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Getting your act right!

Acting began because of the man's need to express, emote andto tell stories. Acting is said to have found its origins inthe religious rituals of the primitive times and the firstperformers were the religious leaders of the tribes. Thedevelopment of theater, as we see today, is largelyattributed to the Greeks.

Drama dates back to 534 BC. Contest were held to determinewho was the best actor. This person was called "Thespis"who was also one of the first actors. He played many rolesto perfection which ranged from women to children. None ofthe writings of Thespis are known today. The term"thespian" is desrived from Thespis.

In those days, actors wore mask to portray differentcharacters. The chorus usually ranged from 15 to 50 people.Acting in the beginning was just about monologues. Actorsacted out the thoughts going on in the mind of thecharacters. Aeschylus introduced a new paradigm to acting byintroducing a second actor. This closely resembles theacting that we see today. The performances underwent a hugechange. From simply stating the internal voice, thoughts andmotivations of a single actor, the oncoming of the secondactor brought in face-to-face conversations as well asdramatic conflict. Later, Sophocles added the third actorand extras.

Gradually, acting evolved to its present day form. Certainbasics of acting never change, like what goes into making ofan actor. The aptitude of the actor is chief determinant inthe acting of the performers. Acting is all about theability to visualize feelings. You can draw on your ownexperiences also to enact certain characters. Actors areborn with an aptitude but a good acting school can help tohone this skill.

A misconception that people generally harbor is that actingis what they get to see on the screens, but that is justhalf the picture as you can find actors in theatre,television studio, circus, or comedy club. One importantthing that an actor nursing the dreams of making it on thebig screen, needs to keep in mind is that the going can betough initially. Thus, they should be prepared to takerejections in stride. They may also have to put up with longperiods of being unemployed. Experience counts a lot inacting thus you might even have to settle for lesser roles.Even the established actors during their lean times acceptsmaller roles or commercials. Acting might be a toughproposition for some, but the passionate ones endure therigors to get a chance to show their histrionics.