Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Ending a dramatic moment

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Broceli
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Topic: Ending a dramatic moment
Posted: 7/31/06 at 9:06am

i'm in a play, in which I play a father trying to cope with his sons death. His daughter constantly fights with him, and in one scene i raise my arm to slap her, but catch myself. She runs off and i'm left standing there,i'm not sure what to do, i watched a video of it and it's looks silly and awkward....Any advice?

(im supossed to be upset with myself for even thinking of hitting her, my next line is: "i've never hit anyone")

im new at this forum, so sorry if this is not the sort of thing discussed.

ok, now try it again, but this time...don't suck

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Mike Polo
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Posted: 7/31/06 at 9:36am

This is exactly the kind of thing we discuss here, welcome.

Have you discussed the problem with the director? Video doesn't always capture the way the scene looks from the house.

I don't know the play or the scene, but I would think it should look awkward... after all, this isn't something your character would do. Truth be told, I'm hesitant to offer anything more than that without knowing what your director says and without knowing the show.

Mike Polo
Community Theater Green Room
http://www.communitytheater.org

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B-M-D
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Posted: 7/31/06 at 10:35am

Have to agree with Mike on this one. Ask your director, that's their job.

"Dying is easy, comedy is hard."

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castMe
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Posted: 7/31/06 at 5:27pm

Agreeing with Mike and BMD here, but I will tell you what I tell my actors when they are unsure what to do. Do nothing. The audience will imagine what you are thinking without you having to do, say, or think a thing. That's what an audience is for. To make all the value judgements that the actor should stay away from while crafting their role. We're actors, not feelers. Feeling is the viewer's job.

Let us know what your director has to say, OK?

Investigate. Imagine. Choose.

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tristanrobin
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Posted: 7/31/06 at 6:29pm

castme, LOL LOL LOL, I totally disagree with everything you wrote LOL LOL
LOL

different strokes

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B-M-D
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Posted: 7/31/06 at 6:58pm

So CastMe, you agree with Mike and I and then go on to give advice, the very thing that we advised against. (Falling on floor LOL)

An actor dosen't make a value judgement?! A playwright doesn't make a value judgement?! A director doesn't make a value judgement?! The playwright always has a point of view or a value judgement even when they seem not to or the intent is to be ambiguious. Theatre has been manipulating audiences feelings and points of view for centuries. Where's the risk or challenge to remaining neutral?

But this is getting off Broceli's original point of disscussion. Bottom line - work it out with your director.

"Dying is easy, comedy is hard."

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castMe
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Posted: 7/31/06 at 7:15pm

An actor's job (as I see it) is not to pass judgement on his character. (also widely afield of the topic) It's not the actor's job. The playwrite may (it's his baby) The audience may (it's their dough that bought the ticket) . This is the same side of the coin as "the actor must find something about his character he likes. If all actors made value judgements of their characters, noone would have ever played Don Corleone, Hannibal Lector, or any of the thousands and thousands of reprehensible, amoral, immoral, hateful roles written. That was my point re judging.

Investigate. Imagine. Choose.

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tristanrobin
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Posted: 7/31/06 at 8:07pm

Now I agree with castme, LOL, actors should NEVER pass judgement on their
character. Very very few people do things that are not nice because they
WANT to be not nice. Most people are quite sure of their 'rightness.'

However, I whole-heartedly disagree that an actor should ever "do nothing."
Any actor that "does nothing" on stage is going to bore the socks of an
audience. This doesn't necessarily mean they have to move. But acting is
doing something. If the actor has stopped acting in order to "do nothing,"
they've stopped acting. IMO, a very big no-no.

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castMe
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Posted: 7/31/06 at 8:24pm

I guess what I meant by "do nothing" is....Sometimes you don't have to actually do anything to have the audience react to the mood. If the script is there, and your character is there and your fellow actors are there, and the moment is there....when it comes time to "react" to a dramatic moment, just your being there is sometimes enough for the audience to imprint their feelings on your face. I didn't mean to imply you could float thru a performance and give nothing. I have witnessed scenes that have reduced me to a sobbing idiot by merely watching actor A watch the actor B exit. He needn't cry nor wail, nor wring his hands, nor curse the gods. I was moved because I KNEW how the actor felt, and yet I have no idea whether he was as moved as I or was pondering what to eat after the show. And therein lies the beauty of acting.....you get to play dress-up and pretend for 3 hours that what you're doing is happening right now for the very first time.

(please note how I qualify the hell out of everything..."sometimes this and sometimes that")

Investigate. Imagine. Choose.

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B-M-D
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Posted: 7/31/06 at 8:48pm

CastMe I'm thinking that you agree with me more than not. I see having a point of view or making a value judgment as making a choice to either do or not do something that will advance the point of view or value judgment of the play or playwright or to simply move the plot along.

"Dying is easy, comedy is hard."

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Acting
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Acting

Topic: Ending a dramatic moment( Topic Closed)
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Author	Message
Broceli Walk-On Joined: 7/31/06 Location: Austria Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Topic: Ending a dramatic moment Posted: 7/31/06 at 9:06am
	i'm in a play, in which I play a father trying to cope with his sons death. His daughter constantly fights with him, and in one scene i raise my arm to slap her, but catch myself. She runs off and i'm left standing there,i'm not sure what to do, i watched a video of it and it's looks silly and awkward....Any advice? (im supossed to be upset with myself for even thinking of hitting her, my next line is: "i've never hit anyone") im new at this forum, so sorry if this is not the sort of thing discussed.
	ok, now try it again, but this time...don't suck

	IP Logged

Mike Polo Admin Group Community Theater Green Room Joined: 2/01/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 286	Posted: 7/31/06 at 9:36am
	This is exactly the kind of thing we discuss here, welcome. Have you discussed the problem with the director? Video doesn't always capture the way the scene looks from the house. I don't know the play or the scene, but I would think it should look awkward... after all, this isn't something your character would do. Truth be told, I'm hesitant to offer anything more than that without knowing what your director says and without knowing the show.
	Mike Polo Community Theater Green Room http://www.communitytheater.org
	IP Logged

B-M-D Celebrity Joined: 11/03/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 346	Posted: 7/31/06 at 10:35am
	Have to agree with Mike on this one. Ask your director, that's their job.
	BD "Dying is easy, comedy is hard."
	IP Logged

castMe Celebrity Joined: 11/02/05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 206	Posted: 7/31/06 at 5:27pm
	Agreeing with Mike and BMD here, but I will tell you what I tell my actors when they are unsure what to do. Do nothing. The audience will imagine what you are thinking without you having to do, say, or think a thing. That's what an audience is for. To make all the value judgements that the actor should stay away from while crafting their role. We're actors, not feelers. Feeling is the viewer's job. Let us know what your director has to say, OK?
	Investigate. Imagine. Choose.
	IP Logged

tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 7/31/06 at 6:29pm
	castme, LOL LOL LOL, I totally disagree with everything you wrote LOL LOL LOL different strokes
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B-M-D Celebrity Joined: 11/03/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 346	Posted: 7/31/06 at 6:58pm
	So CastMe, you agree with Mike and I and then go on to give advice, the very thing that we advised against. (Falling on floor LOL) An actor dosen't make a value judgement?! A playwright doesn't make a value judgement?! A director doesn't make a value judgement?! The playwright always has a point of view or a value judgement even when they seem not to or the intent is to be ambiguious. Theatre has been manipulating audiences feelings and points of view for centuries. Where's the risk or challenge to remaining neutral? But this is getting off Broceli's original point of disscussion. Bottom line - work it out with your director.
	BD "Dying is easy, comedy is hard."
	IP Logged

castMe Celebrity Joined: 11/02/05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 206	Posted: 7/31/06 at 7:15pm
	An actor's job (as I see it) is not to pass judgement on his character. (also widely afield of the topic) It's not the actor's job. The playwrite may (it's his baby) The audience may (it's their dough that bought the ticket) . This is the same side of the coin as "the actor must find something about his character he likes. If all actors made value judgements of their characters, noone would have ever played Don Corleone, Hannibal Lector, or any of the thousands and thousands of reprehensible, amoral, immoral, hateful roles written. That was my point re judging.
	Investigate. Imagine. Choose.
	IP Logged

tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 7/31/06 at 8:07pm
	Now I agree with castme, LOL, actors should NEVER pass judgement on their character. Very very few people do things that are not nice because they WANT to be not nice. Most people are quite sure of their 'rightness.' However, I whole-heartedly disagree that an actor should ever "do nothing." Any actor that "does nothing" on stage is going to bore the socks of an audience. This doesn't necessarily mean they have to move. But acting is doing something. If the actor has stopped acting in order to "do nothing," they've stopped acting. IMO, a very big no-no.
	IP Logged

castMe Celebrity Joined: 11/02/05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 206	Posted: 7/31/06 at 8:24pm
	I guess what I meant by "do nothing" is....Sometimes you don't have to actually do anything to have the audience react to the mood. If the script is there, and your character is there and your fellow actors are there, and the moment is there....when it comes time to "react" to a dramatic moment, just your being there is sometimes enough for the audience to imprint their feelings on your face. I didn't mean to imply you could float thru a performance and give nothing. I have witnessed scenes that have reduced me to a sobbing idiot by merely watching actor A watch the actor B exit. He needn't cry nor wail, nor wring his hands, nor curse the gods. I was moved because I KNEW how the actor felt, and yet I have no idea whether he was as moved as I or was pondering what to eat after the show. And therein lies the beauty of acting.....you get to play dress-up and pretend for 3 hours that what you're doing is happening right now for the very first time. (please note how I qualify the hell out of everything..."sometimes this and sometimes that")
	Investigate. Imagine. Choose.
	IP Logged

B-M-D Celebrity Joined: 11/03/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 346	Posted: 7/31/06 at 8:48pm
	CastMe I'm thinking that you agree with me more than not. I see having a point of view or making a value judgment as making a choice to either do or not do something that will advance the point of view or value judgment of the play or playwright or to simply move the plot along.
	BD "Dying is easy, comedy is hard."
	IP Logged