Character Analysis
Name of play and author:
I. Approach and Style of the Play
A. What is the genre of the play?
B. What is the basic or central meaning of the play? (Even though finding the basic meaning of the play is one of the director’s most important responsibilities; the actor, if he is to be a collaborator in his own right, needs to understand the meaning of the playwright through his own efforts). You must be very careful not to confuse the basic meaning with the plot or story of the play.
II. Where?
A. Place and surroundings- location
1. Country
2. City/State
3. Location
4. Specific Location
B. Immediate past location
1.Where are you coming from? Your immediate past location.
2. What were you doing there? Why?
3. How long were you there? Why?
4. Why did you leave?
5. Why did you come here? Why at this time?
6. Have you been here before?
7. Do you know anyone here? If yes, who?
III. When?
A. Year and/or Period
1. Are there any historical or sociological factors pertinent to the play, scene, and/or character?
a. Period- clothing styles
b. Period- caste systems, social structures, customs, beliefs, etc.
c. Period- political and economic factors
d. Period- philosophical factors
e. At war? At peace? Post war?
2. Season of the year
3. Weather Conditions
4. Time of Day
IV. Who? – Character
A. Background
1. Who are/were your parents?
a. Father
b. Mother
2. Where/When were you born?
a. Nationality
b. Where did you grow up?
c. Siblings?
3. When you were growing up, did you have many friends? Were you popular? Why? How do you feel about it? What were you like as a child?
4. Did/do you go to school? How long?
a. How did/do you feel about school? Like/dislike? Love/hate?
b. Good/Poor/Indifferent student?
c. Favorite subject/s? Least favorite subject/s?
d. How do you view yourself? Educated/Uneducated? How do you feel about this?
5. Who has/had the greatest influences on you? In what way? How do you feel about them?
B. Present
1. What do you do in life?
a. Love it/Hate it/Indifferent to it?
b. Are you good at it?
2. What is your philosophical/religious background and/or preference?
a. Specific religious affiliation?
b. Do you believe in a specific type of god? What type if so?
c. What are your views on the afterlife?
d. Any curiosity about other religious views or exploration into other religions/belief systems?
e. Any fears associated with religion?
f. Prejudices inherent within your religion/belief system?
g. Are you moral/good/bad/evil/ambivalent?
h. Are you an optimist/pessimist? What is your effect on others?
3. What is your societal level?
4. What are your political beliefs or affiliations?
5. What is your economic position and/or condition?
6. How old are you now?
7. How is your health? How do you feel about this?
8. What is your marital status?
a. Single/Married/Divorced/In a relationship?
b. Children?
c. How do you feel about the possibility of children?
d. How do you feel about your partner?
e. How do you believe your partner feels about you?
f. Do you have future plans with your partner?
C. Physical Characteristics
1. Height
2. Weight
3. Temperament
4. Movement
5. Neat, sloppy, Etc.
6. Facial Hair
7. Hair
8. Posture
9. Beauty
10. Complexion
11. Defects
12. Speech
13. Wearing
D. Business and Movement
1. Style and Period
2. Age, Social, Health
3. Physical Environment
4. Mood of Play
5. Costume
6. Necessary Movement
7. Furniture
E. Dialogue and Language
1. Are there any differences in language between characters which tend to clarify characterization?
2. Is your character’s dialogue similar to that of the other characters? What does it reveal about your particular character?
3. Does your character speak in a dialect?
4. Are there any long speeches which need to be “scored” for performance?
5. Will the circumstances require you to change your normal speaking voice?
V. Motivating Force/Desire, Objectives, Intensions – What? & Why?
A. What is the motivating force/desire (super objective) of your character?
1. What do you want?
2. What tactics do you use to achieve this?
B. What is/are the objective(s) in each scene?
1. What do you want?
a. From the other person(s) in the scene?
b. From yourself?
c. From the situation?
B. Intentions (at least three per scene)
1. Urgency
D. Obstacles (List them)
1. How do you deal with the obstacles?
2. What creates the conflict in you?
3. When does the obstacle arise from you?
4. What responses from the other characters or situation do you expect and not get?
IV. Other questions to consider:
What smell do you associate with your character?
What weather do you associate with your character?
What food would your character be?
What animal would your character be?
What kind of music is your character?
If your character were a color, what would it be?