Performance is the ability to present an organised sequence of artistic activities that tell a story. When performing for stage, radio, or screen, a performer must adopt "otherness" — becoming a character different from themselves. The enactment can originate from a written script or emerge from improvised situations. The medium (stage, film, or radio) determines which techniques a performer must emphasise to communicate the intended message effectively.

Internal Approaches

Internal approaches focus on creating characters through inner feelings, emotions, desires, and impulses. The performer taps into their own emotional memories to generate authentic reactions. Key components include:

• Feeling of truth: Convincing the audience that characters are real and believable, even though the events are fictional
• Relaxation: Keeping the body free and at ease to allow natural character expression
• Concentration of attention: Directing focus on specific elements of the scene while ignoring distractions
• Emotional memory: Using personal experiences to evoke genuine emotions during performance
• The "Magic If": Asking "What if?" to develop stronger connections with characters
• Imagination: Using creative faculties rather than copying reality
• Inner motive forces: Finding motivation driven by emotions or intellect to perform actions

External Approaches

External approaches work from the outside inward, focusing on physical or bodily actions. Performers imagine how characters walk, talk, and behave, then imitate these behaviours. Key elements include:

• Unit of objective: Breaking a scene into smaller sections with specific objectives
• Super objective: The main character's overarching goal throughout the story
• Analysis through action: Answering "What do I do?", "Why do I do it?", and "How do I do it?"
• Subtext: The underlying meaning conveyed through intonation, gestures, and pauses
• Communion: Communication between performers that holds audience attention
• Adaptation: Adjusting to obstacles and new situations during performance
• Tempo-rhythm: The speed and intensity of actions and speech

Improvisation is a valuable tool for developing performance skills. It involves creating scenes or characters spontaneously without a prepared script, allowing performers to:

1. React authentically to unexpected situations
2. Develop quick thinking abilities
3. Build confidence in their performing abilities
4. Explore character emotions through experiential learning

How to Use Improvisation for Stage and Film

Step 1: Form manageable groups of 3-5 students per group.

Step 2: Provide a stimulus — this can be a prop, a costume piece, a visual element, or a simple scenario written on a card.

Step 3: Set the scene — establish a basic context (e.g., a market in Dar es Salaam, a family gathering in Mwanza, or a conflict at a bus station).

Step 4: Allow spontaneous performance — let students improvise without scripts, focusing on character objectives and reactions.

Step 5: Debrief — discuss what worked, what emotions were conveyed, and how the performance could be refined.

Example Improvisation Scenario

A group of students at a ward office in Kilimanjaro must resolve a dispute over land inheritance. One student plays an elderly grandmother, another plays her eldest son, and another plays a younger brother claiming equal rights. Students must improvise dialogue and actions based on their characters' objectives while responding to each other's unexpected choices.

Stage acting requires specific skills because the performance is live and cannot be edited:

• Voice projection: Speaking loudly enough for the back row to hear
• Exaggerated gestures: Making physical expressions visible to distant audience members
• Blocking: Learning movement patterns that convey the story effectively
• Energy maintenance: Sustaining performance energy throughout the show
• Character development: Understanding background, motivations, and emotional states

Film acting differs from stage because the camera captures subtle expressions:

• Relaxation: Remaining calm regardless of repeated takes
• Concentration: Focusing intensely despite technical delays
• Sense memory: Using the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) to recall emotions
• Subtle expression: Conveying emotions through small facial movements rather than exaggerated gestures
• Voice and breath control: Using realistic vocal patterns without projection

Voice

The voice conveys emotions such as love, hate, anger, joy, and fear. It must harmonise with the body and atmosphere of the scene.

Body

The body expresses emotions through gestures, facial expressions, and movement patterns. Performers use their bodies as tools to communicate character intentions.

Imagination

Imagination combines the voice and body to create theatrical, audio, or screen experiences. It allows performers to transform into characters authentically.

In Tanzania, improvisation skills learned through this topic can be directly applied when participating in school drama clubs, community theatre groups, or when auditioning for television productions such as those broadcast on TVT or WATV. For example, a student in Arusha could use improvisation techniques to prepare for a role in a local television drama series, helping them respond naturally to scene partners and deliver believable performances that meet industry standards for screen acting.