It is so easy to lose yourself onstage. Even with an almost blinding spotlight shining down on you, it is so easy to feel yourself slipping away until you are no longer there anymore. You have been replaced by this person known as your character and everything that you were has now become everything that they are. Your entire being has been stripped away from you, yet you embrace it because you are an actor and this moment is the most euphoric moment of your life.
I am not just being overly dramatic! Although that is what you should expect from us theatre folk. Still, these are the moments that founded my love for theatre. They are what drive me to keep dragging my sore and sleep deprived body through the stage door every night. I crave the
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Some of my cast mates would squint and squirm against the lights, complaining about the strain on their retinas but I never really minded. It was a small price to pay.
As the voice-over ended I felt the lights slowly rise on my bedroom. I took a deep breath and let Anne do the talking.
“I couldn’t sleep tonight… not even after Pim tucked me in. I feel wicked sleeping in a warm bed when my friends are at the mercy of the cruelest monsters ever to walk the earth… and all because they’re Jews.”
The words flowed out of my mouth, their sequence engraved in my brain. I sat there, listening to my own voice unconsciously speaking while the world around me slowed down. I listened as my heart beat made music with the hum of the stage lights. I watched as a particle of dust floated into the spotlight, drifting lazily across the yellow beam of light only to disappear into the darkness once more. I listened as my lines continued and the words sounded surprisingly crisp and clear to my ears. Somehow, both Anne and Alexie existed at the same time, peacefully co-existing in the same
out, it all works as a piece. And you feel that these actors are in this situation and the audience is not
Some of which are things that many people who are not theatre buffs may not realize exist. From the well-known terrors to follow The Scottish Play, to the idea that leaving a light out will keep evil spirits away, theatre has its share of interesting superstitions as well as facts that support these beliefs, but also put into perspective why there are somethings in performances that one may not realize is something they should not do, so if ever on stage be sure to Break a leg!
The music starts. The curtain opens up. Actors walk out onto the stage facing the audience. The lights shine down on them. They have the audience's undivided attention. There I stand, in the wings. Watching.
The most important performance I’ve ever been in was my recent performance as Aeneas in “Dido and Aeneas” by Henry Purcell with Lawrence Opera Theatre. Not only that, but it certainly was the most interesting show I’ve ever been in because as well. This production wasn’t performed in the traditional style, but performed being set in an insane asylum. The director was fearful that we wouldn’t be on board with this idea, but when we first heard it we were all excited and willing to work with whatever the director had to throw at us. The director gave us room to do what we wanted in terms of gestures and character choices and made it a productive and welcoming environment. Every individual in the opera was given the task of assigning a specific mental disorder that caused the character to end up in the insane asylum in the first place. I assigned Aeneas as having Schizophrenia, and that the Gods and the spirit were actually just voices in his head. I would listen to simulations of
An orchestra of power tools blare in the background as people move rapidly about carrying rolls of masking tape and wet paintbrushes. The commotion doesn't phase them. They are standing center stage staring into eachothers eyes, talking barely loud enough for only them to hear, not once noticing that they are in the wrong place for rehearsal. They’re in their own world, just the two of them. Boyfriend and girlfriend, Horton and Gertrude, Jackson and Kylie.
experienced at the time. He also emphasized that the actor on a stage lives a “repeated” experience not a “primary” one. What he means by this is that in order to evoke passionate emotion, the actor has to have experienced it. The only way an actor can make it seem real is if they truly can take themselves back to that moment they initially felt that way. However, there were a few limitations that occurred with emotional memory. The actors felt exhausted after recalling these strong emotions, producing negative
Themes and issues that aren’t talked about in every day lives, the theatre brings out, which is why its such a raw and emotional journey when you take a seat and the lights dim. When watching theatre, it tends to ‘hold a mirror up to nature’ as the wise Shakespeare once said. Projecting our reflections to ourselves, and realising the authenticity of ourselves, our culture, and issues within society that perhaps need to be fixed, and musical theatre does just that. And these are such strong reasons as to why audiences love coming time and time again to the theatre, to be moved, opinionated, shocked, emotional, and overall touched by performances on Broadway. It draws people in, and they all come out telling their friends about this life changing show they witnessed and to not buy a ticket would be
It is a way to escape and channel emotions. Just like any other art form. Theatre allows people to put themselves out there. Uta Hagen, theatre teacher and legend, says that it is not about losing yourself in the character, but about finding yourself in the character. Uta Hagen explains in her book Respect for Acting that emotions occur when something happens to people. It momentarily suspends the persons reasoning control and are unable to cope logically. She says to use a release object (acting) to bring out emotions such as triggers or a physical action. Also, she says there is no time to wander through past adventures; one should not be forced to deal with something buried. She is basically saying to transfer emotions into art. Alleviate the pain. This can be done with any form of art. But theatre allows an actor to be someone else and live truthfully in the moment. In a recent interview with G-Star School of the Arts teacher, Brian Edgecomb, he discussed how he has seen theatre heal students and himself. Edgecomb discussed that he lost his mother at a young age and felt alone. He discovered theatre in his teenage years and said he never felt more alive. As if his mother was always right by his side. He took the character’s circumstances and found himself in them. As for students, he says that there are many that come in extremely shy and anxious. They are starting something new and scary for them. After a few months he has seen a drastic change in them. As if they were completely different people. They were outgoing, confident, and fearless. His goals are to push every young student out of there comfort zone, which is exactly what theatre
I stood in anticipation behind the contestant’s podium as Alex Tribek read aloud the Final Jeopardy category. This was my chance to win the game, win the money I needed to pay off my mortgage, and car payments. I needed to win. I needed to win for my kids, for my sanity, for the well-being of my family. All my nerves and worries went away as soon as Alex read the Final Jeopardy category: “Broadway Musicals”.
Stage management allows me to use my organization and leadership skills to create something beautiful for people to cherish. Theatre breaks boundaries and possesses the power to heal even the most damaged souls. I savor the relationships I build with directors, technicians, crew members, and actors and enjoy watching them succeed. The exhaustion from hours in rehearsals and run-throughs pales in comparison to the elation felt when the company takes their final bow to a standing ovation. Consequently, I will gladly relinquish the limelight and spend my days in the energized darkness of the
Marie heard the few voices in the living room of her boarding room. She had been
As said by Thornton Wilder, “I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with one another the sense of what it is to be a human being,” the theatre is one of the greatest art forms. An audience collectively gathers to watch and enjoy the show of their choice, taking in the storyline, characters, and emotions portrayed by actors. Such an experience can often be described as a whirlwind of different emotions and connections, but the storm stifles to dead air once interrupted. The world of theatre is a beautiful place; however, it is easily disrupted by nuisances backstage, onstage, and in the house.
I first met “T” when I was placed into the same group as him in ninth grade drama class. I believe the teacher was trying to allow for diverse groups, leading to diverse opinions. My school was majority white, farm children, and T was no exception. Our group contained 5 people, including myself and T, and we had to create a script about teenage pregnancy. I always attempt to give everyone I meet a fair first-impression, but T decided to use this first meeting to complain about the groups and the content of the class. The rest of us worked diligently and co-operatively while T continued to either be on him phone or out for a “smoke-break”. T was an obvious sharp contrast next to the rest of the group.
I had done two shows before, in 3rd and 4th grade, but they were never as good or as professional as GREAT Theatre’s shows. I hadn’t really heard of GREAT Theatre before my friend Brianna asked me to audition for The Hobbit with her in 5th grade. It was exciting to audition for my first big show, and it made me remember how much fun I had had the last two years’ plays. When the cast list was posted, I carefully scanned the list looking for my name, which I didn’t find. I was devastated when I didn't get in so I tried again, and again, and again. I just could not get into a show, and that made me even more determined to get into the next one: Charlotte’s Web. When I auditioned for this show, I tried my best to be the best; I spoke with volume,
“Great theatre is about challenging how we think and encouraging us to fantasize about a world we aspire to” (Willem Dafoe). I joined theatre freshman year of high school. None of my close friends were in theatre, this was something I decided to do all on my own. At the time I was a cheerleader, so my focus was not 100% on theatre. I was on Hair Crew and missed all of my work days because of cheer. I showed up to dry tech, not knowing what to expect. In that 12 hour day, I worked harder than I have ever worked, I made relationships with people I had never even seen before, and I realized this was the place for me. Because of an injury, I was unable to continue my cheerleading career after football season. Now that I look back on my injury, I know God had a plan for me. I put all of my time into theatre from then on out. By the end of freshman year, I had made a countless amount of new friends and take on my first leadership role as assistant designer of men’s hair and makeup. At this time I also realized there is no feeling comparable to the feeling of standing at the foot of a stage after a successful performance bowing to the sound of the audience’s praise. I have