Behaviorism and my show...
I've been thinking a lot about the behaviorists since our last class session. I've been familiar with the ideas behind behaviorism for some time, most notably when training my dogs. Whatever else people may say about behaviorism, especially as it relates to humans, there's no denying that it's the key to creating civilized furry friends!
I'm currently musically directing a run of "Fiddler on the Roof," and week before last was the week affectionately known to theater folks as "Hell week." And yes, it is. Every show I've been involved with completely falls apart during this maddening last week of rehearsals before opening, and is just barely glued back together for opening night. Even in the best companies, tempers flare, feelings are hurt, actors who still don't know their parts suffer public humiliation... yet we always come back for more, show after show. Baffling... or is it? I started looking at this phenomenon from a behaviorist perspective and maybe it makes sense after all. I notice the little rewards people receive during Hell week--murmurs of approval from fellow cast members when a scene goes well, friendships (i.e., attention and, dare I say, stimulation) developing backstage, words of praise from the director (or even the musical director!)... the list goes on and on. But of course the most significant reward is that rush of adrenaline and the knowledge that an entire audience is focused on YOU, opening night. After early childhood, the world is never so centered around a single person in a socially acceptable way as it is during a theatrical performance. It feels like a very cynical point of view to me, but I suppose that from a behaviorist's perspective, this total attention and (hopefully) approval from a large group of people is the reward that conditions actors to confront the same difficulties time and time again.
I like to think that it's something deeper. Certainly, there are performers out there who are all about themselves--and perhaps every truly charismatic performer has some of that element. However, I see among our cast and the many other performers I've worked with a genuine desire to make a positive difference in others' lives. How does that fit in with the behaviorists? What about self-reflection, both on the part of the actors and the audience? More food for thought...
I'm currently musically directing a run of "Fiddler on the Roof," and week before last was the week affectionately known to theater folks as "Hell week." And yes, it is. Every show I've been involved with completely falls apart during this maddening last week of rehearsals before opening, and is just barely glued back together for opening night. Even in the best companies, tempers flare, feelings are hurt, actors who still don't know their parts suffer public humiliation... yet we always come back for more, show after show. Baffling... or is it? I started looking at this phenomenon from a behaviorist perspective and maybe it makes sense after all. I notice the little rewards people receive during Hell week--murmurs of approval from fellow cast members when a scene goes well, friendships (i.e., attention and, dare I say, stimulation) developing backstage, words of praise from the director (or even the musical director!)... the list goes on and on. But of course the most significant reward is that rush of adrenaline and the knowledge that an entire audience is focused on YOU, opening night. After early childhood, the world is never so centered around a single person in a socially acceptable way as it is during a theatrical performance. It feels like a very cynical point of view to me, but I suppose that from a behaviorist's perspective, this total attention and (hopefully) approval from a large group of people is the reward that conditions actors to confront the same difficulties time and time again.
I like to think that it's something deeper. Certainly, there are performers out there who are all about themselves--and perhaps every truly charismatic performer has some of that element. However, I see among our cast and the many other performers I've worked with a genuine desire to make a positive difference in others' lives. How does that fit in with the behaviorists? What about self-reflection, both on the part of the actors and the audience? More food for thought...