Actor Character Development

Actor Character development. That phrase is often used in drama and puppetry, but what does it really mean? It is more than just a clever voice or accent, although that’s part of it. It’s also more than an appropriate costume, although again, it’s necessary. Character development is making the audience care about your puppet or actor. They need to believe that the character is “real.”

The first part of developing your character is knowing what your character is like. Where does he come from? How old is he? Does she have any family? What is she like? Be specific. What does he like or dislike. What character traits does she have?

You may be wondering why it even matters, but the more you know about your character, the better you can become that person. Take a few minutes and write a short biography of your character or puppet. It will really help you know what he is like.

Once you know what your character is like it's time to build that character. Of course, part of that is in the way he or she speaks. But there is so much more. You may have heard that more is said with body language than with words. Well, that's true in drama and puppetry as well. Make sure that the way your character acts in in keeping with their personality.

One of the most important parts of developing your character is what that character does when he or she is not talking. How is he interacting with the other actors? Should she be reacting in a certain way to what the other person is saying? In other words, you need to become that person.

Don’t be so intent on the script that you forget the objective of the entire performance. Concentrate on the others in the skit or song and react to them. Leave yourself behind and become the character. Always behave or act in a way that the audience believes the character would act.

Actor character development takes time, but if you take the time to develop your character, you'll have a more effective and believable performance.

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