Acting in theater is more professional than acting on TV

Do you think that acting in theater is the same as acting on TV? It could seem the same thing, but it is not. However, both performances share some similarities such as having actors, having a plot, using props, and all the production. In addition, both performances are very interesting and fun, but they are not identical. There are many factors that make even better acting in theater than acting on TV, for example: the use of voice, body expression, and making errors.

The use of voice in theater is excellent. We know that one of the best ways of communication is the voice; with it actors can express a story. On TV, for actors it is very easy to use their voice. They really do not need any kind of preparation because they use microphones, and technology help them to be heard by everybody without scream. In contrast, in theater it is very different. In theater, actors need a long preparation for their voices, because they do not use microphones. For this reason, actors should speak loudly in order to the spectators from the first line to the last one hear everything that the actors are saying.

Body communication expresses messages in a more lively in way in theater than TV does. Body movements are a very important part of acting in order to transmit the message better. The body language on TV is natural, and it is not exaggerated. The actors’ movements are less emphasized and the use of space is very static, because the actors do not use a lot the space where they are working. This is because the cameras are able to zoom those areas that production wants to emphasize, so the audience is able to catch the messages through body expression. On the other hand, the use of the body really differs in theater. In a theater stage actors should take care of some aspects such as not covering another actor, not to turn your back to the audience, and turn towards the spectator. But the most important one is that all the movements should be more emphasized and exaggerated, so all the people in the play can see all the movements.

Making errors on TV can be fixed over and over again. It is very typical to make errors during a performance or forget parts of the play. Nevertheless, this is not a problem on TV performances, because if someone makes an error they just record the same scene again. In contrast, during plays making errors is worse. As the public is watching the play everything has to flow absolutely well. In theater actors are not allowed to make mistakes because the audience can notice the errors. So actors should be very creative to improvise in case they forget something. Not only actors from theater can improvise, also they are clever and intelligent, and when they make errors they are able to adjust the dialogue again.

Acting in theater and acting on TV need a lot of time of preparation and effort in order to having a good performance. It is considered that in order to be a good actor for television, it is necessary to be acting in theater plays. So, here we can see that theater is an important basis in the acting world, because it is a complete preparation for actors. Including that when a story is developed in theater the spectators are more in contact with the plot and feelings are more perceptible than on TV. For this reason and so many others theater performance is greater and more professional than TV. Give yourself the opportunity to appreciate both performances, and you will prove that stories performed in theater are wonderful.

Carolina Hernandez Villalobos (2010) “Acting in theater is more professional than acting on TV”. Aguascalientes: Arnest Edition ®