Acting Tips for Kids: How to Build a Character Backstory

Something happened at rehearsal this week that I have to tell you about — because it stopped me in my tracks.

We were running scenes for our upcoming production of The Wizard of Oz and I could see it happening in real time: some of our performers were saying their lines. Just… saying them. The words were right. The blocking was right. But something was missing. The characters weren't alive — they were just delivering information.

And honestly? It's one of the most common things I see in young performers, and it's not their fault. They're working so hard to learn their lines and hit their marks that they haven't had the chance to ask the most important question of all: Why?

If you are looking for a why to support your young performer when of my biggest acting tips for kids is to take the time to give your character a backstory and that is when the magic really happens.

The Script Only Tells You Part of the Story

Here's something I always tell my performers: the script is not your whole character. The script is a highlight reel — it shows you what your character says and does during the most important moments of the story. But your character has been living long before the lights come up. They have a past. They have relationships. They have fears and dreams and memories that the playwright never wrote down — because that's YOUR job as a performer to figure out.

Who is your character's best friend? Who do they secretly not get along with? What do they want more than anything in the world, and what is standing in their way? These are the questions that take a performer from reciting lines to actually inhabiting a character.

What Happened When We Went Deeper

This week, we took things a step further. Instead of just talking about backstory, we played it. I asked our performers to create scenes — improvised, messy, totally unscripted moments — that took place before the show begins. Before Act One. Before Dorothy's house gets swept away. Before any of it.

And let me tell you, what came out of that rehearsal was something else.

We discovered why Uncle Henry doesn't like Toto. (Turns out there's a whole history there that makes every one of his on-stage moments so much richer.) We explored why the Munchkins adore Glinda — and the genuine, complicated gratitude they feel toward her after years of being under the Wicked Witch's control. And one of the most powerful moments of the whole session? Watching our Lion work out exactly why he believes he has no courage. Not just "he's scared" — but the specific moment, the specific memory that made him decide he was a coward.

Those scenes will never be performed for an audience. But I guarantee you every single one of those moments will be felt by the audience, because the performers now know something true about who they are.

How to Build a Character Backstory With Your Performer

If you want to try this at home with your theatre kid, here are a few questions I love to use to get the wheels turning:

Start with relationships. Ask your performer: who does your character love? Who are they scared of? Who do they owe something to? Relationships carry so much emotional weight, and even the most minor character has them.

Find the dream. Every character wants something — even if it's never mentioned in the show. What does yours want? What are they secretly hoping will happen? What would make their life feel complete?

Dig up the wound. This one is a little deeper, but it's so powerful: what is something that happened to your character before the show starts that still hurts? What do they carry around with them? For our Lion, this was everything. Once he knew his wound, every single line shifted.

Play the moment. Don't just talk about backstory — act it out! Grab a sibling, a parent, a friend, and improvise a scene that "happened" before the show begins. It doesn't have to be long or polished. It just has to feel real.

Another fun way to help your performer build and develop that back story is ask important questions and make a one page get to know you sheet about this character.

Start with easy ones.

Age

Where are they from?

Best friend

Favourite hobby

Then go into the deeper ones I mentioned before about relationships and dreams/wishes and fears.

They could even write a story as the character like a journal enrty.

I love having performers draw a picture of themselves as the character as well.

This Is What Makes Theatre Actually Exciting to Watch

When performers know their characters from the inside out, something magical happens in the room. The audience can't always put their finger on why a performance is hitting them differently — but they feel it. They lean in. They care. Because the person on stage is not pretending to be a character. They are one.

That's what we're always working toward at Centre Stage Kids. Not perfect performances. Real ones.

It gives the performers a chance to really own the character and make decisions. They get to be a part of the creative process and develop this character that once just lived on a page.

One of my favourite parts of doing kids theatre is when we double cast a show (which means we have two kids who play the same role) you end up with two VERY different shows as each kid has created their own back story. Each kid brings something to the stage that is unique to them.

As a performer for many years I always remember the directors who gave me a chance to be create and be creative. Those were the shows that meant the most to me. Those are the shows that made me feel and in turn the audience would feel.

If you want your performer to go deeper into character work, craft, and creativity, I'd love to have them in one of our programs. Whether you're local to Guelph or anywhere in the world, there's a spot for your theatre kid — come find us at centrestagekids.ca.

— Courtney