Undergraduate Research at FIU (URFIU) Conference

The Effects of Acting on an Actor's Anxiety

In the theatre, actors often portray a character and must display different emotional states through their behaviors and the dialogue. One can question the effect of the performance an actor delivers on the emotional state of the actor. This research will focus on the effect of an actor's performance of an argument scene on their own anxiety levels. Since the character's the participants will portray will be displaying anxious behaviors, the research will question how much their performance affects their own anxiety levels. Up to 50 participants between the ages of 18 and 59 will be included in the study. The measure to be used will be the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults. Participants will complete the inventory as a pretest before performing the short scene (approximately 3 minutes). The heart rate of participants will also be measured and recorded before performing the scene. Participants will then be given 20 minutes to prepare the scene with their scene partner. After presenting the scene for the research team, participants will have their heart rate measured again. They will then complete the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults again as a posttest. The results will be analyzed to determine if performing the argument scene has an effect on the anxiety score of the participants.