On Opera

The last few rehearsals have been really helpful for me in figuring out Pandora. Also, my partner and I have our lines and staging pretty well memorized – that has been a huge benefit as well. Still, I just feel a bit intimidated by my character. I really hope I can play someone like her truthfully, ya know? When we did our scene at the last class, I didn’t get into character at all. I was just sort of going through the motions and saying my lines. Not really sure why. That’s just what was happening. Boy did I regret it though… because being asked to do my scene as though I’m an “opera singer” is not my idea of a good time. I’ve been practicing a lot on my own so hopefully it will start to come out on stage. Especially since the dress rehearsal is today.

Bodega Bodega Bodega

Pandora Kingsley is a mystery to me. I’m having a difficult time connecting with the character. I’m absolutely determined to make her seem believable but I’m at a loss as to how to pull that off. I’ve been trying to break down who she is and what she is doing a lot in my mind. It seems that she is absolutely convinced that her actions are best. It is clear to everyone but her that her ideologies and priorities are misplaced and off balance. So I guess my focus needs to be discovering how to deliver the lines as though I can relate to them, as though they make sense to me. I need to write a good subtext. Okay… I have given myself some homework.

Today, I meet before class with my partner. Hopefully I can work some of these kinks out. I’m feeling both excited and intimidated. Here goes nothing.

Age Spots... Liver Spots... Death Spots!

Hmm… all in all I’d say class went pretty well this week. We focused mainly on the scenes we will be doing for our final – which will be performed in front of a live audience. After we all finished reading our scenes in front of each other, I’ve gotta say I agree with this guy in my class named Sam who said he’s “definitely dis-inviting his grandma.” Some of the content was making us all shift awkwardly in our seats.

Speaking of awkward, I get to play this wonderful 20 year old girl named Pandora who is madly in love with a man far older than her. The only setback? His age spots. Oh, and he cries when he looks at her. But it’s all good because he divorced his wife and all his kids just for her. Sigh… isn’t that romantic? I know what you’re thinking. What the heck ever happened to just buying a girl some flowers? Anyhow, I find the character to be absolutely hilarious. She completely refuses the good doses of reality her sister tries to shove at her. I’m really, really, enjoying the challenge of trying to pull this off in a convincing way.

Success!

This past week our class was assigned a “blank script”. In reading it, I found that it was a really general conversation broken into parts. There was no background information, no characters, no situation, no scene… nothing. All of those things were up to us, the students. We broke up into partners.

My partner and I decided that we were going to play an old man and woman. We gave the scene a setting, gave our characters conflicting goals within the scene, and wrote a subtext. Then we practiced, and laughed, and felt silly, and kept on practicing.

The day we were to present the skit before the class we came early to practice together. For some reason, I felt like I wasn’t connecting at all. I wasn’t playing this old lady well. People were going to throw fruit at me if I didn’t fix something. My mind was running through all the stuff I read in our book. It wasn’t until just before I got on stage that I figured it out. Who is this old lady? What kind of woman is she? What’s her background? Once I knew who I was playing, I new the sorts of mannerisms to use, and facial expressions and how she would respond to those around her. Then, I came up with an “as if”. It worked! When we went on stage, I connected!Plus, my partner did amazing! We nailed it! Nobody threw any fruit! Success!

I Had No Idea How Much I Didn't Know

I was in a play once. Once. In high school. I played “hair dresser #2” in a breath-taking rendition of Singing in the Rain. (Insert sarcasm here.) It was magic. I still remember my single line: “Your beauty mark is coming off”. I laugh every time I think back on it. There wasn’t a whole lot of room for character development, and I definitely didn’t get a standing ovation, but I really enjoyed myself. It was fun. Yet still, this is the extent of my theatrical experience, and I’m finding with every class I'm suprised at how much I didn’t know.

My first great surprise came as I was looking over the book we were assigned, “A Practical Handbook for the Actor.” I reads, “The only talent you need to act is a talent for working – in other words, the ability to apply yourself in learning the skills that make up the craft of acting. To put it simply, anyone can act if he has the will to do so, and anyone who says he wants to but doesn’t have the knack for it suffers from a lack of will, not a lack of talent.” I highlighted this in my book. I had never considered the idea that acting could be a learned art. I always thought a person could either do it or they couldn’t. I can’t tell you how delighted I am that this isn’t true! Perhaps my hairdresser #2 days are over... or maybe I'll just be a more convicing beauty mark fixer.

Lesson One.

Acting… makes me feel awkward. Actually, a better way to put it may be that learning how to act makes me feel awkward. It all started with me having to read this quarter’s syllabus in a mock “Wicked Witch of the West” voice. “What’s my motivation here?” I thought to myself. “Is this before or after the house fell on her?” I swallowed hard and went for it. Too bad I wasn’t asked to do a cranky old British lady voice, because that’s what came out. At least I gave it my best shot. Come to find out, that’s what really counts anyway.

I learned a few things in that first class. Things like being relaxed and being quick on my feet, so to speak, feeding off the energy of others. I learned I’ve got to take a deep breath and not let those automatic feelings of intimidation keep me from my best. And I learned that while on stage it’s best to be completely invested in the moment. Actually, that might be a good life lesson. I’ll have to get back with you on that.