Acting: Being In The Moment

Acting- it’s the development through thoughts, emotions and behavior of a character. As an actress, I am aware that there are several techniques that are used to enhance a performance as well as techniques that can not be performed without. The term ‘being in the moment’ is a technique that can not be performed without due to its great importance. But, what does; being in the moment’ mean? How does it sound, look and feel like? ‘Being in the moment’ means to be entirely aware of your characters thoughts, emotions and behavior. The idea is to step into the life of the character and become like them as best as you can. My personal definition for the term is to no longer be myself. When I am ‘in the moment’, I feel lost in a character. I feel like I’m not who I am, but I have stepped into someone different. In order to be ‘in the moment’ you need to be willing to become that character. If you hold yourself back due to nervousness or fear, the character can not be established. When I perform, my goal is to make my character stand out and impact the audience members from the front to the very back row. Sounding convincing while using voice projection and focus can create that effect. Whether the character is low status (quiet) or high status (loud), it’s important to use characteristics of that character to make them bigger than life.

When performing, I believe that every detail counts. When you focus on the small things as well as the big things, it creates a more believable performance. Small details from running gags; a funny habit that a character does consistently, to even how you create your hair can make a big difference. My goal is to do an entertaining, real and captivating performance. ‘Being in the moment’ doesn’t only involve you understanding your character but, also letting the audience understands the character as well. In the beginning, it’s is very important to set the scene. Setting the scene is giving the audience some time to understand where you are and who you are. During this time, I like to do actions or monologues that demonstrate my character’s characteristics. ‘Being in the moment’ can cause an amazing experience to happen for the actor/actress and the audience. It’s surprising what magic can happen when you lose yourself on stage.