by Eve Pynoei
Acting
The word acting is derived from the Latin word ~agere~which means ~to do~. This is what an actor does: play therole
of some other person. Acting is the performance or work of an actor playing a role in a drama, stage or theater. An actor
perform the role of a particular character in it. He behaves in a certain desired manner to please people. Acting can be
described as a storytelling medium by which an actor portraying a character tells a story by speaking, singing, showing
signs or mimicking the written text or play.
If you detect an interest in acting in your child, you must help him discover his talent. Children, by nature, have
shortlived interests. They want to be what impresses them the most at any given point of time. Most of the children
who like acting may not pursue it for long. However, there are some who will follow it to the end. Whether your
child's interest is a passing phase or more stable, it is good to encourage him and help him develop the basic
skills, which will be very useful later in life. Moreover, acting has an added advantage -- it helps your child to
know emotions and how to express them. The first thing to do as parents is to take your child to all kinds of plays
from children's classic stories to masterpieces.
The moment you observe that your child is evincing interest in acting, you should explore local opportunities like
community theatres. These theatres offer specially designed courses and workshops for budding talent.
Schools also offer excellent resources for children interested in acting, for many of them have annual productions
featuring the student body. Children of all ages are required in many of these productions; hence opportunities
for all abound in them. If you want to provide your child specialized training, then enroll him or her in private
or group acting lessons. Here instructions are given in individual or group settings to hone the acting skills
or your child.
You must be there for your child through all the stages and encourage your child to delve into the sphere
of writing scripts as well. Maybe, the family can get together to put up the play written by the budding
playwright. Also remember to look out for what is being staged in your town. Spend a day watching
a play and interacting with actors. Many theaters encourage young children to meet the cast and
ask questions. It is a good idea to discuss the various aspects of a movie with your child to point
out the subtle nuances in performance, story and effects. Listen to your child if he has a different view.
Many actors receive special training in workshops, programs or colleges to develop these skills.
Acting is focusing imagination to the point where an actor can sensually behave like the
circumstances given in the scripts. An actor's job is to make the story look real to the audience.
