on the stage he is currently in. For example, his emotional intensity wouldn’t be at the beginning of a progression stage – when him and his partner are just starting to talk about their current problems. As each stage of the conversation is accomplished, the emotional intensity begins to gradually progress – along with the fragility of the characters and the rawness of their performance, which ultimately climaxes at the last stage of the scene.