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.

PERFORMANCETheater 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.

CHARACTERSCharacters 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.

AUDIENCEWithout 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.