What do you practice on to become better actor?

Read the play over and over. Jessica Tandy (she was a brilliant theater actor and was in Driving Miss Daisy) once said that after rehearsal, she goes home and reads the entire play. Every night. Know the play, know what it's trying to say, know where your character fits into the story and the message.

And rehearse! Rehearse whenever you get a chance. Grab a friend to help you rehearse your lines and try it lots of different ways. When you rehearse, you get to experiment, so it's not about finding the 'right' way to do it and just repeating that; it's about finding all the different ways you can approach a scene or a line, and seeing what it tells you about your character and the play.

read books on Improv, go to a drop in improv class
practice reading lines in front of friends and family
watch movies from a perspective of how the actor is playing his part

Hi Trinity,

What makes a great actor? An actor must be convincing in his role and accurately portray elements such as time and emotion to the audience. To be a successful in front of the camera or on stage, one must possess certain skills.

This list names just 10 of the qualities needed to be a great actor:

• 
  

  Is Captivating: A great actor is so convincing in a role that he can hold an audience captive and make them feel as if there is nothing but the story at hand.

  
  


• 
  

  Has a True Commitment: A great actor is committed to becoming the best actor he can be, as well as to working hard and preserving through rejection to find the best roles.

  
  


• 
  

  Shows Confidence: A great actor is confident in his work and portrays that confidence both during a performance as well as in public to help create a rapport with the public.

  
  


• 
  

  Has Insight: A great actor has keen insight into human behavior and can effectively convey the emotion that influences one's actions.

  
  


• 
  

  Is Able to Use His/Her Intelligence for Role Creation: A great actor uses intelligence to research roles and impart that knowledge into their acting to develop more convincing attributes of the character. Great actors generally also have excellent reading and interpretation skills.

  
  


• 
  

  Possesses Good Physical Skills: A great actor has skill in physical movement and is able to portray the movements of a variety of characters. Many actors also perform stunt work and complicated physical work.

  
  


• 
  

  Shows a High Degree of Professionalism: A great actor works with a wide variety of people and is highly professional in all situations. A great actor shows tremendous respect to the craft, script, writers, directors, and all other key personnel involved in a production.

  
  


• 
  

  Has an Innate Talent: A great actor has a natural talent for performing and entertaining.

  
  


• 
  

  Is Willing to Work on Performance Techniques: A great actor has a perfected technique for his acting and is able to successfully bring believable characters to life.

  
  


• 
  

  Has Some Sense of Vanity: A great actor has at least some degree of vanity that drives them to continue to improve and excel at the craft.

  
  

In: http://theatreschools.org/resources/top-10-qualities-of-a-great-actor

I hope these tips can help you in your practice. Good luck on your performance !!

Hi Trinity! Acting is a muscle -- it requires practice! I also believe that a great actor is very tuned-in to human behavior. The more you observe and listen to the people around you, and reflect on the emotional spectrum within you and others, the more you'll become familiar with the many layers that comprise a human being. We all have different personalities and stories that lead us to become who we are. The more time you invest in understanding those layers of each individual, the stronger your acting will become; you'll know how to connect the words on the page to the emotions of the moment. Good luck!

Hi, Trinity!

The best thing you can do is read the play over and over again. You want to be very familiar with it beyond your own role. Also, if you have any trouble learning your lines, try writing them down. You aren't writing them out to use, but the action of writing them out will help you remember them. Also, depending upon the role, you will want to find an action to associate with what you are doing in the scene -- like if you were having a conversation with your mom while she washed the dishes -- the action happens while you talk -- Action - Acting - Active.

Break a leg!!!