Theatre help

[Puck102701]

I'm not sure if this is the right place, but anyway, for a scene in a play I'm doing, my character is supposed to be crying. I could probably do it without crying, but I'm trying. Does anyone know how to force yourself to cry. I can form a tear, but then I blink it away. Thinking of sad things doesn't help. Help please?

[fzun]

Think of one of the saddest moments in your life. Helps me cry on demand, no problem. Or imagine something really horrible happening.

[Ammer]

Joey's advice: Grab a tweazer (Spelling?) and put in your pocket of your jeans, pants etc... Next, poke a hole in your pants and slip the tweazer through and latch it on a hair and pull. A tear will come up in no time!

Warning: Not intended for those wearing dresses.

[Twizzler0171]

I bet, Ammer! That would be pretty scary... and I believe the spelling you are looking for is tweezer.

To make myself cry, I always have to get mad. I'm serious - when I'm mad, I cry. Its better than hitting someone or something. Or have something very funny happen to you some time before that, and laugh so hard that you cry...

I have no clue, can you tell?

[Zero!]

When I need to cry for something, instead of thinking of one sad terrible thing, I think of numerous ones at once. It tends to work.

[Lass]

I like Ammer's idea. If you have any hairs kinda on the corner of your eyebrow, above the lid, pull one of those out. It's really sensitive skin. When I get my eyebrows waxed it hurts a lot, and makes tears come.

[Jen]

All I can say is get yourself on the verge of tears before you go on, then do whatever you can to get them out.

Not much help, I know. After 5 years of theatre and drama, you would think I would have better advice.

[Tharkun]

Palm freshly chopped onion, if available.

[Puck102701]

The performance is next week, so I have a week to practice. Must...cry !!!!

[on_diet_cat]

Think of your neopets account being hacked, your pets being throw into the pound, and no one in ppt believe you... blah blah blah.

Maybe think of somebody leaving you, somebody you love very much leave you, that may help?

[Puck102701]

Think of your neopets account being hacked, your pets being throw into the pound, and no one in ppt believe you... blah blah blah.

Funny!

I've tried thinking of sad things, but it doesn't really work.

[shapu]

Google stanislavski. THat should help you understand method acting.

The key to crying on command is to actually put yourself into the character's shoes. All of those "what's my motivation?" jokes are actually pretty close to the truth when it comes to being a believable actor. What is it that your character is trying to explain? What is it that the character wants out of the scene or the exchange?

If you have it, read the whole play, and try to put yourself in the character's position.

Now, think back. Picture how you felt on the saddest day of your life. Don't say, "Well, if this happened, then I'd react that way." That's too hypothetical, and acting isn't about hypotheses; acting is about responses.

What was the saddest day of your life? Was it the death of a relative, or a pet? Was it moving from your friends? How did that make you feel? Dig deep into your memory, and try to recall exactly how you felt on that saddest day. If it helps, think about all of the good times that you've lost as a result of this moment of despair.

Congratulations. You're a tortured actor. Now, when you're doing your scene, remember that day. Let the charactet speak the lines, and let your emotions speak for themselves.

[Charisma]

"How to Cry on Cue?"
by Janus

"It is required of me to break down whilst reading a monologue, and I am struggling with this proposal. If you could send me some tips on crying, I would appreciate it. Kind regards, Miss Tara"

FIRST, CONSIDER NOT CRYING

"Breaking down" does not necessarily mean crying. Watch TV News. Watch people in horrifying situations. Not all of them cry. Fighting hard not to cry is a great deal more moving than crying. The best coach I had told me NOT to cry. Leave the crying up to the audience. Fight the tears. It's much more effective.

Let the lower lip quiver. Fight it. Quiver. Fight. Clamp your lips tightly together (as if mimicking someone without teeth. (The opposite of pursing the lips.) Loosen lips. Look down. Raise cheekbones toward eyes. Blink back the tears. Stare. ALTERNATE all these suggested ways of being tearful without crying.

The problem with crying is that the character has to cry but not the actor. And that is TOUGH. In addition, there is nothing quite so damaging to the voice as a glob of stuff in the cords, making them unable to vibrate. Also difficult is "turning off" if you, the person, are "turned on." And the whole thing messes up your makeup.

BUT IF YOU INSIST

Use your most reliable coach (the mirror) and look at yourself crying. What does crying look like?

Try to stiffen the muscles in your eyes, open the eyes a bit wider and resist all temptation to blink. Start doing this several lines before the cry-on-cue line. That should do the trick. I assume some actors get so caught up in the script that they respond tearfully on cue.

On camera, the old-time tears were caused by an onion. (No lie.)

Read a marvelous short poem by Gerald Manley Hopkins "Spring and Fall: To a Young Child." The truth in that poem is so painful and brilliantly expressed that perhaps it will help you cry on cue. Nothing creates more tears than a truthful glimpse of the nature of nature. To be a better actor, read poetry, look at great paintings, listen to great music, and look at the stars late at night. These acts create a well of tears from which you can draw upon at will.

For more great articles by Janus, check out : Becoming a Successful Actor


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Crying on Cue, Part II"
by Reed Kalisher

Some people (especially soap stars) can call up tears in a flash while some of us can't cry with onions pushed into our faces. There is no sure fire method, but the one constant for crying is your state of mind at the moment.

In other words, if you aren't feeling badly, you will have a very hard time crying. Towards that end, there are a few techniques I can pass along, and I have used both with reasonable success. On the other hand, they have also failed me from time to time, so take and use them for what they are worth.

First, there is the "life experience" idea. That means calling up a memory or image that you might have really experienced. (I use the passing of my dear mother.) You need to know how long it will take to respond, will it work consistently and when (in the script) you need to start working on it. Mark it as a cue, start conjuring the sad image and at the right moment, let it go.

Another technique is exactly the same as the one I just described except you use a fictitious event. Imagine the loss of someone very dear to you. The rest is done the same way as the first. The problem with this technique, however, is that even if it does work for you, it tends to dilute your train of thought about the character. If you have difficulty thinking in 'stereo' you might lose the intensity of your performance as 'payment' for your tears.

Now, here's a better idea, but harder to execute. Become the character you are portraying so intensely that you actually feel their pain and cry for the same reason they do. It involves the deepest commitment to the role, and isn't always the easiest thing to do, but certainly the most convincing.

Remember: If you can't cry, you can't cry! Work on it, but don't lose too much sleep over it. If you can cry, never ever cover your face with your hands! All that work and you block it? If you feel you must bury your face, wait until the tears have been read by the camera or audience, then bury. (If you're working on film you will have time to 'prepare' for that close-up.)

Finally, don't make those extreme faces. Let the tears, or even 'near tears' carry the expression. Nothing looks phonier than a scrunched up face that shouts "Hey, I'm trying to cry!"

I hope this helps you find that elusive sign of sadness, the tear.

-Reed Kalisher

Maybe those can help. I was only a drama student for one year and never really done any major plays so I can't be of much help. Even so, I think if it's theatrical it's more important to get the physical aspects of crying down than concentrating too much on having tears. Most people in the audience wouldn't be able to notice if you are tearing or not but they will be able to spot an awful attempt at crying if your actions aren't credible. I would practice on what your whole body and face looks like when you cry than focusing too much on getting actual waterfalls out yer eyes . Good luck though...and maybe that member who is theatrical coming2atvnearu will have some tips.

Last edited by Charisma on Fri Dec 10, 2004 5:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

[meowth1982]

Fake it. Seriously. The better you fake it, the more likely are you are to actually cry. I've done this more times than I can count on state. Do it in front of a mirror, make SURE that you practice practice practice!

And that's what 5 years of 3 musicals a year has taught me

[hyper_butterfly]

im in the same theatre thing as puck and tharkuns idea sounds like it would work. we could just put freshly chopped onion on the handkerchief thing and you might cry! we`ll try it next rehearsal.