Physical acting focuses on using the body to communicate a character’s personality and emotions. Actors pay attention to posture, walking style, facial expressions, gestures, and movement. This is especially important in theater, dance, silent performances, and physical comedy. Classical acting is often associated with plays by writers such as William Shakespeare. It requires actors to pay close attention to language, rhythm, voice, and movement.
Actors use their voices and physical expressions to communicate the meaning of complex dialogue to an audience. Improvisation, or “improv,” involves creating dialogue and actions without following a completely prepared script. Actors respond to situations and to one another in the moment. Improvisation helps actors become more confident, creative, flexible, and comfortable with unexpected situations.
