We asked members of the Reddit theater community what acting advice actually impacted their craft—and they answered! From overcoming overthinking to mastering the art of listening, these insights from r/Theatre are beneficial for performers at any stage in their career. Here’s the advice that stuck and why it works.
Prepare, prepare, prepare.
“Know where you’re coming from and where you’re going. It gives life and purpose to the character you’re playing when you enter and leave the stage.… What does/would my character want to accomplish in this space?” —FelixTheRemix
“Do your homework! So many actors have no idea how to score a script. Your script should be chock full of notes on the character’s diction, stressed and unstressed words, when the character is lying or telling the truth, or what others think of the character and the character’s backstory.” —Ingersoll123
“Don’t let the audience beat you to the point. Accentuate the positive whenever possible. When you repeat anything, make sure something changes.” —NowDothTimeWasteMe
Stay present and connected.
“Listen and (genuinely) react.” —CranberryBauce
“Listening isn’t just waiting. The audience can see you even if you’re in the background. Stay in the scene at all times.” —Ice_cream_please73
“When you don’t have a scripted line, that doesn’t mean your character has nothing to say. They are just choosing not to say it in the moment. Use that as a way to find a genuine reaction when listening.” —sunshineactor
“Believe what your role believes.… ‘Playing’ creates a distance between yourself and the character, [while] ‘believing’ allows you to step into the character.… Believe your role.” —Star_Aries
“Don’t act, react. My lines won’t change but the delivery might if my scene partner adjusts. It just feels and sounds more natural in the moment.” —throatchakra
Go all in.
“Once you get even a little serious about acting, it is way too easy to start overthinking every choice, every gesture, every line read.… While doing homework is helpful, sometimes even crucial, it’s meant to feed the performance in the moment, not be constantly spinning around in your head.” —darkwesley
“Just say the lines.… Spontaneity is more interesting than planned behavior.” —drewfun237
Stay the course.
“It’s the director’s job to tell you what to do. It’s your job to justify why you’re doing it.” —bbellmyers
“Commit to your choices! When you make a bold choice and start to second guess yourself halfway through, it ends up looking amateurish and off.” —Electrical_Stage_610
“Take the risk, try the thing. Don’t play it safe.” —muggleharrypotter