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Position:Home>Theater & Acting> Smoking cigarettes and Acting?Question: Smoking cigarettes and Acting!? I just started doing live theatre last year and have done 5 or 6 plays for our outdoor theatre!. I'm a smoker so I naturally play many of the characters who are smokers!.
My question is, what is a good alternative to regular cigarettes, are there any herbal cigs that taste OK!? The reason I ask is because since I began acting, I have doubled the amount I smoke!. I figure that if I use herbal cigs while on stage, it may help me cut back down to 10 per day!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: It never ceases to me amaze me how many self-righteous people jump in to answer with their opinions rather than directly answering the question!. As far as alternatives are concerned, there really aren't any that are "better" for you or taste even reasonably decent!. The herbal cigarettes which are often used by non-smokers trying to play a smoker are absolutely horrible tasting!. As a regular smoker, you'd gag!. It sounds like you're smoking more now that you're acting, but that probably has more to do with the circumstances than anything!. My experience has been that there are always more smokers involved in dance and theatre, so part of it might just be the social draw!. And it could be that you're slightly anxious when you're involved in a play, and that could also be a reason for the increase in your smoking!. If you really want to cut back, the only way to do it is exactly that - cut back!. Every time you reach for a cigarette, do it consciously and ask yourself if you really want or need one at that time!. You''ll probably find yourself putting the pack down more often than you are now!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Any time you take smoke into your lungs - herbal, mj, tobacco or whatever, you are doing damage!. At one time, smoking onstage was fashionable - today it is almost phased out, except for a couple of stereotyped characters!. And newer fire regulations are making it more and more difficult to actually light up and smoke on stage!. So - you can either play with a cigarette and not actually light it, that is, you can roll it in your fingers, you can put it to your lips and then take it away - there are all sorts of bits of business you can do without actually smoking - but when you do fake lighting up, you can do some of your finest acting and convince the audience that you are actually smoking, even though your cigarette is not actually burning!.Www@QuestionHome@Com First of all, maybe it's time to quit smoking the cigs (just on stage)!. Studies have shown that ever since marlboro started paying producers and directors to make their actors smoke, the number of smokers in children and adults have increased!. Try some other hook you could use, I (dont take this personally) think smoking on screen/stage is not as cool as it used to be!. Good luck finding a hook!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Oh for God's sake please quit!. I am a life long smoker who has emphesyma!. I used to be heard in a 5,000 seat theater!. I couldn't do that now, I haven't the air!. If you can't quit, play a game with yourself of any kind to cut down on them!. View them as special and only allow yourself to have one as reward for something extra special, that doesn't happen every day!. If you can't do any of that, good luck to you!. Hopefully it will fall away one day!. It truly diminishes your resources as an actor!. You are your instrument, and especially your voice and lung capacity!. If you want to stay in the business for a long time, quit!. I know this sounds like a lecture, and you should do what you have to do!. I just speak from experience and the perspective of looking back!. Don't you want to be able to grow and expand as an actor!? You can spend your life exploring the craft!. Don't cut it short!. Be the best actor you can be!. Sorry about the lecture!.Www@QuestionHome@Com herbal cigarettes is a good idea whenever we do shows and the character is a smoker we use herbal there better but they do smellWww@QuestionHome@Com Herbal cigarettes are worst for you than regular ones!. Just quit!. You'll get a lot more roles and u won't smell smoky!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |