7.3: Lesson 2- Positions of Actors

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Life on stage is a representation of real life, yet because it has a stationary audience some rules of real life do not apply to staged life. In addition, when an actor stands on the stage they are conveying information and story to the audience. Think of body positions as a way of telling the story. The more of the actor that can be seen by the audience, the more information or story the audience receives. Stage positions that are open to the audience provide information regarding dialogue and response while stage positions that are closed off from the audience reveal information based on action.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Position of Actors

Full Front

When the actor is facing the audience this position is called full front. This position is used for directly addressing the audience or to create a visual image that will help the audience understand a specific part of the story. Full Front is presentational in nature and engages the audience on the characters journey, but because the theater utilizes the ‘fourth wall’, when a character faces the audience it suggests to the audience that no other character on the stage is privy to the information being offered. This is the strongest of the positions for drawing focus because it demands the audience’s full attention.

¼ Left or ¼ Right

When an actor's feet are turned ¼ right or left of the audience it gives the appearance of social interaction or engagement with the action happening on stage. This position is the most commonly used because it offers the appearance of interaction while also allowing the audience to see ¾ of the actor and thus we are able to see how the character responds to the situations happening on stage. This is also the primary staging position for dialogue between characters. This is the second strongest position for drawing focus because the actor is still open to the audience while focusing on the action within the scene.

Profile

When an actor’s feet are parallel with the audience and only one side or profile of the actors body can be seen from the audience the actor is in the profile position. This position is used in crosses and while delivering secret information. Although conversations in real life happen in profile, iIf you stage a dialogue in profile it will appear flat and the audience will wish to see more of the characters responses to the conversation. Remember to think of body positions as a storytelling tool. This is the third strongest position because the audience is receiving half of the characters experience and information.

¾ Left or ¾ Right

When an actor’s feet are turned ¾ away from the audience, the audience is only able to see ¼ of the actor’s face and ¾ of his or her back. This can be used to indicate secrecy, establish a location, or used to convey information. If for example you have two actors crossing from Downstage Right to Upstage Left and one of the characters reaches out to place his/her arm around the other actor and then abandons the impulse before making physical contact, the audience will understand that character has romantic feelings for the other character, yet is afraid to pursue them. By using the ¾ position the audience is able to see information not known by the other character on stage because the action happened behind his or her back. This is the fourth strongest position for drawing focus since the audience receives very little in terms of character experience, but can be very beneficial in terms of delivering information.

Full Back

Full back is when the actor is facing the same direction as the audience and all the audience can see is the actor’s back. This is the weakest position in terms of character information and is often used to completely remove the focus from that character. However, full back can also be a very effective staging position. It can be used as a way for characters to exit a scene without having them leave the stage. It can be used as a way for the audience to see a situation from the characters perspective allowing the audience themselves to become the character.

It can also be used to provide very specific information to the audience. My favorite example of this is a scene I saw years ago that was a conversation in the living room staged exclusively in full back. As the conversation progressed the characters began talking about murders that were happening in the area. Finally, at one point in the conversation both characters were sitting on the couch and one character reached behind to put their arm around the other character, yet as the character moved his arm he flexed his arm in a predatory gesture for a moment and then gently placed his arm around the other character. In that moment, everyone in the audience knew who the murderer was.

Staging Exercise 1

Create a silent scene with a beginning, middle, and end where a character learns something about themselves that allows them to overcome an obstacle.
Incorporate at least 3 moments where different body positions are showcased.
Rehearse for 1 hour and then present
Discuss and critique each scene
Remember to always focus on successful elements first. People need to know what they are doing well more than they need to know what to improve. Encourage progress and try to give 5 positive comments to each suggestion for improvement.
Rehearse for an additional 15 minutes in order to incorporate notes.
Present scenes a final time without notes or critique.

Staging Exercise 2

Create a scene where someone in the scene is Full, ¼, Profile, ¾ , or Full Back at all times. You have to justify each movement and as someone moves to a new position, another character must shift to keep the balance.
Rehearse for 1 hour and then present
Discuss and critique each scene
Remember to always focus on successful elements first. People need to know what they are doing well more than they need to know what to improve. Encourage progress and try to give 5 positive comments to each suggestion for improvement.
Rehearse for an additional 15 minutes in order to incorporate notes.
Present scenes a final time without notes or critique.

Staging Exercise 3

Create a scene where a character goes on a silent journey. Use every part of the stage for this journey.
Rehearse for 1 hour and then present
Discuss and critique each scene
Remember to always focus on successful elements first. People need to know what they are doing well more than they need to know what to improve. Encourage progress and try to give 5 positive comments to each suggestion for improvement.
Rehearse for an additional 15 minutes in order to incorporate notes.
Present scenes a final time without notes or critique.