From Tshidi Manye’s gesticulations as Rafiki in “The Lion King” to Seth Numrich’s stilted movements as Jacob in “Leopoldstadt,” physicality plays a crucial role in theater. While film actors can use microscopic facial expressions and subtle body language to convey emotions, theater performers must project to the back of the house—not just in voice, but in the way they walk, stand, and simply exist onstage.
Physicality in theater refers to the ways that actors use their bodies to tell stories—clapping, clenching their fists, gesturing, jumping, falling, limping, running, spinning, stage kissing, fake fighting, or lying prostrate on the ground. Through these stylized physical movements, actors can create characters infused with humanity in a way that goes beyond the boundaries of mere dialogue and music.
Acting techniques and styles that emphasize physicality
Many acting techniques and styles highlight the importance of physicality. These include:
- Alexander Technique: body-mind integration that helps actors recognize their innate physical movements
- Jacques Lecoq movement technique: the use of masks, miming, and forms of movement
- Pantomime: over-the-top gestures and facial expressions used to comedic effect
- Laban Movement Analysis: spotlights the ways that an actor’s body takes up and moves through space
- Physical theater: a type of performance that emphasizes bodily movements and involves improvisation, minimal dialogue, and audience engagement
- The Suzuki Method of acting: a highly physical technique in which actors build from their core
- Viewpoints: using embodiment to act instinctually and collaboratively
- Williamson Technique: highlights the ways that the character’s inner life is revealed with each physical movement
Why is physicality important in acting?
It helps convey emotions. The way an actor moves through the world shares insight into their character’s emotional state. They might wring their hands like Lady Macbeth when anxious; flash a confident grin for the iconic “Hello, gorgeous” of “Funny Girl”; or slump into Charlie Brown’s signature head-down pose when sad. Physicality can convey a character’s emotional state and feelings to the audience in a way that lives up to the adage “show, don’t tell.”
It creates more believable characters. Physical choices like gait, gestures, posture, and habitual actions helps actors embody their characters. The more specific the physicality is to that character, the more the performance feels real.
Joy Woods and Ryan Vasquez in “The Notebook” - Photo by Liz Lauren
Develop bodily awareness. Practice different movement techniques to gain a better understanding of your body and the space it occupies. Try your hand (and foot, leg, and arm) at disciplines that emphasize the mind-body connection, like yoga, meditation, and dancing.
Do body language exercises. Body language exercises, such as trying out different walking styles, telling a story nonverbally, and using body language to convey the subtext of a scene, can help you become better acquainted with your physical form and its potentialities for acting. Even a simple stretching session and breath control exercises before a performance can help you get in touch with your body before you go onstage.
Connect with your character. Consider how your character moves their head, shoulders, knees, and toes—and everything in between. What do their physical movements say about who they are? Does the character take up too much space due to an overblown sense of self-importance, or do they make themselves as small as possible due to low self-esteem? Do they use big flamboyant gestures, or do they keep their (e)motions close to the vest? Take the time to consider these factors until you have a full understanding of how your character expresses themselves physically.
Get physical, physical. Finally, practice your physical acting as often as possible, remembering that you’ll usually be performing to the back of the room. Don’t be afraid to be grandiose—you can always rein it back in after perfecting how you act it out.
