Written by former Drama Kids Teacher, Staci Sabarsky:
Intention is incredibly important. We all have them and hopefully, they are good ones, but how do you actually define the word? The Cambridge Dictionaries Online defines intention as, “something that you want and plan to do.” In real life, you may have great intentions when you make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight or to eat healthier.
As it relates to acting, it’s a more advanced idea oftentimes referred to as ‘objective.’ As humans, we always want something. In order to get what we want, we use different tactics depending on who we are dealing with. For example, if your child wants to stay up past their bedtime, they may simply ask, or beg, or bargain with you in order to get what they want. Their intention is to get your permission so they can stay up to watch a movie or finish one more chapter of their favorite book.
As adults, if we want something from our spouse, we may flirt, we may guilt, or we may even bribe with their favorite meal. How we ask for something from our boss may be totally different. Because of this, Augusto Boal (the founder of Theatre of the Oppressed) claimed that we, as a species, are all actors. We assume different personas in order to get what we want or intend. It’s an interesting perspective because no other species can communicate to the extent that humans can in order to express their wants and needs.
In a play or scene, actors should always be aware of what their character’s intentions are. In our Upper Primary classes this week, intention was discussed during our Play of the Day. The characters who were getting ready to put on a show had different intentions. Some wanted to know who was causing the mischief, some wanted to just get on with the show, and some just wanted to be recognized and not overlooked. It’s this type of deeper understanding of what drives a character that makes the portrayal seem more fully realized and believable to an audience.
In Drama Kids we not only focus on acting fundamentals such as being confident on stage, speaking loudly, articulating, and using the face and body to express emotion, but also more advanced ideas like intention for those who may want to delve deeper into the performing arts. Wayne Dyer said, “Our intention creates our reality.” That is as true on stage as it is in real life.
“Intention.” Cambridge Dictionaries Online. 2015. http://dictionary.cambridge.org/…/dic…/english/intention (28 Oct. 2015).