Acting Skills: Character & Story Analysis

Acting Techniques & Exercises: Character & Story Analysis 

As one aspect of this new blog, I’ll reflect and share information regarding performance techniques / exercises that I am working on with my students. This first exercise focuses on the analytical side of getting “inside the mind” of a character. When you are first approaching a character, a great place to begin is by identifying the actions and motivations of the character within the context of the story.

To practice character and story analysis, let’s look at the facts provided by the writer.

Feel free to use this exercise to help prepare a role, or simply get inside the mind of your favorite character!

Exercise:

• What are the character’s major goals?

• What action steps does the character take throughout the piece?

• What is the primary emotion the character has throughout this piece?

• What other emotions are affecting the character underneath that emotion?

• Why motivates the character?

• How does the character evolve throughout the story?

Now, let’s analyze the story itself: 

• What is the setting?
  
  
  

• What is the context? 
  
  
  

• What is the conflict?

• What is the resolution? 

How does the character’s actions influence the context, conflict, and resolution of the story? 

What are the character’s pivotal scenes?

Through character and story analysis, we immerse ourselves into a piece of art in an in-depth manner. Through scene study, students gain a solid understanding of a story’s complexities, and through character analysis, a stronger grasp of the character’s traits and arc. Whether you are an actor preparing for a role — or simply a film and theatre afficionado applying this to your favorite character — I hope you take away something of interest from this exercise!

Was there a specific prompt that interested you the most? Feel free to let me know in the comments.