Actor - Jobs in the Theatre - Part 16

An actor (or actress) is a person who performs in plays and other live productions. These can be cabaret shows, dinner theatre, revues, and skits among others. Sometimes these shows go on tour and the actors may be in the touring shows. Actors are responsible for making an audience feel like the characters they are portraying are real people and not just characters.

In order to make sure that the characters are perceived as real, an actor must constantly learn different techniques. An actor must be able to use his voice in different ways. Not all actors can manipulate their voices in a wide range or do accents, but it is good when an actor can do those things. An actor must also be able to adopt different physical attributions and gestures.

An actor in live theatre will also be able to use his facial expressions and gestures in order to show reactions. This can be extremely important as there are times that reactions must be shown to the audience, especially when a play breaks the fourth wall. The duties of an actor are to be at rehearsals, be at performances, learn lines, learn blocking, follow the instructions of the director, and help in ways that they are asked to help. An actor should never try to direct other actors. It is different to ask the director for input or even to simply discuss things with other actors when not in rehearsal. If an actor has "free time" during rehearsal, work such as running lines with other actors should be done.

It is important that an actor realizes he is not at the top of the theatre hierarchy. He is one of the lowest people when it comes to theatre hierarchy. Depending on the theatre, he may be the lowest or there may be some other crew members that are actually below actors. While a higher education is not needed to become an actor, much can be learned about acting if a higher education in acting or general theatre is earned. Sometimes live theatre actors go on to act in television and movies or to play characters in theme parks.

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