Wiki Page, Oklahoma High School- Drama/Theatre Course (OK Art Tech): 12.3 Facial and Body Expression

Wiki Page
2025-03-06T08:26:15-06:00

Facial and Body Expression

Introduction

Remember, actors use their imaginations to decide how to use their voices and body movements to portray characters.

An actor uses the body in specific ways by manipulating the following:

1. Posture

2. Body language

3. Gestures

4. Facial expressions

Definitions & Examples

Read through the definitions and examples below by clicking on each tab with a word.

Posture

Body Language

Gestures

Facial Expressions

Posture is the way a character holds their body. A character with slumped shoulders conveys being sad or tired. A character with raised shoulders conveys being anxious or tense. Looking at the picture below, what kind of posture does each actor have, and what does it mean?

10 Things I Hate About You, 1999

Body language refers to the way a character moves. If a character walks quickly, the body language could represent nervousness or anxiety. If the character sits, bounces their leg, and taps their fingers, the body language may represent being excited.

We use body language to communicate with others every day! By looking at the examples below, we see that we don't have to say a word to show how we feel sometimes.

BBC Bitesize website

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zd2vhbk/revision/3

Gestures are the movements of our arms and hands. We use these in everyday life. Some examples of gestures are giving a thumbs up or tapping your wrist to represent time. What are the actors gesturing in the picture?

Facial expressions convey emotions silently by using the features on our faces. Our eyes, eyebrows, and mouths are the most important features for conveying emotions.

Here are some examples of a character's facial expressions and what they could mean:

Eyebrows raised and mouth open- (surprised/shocked)

Eyebrows furrowed and mouth open- (afraid)

Eyes closed and mouth slightly smiling- (calm)

Facial Expressions Practice

Watch the video below and follow along to practice facial and body expressions. This can be done as a class or with a partner.

Video: Drama Lesson - Facial Expressions

Mr_Minchin. (2020, Jun 23). Drama Lesson - Facial Expressions. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/DNI-eu_Hlwo?si=2z1o_fB2GhEpDyqe

Click on the button at the bottom of the video to access the closed captions.

After watching the video, practice the following actions with each emotion listed below. You may do this activity on your own or with a partner. Remember to consider posture, body language, gestures, and facial expressions when acting out the actions with an emotion. When doing this activity, be mindful of the space around you.

Pair the action in the left column with the emotion in the right column. For example, walk angrily for the first action. Feel free to mix the actions and emotions up.

Action

Emotion

Walking

Brushing your teeth

Opening a door

Waking up

Cheering for a sports team

Angry

Sad

Excited

Confused

Fearful

Guiding Questions

When you have completed this activity, answer the following questions with a partner:

1. What made this activity challenging?

2. Which of the actions/emotions was the easiest to perform?

3. Why would an activity like this one be useful for actors?