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I once went to a theater production a friend was in.
The lead actor was absolutely terrible. Every time he was on stage, I was literally bored to tears.
The signs to me of bad acting are, based on this experience and my own experience as a theater actor would be:
- Monotone delivery of dialogue. If you are delivering dialogue like you are reading off of a cue card or like you are trying to remember what to say, that is just dull. Your delivery should sound like a person speaking normally and normal people speak with different pitch intonations, emphasis on certain words, speed, volume levels depending on what is going on.
- Little physical movement or awkward movements. If you walk or move on stage, it should have a purpose. If you hardly move, you come off as wooden. Nervous movements, excessive or exaggerated movements or no movement is distracting, and you come off as not being comfortable on stage. The director can help with pinpointing some of this, but the actor has to be comfortable enough on stage and be aware of their body enough in order to limit nervous or excessive movements. It’s one thing if a director gives you one or two notes on how or where to stand or to suggest specific movements or if a movement you are making is not working in specific cases or different parts of different scenes. It’s another thing if the director has to tell you not to tap your foot all the time or to stop walking around so much or if they have to tell you to stop using your hands all the time.
- Facial expression, or rather, lack thereof. Look, if you are supposed to be angry, show me. I don’t care if the actor you are supposed to be mad at is your BFF and you are planning to go get a beer afterward. I want to see your anger on your face and your body. Get in their face. Give me loud dialogue. Give me some physicality if it is called for, like shoving or poking them in their chest. Let me know you’re mad.
- Not being able to hear you. Project! If I can’t hear you I can’t follow what is going on. If I can’t follow what is going on, I’m whipping out my phone and playing Candy Crush.
- Be convincing. If you are supposed to be in love with your leading man or lady, make it convincing. Kiss them. Get close to them. Touch them. Put your arm around them. Yeah, it’s awkward if you don’t know them well, but that’s why you get paid the big bucks to act and why you are on stage and your audience isn’t. Actors get into people’s personal space all the time and it’s something you have to get comfortable doing. Get comfortable with your coactor and figure out how to make it work.
