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Don’t Just Read the Script…Act it

I’ve had the privilege for eight to ten years now to judge puppetry at a teen competition. One of the rules of the event is that the plays have to be done from scripts, not pre-recorded. So I’ve seen a lot of scripts performed over the years. Each year a few teams stand out above all the others. One of the reasons is that they don’t just read the scripts, they act them out.

The plays where the puppeteers simply read the scripts tend to be mediocre and often a bit boring. If they’re boring to me as an adult, imagine how children would respond.

How do you go beyond just reading the script?

First you have to practice it a lot of times so you become VERY familiar with the script. It helps to record it and listen to it over and over so you can perform it by glancing at the script instead of having to read it. When you know it well, you’ll have a good idea of what to say for each of your lines and won’t be tied to the script.

You’ll probably change a few words in your line, but that’s not a problem. In fact, it’s a good thing because it’ll come out sounding more natural. You may even find that you throw in a few ad-libs that enhance the play. Be careful not to overdo it though.

When many or most of your words are coming from your mind and not being read off a page, it will flow in a natural manner and is much more likely to hold the audience’s attention. Not only that, but you will be able to devote more of your attention to your puppet and not have your eyes glued to the script. It will also help to eliminate awkward, silent gaps where a puppeteer is frantically searching for their place in the script.

If you simply read the script, you run the risk of presenting a “canned” performance. If you do the extra work to act out the script, you should see a difference in how the audience responds. Try it.

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