9781422287057

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Acting on Stage and Screen

Make Connections Outstanding Broadway performances are recognized by the American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards®. The youngest win- ner of a Tony was Frankie Michaels, who played Patrick Den- nis in Mame . He won the 1966 Best Featured Actor in a Musi- cal award a month after he turned eleven.

theater classes. If the playwright is lucky—and the play is good—it can become as well known and appreciated as such classics as those by William Shakespeare, Harold Pinter, Edward Albee, and other famous playwrights. What does that have to do with being an actor? When someone plays a character onstage, it is likely many others have played that character as well, especially if it is a successful play. There may even be others playing the character at the same time. So when people see an actor onstage, they may be comparing her to someone else who has played that character. Think about it. Aren’t there certain characters we can’t picture anyone else playing? Good actors keep that in mind, but they do not let it intimidate them! ONSTAGE STORYTELLING Whether it’s a musical , comedy , drama , or a combination of genres— and whether it is staged on Broadway, in a college auditorium, or a com- munity theater—actors tell a story. Unlike television and movies, though, most plays do not have fancy special effects or computer-generated im- agery (CGI) to depend on. Except for the scenery and props , it is up to