Give me a Brecht
In auditions as in day to day life, Kipling's wonderful advice: '...can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too.' It is my cruise control. Recently, I've really needed it.
The world has seemed a bit crazy for a while now. Whilst I recognise that I am the common factor in all that I experience, one only has to read a newspaper...
For such concrete & personal reasons, my everyday experiences are subject to a pretty honest review. From time to time patterns emerge that worry me greatly. At least once every day, something happens that cannot be explained even by the most critical & exacting self-discipline nor the most generous of assumptions regarding others. I have to assume, as least hypothisis, that people are frequently unclear about their actions & decisions.
But really, I must ask; is there some kind of curse that means that makes you suspect almost everyone around you has gone quite nuts?
This was the strangest audition & I've been to ones - sucessfully - where rather than declaim your perfectly memorised Shakespearean monologue you were required to render it on the spot, as interprative dance, - "Go!"
Ah the arts... & the Search for Truth.
A moderately reputable company. Good reputation, decades of tradition & experience. Amateur but experience there well regarded by professional production houses. I prepared pretty well - to the extent that I ever can make myself prepare & not feel that I thus shame & betray my spontaneous originality duty. The great god Moment... But I digress.
The piece was low in my range - G&S:Pirates, Better Far To Live & Die (usually referred to as The Pirate King), but I had all the notes just the way I wanted them. All my little double skip steps were in the first verse. The 2nd verse was much more physical (& much more in character). I had a sword - plastic but fairly credible at a distance. I had slashes, parries & lancing, a one handed cartwheel for crying out loud, a slap of the blade on the audition desk & a final pose (& high 'G') with ode to Luke Skywalker...
Yes gentle reader, I think we've established a tendency to self indulgence. Do not let that distract you.
The point is, that it worked.
Better than this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHlakM55SQA
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLrKJV4ITeE
And in the right key.
I checked before I started what they wanted: "The character has lots of exuberance, very over the top, plenty of dynamic swashbuckling here & there."
"Very well." I said & smiled.
8 bars into the fist verse after I'd taken 2 - count them - 2 steps; the director jumps up & starts screaming, "Don't Move!"
Then jabbed her finger @ half a dozen places towards the back of the hall & shrieked, "We don't want you to move from that spot!"
Then the musical director stopped playing. (In order to look???). I assumed a caricature pose + carried on with the song. (Yes, I carried on, from that point, I wouldn't have missed a beat for an explosion in a chocolate factory).
The MD then started playing again - FROM THE SPOT WHERE SHE STOPPED & AT A DIFFERENT TEMPO!
At the end, eveyone was scowling & looking agitated.
My mind kept flashing to that scene in Resevoir Dogs - '...here I am, stuck in the middle with you.'
I did the best I could to calm everyone down & assure them that I knew their job was hard but strewth! They kept glaring at me as I'd done something wrong.
WTF?????????
I could have slapped them. The work that went into that 2minute piece...
I think that one of the reasons I've always been able to convey characters on stage & earn what I'm assured is a large share of "Vivid", "Strong presence" & "Excellent choices" comments, is that on stage the paramaters of the world & its characters are clear - frequently complex, but clear. Subtext is not assumed or avoided. Its Explored!
Far, far too often everyday life seems to be a case of putting one foot in front of the other whilst watching those around me losing theirs & blaming it on me.
The world has seemed a bit crazy for a while now. Whilst I recognise that I am the common factor in all that I experience, one only has to read a newspaper...
For such concrete & personal reasons, my everyday experiences are subject to a pretty honest review. From time to time patterns emerge that worry me greatly. At least once every day, something happens that cannot be explained even by the most critical & exacting self-discipline nor the most generous of assumptions regarding others. I have to assume, as least hypothisis, that people are frequently unclear about their actions & decisions.
But really, I must ask; is there some kind of curse that means that makes you suspect almost everyone around you has gone quite nuts?
This was the strangest audition & I've been to ones - sucessfully - where rather than declaim your perfectly memorised Shakespearean monologue you were required to render it on the spot, as interprative dance, - "Go!"
Ah the arts... & the Search for Truth.
A moderately reputable company. Good reputation, decades of tradition & experience. Amateur but experience there well regarded by professional production houses. I prepared pretty well - to the extent that I ever can make myself prepare & not feel that I thus shame & betray my spontaneous originality duty. The great god Moment... But I digress.
The piece was low in my range - G&S:Pirates, Better Far To Live & Die (usually referred to as The Pirate King), but I had all the notes just the way I wanted them. All my little double skip steps were in the first verse. The 2nd verse was much more physical (& much more in character). I had a sword - plastic but fairly credible at a distance. I had slashes, parries & lancing, a one handed cartwheel for crying out loud, a slap of the blade on the audition desk & a final pose (& high 'G') with ode to Luke Skywalker...
Yes gentle reader, I think we've established a tendency to self indulgence. Do not let that distract you.
The point is, that it worked.
Better than this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHlakM55SQA
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLrKJV4ITeE
And in the right key.
I checked before I started what they wanted: "The character has lots of exuberance, very over the top, plenty of dynamic swashbuckling here & there."
"Very well." I said & smiled.
8 bars into the fist verse after I'd taken 2 - count them - 2 steps; the director jumps up & starts screaming, "Don't Move!"
Then jabbed her finger @ half a dozen places towards the back of the hall & shrieked, "We don't want you to move from that spot!"
Then the musical director stopped playing. (In order to look???). I assumed a caricature pose + carried on with the song. (Yes, I carried on, from that point, I wouldn't have missed a beat for an explosion in a chocolate factory).
The MD then started playing again - FROM THE SPOT WHERE SHE STOPPED & AT A DIFFERENT TEMPO!
At the end, eveyone was scowling & looking agitated.
My mind kept flashing to that scene in Resevoir Dogs - '...here I am, stuck in the middle with you.'
I did the best I could to calm everyone down & assure them that I knew their job was hard but strewth! They kept glaring at me as I'd done something wrong.
WTF?????????
I could have slapped them. The work that went into that 2minute piece...
I think that one of the reasons I've always been able to convey characters on stage & earn what I'm assured is a large share of "Vivid", "Strong presence" & "Excellent choices" comments, is that on stage the paramaters of the world & its characters are clear - frequently complex, but clear. Subtext is not assumed or avoided. Its Explored!
Far, far too often everyday life seems to be a case of putting one foot in front of the other whilst watching those around me losing theirs & blaming it on me.