Tips from Karen Pinomaki   2/10/26

 

ACTOR:  BASICS OF “PLAYING OUT” OR “CHEATING OUT” 

 

Simply it means the actor should PLAY OUT towards the audience. “Opening” yourself up to the audience. But you are still concentrating on the other actor or action. 

 

Playing out  towards the audience is in effect a ‘cheat’ hence - “cheating out”.

 

 It is not a natural way of physically  communicating in every day life,  but it needs to be natural for the actor to do it and become second nature. 

 

In real life you would not have a conversation where there is an audience listening in or watching you,  so the way we would naturally physically relate to others needs to be adjusted to include our audience.

 

WHY do we do this?  IT BENEFITS OUR AUDIENCE MEMBERS:

Helpful for audience members to hear us and see us. The audience will hear the dialogue and see the facial expressions which allows for a better understanding of the characters deeper feelings. 

 

The actor should always consider: 

 

CAN I BE SEEN?

CAN I BE HEARD? 

 

HOW TO CHEAT OUT: 

• USING SHOULDERS and FEET   -  OPEN ¼ to left or right or full front facing down stage. 

• Being on a different plane - 

• Talking “through other actors”  to the actor across the room . Even though  you may not see them, the audience thinks you can. 

• Looking away or crossing away and then engaging… or not. 

• Looking sideways out an upstage window.

 

 In Real Life                                            On the  Stage 

 

2 people in profile 

2 people in profile –  (outside shoulder ¼ turned out, also outside foot opens ¼ turn out. Stagger feet - outside foot is downstage slightly of inside foot. 

Sitting at a table for dinner and carrying on a conversation 

Sitting at a table for dinner and carrying on a conversation - Stage right and left chairs are turned out towards the diagonal and actor sits on the chair with legs and feet facing downstage –  then turns the torso and head and shoulders to talk to another at the table. It may help to sit forward on the chair and also straddle the chair. 

Sitting on a  living room sofa and carrying on a conversation

 

Sitting on a living room sofa and  carrying on a conversation - keeping hip and legs turned out or forward, turning torso head and shoulders to relate to others. 

4 people or a group or clump

 

When Clumping -  YOU ARE NOT THE FOCUS - group up. Face in many directions. Levels help. Try to work together to create an interesting picture. 

 

3 people in the room  faces each other and makes eye contact

 

3 people on stage - Stagger the line but look through the center person (not around or leaning forward) the audience won’t know. 

Looking out an upstage window or door - facing the window or door

Looking out an upstage window or door. - approach the window or door from the side of it to look out the window so that we can still see at least half of your face. 

Looking out an upstage window or door. - approach the window or door from the side of it to look out the window so that we can still see at least half of your face. 

 

In General: To keep all sides of the audiences engaged - Find opportunities to quickly look away while talking to another character. Perhaps thinking, for emphasis, glancing, etc 

 

Is it ALWAYS necessary to cheat out? NO! There are many times that you will face upstage or be hidden. These can be momentary such as during a blocking cross or when directed for “effect” to face upstage,