What does your character believe?

Really, truly believe?

After doing the a basic character biography, it’s time to dive deeper into the character’s thought pattern, including beliefs, opinions and philosophies. For actors and directors, this work needs to be supported by the text’s themes and messaging. Actors should apply an eye of detail to tactics and objectives when completing this activity. For playwrights and creative writers, this activity is useful through the whole process and can serve as an excellent solution to writer’s block.

Overall Goal: To add dimension to your character work by examining their beliefs, opinions, and philosophies.

Success Criteria: To be successful, artists must:

• turn off all judgement and inner critics, especially during the stream of consciousness writing process

• be aware of the details of the world their character lives in, along with what motivates the character to do what they do based on evidence in the script

• link the work to their staging activities by aligning the creative analysis help make stronger choices on stage

Activity Breakdown:

1. Find a comfortable, distraction free, place to complete this activity

2. Look at the following topics and pick one to focus on for a free writing session (the timing is up to to you - usually between 1 to 4 minutes is sufficient)

3. Writing in the tone and voice of your character, outline how you character feels about the topic. What are their beliefs, thoughts, opinions and philosophies concerning the topic? Use as many details and links back to the text as possible

4. Repeat process for as many topics as possible.

Topics:

Peace Lights Pens YouTube Cats Beauty Children Health Money Failure Divorce Podcasts Religion Dogs Parking Lots Ethics Lateness Lions School Stars Roses Electronics Poverty Barriers Love Travel Life Challenges Injustice Food

Extensions:

• Review your writing and circle words/phrases that you would like to explore further in depth

• Write a monologue or improv a scene where your character goes into more detail about the topic (and be clear who you are talking to and why)

• Take the writing link specific phrases to specific reactions in the text/staging

• Compare how your character’s thoughts compare to other characters in the piece. Complete a companion chart or Venn Diagram

• Further character biography ideas available with consideration for character biographies: https://www.cathyclarketheatre.com/artsedblog/characterbios

Remember: humans are dynamic, complex beings that are driven by their belief systems. Your characters should be that way too.

This activity was inspired and adapted from The Dramatic Writer’s Companion, Developing Your Character: What The Character Believes.

Dunne, Will. The Dramatic Writer's Companion: Tools to Develop Characters, Cause Scenes, and Build Stories. Chicago University Press, 2009.

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