Method acting is the skill of the professional performer that allows him to cry on cue. Learning invoke emotion and transfer it from the mind to the body is something people do unconsciously all the time. Learning to do it on cue takes practice and determination but makes for the performance of a lifetime. Look below for guidelines on cry for a play or other performance.
Instructions
1. Realize that learning to cry on cue takes a lot of work and is about invoking an emotional response in a timely manner without the aid of cosmetic methods. If you are not prepared to put the work in for method acting, it is best to resort to bottle tears instead of wasting your time. This method is for serious performers.
2. Begin by relaxing both the body and the mind. Lower your heart rate by consciously breathing slower and lying or sitting in a comfortable position. Of course, the comfortable position is only for practice and you must learn the method on your feet for an actual performance.
3. Recall a moment in your life that still has a lot of unresolved emotion attached to it. Choose whatever recollection works best for you and don't presume it has to be a time of loss (that you may have already grieved in your mind). Look for an event that has not only sadness but anger, frustration, loneliness and a sense of abandonment for the most complex emotional layering.
4. Fixate on the time in Step 3, letting both your mind and body recall the feeling and intensity of the emotions attached to the memory. If at the time of the event your body shook, your fingers trembled and your heart raced, let that happen again. Take the time to recognize each and every sensation whether physical or emotional.
5. Let the emotions overwhelm you, hitting your mind and body at full force. If you truly let yourself remember this time of pain and sadness, the tears will begin to flow very naturally. If you need to change positions, get up and walk around or punch a pillow, go ahead and do so.
6. Teach yourself to pull that intense memory to the forefront of your mind at different times and in different settings for a few weeks before the performance. The idea is to teach yourself to override the natural disconnect between mind and body, making your own feelings almost formulaic without losing their intensity.
7. Calculate the time it takes you from invoking the memory and emotion until the onset of actual tears. This lets you know where in your script you should begin mentally preparing for the crying scene. Be sure to practice and devote yourself to the method in order to give your audience what they want: real emotions.
