1.1 Introduction
Non-verbal communication refers to the use of body movements, facial expressions, gestures, posture, eye contact, physical distance, and other actions to communicate meaning without relying mainly on spoken words. In stage acting, the actor's body is an important means of presenting thoughts, feelings, relationships, and intentions to an a/udience. Knapp, Hall and Horgan (2014) reported that non-verbal behaviour communicates information through physical actions and visible behaviour.
Stage acting on the other hand involves the presentation of characters and events before a live audience. The actor therefore uses the body to make the character believable and understandable. Facial expressions, hand gestures, walking patterns, body posture, eye direction, and controlled movements help to communicate emotions such as happiness, fear, anger, sadness, confidence, and confusion.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the aim and objectives of the study. Others are significance of the study, scope of work, research hypothesis and questions, limitation of the study and definition of terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Acting is one of the major elements of theatre, and the actor serves as the person through whom a dramatic character becomes visible and understandable to an audience. The actor does not depend on spoken language alone to communicate meaning. Body movement, facial expression, posture, gesture, eye contact, use of space, and physical reaction all contribute to the way a character is presented. According to Knapp, Hall and Horgan (2014), human communication involves both verbal and non-verbal behaviours, with physical actions providing important information about attitudes, emotions, and relationships. In stage acting, this means that the body is not simply used for movement but is part of the actor's communication system.
The development of acting has traditionally involved attention to both voice and physical expression. Early theatrical practices often relied on visible gestures and exaggerated physical actions because actors had to communicate with audiences seated at different distances from the stage. As theatre developed, acting practices became more concerned with creating believable characters and communicating inner experiences through controlled physical behaviour. Similarly, Lecoq (2002) reported that physical movement provides actors with a practical way of exploring character, emotion, space, rhythm, and relationships. His approach placed strong attention on the body as an expressive instrument.
Non-verbal communication also includes facial expressions and eye behaviour. Facial movements are capable of showing emotional reactions that support or contradict spoken statements. Ekman (2003) stated that facial expressions provide important information about emotional states and human reactions. For a stage actor, this means that the face is an important part of performance because the audience observes changes in the actor's facial behaviour while interpreting the character. A character who says that everything is fine while displaying fear or sadness through facial expression creates a different meaning from the spoken words alone.
Gestures are important because they give physical form to ideas and emotions. An actor pointing toward another character, raising a hand, folding the arms, or touching the chest is capable of creating meaning that supports the dramatic action. Leathers and Eaves (2015) stated that body movement, gestures, facial behaviour, and other non-verbal signals influence how people interpret communication. For actors, the deliberate use of such signals helps make performance more understandable, especially when the physical action has a clear connection with the character and situation.
The actor's movement is influenced by stage space. Unlike ordinary conversation, stage acting requires actors to perform within a planned performance area where their movements need to remain visible to the audience. Allain and Harvie (2014) explained that theatre performance depends on the interaction between performers, space, action, and audience. The actor therefore needs to understand where to stand, when to move, how quickly to move, and how much physical energy to use.
Physical training has also become an important part of actor preparation. Zarrilli et al. (2013) stated that actor training involves developing physical awareness and control alongside other performance skills. Training exercises are therefore used to improve balance, coordination, flexibility, concentration, rhythm, and movement. These skills support the actor's ability to express character through the body. An actor with strong physical awareness is better prepared to use movement intentionally rather than relying on random or unnecessary gestures.
In the Nigerian theatre environment, the use of the body is also relevant to stage performance because Nigerian theatrical productions often combine spoken dialogue with movement, music, dance, cultural gestures, and physical characterisation. These performance practices require actors to understand how physical actions communicate cultural and dramatic meaning. The National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN) has contributed to the development and presentation of Nigerian theatre and performance practices through theatrical productions, cultural performances, and actor-related activities.
This study is set against the backdrop of the need for clearer understanding of how actors use their bodies to communicate meaning and strengthen stage performance.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that stage acting requires more than the memorisation and delivery of dialogue because audiences also depend on an actor's physical behaviour to understand characters and dramatic situations. On the other hand, some actors give limited attention to facial expression, posture, gesture, eye behaviour, and controlled movement, which could weaken the communication of emotions and character intentions during performance.
Furthermore, inadequate physical training remains an issue in developing effective stage performance. Actors who have limited practice in body control, movement, stage positioning, and physical awareness could experience difficulty presenting characters clearly. Additionally, poor coordination between spoken words and body expression is capable of creating confusion between what an actor says and what the actor physically communicates. It is against this backdrop that this study seeks to examine the actor's body as a tool of expression and assess the role of non-verbal communication in stage acting.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of this study is to examine the actor's body as a tool of expression and explore the role of non-verbal communication in stage acting.
The specific objectives of this research are to:
- Examine the role of body movement in stage acting;
- Assess the use of facial expressions and gestures in communicating emotions;
- Determine the influence of posture and eye behaviour on character presentation;
- Examine the importance of physical training in developing effective stage expression; and
- Assess how non-verbal communication affects audience understanding of stage performance.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- What role does body movement play in stage acting?
- How do facial expressions and gestures communicate emotions during stage performance?
- How do posture and eye behaviour influence character presentation?
- How does physical training contribute to effective stage expression?
- How does non-verbal communication affect audience understanding of stage performance?
1.6 Research Hypotheses
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: Body movement has no significant influence on effective stage acting.
- H1: Body movement has a significant influence on effective stage acting.
Hypothesis Two
- H0: Facial expressions and gestures have no significant influence on the communication of emotions during stage performance.
- H1: Facial expressions and gestures have a significant influence on the communication of emotions during stage performance.
Hypothesis Three
- H0: Posture and eye behaviour have no significant influence on character presentation.
- H1: Posture and eye behaviour have a significant influence on character presentation.
Hypothesis Four
- H0: Physical training has no significant influence on effective stage expression.
- H1: Physical training has a significant influence on effective stage expression.
Hypothesis Five
- H0: Non-verbal communication has no significant influence on audience understanding of stage performance.
- H1: Non-verbal communication has a significant influence on audience understanding of stage performance.
1.7 Significance of Study
It is believed that at the completion of the study, the findings will provide actors with practical information on using movement, gesture, posture, facial expression, and eye behaviour to strengthen character presentation. The study will also provide practical information on how actors use their bodies to communicate character, emotion, and intention during stage performance.
Furthermore, the findings will clarify the relationship between physical expression and audience understanding. The study will also provide a simple basis for understanding why controlled body movement, facial expression, gesture, and posture matter in stage acting.
Lastly, the findings will contribute to academic discussions on non-verbal communication and physical performance in Nigerian theatre.
1.8 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the actor's body as a tool of expression and non-verbal communication in stage acting in Lagos State, Nigeria, with particular attention to stage actors and theatre practitioners associated with the National Troupe of Nigeria and selected theatre performance activities within Lagos State.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
- Initial Cooperation Delay from Respondents: A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.
1.10 Definition of Terms
Actor:
An actor is a person who performs a character in a dramatic production. In this study, the actor is the performer who uses speech and physical behaviour to communicate a character to an audience.
Actor's Body:
The actor's body refers to the physical presence and physical actions used by a performer during acting. It includes movement, posture, gesture, facial expression, eye behaviour, and other visible actions.
Expression:
Expression refers to the way an actor communicates thoughts, emotions, intentions, and character qualities through physical or verbal behaviour. In this study, emphasis is placed on physical expression.
Non-Verbal Communication:
Non-verbal communication refers to the transmission of meaning without depending mainly on spoken words.
Stage Acting:
Stage acting refers to the performance of a dramatic character before a live audience. It involves the coordinated use of voice, body, movement, emotion, and interaction with other performers.
Body Movement:
Body movement refers to the deliberate movement of the actor's body during performance. It includes walking, turning, bending, standing, sitting, and other physical actions used to communicate meaning.
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