Improvisation, Play-Building and Acting

There are many ways in which an actor can use performance skills and the elements of drama to engage an audience and device ideas, situations and characters for the stage. When used successfully, the elements of drama all combine to create dramatic meaning. They are the keys that open up the understanding of dramatic action, the foundations on which the action is built and give it its own unique shape and form. The elements of drama include; focus, role and characterisation, tension, situation, place and time, movement, symbols and atmosphere, and mood. Performance skills include; presence and energy. Workshop activities improve the skills required to apply the elements of drama practically. Different workshop activities target different skills and elements.

Every form of dramatic activity, from improvisation to a full-length play contains certain crucial elements. If an actor can understand the elements of drama thoroughly, they will then be able to utilize them within their piece or play correctly. This knowledge will enable them to achieve many things that are imperative to any successful drama. They will be able to establish and sustain focus, respond to changes in focus, establish and sustain character and role, create and develop tension, respond to changes in tension, respond to changes in timing and tempo, use and modify space, recognise and respond to symbols and symbolic action and appreciate and critically evaluate dramatic action.

The performance skills of an actor are energy and presence. Having presence and confidence, using energy in performance, building and maintaining an actor-audience relationship, having the ability to develop and memorise words and actions and sustain character are all vital for an actor to utilize. Having energy onstage is essential to any performance because it comes across to an audience if you are lacking energy and the performance will be flat. This takes away from your character and will undermine you as a believable.

Focus makes it clear, where the action is. There are two types of focus; internal and external. Internal focus is the performers focus. Helps portray character. External focus is the point where the dramatic action is directed. Without focus the audience can become disengaged and lost due to the unclear direction of focus onstage.

Both role and characterisation need to be used together to establish a clear character in a piece or play. Role includes everything about a character. Characterisation is the process of developing the role into a complex character with personality and background.

Tension is the force that drives all drama. As tension rises and falls, it changes the way the audience feels and different emotions are evoked.

Situations are the circumstances or predicaments which the characters find themselves in. Characters and relationships may be affected by situations. The situation may also be created by what the characters want and how they go about getting it. Situations make a play, and it is different situations that keep the audience focused and intrigued. The interplay of other elements combined can result in the creation of unique and interesting situations.

Time is when dramatic action occurs and place is where it occurs. Both of these elements are imperative in drama in order to establish a clear setting and period that you are performing in. Time and place help you to create a play that makes sense and they must be made clear in order for the audience to follow the play and not become lost.

Movement is essential in creating drama onstage. The amount of movement creates energy and an atmosphere on the stage. Lots of movement frantic. No movement suspense. No movement should be done onstage without a reason or purpose behind it. You can use movement to draw focus, create tension, build atmosphere etc.

Drama is about making meaning and whatever the form of drama, its purpose is to increase our understanding of ourselves and our world. Meaning is created through the use of symbols. Everything that happens onstage carries meaning; nothing in drama is done by accident or unintentionally. Symbols help to create situations in drama and carry the meaning behind a story; adding another layer of depth, captivating the audience even more.

Atmosphere and mood, like tension, engages the audience and evokes emotions within them. Often related to place, atmosphere and mood help to determine what is going on in the scene. You can use lighting, dialogue, set and costume to create mood and atmosphere.

Many of the elements of drama are linked with others and they all complement each other. When they are used in conjunction with one another, great pieces of work are created. The elements of drama are important in developing characters and scenes and then portraying a performance to an audience. When we did play-building this term we used all the elements of drama as a guide and it really helped to create scenes and different characters.

In conclusion, it is evident that there is not a need for one but all elements of drama and performance skills to be employed by an actor in order to create situations, characters, ideas, and to keep an audience engaged throughout a performance. Workshops, performances and characterisation methods all help to develop the skills that are needed to use the elements of drama and develop an actors performance skills. Play building utilizers all of these skills and the elements of drama to create dramatic meaning and a satisfying performance.

The Crucible understanding another time and placeWolf Lullaby Duologue tension and focus Play building improvisation, situations and everything!