| Ironies |
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to
follow direction.
Each production has its requirements. Specific roles are involved,
certain kinds of costumes, what the set looks like. As an
actor works to learn the play and the cast comes together
the piece takes on a life of its own. The director leads the
cast to create a version of reality for the play. An actor
may try on certain behaviors and make suggestions for their
character, but the director will decide what works for the
good of the play. |
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Free
–
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to
be yourself (outside of a role).
While in the process of creating a character, the actor has
to find the character within himself/herself. This freedom is
limited by the choices made by the director, who has ultimate
control over everything a character is and does. The process
of discovering a character provides learning experiences for
the actors. While expressing emotions as a character the actor
finds where those feelings connect within himself/herself. When
real life situations occur that touch those emotions, the actor
is better able to understand them. |
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Free
–
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to explore different personalities (within the sphere of
a character).
Where else can a person have a different personality on a regular
basis and get away with it. Acting lets the students try out
behaviors and attitudes without fear of rejection. I find
myself wondering if it is somehow difficult to identify what
is really you after so many roles. My discussions with the
students lead me to believe that they are intelligent and
thoughtful enough to know themselves and express themselves
easily. Though they seem like extroverts, many of them are
really quite shy. |
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Free
–
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to
move (exactly where & how you are directed to move).
During the rehearsals for "A Funny Thing Happened on the
Way to the Forum" I observed how the movements onstage(blocking)
are determined. For the scene "Impossible" two actors
sing a song and move around the stage in mirrored movements.
The characters are father and son and one sings a part then
the other sings a similar part. As they do they perform the
same movements on opposite sides of the stage. The process of
creating the scene was painstaking, over and over again one
actor would sing a line, move and gesture while the other observed
him. Then the second actor would sing his line and move and
gesture in the same way. They were free to work out what felt
right for the characters, but restricted to what the character
required. |
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Free
–
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to
express emotions (the way your character should).
Within the bounds of the specific character and the interpretation
of the play by the director the students are asked to try various
gestures, postures and ways of expressing the lines. The director
may ask what they feel is best for the part or may ask them
to analyze the motivation of the character. Program Director
Melba Martinez, Ph.D. puts it this way, "In creating a
role, the actor must make choices about the character. Every
character wants something from the other characters. What does
your character want?" |
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Free
–
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to
sing out loud (the words as they are written).
Those people who are not performers of some kind do not often
sing out loud in public. Despite what musicals would have us
believe, after childhood it is not really done to walk through
a store singing a song. But in the theatre you can sing out
loud if the feeling moves you. It is a very freeing and scary
experience to suddenly burst into song. But in this scenario
the words and music are already written and you must follow
them. |
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Free
–
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to
experiment (until it's the way the director wants it, then do
it the same way for every performance).
When the time for performance is at hand, the rehearsals have
been going on for weeks and every tiny thing about the show
is embedded in your being, then you have to remember that each
show is a new show and not only does the audience not know what
will happen next, but neither does your character. Every time
the scene is played the character must be there for the first
time. |
| Back
to top |
| Why
the ironies don't matter. |
|
Society's
permission -
to be different
|
"If
we didn't have theatre, we would not know what it means to
be human." Theatre Program Director, Melba Martinez, Ph.D.
In her studies of theatre and film Melba has investigated
the theories of Louis Althussur and Michel Fouchault, who
found that identity is constructed of vast systems of representation
and that we reside in the narrow overlap between presentation
and representation. Everything about a character is a representation
so that you can portray the character accurately. In discovering
how to represent a character actors have the tacit approval
of society to be different. Martinez affirms that there is
no higher state of grace than to be human and that actors
are always in a state of reverence while creating a character.
One
of the main responses from the students to my question, "What
qualities set Theatre students apart from other college students?"
was that they feel safe in theatre. Safe to be themselves
no matter what that looks like. That in theatre they will
be accepted and nurtured to find and develop their talents.
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Self-discovery
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When
an actor portrays a character he/she must find that character
within themselves. Expressing the emotions and recreating the
experiences touches those involved in the process. It is not
possible to walk a mile in the character's shoes without learning
something about yourself. Exploring motivation and reliving
an experience repeatedly cause the actors to examine their own
motivations and find where the connections are within themselves.
|
SS:
It seems like I think knowing how to express your emotions
as well, because when you're acting, it seems to me, you
know I only did a minor little bit of theatre in high school
and was never any good at it, so, when you have to express
emotions as a character does that help you better identify
those emotions for when you are actually feeling them?
A: I think so
C: I think you feel it first and then express it.
B&D: Yeah. Yeah.
D: I think you can't express it onstage until you've
watched yourself.
A: But the process of the work can also trigger another
an emotional understanding of yourself so that you can make
those connections.
D: True
A: You know what I mean. You can like uhh, uhh, uhh,
I hate myself or whatever, but you don't really understand
why. But if you're doing a role where the character hates
himself, you're doing some character work, something might
happen, something might trigger, and then suddenly you're
like, "OK, I now get it." I mean it makes the performance
richer but you've also learned a whole lot about yourself.
|
| The
feelings of acceptance and the opportunities for self understanding
gained in theatre offset the limitations to their freedom that
theatre imposes. The students also notice that even when their
peers or society looks at them as freaks or weirdos there is
also very often an element of jealousy that is expressed. Many
people outside of theatre would love to have the talent or strength
of desire to perform. When the applause begins the actors know
that the audience admires their talent, hard work and perseverance.
And that is what makes it all worthwhile. |
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|
