Dying on stage can be an actor's biggest challenge.
Dying on stage can be an actor's biggest challenge, according to Calgary, Alberta actor Janice Robertson. She "died" by jumping off a castle parapet and rolling down 15 steps, night after night, in her first big stage role as Prince Arthur in Shakespeare's "King John." Robertson says dying takes a lot of practice and focus; staying dead while the scene finishes presents other challenges.
Instructions
Research, meditation, practice and staying dead
1. Do the research to understand the playwright's and director's intentions surrounding the death of the character.
This research is the key to dying convincingly on stage. Does the character die slowly, as in the case of Prince Arthur, where there is time to utter last lines, or suddenly? Is the death accidental or is he killed? Is the death swift and painless or agonizing and slow?
2. Meditate on what the character is about to face for a few quiet minutes before the curtain goes up on the death scene. By imagining what it might be like to actually die in the character's circumstances, you can bring that energy back at the crucial moment during the play.
3. Practice the movements required to reel back from a gunshot, fall from a height or crumple after being bludgeoned by a sword. "Left foot down, twist, body crumples, hit your mark and over and over again until it becomes automatic," says Robertson. The rehearsals will make the movements automatic allowing the actor to focus on the character's emotions and facial expressions. If the actor speaks dying words, Robertson says they should be in a voice pitched higher than normal with tension but not so over the top as to interfere with believability.
4. Learn some breathing techniques to use once the character is dead. Robertson says the audience will be watching the dead body on the stage closely for any signs of life for a few moments after the death, until their attention shifts to other characters. Take small, shallow sips of air to minimize the rise and fall of the ribcage. The character's mouth should go slack and eyes are shut. If the dead body is picked up, as in the case of the Prince Arthur, avoid the almost irresistible temptation to help. She adds, dead bodies do not startle, move or laugh under any circumstances, even when unintentionally bashed into a wall while being carried, as happened to Robertson.
