Behind the curtain

By Amos Johnson

Actors rely on building strong relationships with their castmates in order to give a stronger, more convincing performance.

With the occasional stress and frustration actors go through, there is little to no drama between the actors, according to Ian Loft, 59, an experienced theatre actor.

“You work through the nerves and use them to get the energy you need for the part,” said Loft.

Loft’s acting career began with his audition alongside his wife for a production of A Christmas Carol. Going in with no acting experience, Loft was expecting a small part. However, the director liked him so much he put him in as part of the main cast to play Bob Cratchit.

“Wherever you are, you have to work with what you’ve got. No matter what, you still have to stay true to these characters and act your ass off,” said Kitu Turcas, 21, who currently studies acting at the University of Windsor.

Turcas said rehearsals are a great way to develop a good chemistry with everyone. This makes things easier on the actors when comparing how people act towards strangers, rather than people they share a connection with.

While it is necessary to share a bond with castmates, it is also necessary to have an understanding of the characters being portrayed. The director is able to give actors some insight on their characters, although it is still up to the actors to do their research and figure out their own approach.

Eva Flores, 20, also studies acting at the University of Windsor and has performed several shows for University Players.

“We work on finding different centres for our characters and we look at every (small) detail like ‘how does this character walk?’, ‘Where does this character live in their body?’, ‘Where is their weight shifted?’” said Flores.

“It goes so deep and we work really hard to try and make that as clear as possible for the audience.”