A Black History Tribute: Ira Aldridge (First African American Shakespearean Actor)

Ira Aldridge as Othello, 1830 by Henry Perronet Briggs

In honor of Black History Month, I wanted to talk about the life of Ira Aldridge, the first African American Shakespearean actor.  Just this past weekend, Saturday, February, 18th, 2012, I was given the job to video tape a One-Act Play called Ira Aldridge: The African Roscius, written by Jacqueline E. Lawton.  The play was part of The 23rd Annual Savannah Black Heritage Festival and was featuring Avery Brooks (Ira Aldridge) and Jewell Robinson (Amanda Ira Aldridge, his daughter).  

What Type of Actor Are You? Part 2- Character vs. Personality Actor

On the previous post, "What Type of Actor Are You? Part 1", I talked about 2 different "styles" of acting, which were emotional and technical.  In this post, I will talk about two different "types" of actors.  Although, like I stated in the last post, there are several types of actors, I will only deal with two of those: Character and Personality actors.

A character actor is one who totally changes his personality to play any character.  It would probably be better

What Type of Actor Are You? Part1- Emotional vs. Technical Acting

“Acting is half shame, half glory. Shame at exhibiting yourself, glory when you can forget yourself.” - John Gielgud

 
Yes, as promised, I will deal with the topic of the different acting styles.  Of course, there are many acting styles out there now, but in this post I will deal with only two of the major styles.

Emotional vs. Technical Acting

There is a great debate whether a person should be true to the emotions of the character by actually "feeling" the character's emotion, or should he/she merely "express" the emotions of the character.  Emotional acting is

What Does It Take To Be A Good Actor?

 When the stage lights come on and it’s time to say that first line, what do you do when you forget what that line is?  You may be a sight to look at, but the audience wants more than that.  You may have gone to all of the acting classes or seminars, but did they prepare you for this moment? 

The average person would think that all it would take to be a good actor is good looks and talent.  Although, the two can play a big part in acting, there are much more attributes that are needed to be on top of your game.  Make-up can only take you so far.  Auditions can earn you a ticket on the stage, but