Hey you guys what's up, it's me Katherine and today, we're going to discuss "Getting into character."
I've been getting a lot of questions about this recently (especially since I'm in a show right now),
and it's something that I've also been focusing on a lot because I'm in a show right now,
and I've been really actively paying attention to what I do to get there to be in the right mind space. "Mind space"? "Head space"??
"Mind frame"??? What are words???? So today,
I'm going to share some of the tips and ideas that I have on "How to get into Character" for
Actors. But, if you're new to my channel hello and welcome, my name is Katherine Steele
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But without any further ado, let's talk about "Getting into Character". The thing that helps me get into character the most is
focusing on the specifics.
Filling in all the little details really creates a real world for me as an actor. So the three places that I get most of
my specifics to create from are from the text,
my backstory, and my specific production. So the texts are the lyrics and lines basically what's in the script.
What is in the score. What are you saying? What are you singing?
Those are the things that cannot be changed. They are there no matter what. Those are your guidelines.
Those are your blueprints with which to create this character. Keep in mind that every show has been written and rewritten and rewritten
a thousand times. This version that gets published, the script and score that are in your hand,
it's incredibly specific. Each word, each note was handcrafted for a
reason. Especially if you're dealing with someone crazy nuanced like Sondheim. As you guys know, for work right now
I'm playing "Rapunzel" in "Into the Woods", and something that I realized is that
aside from my duet with the Witch, "Our Little World", (which is optional, we put it back in), most of the stuff that I'm singing
doesn't have lyrics; so how do I create the person off of that?
What clues did
Sondheim give me? The more stable and content my character is, the more middle ground my notes are. The more I get agitated
or scared or just kind of come unhinged, the higher my stuff goes. Of course
that's not written into the script or the score,
but that's the way that I'm interpreting the text and the way that I'm utilizing
the blueprints and clues given to me. Backstory is what you come up with as an actor. Again,
it might not be something that is written into the script or something that the audience learns or ever sees; it's something that you
privately create in your brain that helps inform your performance. A good back story should be
Influenced by the text. It should make sense that your character's life
and experiences is up to now will turn them into the person that you see on screen or on stage. And the third part ,your
specific production.
One of the things that I love most about musical theater, and just theater in general, is that each production is so different. You can
be working with the same outline and create something
completely new. Some of the biggest factors that change and really influence my performance tend to be the set, my costume, my
relationships to the other characters,
and how those other characters are played. For instance, in "Into the Woods", my tower is decked out with so many flowers.
It's beautiful,
it looks all shiny and magical and princess-y.
And I love it! Because I now have that to play with, one of my character choices and one of my back stories is that
Rapunzel loves flowers.
I spoke to the costume designer and I made and brought in my own flower crown because I feel like that's an activity that
Rapunzel would do. She loves flowers, she loves her hair, of course she'd put flowers in her hair.
That's a specific thing that the audience probably won't see or notice, but it makes a world of difference to me.
I'm not just what the audience is seeing, I have depth.
I think that's what makes a character even more
interesting and complex. Something else that's really been helping me get into character is reading poetry.
I know a lot of people who like to listen to music to get into that head space of their character. Personally,
I don't do that because I'm always listening for my cue;
I have, like, a lot of weird things that I sing out in the middle of the show so I'm always listening.
But I found that poetry really really helps me out.
I found a few passages and poems that not only really touch me personally,
but I think would really touch Rapunzel and really apply to her situation and who she is as a person.
So I either just keep the poems with me in my dressing room, or I'll take a picture of it
and I'll have it on my phone,
and I'll just kind of reread it, or kind of repeat it in my mind as a mantra.
It kind of gives me a thesis; something that's playable, something that's real to me.
So those are my tips on "How I Find My Character", and "How I Get Into Character".
I hope this helps you guys out, or you at least found it interesting. If you did, give it a big "Thumbs Up"!
I hope you guys are having a great day;
I love you so so much. Break A Leg, and I'll see you guys next time. Bye!