Acting: taking your role too seriously

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taking your role too seriously

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Acting
Forum Discription: Q&A about auditions, character development and other aspects of the craft
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3325
Printed Date: 11/22/24 at 9:45am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: taking your role too seriously

Posted By: Nanette
Subject: taking your role too seriously
Date Posted: 8/02/08 at 3:07pm

Wow ... art imitates life!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/08/02/actor.charged.ap/index.html - http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/08/02/actor.charged.ap/index.html

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In a world of margarine, be butter!

Replies:

Posted By: Ray Faiola
Date Posted: 8/06/08 at 2:58pm

A great movie about an actor's role overtaking him is 1948's A DOUBLE LIFE starring Ronald Colman. He plays an actor doing OTHELLO on Broadway and the intensity of his immersion has deadly psychological consequences.

Colman grabbed an Oscar and Shelley Winters made her first big splash in pictures. Of course, she made a much bigger splash 24 years later!

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Ray Faiola
http://www.chelsearialtostudios.com

Posted By: DWolfman
Date Posted: 8/22/08 at 12:15pm

While the impetus for this thread is quite a tragedy, maybe we can add stories of our own "method acting" moments:

Over the years I've played a few scurrilous characters - drunken cowboys, lascivious lovers, scheming murderers, abominable boors, etc - and I have a reputation for throwing myself into character. However, when my wife was recently asked by a friend which one she liked living with the least on the occasions they "slipped out" at home, I was surprised that none of the above were her choice.

She picked the "bumbling, forgetful, slow on the uptake" husband I played and won an acting award for. I didn't have the heart to tell her he probably wasn't "slipping out" but I'm just getting senile.

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Even a man who is pure of heart...

Posted By: imamember
Date Posted: 8/22/08 at 12:33pm

I'm a character actor and also very outside to inside. Once I get my costume I'm consumed and it's hard not to act the part when not on stage. First thing I do after curtain calls is take it off otherwise i might scare of offend someone in the lobby by staying in character. it's honestly pretty hard for me to shed it without getting out of costume.

Posted By: pdavis69
Date Posted: 8/22/08 at 1:01pm

The role that consumed me the most was Sam Byke in Assassins. Being him three hours a night, with the hate, depression and mental unstability left me exhausted every night with a raging headache.

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Patrick L. Davis
Fort Findlay Playhouse