How to Play Strong Emotions? An Acting Institute Explains

 

Introduction

Emotions, in real life, are often labelled as spontaneous and uncontrolled. They can be thought of as relatives who happen to show up at the door now and then without prior notice. However, in the performing arts like acting, emotions need to be provoked and controlled on-demand, in a way that ideally, the performance receives reactions and empathy from the audience.

 

Do you find it hard to cry, get angry, become fearful or portray any other strong emotions on-demand? Read ahead. 

 

An acting institute in Kolkata brings you quick and easy tips to help you get into your character’s emotional state in no time. 

 

3 Easy Tips to Play Strong Emotions

 

Physicalize your emotions

Try to physicalize the emotion you are planning to portray on stage or in front of the camera, says a modelling and acting institute in Kolkata. Pump yourself and get your blood surging. If you are trying to portray anger, get down on the ground, do pushups, or agitate yourself. Or, you can stomp around the green room, pound your fists and think about the memories that make you angry. 

 

To portray sadness or bring on the tears, stoop your body in a defeated or protective way. You can even collapse down and start breathing heavily and audibly as if you can’t catch your breath. Make the sounds of your crying and allow your voice to be ugly and broken. Let your face contort and twist out of shape. Be willing to be unattractive.

 

Rant and Ramble

Rant is great for building characters quickly and portraying strong emotions. A rant is when you speak loudly and passionately about something you do not like.

For anger, decide on what your character hates. Pick what irritates your character in the scene or, if not irritating enough, memorize a scene from your own life that tipped you off, says an acting and modelling institute in Kolkata. After you start experiencing the sparks of anger building, start your rambling. Do it for a few minutes and you will be ready to bring your wrath to the stage. 

 

Similarly, for other strong emotions, choose a moment from your own life or your character’s and start ranting. Try to increase the intensity of your emotion as you go until you reach the desired point. This practice will help you call upon the feeling later on during a performance.

 

Scream!

Screaming is a perfect exercise when you plan on playing an extremely angry or powerful villain. Play the scene in your head and start screaming. You will get into an intense emotional state in no time. For tears, screaming will get you so out of control that it will be easy to break into tears very quickly.