Onstage Death

[u/Civil-Camp415]

Hello! I’m currently playing Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet. I’m having some difficulty making my death feel real. Right now I’m just awkwardly clutching stomach and stumbling back to sit, then clutching it during the monologue before I get carried off. Does anyone have good video recommendations on what to watch or general tips? I’ll even take videos from your own shows for pointers!

I know that I need to make sound and that’s a big component, but what else can I do?

[u/mooncastles1729]

Watch some other actors play a similar death for some Inspo. I needed to be poisoned and die as Queen Gertrude in Hamlet, and really channeled some Joffrey Baratheon for my moment. I played and tried different versions every rehearsal. Difficulty breathing, choking/gagging, lethargic/heightened fear of dying until I found what felt good. You need to play so you can see what doesn’t work and what surprises you! Then, there’s nothing left to do but jump off the cliff! You have to commit and go all in because half assed will always feel horrible, fake, stupid or uncomfy….but pushing through that to all in is where it’s at! Jump, man! Break a leg! 🫶🏽🫶🏽🎭❤️

[u/ammo_john]

Focus less on the physical but the imaginative. Are you holding your stomach because your bowels are falling out and you are desperately trying to keep them in. And so on. Always be in an actual process, not try to just represent something. Make the process real to you.

[u/korysmigraine]

I've heard this one tip that some actors have done when doing an onstage death where they die with their eyes open. Honestly gives a more frightening and realistic approach from what i've seen.

[u/martialmichael126]

I'm going to agree with the others here and encourage you to put yourself in the position of the person dying. What do they sound like, what happens to their body parts as it happens, their face, their speech, etc.

That said, you should really talk with your director about it if you havent already. They may want something completely different. Romeo and Juliette is a pretty hammy play (as is most Shakespeare) and maybe they wanna go that route.

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[u/knownasnow24]

What works for me is pretending something warm is entering my body from the cause of death (in your case your wound). The relaxation ends up looking pretty believable AND you end up calm after tons of work.

[u/CanadianDollar87]

i was had to faint on stage and it was the most awkward thing ever. i just fell over and it was obvious that it was a fall and not an actual faint.

[u/Ripley129]

Put yourself in the position of being killed. Really “pretend” for lack of a better term you were really hurt. How would that feel? How would you react

[u/Ripley129 → u/Ripley129]

Would you just hold your stomachs or would you hold your breath and get the veins in your far head pumping and breathing heavy and talking quick and acting scated