Want to Command the Stage? Hot Tips from Broadway and Las Vegas Actor Rick Faugno

Dance and movement on stage are key to success in the musical theatre genre—yet physical expression is something that most performers feel the least comfortable with. Here, Broadway and Las Vegas actor Rick Faugno (Jersey Boys; Kiss Me, Kate; Show Boat), gives you tips from his online musical theatre course with Interlochen Online, Musical Theatre: Movement Techniques, that will help you use your body as an instrument to tell the story of a character.

1. Be intentional with your character’s physicality and movement. 

Physicality and movement are central to how we think about our bodies on stage as musical theatre actors. If you’re serious about becoming a better actor, it’s important to understand these two terms and their relationship to each other. 

Physicality is the way people express their inner selves to the outside world through their bodies. Whether conscious or unconscious, our physical behavior and demeanor gives a window into our personality and our state of mind.

Now, think about how we use this term in acting. When we imagine the inner world of our character, we also create a physicality for them. Are they spritely? Lumbering? Frantic? Dreamy? Serious? Distracted? When we act, we adjust our physical comportment to communicate the “inner life” of our characters.

Movement is the body’s ability to freely pass through space and, for our purposes, refers more specifically to the “dance” aspects of our work—the choreographed moves or gestures that express meaning.

The way we physiologically portray ourselves to the world (physicality) leads naturally to the way we actually transport ourselves through space (movement). Your character’s physicality and movement are deeply affected by whether they are angry, sad, happy, optimistic, or in despair. So, you’ll want to take all this into account when you plan your choreography and movement for a character. 

As a performer, I have always tried to adhere to this rule: move and dance as your character would at all times. 

2. Try this simple exercise to heighten body awareness and ease tension.

As you work with the physicality and movement of your character, it’s essential that you’re aware of your own physicality. That way, you’ll have a neutral physical state from which you can jump to any other state you wish.

Try this simple Alexander Technique activity to heighten your body awareness, release unnecessary tension, and find your neutral state. 

1. Grab a chair and sit down facing forward.
2. Relax your arms on your lap.
3. Sit upright, and totally relax as you lift up to the ceiling from the top of your head. Don’t strain your back by forcefully stretching. Just allow yourself to breathe calmly and stay relaxed.
4. Gently and slowly turn your head to the right, and then slowly to the left. 
5. Now, gently and slowly tilt your head to the right, and now to the left. 
6. Repeat the last two steps twice more.
7. Gently pull your right shoulder up towards your ear and then let it release. Try it again. Now, try the left.
8. Slowly start to shift your weight forward towards your knees. Now, come back to sitting up straight. Repeat this about ten times.
9. Then, drive your heels into the floor and stand all the way up. Now, shift your hips backwards and sit back down slowly. See if you can allow the movement to happen without forcing it. Do this a few more times.
10. Stay standing. Relax and breathe normally.

Notice how you feel after having completed all of these steps. Do you feel taller? More relaxed? Try walking around for a moment. Do you notice a difference?

This process is the beginning of feeling confident in your own body. You shouldn’t feel forced in any way. Everything should feel organic and natural. 

The key is awareness, not only of yourself, but of others around you. Start to notice the way people hold themselves and the way they move. Actors are keen observers; they’re always paying attention to the physicality and movement of others. Make this practice a part of your life and you can draw upon all of this to bring your characters to life in authentic ways. The more you are aware of yourself and of others, the more you will grow as an actor.

Rick Faugno was last seen on Broadway in Kiss Me, Kate, his 7th Broadway show, for which he was nominated for a Chita Rivera Award. He is also the recipient of a Fred Astaire Award for Roundabout’s On The 20th Century, and a Best Singer Award for the role of “Frankie Valli” in the original Las Vegas production of Jersey Boys. He is a professional choreographer and director and an Instructor of Theatre at Interlochen Arts Academy and Interlochen Online. 

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