ABSTRACT
Acting opposites is a vital technique for producing the element of surprise for the audience. If the audience knows what is coming, the effect of it is deadened and it loses the intended impact. The reverse would apply, of course, if you know the letter contains bad news, such as we did not pass the test or we have a nasty medical condition and need an operation. The same rule of opposites applies in all manners of acting situations the unexpected guest, the unwanted proposal, the surprise party, and so forth but there is one situation that is particularly tricky, and we probably have seen it a million times: a character enters a room and finds something he did not expect. We need to practice this sort of thing over and over again, but using opposites will always make the moment clearer and better.
