Tips for Acting in Verse
- Disregard the rhyme completely; likewise, disregard poetic line breaks.
- Be aware of the meter, but do not let it be a hindrance; instead, emphasize syllables.
- Paraphrasing and improvisation do not lend themselves to acting in verse.
- Vary greatly all of the musical qualities of speech: pitch, tempo, volume, and timbre.
- Think in terms of theatricality, not poetic recitation.
When the Jr. Woodland Players performed A Midsummer Night’s Western, they were operating on a tight budget—Who isn’t?—and the director decided to make Coyote into Iguana, the reason being that they already had such a costume, and it fit the actor; the rationale being that the names Coyote and Iguana have the same poetic meter (unstressed, stressed, unstressed). “Go for it,” I said. Not only is it a practical solution, it’s a learning moment for the kids. That's what it’s all about anyway—right?
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