Script Analysis for

Performance
or, How to read a theatrical script and make
sense of your character

If Sarah Bernhardt can

be Hamlet, so can you.

But How?

analyze and understand

a character in
preparation for
performance

Plays are about people

who want and need
things.
Badly.
Think about a time you needed something
badly.
You had a need.
You had obstacles.
You did things to overcome the obstacles
and meet the need.

Character Analysis for

Actors
Objective-What your character wants
Problem-Why your character doesnt have

it; or, what threatens it

Tactics-What your character does to

overcome the problem and achieve the

objective
As if!-A situation from the performers life

that is similar to the characters situation

Beats and Beat Breaks

Beat-a section of the play in which characters use tactics
to pursue an objective and overcome a problem
Beat breaks (or beat shifts)-when a characters objective,
tactic, or problem changes, leading to a new beat
In your script, mark a beat break with a / between lines
Ex: Hamlets objective is to solve the mystery of the
ghost haunting the ramparts. Once he speaks to the
ghost of his father, that objective is over, and Hamlet has
a new objective (to serve his father, perhaps) which
starts a new beat

This isnt Finding The

One Right Answer.
This is making creative
choices about the
possibilities the text
offers.

Objectives
An objective is the main thing a character wants
at the moment
A character may want multiple things, but at
any given moment s/he is pursuing one specific,
important thing
Its always important, even if it doesnt seem
important
Ex: Hamlet does a soliloquy. Is his objective just
to talk about his feelings? How about To
make sense of his horrible problems?

Problems
A characters problem is what stands
between the character and the
accomplishment of the objective
If a character seems to have no problem,
think about what threatens the objectives;
what the character has to do to maintain
the objective

Tactics
What does the character do to overcome
the problem and achieve the objective?
Strong choices! Charm, persuade,
frighten, seduce, confuse, win over, help,
beg.
Tactics can change on a dime.

As If!
Example: Hamlet wants to avenge his
murdered father, but is afraid that he
might accuse and kill the wrong person
Its as if I wanted to confront the person
who stole something off my desk, but Im
not confident my prime suspect is the
guilty party
This keeps the performance from being a
dry, academic exercise; it ties into the
performers real-life experience

Rookie acting mistake!

What does my character feel? Dont
worry about it.
Emotions will come naturally if you
understand:
what you character wants (Objective)
Why s/he doesnt have it (Problem)
What s/he does about it (Tactic)
What in your life is or would be a similar

experience

plotting to kill his Uncle,

discovers his Uncle
praying:
Hamlet: Now might I do it pat, now he is praying;
And now Ill do t;-and so he goes to heaven:
And so I am revengd:-that would be scannd:
A villain kills my father; and, for that,
I, his sole son, do this same villain send to
heavn.

Hamlet: Now might I do it pat, now

he is praying;
And now Ill do t;- (beat change; new
tactic) and so he goes to heaven:
And so I am revengd:-that would be
scannd:
A villain kills my father; and, for that,
I, his sole son, do this same villain
send to heavn.

Objective:
Get revenge
against
Uncle
Problem:
Uncle is
praying,
may be
forgiven his
sins; killing
him sends
him to
heaven
First tactic:
seize
opportunity
to kill
New tactic:
think it
through

Superobjective
All through the play, theres one deeper
need the character is always trying to
meet, some theme that shapes all the
other objectives and that never changes.
This is the Superobjective.
Dont try to decide what it is too fast; it
usually takes a while to come into view.

Small Groups!
Lets break into small groups. Together, choose a
scene from Frog and Toad are Friends (the forthcoming
production by the UNCG Theatre)
Figure out the characters objectives, problems, tactics.
Break down the beats
To the extent youre comfortable doing so, share as if
analogies
It may be premature, but can you decide on
Superobjectives for the scene?
Be ready to explain your choices

Summary
Objectives- what you (the character) want
Problems-what stands between you and
the objectives
Tactics-what you do to overcome problems
and achieve objectives
Superobjective-what underlies all the other
objectives

Homework!
Choose another scene from Hamlet. In the
script pages do a full breakdown of the
characters objectives, problems, tactics,
beat changes, and your as-ifs. Think about
Superobjectives, but dont force it; just
offer suggestions for the characters
Superobjectives. Submit a copy of your inscript work.

Now You Are Ready To

Do Sophisticated
Theatre!