Guide to Basic Stage Movement and Buisness

2. Visible movements, such as entrances, exits, crosses, sitting, and rising, draw focus. Always move or gesture on your own lines, so as not to steal the audience's attention during another acto'r lines. All movement should be in character. All movement should be motivated. Make every movement count.
3. Eating while talking always poses problems. Avoid foods that get stuck in the throat or foods such as cracker which dry out the mouth.
5. Always turn toward the audience unless your director tells you otherwise.
6. Remain in character until you are 5 to 6 feet into the offstage area.
7. To prevent injury, all stage falls should be planned and rehearsed.
8. The downstage knee should touch the floor, helping keep an "open" position. When kneeling on both knees, the downstage knee should be lowered first.
9. Take "strong" crosses downstage and "weak" crosses upstage. The shortest distance between two points is usually the best guide for a cross.

1. Avoid covering the face with a gesture. When handling stage props, use the upstage hand.
3. Get into character before the entrances. Go over in your mind the reason you are entering the scene and what you are going to do on stage.
4. This consists of small actions that a character performs without moving from place to place.