I helped with high school musicals for several years, and while choreography was my main responsibility, I often worked with students on character development. I enjoyed watching young performers grow, stretching themselves to become something and someone quite different from their own selves. They get comfortable with themselves in the context of daily life. To take on another persona, especially in front of peers and teachers, can be daunting.

We’d work through the transformation process a little at a time. Of course, each person was cast in a role because the directing staff saw the possibility of transformation from one person into a character of the musical. We knew it was possible, but the high school student often doubted us.

We’d start with the basics. Who was the character? What was her background? How would she talk? As the student began to grasp the flow of the lines, we began working on movement. How would the character stand? Walk? Sit? Anyone on stage has to be flexible, because even though you hope to rely on others’ entrances, exits, lines and props, the unexpected usually happens. When responding in the moment, actors can’t lose the character. Responses within the character need to be consistent at all times.

Learning to become the character involves becoming aware of muscle groups that impact posture, gait, and hand gestures. It’s about learning how to form words, look at another actor, pause, rush, and dance. It’s a complete transformation. Most professional actors have great stories to tell about being outside the theatre in everyday life but setting aside their own selves and responding instead as the character they assume on stage.

I often encouraged students to try daily activities as the character, including things they’d never have to do on stage. How would the character brush her teeth? How would she carry books to class and sit in a desk? How would she eat lunch and sing to the radio? The more completely the character could invade the student’s life, the more completely the student could bring the character to life on stage.

The final stage of the process was “stepping into the character.” Because it’s important to be able to step in and out of character when on and off the stage, strategically taking on or setting aside characteristics when needed, I’d encourage students to imagine everything about the character and picture the character standing one step ahead of them. When ready, students would “step into” the character, leaving themselves behind. They learned to do this as they prepared to go on stage, so a specific landmark backstage became their “step.” They didn’t need to think about it anymore. As they approached the trigger mark, they became the character and were ready to perform. Ideally, it was a complete transformation.

From this time on we do not think of anyone as the world does. In the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks, but we no longer think of him in that way. If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new! (2 Corinthians 5:16-17)

In order for your transformation to be complete, you must make a commitment. It can’t be a partial commitment. Any vacillation about your transformation will directly impact your growth. To get and maintain physical fitness, you must commit. To get and maintain spiritual fitness, you must commit. When you do, there is a complete transformation. Of course, it’s a process. There’s a transformation of thinking, processing, and prioritizing. You are becoming who God created you to be. You will see, believe and accept the possibilities of complete transformation: God’s way.

Will you step into the character God’s created you to become?