Developing Charisma on Stage – Acting with Intent

You finally get to a Broadway show… and there is one actor who the audience loves and reacts to… the second they come on stage; you get excited. And you just “know” that in every role they have ever played, they have this special something that flows out of them. Charisma. Charisma is… well…. Magic on stage. Charisma is hard to define. Is it stage presence? Power? Warmth? Your passion and energy on stage? So, how do you develop it? This “je ne sais quoi”… this elusive pleasing quality?

On stage, you send subtle signals on stage that you are inviting the audience into your world. Your use of space, animation, energy, pushing or pulling a  line for just. A second. Longer Showing your thought process on the stage makes all the difference. Your animation and authentic energy speak volumes.

I was taught that “the eyes are windows to the soul”. And any opera singer or ballet dancer will share with you the importance of using warmth and thought, through the medium of the eyes, to form a bond with the audience while not breaking the wall. While not breaking character. Being present in your moment in the character arc.

Regarding stage charisma, it is so important about bringing out the push and pull of the scene. The interrelationships, conflicts, and alliances with your fellow cast members. The more you become an active scene partner and value the action and reaction of your cast, the more charisma you have radiating from you on stage.

Challenges to Percolate:

Think back to your best past scene partners. What aspects of charisma did they bring to the stage. What did they do to heighten the scene quality?