You’ve been cast as a side character. Here are 3 tips to make your few minutes on-stage count.
If you are the type of person who did not receive enough attention from their parents in childhood and are now desperately seeking that attention in the spotlight, then you are probably familiar with this type of frustration.
You wanted to be the star of the show. To have the most stage time. To be the main face on the promo poster.
But alas… after hours of tireless audition prep, and wishful thinking…
You got cast as a side role instead.
Your dreams are crushed. Your rejection sensitivity is triggered. Your frustration is real.
Now you think to yourself, “Am I doomed to play an insignificant part that no one remembers… again?”
If you are this type of person and this does sound familiar to you, first of all, please seek help. The stage will not heal your parent issues, I guarantee you that.
Now.
Jokes aside, yes, it is a common desire among theatre enthusiasts to want to be the most prominent person in the spotlight and to receive the loudest applause.
As a result, many actors have developed a false misconception that the only roles that matter are the main ones.
Not only because side characters have objectively less stage time, but also because it feels like there just aren’t enough opportunities to do something exciting with a small role.
But worry not, because with this blog, I aim to prove you wrong ;)
Humor me this…
What would it be like to have a “Lion King” without Timon and Pumba?
A “Beauty and the Beast” without Lumière and Mrs. Potts?
A “Shrek 2” without Puss in Boots?
Do you see where I’m going with this?
Though seemingly insignificant, once you remove a side character, the story is suddenly void of… spark.
While yes, you can, in theory, have “The Lion King” without Timon and Pumba, and the plot would still work (ish?), I imagine your gut reaction to even assuming such a thing is “Hell no! Bring the goofy boys back!”
Interesting, isn’t it?
It’s almost like side characters can and do fulfill an extremely important role in a story. Bringing emotional depth and carrying important plot beats.
Contrary to what you may expect from a theatre person like myself, I actually LOVE playing side characters.
Why?
Not only is it less rehearsal time and fewer lines to learn (though admittedly, those are bonuses).
But because I believe it’s always fun as an actor to take the few minutes of the stage time you have and to come up with a creative way to utilize them.
We already know the main character will be great and memorable due to the amount of time they have to develop their story.
But how can you do the same with a side character?
In this blog, I will share with you the three tips that will, in my opinion, help you maximize the potential of your small role and make your side-character-acting a fulfilling experience.
I will support each step with examples of side characters I have acted as in WILDe Theatre. And may have won a few awards for.
So, without further ado, here are the three tips.
Tip 1 - Understand your purpose in the story
When developing the role you’ve been cast as, I encourage you to first and foremost think more deeply about your character’s purpose in the story.
There is always a reason the author created side characters, and I can assure you none of them are placed in the story “just cuz”.
Otherwise, why would they be there in the first place?
Think about it.
What theme(s) does your character represent? What narrative values do they contradict or support?
Is it to serve as an antithesis to the main character and\or to challenge their ideology?
Is it to bring a comic relief to an otherwise very dark story?
Or is it, perhaps, to highlight a certain characteristic of the world the story takes place in?
Even if you are only on-stage for a few minutes, I encourage you to treat your character as a fully fleshed-out individual with a complete backstory, a moral compass and a goal.
Example
Take Maya Wolfsheim - the character I acted as back in “The Great Gatsby the Musical”.
Up until the moment we meet Maya Wolfsheim, our understanding of the world of Gatsby is simple - it’s a world of wealth, abundance and lavish, champagne-soaked galas where everyone is rich, successful and seemingly happy.
Gatsby himself represents that dashing side of New York—his endless success stories, his well-connected network of wealthy businessmen and celebrities, his massive mansion, hell, even his amber car all point to the fact that our main character lives in a utopia of sorts.
But then… In comes Maya Wolfsheim.
A dangerous criminal who wears human teeth as jewellery and has single-handedly overturned the World Series baseball. A woman who stands behind Gatsby’s success.
It is only when we meet Maya Wolfsheim that we realize - Gatsby’s world is a facade.
A fake utopia that was built on crime, corruption and, perhaps even murder.
Maya appears on-stage for only a few minutes, yet her presence looms. Like the judging eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. Like a threatening reminder, that at any moment that beautiful facade of Jay’s successful life may fall apart like a card house.
With all of this in mind, Maya’s role in the story becomes clear - to showcase a different, darker, but also a true side to the world of Gatsby.
Maya isn’t just an evil-looking femme fatale who had that one funny interaction with Nick at Speakeasy.
She is a representation of lies and corruption that serve as the foundation of Gatsby’s fake world.
After realizing this, everything I did for Maya Wolfsheim’s character made sense and served this single purpose.
She wore a red dress because red is the color of danger - a warning and a reminder that Gatsby’s world is fragile and may fall apart (foreshadowing the end of the story).
She acts seductively but has an evil demeanor because that is what Gatsby’s world is - beautiful on the outside, corrupt on the inside.
She is heartless because Gatsby’s real world is void of love and care (nobody showed up to Gatsby's funeral when he died…).
Her musical number looked like an uncanny puppet show / a spider web because that is how the world of Gatsby works - you sell your soul to crime to gain access to wealth, but you pay a grand price of being trapped in servitude to a cold, unloving system.
And that’s how we turned a small character with less than 3 full scenes in the entire show into a fully fleshed out persona with a concrete image and a meaningful goal in the story.
The rest is cosmetics ;)
Now the next question is, how do we make the complex purpose of a side character clear to the audience in just a few minutes of stage time?
Tip 2 - Define your characters’ “archetype” and keep it simple
You have seen them in basically any story ever written.
Character archetypes.
A simple, comprehensible set of characteristics assigned to a single person.
A gentle giant who seems threatening on the outside but is actually very kind.
An incompetent ruler who holds a position of power but is yet to learn to use it.
A wise magician who guides the hero's journey.
You probably already have a few examples in your mind for each of those archetypes:
Shrek as the gentle giant.
Joffrey Baratheon as the incompetent ruler.
Gandalf as the wise magician.
Archetypes in stories exist for a reason. They are easy, recognizable patterns of behaviours or symbolic figures that are familiar to humans across cultures.
Because character archetypes are so well-known and repetitive, once an archetype is introduced, it becomes very easy for the audience to set expectations for the said character’s personality and behaviour.
We meet a giant who seems shy - we expect to witness his journey to discovering himself while being challenged by his grotesque appearance.
We come across a stubborn, bratty prince - we are thrilled to see what lessons he will learn to eventually grow into a wise, responsible ruler.
We get introduced to an old, friendly magician - we expect to hear some words of advice and showcases of wisdom.
So… how does all of this tie back to building your side character?
I believe when you only have a few minutes to tell a full story, archetypes can be a great way to showcase a very complex persona with just a few recognizable characteristics.
Sometimes even with the most basic stylistic choices and a few lines of dialogue you can establish very concrete archetypes, setting predictable expectations for the audience to follow.
Now, does that mean your side character should be void of complexity and only follow a cliche “stereotype” to be memorable?
Absolutely not.
I’m not saying “make your character fit perfectly into a strict, limited category”.
What I am saying is, try to think of ways to make your role’s motives and values as simple and as comprehensible as possible from the get-go, and let the rest of the decisions you make about this character fit that single image.
If your side character’s archetype is simple, it is a no-brainer for the audience to cheer for them when their values are endorsed and to be shocked when their values are challenged (or the other way round if it’s an antagonistic character), thus leaving a lasting impression in the show...
Example
Back in Romeo and Juliet the musical, I played a small character whom most people will barely remember from the original play scripts - Paris Capulet.
And yet I must admit it was probably one of the most entertaining roles I have ever played.
So what made Paris Capulette special from the character archetype perspective?
As discussed earlier, I started by defining my character’s role in the story, which was pretty obvious - to serve as the antithesis to both Tybalt (a man who genuinely loved Juliet but never saw her for who she really was) and Romeo (someone who not only loved Juliet but made her feel seen and understood).
Paris also “loved” Juliet, but his love, in contrast to Tybalt’s or Romeo's, was never centred around her, but rather around his own ego.
Everything he did “for her” was in truth for a selfish reason. To boost his status. To show his rich friends that he got the most beautiful girl. Perhaps even to win some adoration from Juliet’s mother ;)
With that in mind, Paris’s character archetype drew itself - a selfish spoiled man who always gets what he wants and severely overestimates his own greatness.
A “rich frat boy”, if you may. Gaston from “Beauty and the Beast” type of character.
All I needed to do next was to make it immediately clear to the audience who I was as a character.
Wear a suit and a perfectly slicked man bun and walk into a scene with a bottle of Sauvignon to show that I am a pretentious rich man.
(Imagine if, instead, I walked on-stage with a can of beer and untidy clothing… It would have made a completely different first impression, wouldn’t it?)
Flirt with literally everyone, including Juliet’s mom and the audience to show how laughably highly I think of myself.
Kiss Juliet’s hand in a practiced, exaggerated manner to show how all of this is just a performance to Paris, not a genuine act of affection.
And there we have it. In just 3 minutes of on-stage time, we plant a very specific image in the audience’s mind. A spoiled rich asshole who wants to win the main character’s heart but is destined to fail due to his arrogance.
Later on, when the audience sees Paris “lose” Juliet to Romeo, it is easy for them to laugh at my character’s pathetic downfall and to enjoy seeing him get “punished” for his selfishness.
A very simple character image with a very simple motive resulting in a hilarious and memorable sub-plot within a larger story.
Creating an archetype for Paris helped me set immediate, predictable expectations for the role without the need to go through a multiple-scene-long character-building journey.
And I invite you to do the same for your role, should you be blessed with a chance to make the most out of your few minutes of stage time.
Speaking of which, what exactly CAN you do to make your side character shine?
Tip 3 - Get creative and make a SHOW
Ok, this section has become a bit too philosophical now that I have written it, but I hope it still brings the point across.
Regardless of the type of production you participate in, I believe your sole job as performer is to create a show that leaves an impression.
It doesn’t matter if you are the main character or a dancer number five. Every person in a production serves a greater purpose - to effectively deliver the main message of the story, and to invoke emotions within the audience.
Be it to disgust them, to make them laugh, to make them feel hopeful, or sad, or philosophical, or impressed by how much can be done with the make-believe magic of the stage.
Actors are storytellers. And so are you.
Theatre is a place where things that aren’t feasible in the normal world suddenly become “real”.
A place where people collectively agree to close their eyes on the laws of physics and “accuracy” of what’s happening before their eyes and to simply let themselves enjoy the story.
For just two and a half hours, you and your cast mates are able to bring imaginary characters to life, to build a world that doesn’t exist, and to make magic possible.
And even if your role in this collective hallucination act is small, the moment you set your foot on-stage you gain the power to make literally anything real.
So, go make it happen!
The creative potential of the stage is endless. You don’t need hyper-realistic equipment to make the audience believe you are on the moon if you act like you are wearing a space suit.
You don’t need to buy special effect kits to make people think you have magic powers if you move your body through space like you are casting a spell.
What I’m trying to say is, don’t let yourself be limited to what’s written on the script.
Get creative. Use what you and your theatre already has. Brainstorm ideas with your directors and cast mates. Ask for help from the people who have the skills you need to make something happen (WILDe Theatre is very rich in talent, I remind you!)
A crazy interpretive dance to deliver an emotion of your character - why not?
A dramatic, heartbreaking monologue to reveal your character’s big secret - why not?
An oddly specific item for your costume to bring a bit of humor to your character - why not?
Hell, a swordfighting duel between you and your rival - Why. The hell. Not?
(Obviously, please consider the limits of the production as well as the budget and the safety rules, but you get what I mean.)
And finally, the most important thing of all (and this has already been said multiple times in the other authors’ pieces written in this blog series, but I will say it again) - have fun!
The energy of an actor is very contagious.
If you love your character, so will the audience.
If you are enthusiastic about the ideas you are bringing on-stage, your cast mates will be too.
If you are enjoying the small role you were given and are giving it all the love and care it deserves, the people WILL feel it.
If you had made a decision to bring yourself to theatre, it means you already have dreams, aspirations and a creative potential waiting to be freed.
I am not here to tell you what to do with your character or how to make a good show, because you already know how.
And at the end of the day, big or small, it is your character.
Your chance to shine.
Your story to tell…
In sum
If you wish to make the most out of your short time on-stage as a side character, start by clearly defining your role in the story:
The values you represent
Your relation to the world and the other characters
The message your role needs to deliver
Once your purpose in the story becomes clear, think of the most simple and identifiable way you can bring your characters’ personality across in relation to that purpose.
What “archetype” do you fit in?
What tools can you use to clearly showcase your motivations and values? (Think mannerisms, costume design, behavioral choices, props, etc.)
And finally, don’t be afraid to get creative. Think of interesting ways you can bring across your characters’ unique personality, values and beliefs. A dance? A song? A unique prop? An intense dialogue or a monologue? A fight? Use the magic of the stage to make a memorable show!
Remember, you only have a few minutes.
So, why not make those minutes count? ;)
Written by Juliana Boboshko, a veteran of WILDe, actress and a member of 4th and 5th Boards!
You can find Juliana on Instagram: @jules_the_sparrow