IN DEPTH Character Questionnaire

Great steps to go through to analyze any character. If you go through all of this, you know you will have no doubts on how well you know your character!

Basics:

Age?
Date of Birth?
Hair color?
Eye color?
Skin color/nationality?
Accent (if any)?
Height?
Weight?
Tattoos?
Piercings?
Birthmarks?
Disfigurements?
Scars?
Do they have any nicknames? Where did they come from?

How do they usually dress? What do they wear to sleep? Do they wear jewelry?
Is there anything about their appearance they wish they could change?
How would they look as the opposite sex?
What do they smell like? Why (do they wear the scent or does it occur naturally)?
Do they have an accurate mental picture of their appearance (how they see themselves versus how the world sees them)?

Choose a different time period and describe what your character would have been like in that time period.

Favorites and habits:
What are some of your character’s hobbies? What do they do with their time?
Favorite color?
Favorite music artists? Movies or TV shows? Books or authors? Actors?
Political stance? Are they active in politics or do they not care?
What are some of their pet peeves?
What sort of gifts do they like?
What is their favorite time of day? Favorite weather? Season?
Where do they like to spend their time?
Favorite food? Favorite drink? Hot drinks, soft drinks, or alcohol?
Favorite animal?
Do they have any pets? Do they want any?
What relaxes them?
Do they have any bad habits?

Resources and abilities:Where did they learn their abilities?
If they have an income, where does it come from?
Do they have a job? Do they like it? How do they feel about their co-workers?

Why do they have their resources? How long have they had them, and how have they served the character over time? (Ex. Contacts, money, political power, fame, etc.)

Where does your character live? Why did they choose it, and how did they acquire it? How do they handle intruders (graciously? violently?)? Describe the space.

What are some of your character’s more notable merits and flaws (including physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, etc.)? How did they develop? How has this helped or hindered them in the past?

How are they with technology?
Are they specially qualified in any particular field? Would they be considered at the top of the field?
Have they ever been publically acknowledged for anything? (Ex. Nobel Prize)
Is there anything they’ve deliberately sought to improve at?
Do they speak more than one language?

Relationships and history:What is their family history like? How does it affect them? How do they feel about their family? How does their family feel about them?

What were they like as a child? What was their favorite toy? Favorite game? Playmates?
What did they want to be when they grew up?

Describe their best and worst memories from childhood.

Where (and when) did they grow up? How did they view it as a child, and did that change as they matured? How do they feel about the place now?

Do they, or have they in the past, had a mentor? What was their relationship with this person, and how has it changed since then?
What sort of education have they had? Do they want more?
Who was their idol growing up? Who was the first person they fantasized about?

Who is their closest friend, and why? What do they like to do with this person?
Do they have any rivals? Who and why?
Have they ever been betrayed? By who, and how did it affect them?

Romance:

If applicable: who is their current partner, and what attracted the character to them? How did they meet? How long have they been together? What kind of a relationship is it? Do they have any plans for the future?
What would be their perfect date?
Describe one of the character’s past relationships and what was significant about it.
Have they ever hurt someone they loved?
Do they fall in love easily?

Future:What are their dreams? What do they want to do someday?
Are there places they want to go? Where and why?

If these don’t apply already: do they want to get married? Have kids?
Would they ever consider adopting a child? Why or why not?
Do they have any prominent sensory associations? (Ex. the smell of their mother’s perfume, the sound of ice cracking under their feet as a child, etc.)

Who do they want to meet?
What about them is heroic?
What would the character be like in their old age?

Stuck in a waiting room. Which magazine do they pick up?

Morality:
What is one thing in their past they’re ashamed of? One thing they’re proud of?

Describe one fight they’ve had in the past (physical or otherwise).

What is one thing they feel strongly about?
One trait they admire?
What disturbs them?

Do the ends justify the means in their eyes?
Are they a leader or a follower? Why?
What do they feel responsible for? (Ex. I owe it to the world to do this.)

Do they believe that a person can redeem themselves from mistakes of the past?
What scares them?
How do they feel about death? Have they been significantly affected by it?

Do they value faith over reason or vice versa?
Do they believe in an afterlife?
Do they have any habits that reflect their beliefs? (Ex. regular prayer, vegetarianism, etc.)
Do they respect the beliefs of others?

Would they be more likely to act for the good of one or the good of many?
Are they manipulative?
Choose a holiday and come up with a potential scenario involving your character and that holiday.

Is the character religious? What are their views, and why or why not?
How would they like to die?
Choose a person, historical or fictional, and write about a meeting between them and your character.

Break a leg,

Maison

Character Analysis References

I've found that character development and analysis in acting, is very similar to writing. Here are some links (made for writers primarily) that can truly help you delve into your characters mind and portray them accurately!

Seven Common Character Types

Description of 16 Personality Types

Character Flaws (just remember to not rely on adjectives to describe a character, CHARACTER not CARICATURE)

Character Archetypes

Body Language Cheat Sheet

Character Morality (great for the part of character analysis where you decide what part your character contributes to the play as a whole)

Character Questionnaire

Break a Leg,
Maison

Perfecting Your Monologue

Before you start practicing a monologue, make a plan! Here are guideline questions for perfecting any monologue you do. They are questions because they are meant for you to ANALYZE.

First, ask: who are you talking to? Where are they? Picture them in their setting. How would your monologue's delivery change because of this? At all times imagine what the other person is doing, make decisions based on that.

What kind of play? If it's a naturalistic play, do not overact! Keep to the style of the play, it's very important.

If you choose a monologue where you are speaking to the audience, try to choose a different one. It's hard to portray well, and doesn't show off your connection to other characters. In storytelling monologues, there really is no arch, which is important. If you can't choose another one, pick someone you can talk to specifically. How would you talk to them? Have a motive, try to do something.

What did that person say right before you started talking? What made you want to say these things to them? If you know what they said, you can realistically portray what you would want to do and say. And when you pause, why would you? What did the person say, or what did their facial expression say? Try a different tactic, a different way to get what you want.

What is your relationship with the person you are talking to? Why are you even confronting them? Why don't you just leave?

What happens next? What is the other person doing after the monologue? What are they feeling?

What is the arch of the piece? Something changes in the middle, dynamics, climax, what is the change?
You begin feeling:
You end feeling:

Also, during an audition or rehearsal, a director may give you an adjustment. Even if this makes very little sense, it might just be to see if you can take direction so make sure you comply!

Choose a monologue that is age appropriate and shows emotional diversity!

Break a leg,
Maison

Headshots 101

Since I am completely uneducated about the world of headshots, I figured that Headshots 101 would be a good workshop to take. Here's a summary of the class:

• It must be 8x10 photo. (common knowledge)
• The picture should show at least from shoulders and above, but it is acceptable to cut off the crown of the head to pull focus to your eyes.
• Horizontal headshots are acceptable, but inconvenient to be stapled and flipped through, therefore not suggested.
• Black and white headshots are out as color printing is much more affordable now.
• For the stage, only 2 shots are needed: one for comedy and one for tragedy acting. For film and television, an array of different shots will be needed to show different sides of you and what you can play.
• For a dramatic headshot, you don't have to put on a dramatic frown. You could have a smirk, just make sure you have thought behind your eyes. To achieve this, have a thought in character while shooting.
• Have a blurred background that gives an idea of who you are. If you are a student, show something that hints at a school or library- just make sure it does not take away from the main point of the headshot- YOU!
• Do not wear solid black, white, or red because this messes with the balance of the camera. Wear something that goes well with your hair, eyes, and skin tone.

Finding your photographer:

• Preferably, they should be a Headshot Photographer. If you go to someone who does school portraits, that is what you will get even though that is not what you want. The next best thing is a senior picture photographer, as that world is getting more artsy as well as the headshot world.
• Pricing should typically be between $200-500 dollars for FULL PACKAGE. Some big names could charge more, but not be worth more. FULL PACKAGE means that it includes the consultation, shoot, initial photos, and most importantly- printing rights. If a photographer doesn't give you the rights to your photo so that you can print it yourself, then every single time you want to make a print you have to do it through that company which can turn out to be very expensive.
• Get someone you are comfortable with! If you are going to spend hours taking pictures with someone you are not comfortable with, it will show through on the photo.

I have one more post left in my ITS Workshop series and then I'll be on to the Seussification of Romeo and Juliet!

Break A Leg,

Maison

My Technique for Getting Into Character

None of these techniques are my own, but I use a simplified version of them. This is what works for me, and feel free to try them! I use them once I get a part and can see it in the context of the play. I suppose it could work before an audition, if you want to find the script and get really in depth with your reading or monologue. I'll also show you with a past monologue I've done, where the character is a brat faking a note.

• First, I assign an action that my character is portraying with every line. A lot of times, when you are trying to go in depth with your character, you would say what your character feels, so that there is more behind what you are saying. But this part is purely what your character is trying to express in that line. Here's an example of what I did with my short monologue.

(to attract attention) Your mother wrote you a note that said, "(to extract pity) Mavis is allergic to plays. (to excite classmates) If she is in one, she'll break out into hives. Her legs will swell to five times their normal size and she'll begin to sneeze uncontrollably. (to show off) Please excuse her."

Now this is out of context, but basically in this show, 15 Reasons Not To Be in a Play, Mavis starts off hating plays and ends up liking plays. Everyone talks directly to the audience, but interacts with the other characters as well. In this monologue she is trying to show her superiority by her ability to pass off a fake note. But we go more in depth about that character in the next step. This technique works with normal dialogue as well.

• Next, I assign a superobjective. A superobjective is what your character is ultimately trying to accomplish through everything they say or do. This part is not as shallow as (to show off) or (to extract pity). When I do this, I usually end up with a couple pages of description leading up to it, because just figuring that out can change the way your character holds itself or speaks.

For Mavis, I was originally just calling her a brat. But then, I figured out her superobjective was to maintain stable power. She wasn't just a brat, she was insecure and afraid of losing power. This was shown through every line. She tried (to attract attention) to get power, and so on. Now this post isn't about my character, so think about it as yours. When you first read your lines, you will get a first impression, but figure out what lies between the lines and how your character feels apart from what they're saying. We lie, and a lot of what we say has an ulterior motive. Your character is a human and will act as such as well. This can also make a dull part come to life. On the page, Mavis is actually becoming ill with plays, but if I said it like that I would literally be reading off a page with no personality whatsoever.

• Then I attach the emotion and character to my life. I believe that when you play a character, it shouldn't be a whole new person, it can be a different part of you that's dominant. Now don't play every character walking and talking as yourself, but find the similarities. And also, if you have to portray a strong emotion such as grief or embarrassment, find it inside of you instead of assigning physical things to do. The physical acting part will come naturally if you can find yourself feeling what your character is feeling. Find a moment in your life that you can remember vividly and attach it to each line you are struggling with relating to. If your character is feeling embarrassed, think through a moment you can play through your head that makes you cringe with embarrassment and remember it every time you say that line. The audience wants to see real, relatable people with emotions on that stage, not someone who simply says, 'Oh, I'm embarrassed.'
• And this is a little thing, but refer to your character as 'I' instead of he/she. It makes a difference!

Break a leg,

Maison

 

If you are wanting a look into the amazing and exciting world of show business, you are in the wrong place. But if you are looking for some advice on the details of auditions, monologues, casting, etc., in your community or school, hopefully I can give you some insight. In the next few days, I will start with some substantial posting, but here is a little ramble about me.

• I am competing at the International Thespian Society national convention at the end of the month in Troupe #88975. (as a very ironically casted Horton, considering I'm a vertically challenged girl.)
• I was recently inducted into Troupe #6605, and I'm pretty freaking excited.
• I'm currently rehearsing for a little community theatre show called, The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet, as Narrator #1, just because the director is amazing and I want her to know me.

I would lovelovelove it if you would follow, because I will be posting soon!