How the Actor Commands Attention

by Daniel Roach | 3 Comments

It’s a common saying in theatre that the moving figure dominates, but that’s not the whole story. Actors are taught from the beginning of their careers that the audience pays more attention to the person moving than to the person talking. This is true to a point, but conventional wisdom is wrong again when taken as a generalization. The moving figure may dominate the stage, but it’s the motionless figure that captures the attention of the audience. In theatre as in life, we tend to pay more attention to people who are moving far less than those around us. We are drawn to people who seem calm and collected and we are wary of those who seem quietly dangerous. Our eyes may move to the man who is walking, but our attention always returns to the man who stands his ground.

Think back to when you were a child and you’d gotten caught doing something you shouldn’t have. Think back to all those times your parents yelled at you for something you’d done and all those times you ignored them simply because they were yelling. As kids we tended to tune our parents out best when they were at the height of their fury and were becoming apoplectic with rage. We listened them best however when they became very quiet and very calm. There was a certain kind of terror that went with the calm voice and the controlled, quiet brand of rage. We listened closely, we didn’t dare look away. An actor on the stage is the same as an enraged parent; the audience, their child.

The actor who gestures wildly and shouts when they’re angry quickly looses the attention of the audience. They may still watch her, they may still be halfway listening to her, but they aren’t truly paying any attention because they know what will happen next: she’s yelled before, she’s yelling now, it’s a good bet she’s going to continue yelling. The actor they watch will be the one who speaks very coldly when angry and moves very little. Her figure is like a mountain onstage, her anger radiating like invisible waves. She doesn’t shout, she doesn’t flail, she stands her ground and becomes a force of nature. The audience is on the edge of their seats watching, hanging on her every word because they have no idea what she might do. Her anger is an unpredictable volcano; could go off and destroy Pompeii, could cool down and spare us all.

Certain characters must flail and yell, but to do so all the time is a weak and easy choice. Some characters never flail and yell, but to do so all the time is a weak and easy choice as well. The actor gains respect onstage by choosing the most powerful moments to stand perfectly still, to speak slowly and clearly so that there is no chance of being misunderstood by anyone.

Movement asks for an audience’s respect and attention; having the courage to stand still and do nothing commands that attention.

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How the Actor Commands Attention