As actors, we love a good dramatic pause in a story - in a scene but more specifically a monologue. It's an indulgent move that strokes the ego of the actor but we forget the point of why we're doing the scene/ monologue in the first place. To tell the story. Not to bask in the moment. We're to BE in the moment. To get something across to the other person. To change the other person's mind.
ACTORS LOVE MOMENTS - AUDIENCES LOVE MOMENTUM
We as actors are the vehicles through which our character lives their lives. It is our responsibility to tell their story. Unfortunately most actors love their moments too much.
The audience however wants to see what's going to happen next. And how one moment lead to another and they want to play detective to put the pieces together. They want to see you put the pieces together. Yet when an actor puts in their dramatic pause, it stops the momentum. WHICH can be a good thing - if used correctly. Because this helps create tension.
TENSION
Tension is what keeps the audience on the edge of their seat. Tension allows us to hold our breath without realising because we want to know what happens next. Tension is that cliff hanger moment at the end of the episode before they reveal it and you used to have to wait a whole week to see what happens next (in the age pre streaming services haha). So how do we use tension?
HOW?
Beats/ pauses/ moments have to be earned for them to be effective. By using too many pauses, the whole piece will be slow and boring to watch. By not using enough or any, the whole piece feels like it's rushed by without any importance - no stakes. Depending on the piece, you want to have one or two meaty moments. These are moments when you are REALLY asking the other person to consider your point of view or when you're waiting for them to consider changing their perspective. Because chances are, the audience too are making their considerations. Really check in on the them and see that they understand. That they're getting what you're saying. And a pause/ moment/ beat doesn't need to be long. A breath or two is all that's needed to create that tension. But you need to be fully committed to your fight, to the stakes that are at hand for the tension to be fully realised. Otherwise it just comes across as you following the script because it told you to as opposed to actually trying to make something happen.
CHECKLIST
Tell the story, serve your character
ACTORS LOVE MOMENTS, AUDIENCES LOVE MOMENTUM
Earn your pauses
Create tension
Fight for what's at stake
Only one or two pauses depending on the text.
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