Premium

Borrowing from the Actor’s Playbook: Shared Secrets of Masterful Performance

2026 Update: These performance techniques can help you present and communicate with impact.

On Stage

Public speaking

Stage performance

Russell

Ewing

Creative Director, Lead Performance Faculty

minute read

Published on

March 2, 2026

The work you put in to master the craft of speaking and stage performance isn’t solely to become a better speaker, but also to more masterfully serve your audience.

This article was updated in March 2026.

‍

As a professional speaker, you may find the world of film, TV, and theater to exist in an entirely foreign realm to the work you do on the keynote stage. Many students of speaking who I’ve worked with find these other mediums somewhat mystifying.

‍

Throughout my career, I’ve studied an array of different performance mediums. While each has their own unique qualities in their expression, I’ve found a few key overlaps that can be a goldmine for speakers who want to improve their storytelling, speaking, and communication skills.

‍

You see, great art—whether it’s a killer keynote, an Academy Award-winning film, or a toe-tapping Broadway musical—is entertaining, insightful, thought-provoking, challenging, and lasting.

‍

To create that level of impact? You can’t just deliver a speech, you’ve got to perform it.

‍

That’s where the magic happens: at the intersection of storytelling, stagecraft, and serious preparation. Actors and speakers are in the same business: to deeply move and change people. And there’s quite a bit we can borrow from the performer’s playbook.

‍

Preparing for the Spotlight: What Best-in-Class Performance Demands

‍

First and foremost, for both actors and speakers, a considerable amount of preparation is required for peak performance. In fact, considerable is an understatement; it takes hundreds upon hundreds of hours of rehearsal to truly stand out onstage.

‍

Both actors and speakers prepare by:

‍

Learning their material. Knowing your lines is just the beginning. Actors go beyond the words on the page to analyze the script, embody the character, and live in the world of the story. Speakers don’t just memorize, they master their material.
Investigating the audience. Actors focus on uncovering what motivates, delights, frustrates, and blocks their character. Their goal? To see the world through the character’s unique point of view. Likewise, speakers know the speech isn’t about them, it’s about their audience. The more profoundly you understand the people you serve, the more magic you’ll make onstage.
Diving into the language. Performance goes beyond just the words you use. Actors work to understand why the characters use the words they use, how they use those words to express themselves, and what feeling is rooted in those words. Speakers focus on crafting thoughtful, profoundly effective language.
Determining the unique roles you’ll play. Every choice an actor makes is designed to spark a reaction, stir a feeling, and keep the scene pulsing with life. Similarly, speakers step into different roles during their time onstage. Whether you’re the motivator, the teacher, the challenger, or the best friend, the roles you play will evoke specific emotions in your audience.

‍

A big part of performance—whether in theater, film, or public speaking—is centered around the intense preparation and investigation long before the day of the actual performance. Why? Because it’s the preparation that allows you to be completely free and present, react spontaneously, and perform authentically the day of.

‍

Here’s the paradox: the more “in the moment” a performance feels, the more hours of preparation it secretly took to get there.

‍

It’s not the same as winging it. You might feel in the moment, but without preparation, that moment will likely be messy, unfocused, unintentional—and possibly irrelevant. And that’s exactly what the audience will see.

Full Transcript

Don't

Download

When a performer is prepared, the performance is thrilling; it feels alive, as though it’s happening for the very first time, in the best way.

Storytelling Skills from the Biggest Stages

‍

If you tell the stories clinically, as if they’re just a grocery list of events or information, your audience will not be moved, changed, or inspired. Tell your story with movement, emotion, contrast, and feeling—just like a Broadway performer or Hollywood actor would.

‍

Bring your stories to life and make them stage-worthy with these simple suggestions:

‍

Aim to provoke emotion. Just like an actor who constantly aims to make their scene partner feel and act a certain way, focus on what you’re making your audience feel during each moment of your performance.
Think of your speech as a dialogue, not a monologue. As a speaker, technically, you’re the only one speaking. But a great speech is a vivid dialogue between the speaker and the audience—one that’s full of debate, emotion, and energy.
Add contrast. Both masterful actors and speakers add variety to their voice, movement, emotions, and content to craft an entertaining performance that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Contrast makes a performance feel alive.
Stay present. Literally. Telling stories in the present tense can help your brain feel like the story is unfolding in real time. Your audience will feel the tension, suspense, and anticipation from your story when you are fully present.
Avoid autopilot when repeating your speech again and again. Repetition—both during rehearsal and actual live performances—is crucial for mastery. But left unchecked, it can also lead to a mechanical, flat, autopilot-style delivery. Avoid autopilot storytelling by focusing on what’s new: today’s audience, this unique venue, the eager eyes in the front row. Remember that each performance is the first and only time this unique audience will experience it.
Add movement to your stories and speech. Intentional movement can drive your message home, captivate your audience, and increase your impact. But before you move, always know where you're going, when you're going there, and why you're going there.

Don't

treat your speech like a monologue; make it feel like a dynamic dialogue with your audience.

focus on what specific emotions you want your audience to feel.

Generosity: The Performer’s Gift to the World

‍

My roots are in theater, film, and television. Before earning an MFA from NYU's Graduate Acting Program, I had a background in Theatre of the Oppressed work and spent three years touring the world on U.S. military bases using theater to teach sexual assault prevention.

‍

Helping real people around social causes was fulfilling. Even after performing the same show hundreds of times, it was never monotonous—because I was centered on each unique audience, their needs, and their experience.

‍

Now, at HEROIC, I teach many of those same techniques I’ve explored throughout my acting journey to people who have the desire to change the world and help their specific audiences.

‍

I’ve found that both in the acting world and the speaking industry, the best performers—the ones who are the most intoxicating to watch—are the ones who are most generous.

‍

They’re willing to make their entire performance completely about the person they’re trying to help. They’re selfless onstage, willing to do whatever it takes to make their audience feel, think, and act differently. They’re focused entirely on the people they set out to serve.

‍

They don’t seek accolades or standing ovations. Their only aim is to be helpful. Like a steady lighthouse or a glimmering disco ball, these speakers shine onstage—but not for their personal glory. They reflect inspiration and illuminate the hearts and minds of each person in their audience.

Don't

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Don't

|

Helpful Links

Take the stage with confidence (and a spark of character).

GRAD

|

Stage Performance Mastery

Master performance techniques that land your message directly into the hearts of your audience. Craft a performance that’s completely for them.

Learn more

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Storytelling Skills from the Biggest Stages

‍

Bring your stories to life and make them stage-worthy with these simple suggestions:

‍

Aim to provoke emotion. Just like an actor who constantly aims to make their scene partner feel and act a certain way, focus on what you’re making your audience feel during each moment of your performance.
Think of your speech as a dialogue, not a monologue. As a speaker, technically, you’re the only one speaking. But a great speech is a vivid dialogue between the speaker and the audience—one that’s full of debate, emotion, and energy.
Add contrast. Both masterful actors and speakers add variety to their voice, movement, emotions, and content to craft an entertaining performance that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Contrast makes a performance feel alive.
Stay present. Literally. Telling stories in the present tense can help your brain feel like the story is unfolding in real time. Your audience will feel the tension, suspense, and anticipation from your story when you are fully present.
Avoid autopilot when repeating your speech again and again. Repetition—both during rehearsal and actual live performances—is crucial for mastery. But left unchecked, it can also lead to a mechanical, flat, autopilot-style delivery. Avoid autopilot storytelling by focusing on what’s new: today’s audience, this unique venue, the eager eyes in the front row. Remember that each performance is the first and only time this unique audience will experience it.
Add movement to your stories and speech. Intentional movement can drive your message home, captivate your audience, and increase your impact. But before you move, always know where you're going, when you're going there, and why you're going there.

Dont

treat your speech like a monologue; make it feel like a dynamic dialogue with your audience.

focus on what specific emotions you want your audience to feel.

When a performer is prepared, the performance is thrilling; it feels alive, as though it’s happening for the very first time, in the best way.

Generosity: The Performer’s Gift to the World

‍

Now, at HEROIC, I teach many of those same techniques I’ve explored throughout my acting journey to people who have the desire to change the world and help their specific audiences.

‍

I’ve found that both in the acting world and the speaking industry, the best performers—the ones who are the most intoxicating to watch—are the ones who are most generous.

‍

Don't