Creativity in acting

A few random thoughts about creating and acting:

I’m currently in a production of “It’s a wonderful Life.” I have one of those wonderful bit-character parts that I love to do. I think I enjoy character acting so much because it involves more personal creativity. I have so much more of an opportunity to “make” the character into a creation of my own. I think I would die in a romantic lead or any other stereotypical acting role. I couldn’t enjoy playing he role as much, because I would be constrained by what people expected.

Some Observations on acting:

Acting is the most fun when the lines are memorized, the blocking is done, you put on a part of your costume and just have fun. It is just like being a kid again.

Most of what successfully happens on stage for me is not planned in advance. It comes from “being in the moment” and listening. These are the actor’s number one tools. Occasionally, an eureka moment will come and I’ll try it out on stage, but most times it doesn’t work as you had thought. It often it still takes a lot of pushing and molding to make it fit the character.

Acting seems to be more like working on a potter’s wheel than working in paint. There is a change in acting that comes when you finally know the character that I would liken to throwing a pot. The clay really does speak to you in a way that you just know how to form the shape. So, too in acting, once you get to a point, with the character, that you know him well enough, the character starts taking shape. A nudge here and a poke there, just a little at time and shape or character starts to form.

Acting involves a lot of drudge or boring work. Memorizing lines, standing offstage waiting, sitting and waiting for the director or someone else to finish. It is hard to fill the time reading or playing a game, because you have to keep your concentration on being ready. There is a month of preparation before you ever get to do the “art of acting”.

Once a show starts and adrenaline kicks in it can be a fun ride or it can be a nightmare. Applause is nice, but you don’t really get to hear it or not as long as the audience hears it. It is a quick moment in time. If you are acting for the applause or recognition you will be disappointed. I have to force myself to take compliments after a show. Barb, the director, makes the cast stand in the lobby after a performance to receive the patrons as they leave. I hate this, but do my job. Sometimes you go away feeling pumped up and sometimes you feel sucked dry. No doubt the fun is being-in-the-moment while you are onstage.

A funny thing, it always seemed to me that after a show was over there was no tangible evidence of your artwork left. It almost seems like you have nothing to show for your time. Yet, I have had more post reaction to shows that I have done than I have had to my artwork. Except maybe for Heart of a Cobbler. Maybe theatre has more impact than artwork in a gallery. Just a thought I’ll have to explore more.

I’ll write more as the show progresses.