This term refers to the way an actor might consider approaching a character's need. A need is a deeply felt experience. The character's need/s might be expressed consciously and extrinsically through the text or be more intrinsic and subconscious informimg the subtext. An actor accesses her character principlely through empathy. Through empathy and exploration of the dramatic material she will discover and deepen her understanding of her character's needs and motivations. Personalising the need is an approach that facilitates this process. Experiencing or personalising a need is like making an emotional and psychological investment much the same way an athlete makes a physical and psychological investment in the race of the game. Having empathy for a character's situation or need allows the actor to behave 'as if' the character's needs are the actor's. Using or personalsing the need is a point of entry for the actor. It allows the actor to make deeper discoveries that are specific to the character - from an experiential platform rather than an intelectual one. For example: an actor playing Macbeth might not have a personal connection to murder but will most likely be able to explore his desire for success and personalise the need for status or position or victory. Personalising the need also enhances empathy and increases the likelihood of the actor making organic discoveries of the character and the human experience inherent in the story being told. | 
