Concentration and Acting
Never underestimate the importance of concentration during acting. You may think, “Yeah, no kidding, It takes concentration to learn your lines!” But that’s not all. There are a lot of distractions when you’re performing on stage or on set – there’s the audience, cameras, equipment, stage hands and other employees, your fellow actors and more. If you aren’t fully concentrated on the scene you’re involved in, you may find yourself succumbing to stage fright or simply forgetting your lines. Or, you may simply fail to engage honestly with the other actors, delivering “flat” emotions.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of factors that can affect concentration, which makes it hard to master. A key component in understanding how to harness concentration is acknowledging what distracts you.
Do you become easily distracted by your personal life, allowing your mind to wander during rehearsals?
Do you become distracted by the audience – are you aware that they’re watching you and dissecting your movements?
Do you become distracted by your fellow actors, ready to pounce the instance they make a mistake?
Regardless of why you’re distracted, the result will always be a sub-par performance on your part. Consider the following quick tips for enhancing concentration:During rehearsals, give yourself a math problem to solve during the scene you’re rehearsing. It may sound ridiculous, but if you’re concentrating on multiplying 454 x 123 while still moving around stage and speaking your parts, you won’t find yourself being distracted by the audience or other things taking place off stage. Plus, your focus will be real, making your performance more authentic.
