The Seeing Place Theater - Voyeurism, Simplified

Zounds! Shakespearean Imagery Is A Killer

2013-05-16T13:58:00.001-04:00

Imagery seems to be the most difficult thing for the modern actor. We don't tend to speak in images anymore. I can say "Grand Canyon" and you know what I mean. You've seen it in Thelma and Louise or in a calendar or some such thing. But in Shakespeare's day, people needed imagery to understand things beyond themselves. Most people also didn't know how to read and write. Language was primarily heard - and it was in flux. Shakespeare created over 2000 words. People had a real love of language. And so, it is necessary to develop a love for Shakespeare's words - not a masturbatory love, but a real need for the words you are given to express your ideas.

We tend to learn the dictionary definition of Shakespeare's words, get a sense of the lines paraphrased, and call it a day. But there is so much more. First of all, the words and thoughts have to hold some kind of personal meaning for you. None of us can afford to let the lines do our work for us. The lines don't mean anything on their own. Words on a page are just that. It takes the actor to interpret them and infuse them with meaning. Much as people would like to believe that Shakespeare had no subtext, there is always room for interpretation. By "interpretation", I do not mean to support Concept-Driven Shakespeare (see below). All I mean to suggest is that it is quite impossible for any human being to express everything that is going on in every moment.

Does that mean it's necessary to take huge pauses for thought? Definitely not. It is suggested that people spoke much more quickly in Shakespeare's day - and they would have to in order for ROMEO AND JULIET to be the two-hours' traffic of anyone's stage. So, it is necessary in the style of Shakespeare's writing for people to "think on the line" - which basically means that you can't take the time to think about what you're going to say before you say it. But that's a style, just as much as Chekhov's plays call for a heightened comic realism.

With all of that said, it's important to keep in mind that there is no correct way of saying lines. The words will necessarily mean different things coming from different actors. Shakespeare wrote for a specific group of players. Chances are, you are not 100% what he had in mind. As such, we cannot get caught up in thinking that there's a right way and a wrong way. We all have to let our own discretion be our tutor.

Now that we've sussed out the meanings of the words, we need to attend to the Heightened Language. We have to understand how the language operates in creation of ideas. If I am speaking metaphorically, I actually need to create the metaphor. The hidden meaning will not express itself of its own volition. You can't say something like, "Your mind is tossing on the ocean," without being aware of the ocean. It's not a colloquial way to say something. And so you can't say it as though it's just an ordinary way of speaking. Try it - it will seem silly. That said, some balance is necessary. Just because something is poetical does not mean it needs to become poetry - nor do these things need to be acted out or you'll insult your audience. But you do need to actually create the image.

It seems that every time I go see a Shakespearean play, I get one of three things.
1.) A group of people that seem to be channeling Keanu Reeves in an attempt to sound "natural"
2.) What seems to be the bad-karaoke version of Shakespeare, where people seem to be doing the equivalent of singing along to their favorite Shakespearean character - without allowing it to come from them.
3.) A mouthful of emoted words in the stylings we would expect to have seen on the renaissance stage.

Rarely, if ever, are any of these actors grounded in the reality of the circumstances of the play or the individual character's intentions. I think that we can all agree that the first two are just bad acting. But the third seems to have become an epidemic in our theater. These actors seem to think that if they speak with gusto, their passion will out. But in reality, they are "tearing a passion to tatters, to very rags".

No amount of impassioned speaking will create circumstances for us. We don't need to know how the words make you feel. Taking our cues from life, only actors try to sound sad or drunk or angry, etc. Real people try to keep their emotions out of their speech. In times of great difficulty, real people try their best to communicate. So should we - especially in Shakespeare. For some reason, people seem to throw all concepts of acting out the window when it comes to performing in a Shakespearean play - in fact, it applies to classical theatre in general (not to mention musicals), but that's a subject for another day.

I mentioned Concept-Driven Shakespeare earlier. I'm sure you basically understand the idea. I've seen things anywhere from HAMLET: 2001, A SPACE ODYSSEY to ROMEO AND JULIET in a mental institution. But my real meaning applies less to productions than it does to actors. We play these roles that everyone has seen. They are standard. And there is a tendency for people to decide to come up with their take on the role, to do something interesting with it. I promise you that their is nothing more interesting than your individual humanity. Shakespeare wrote living people. And so it is necessary to let these characters resonate with you.

In the last part of this series as we inch closer to opening our productions of HAMLET and R&G ARE DEAD, we'll go into some of the hidden stage directions in Shakespeare's verse, as well as some basic rules that can clear up your communication quickly and easily. For the first part in this series, please click here: Shakespeare CAN Be Understood - And How

We'd love to hear your thoughts and questions. Please don't be silent. Leave a comment. Let's get a conversation going!

Shakespeare CAN Be Understood - and How

2013-05-06T15:46:00.000-04:00

You know that bad feeling you get deep down in your gut right before you see a Shakespeare play? Be honest.

Even if you're a Shakespeare lover, there's always a worry that you won't be able to understand what's being said - and even if you DO understand the text, will you be able to understand these actors?

John Barton (a very important Shakespearean dramaturg) claims that he doesn't really listen to what's being said unless the actors MAKE him listen. Otherwise, he only gets the most general sense of the lines. I imagine that many of us share the same difficulty. Personally, I notice that I easily tune out when it comes to seeing one of Shakespeare's plays performed. I know many people who have given up on his work entirely.

Essentially, our society come to expect that we won't be able to relate to the actors in a Shakespearean play. It seems standard for Shakespeare to be performed in heightened acting styles of yesteryear and weird Mid-Atlantic dialects - when in fact Shakespeare's own advice to the players argues that we have to speak to "the very age and body of the time". First, we have a current tradition of conversational life onstage and a different type of audience than in the year 1600 - both of which need to be taken into consideration. Additionally, JULIUS CAESAR was initially played in Elizabethan Garb with elements of Roman dress; the Danish countryside in HAMLET more closely resembled Warwickshire than Denmark; and in ROMEO AND JULIET, the households were more specific to English life than that of the Italians. Lastly, the Original Pronunciation of Shakespeare's text was much closer to the American sound than the current English sound.

I'd like to offer one small piece of overlooked wisdom when it comes to performing in one of Shakespeare's plays: he wrote them in English. So, you don't need to approach them as though they are in a foreign language. The audience doesn't need big gestures to understand what's going on. Yes, there are some big words, but for the most part, his plays are written in the basic syntax of naturalistic speech. No writer writes exactly the way that people talk - and there are so many vernacular variations that it would be impossible to undertake such a task. There are plenty of modern writers whose plays that are written in a strange and rhythmic manner. See Mamet, Letts, Lonergan, and just about anyone else you can name. None of these people sounds just like you.

But what's so crazy about Shakespeare's language?

"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." - HENRY VI, Part II
"To be, or not to be: that is the question:" - HAMLET
"What's in a name? - ROMEO & JULIET

Any of the above quotes could easily be said in a modern-day play. As wonderful of a writer as he may have been, Shakespeare was the least poetic playwright of his day. His writing is character driven and full of intention. It was meant to be acted, not read. He wrote living people. As has been stated by many scholars: Shakespeare was the first naturalistic playwright. And that essentially means that he created the concept of naturalistic acting.

Shakespeare wrote in three kinds of speech:

Prose - The most commonly used form in playwrighting today.

Blank Verse (or Iambic Pentameter) - Still the closest verse form to everyday speech, created by Shakespeare. Blank verse has ten syllables per line, typically with alternating strong and weak stresses: de DUM de DUM de DUM de DUM de DUM. You'd be amazed how frequently you speak in this basic pattern. If you look at many other playwrights of his time and before, their verse structures have either too many or too few syllables per line to represent naturalistic speech.

Rhymed Verse - This is not that commonly used today - except in poetry and jingles. But he mostly used this form for an effect of some sort. Many speeches end in a rhyming couplet. Some ethereal or particularly majestic characters rhyme with frequency. But this form is less used in Shakespeare's plays.

It is important to note that Shakespeare did not strictly adhere to his rules all the time. He wrote intuitively. And though we want to understand his rules, we must still act intuitively in his plays. "Let your own discretion be your tutor." Really, when it comes down to it, if you just make sense out of the lines, not for the audience, but for yourself and your scene partner, then the meanings will come across. There's no need to go crazy about it. Just "Speak the speech" easily..."trippingly on the tongue". Focus on communicating, rather than getting it right.

In rehearsals for our current production of HAMLET, we've been trying something that seems to work very well. We ask our actors to keep their energy moving to the end of their character's thought - so they can't pause (even for a breath) until they hit a period. I was surprised to learn that Hamlet's "To be or not to be" speech is actually four thoughts. It's easy to get so bogged down in the commas and colons and semicolons that it's impossible to keep track of the point being made. But we don't tend to speak with commas and semicolons. Punctuation is a device of the writer to communicate sense on a page. In real life, we speak until we've finished making a point. It's amazing how much clearer Shakespeare's text becomes when you focus on the point you're making and then use the words to make that point.

This is the first part in a series of posts about Speaking Shakespeare. Next up, we'll discuss Imagery, and then Hidden Clues in the Text.

We'd love to hear your thoughts and questions. Please don't be silent. Leave a comment. Let's get a conversation going!

Cast Interview: Alan Altschuler in A LIE OF THE MIND

2013-03-12T14:19:00.001-04:00

Your Name:
Alan Altschuler

Role in this production:
Baylor

What's been your favorite role, to date?

Playing Oberon in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?

Having a fellow actor in TWELVE ANGRY MEN shift his accent mid-performance from Eastern European to Italian and finishing every sentence with the words, "Mamma Mia!"

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

Making sure that Baylor has various levels and does not come off as two-dimensional bully.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

Working to develop my relationship relative to each of my scene partners: Meg, Mike, Beth and Frankie.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?

The similarities between Baylor and myself stem from my personal experience with certain men of Baylor's generation, who tended to be bullies who actually lacked self-confidence and/or self awareness.

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?

This June, I'll be playing Polonius in both HAMLET and ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD with The Seeing Place.

A LIE OF THE MIND runs March 1-17, 2013

Wed-Sat at 7pm; Sat & Sun at 2pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Robert King in MISS JULIE

2013-03-12T14:00:00.001-04:00

Your name:
Robert King

Role in this production:
Jean

What's been your favorite role, to date?

Performing in my one-man show, HALFRICAN-AMERICAN. I don't think I will ever find a role that means as much to me as that.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?

One of my first shows in NY was an Off-Broadway show that started off with a legit script, and evolved (or really, devolved) into an interactive Chip & Dales spoof. It ran for a year and a half, and will haunt my dreams forever.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

On the surface, and in almost everything you find about Strindberg's writing, you can find a lot of misogyny. The hardest part of preparing for this role was justifying and humanizing that, because it is so far from who I am.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

This process allows you freedom to find things on your own, and that boils over into being able to "play" onstage. Very rarely do you find surprises and honestly fun moments onstage, and this process really cultivates the opportunity to do that.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?

Jean has such a deep desire to improve his station in life, to be seen as more than his current position, and live better. When you are just starting out as an actor (and in most professions) you have to prove yourself over and over again, and really MAKE people see that you are better and can do better.

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?
I will be playing Guildenstern in ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD, and I couldn't be more thrilled. And terrified. In a good way.

MISS JULIE runs March 3-12, 2013

Sun at 7pm, Mon at 6pm & 9pm, Tue at 7pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Janice Hall in A LIE OF THE MIND

2013-03-12T13:48:00.000-04:00

Your Name:
Janice Hall

Role in this production:
Lorraine

What's been your favorite role, to date?

Well, although my theater roles to date have been good ones, there haven't been that many, so I'll have to pull out an opera role. The role of Salome was something I never expected to play; it's incredibly dramatic music, and my voice isn't quite the size and scope usually associated with her. But in small theaters, it worked--aside from the loud orchestra, everything else about the character suited me perfectly. And then, also doing multiple roles in the operatic version of Angels in America is a tremendous experience. I feel as if I've done the play, although I haven't. For one thing, the opera is a lot shorter...

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?

A production of Madame Butterfly in Berlin, directed by a very controversial Spanish director (Calixto Bieito). I made an entrance poised on the rim of a hot tub, rode a mechanical bull, poured Coke on my head in the middle of an aria, and went on a killing rampage at the end of the show (that's not really how Puccini wrote it). And there were some other things that I don't think I want to write down here... But, oddly enough, it was a wonderful experience---at least there was drama onstage, in a way that really fed me in the role.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

For me, working in the way we work in this company is new and different. I come from the world of opera, where everything is regimented and planned out in detail. Nothing is left to chance. In A Lie of the Mind, things onstage are different every night, and I am learning how to roll with that.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

The most exciting thing for me is to get to do this wonderful play. I love Shepard's writing, and the characters he has created. And it is a truly ensemble piece, where everyone carries equal weight. This is the perfect show for an ensemble company like The Seeing Place.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?

My character, Lorraine, is unlucky in love. She loves maybe too much, too intensely. I think that is true in my own life as well. And she loves to wallow in her misery; I like to think I've gotten through that phase of my own life, but who knows? But the wonderful thing about Lorraine is that by the end of the play she has let it all go, and is ready to start a new life, which I think is very inspiring.

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?

Next, I'll be playing Gertrude in Hamlet for The Seeing Place. I am very excited to be doing my first full production of a Shakespeare play!

A LIE OF THE MIND runs March 1-17, 2013

Wed-Sat at 7pm; Sat & Sun at 2pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Marnie Klar in MISS JULIE

2013-03-12T13:39:00.002-04:00

Your Name:
Marnie Klar

Role in this production:
Christine

What's been your favorite role, to date?

Joan in “Love Song,” as it was an emotional roller coaster and playing with such a dynamic cast, I felt as if I were always on my toes.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?

While playing the role of Cinderella in “Into The Woods,” the wire lowering my birds broke and they fell into my hands as I was singing “fly birds, back to the sky…” The died! I had to walk them off stage as in a burial procession.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

The most challenging part of Christine has been getting to her core and understanding her place of servitude.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

Using The Seeing Place’s rehearsal process to uncover the layers of Christine and personalize them for myself.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?

I think I’m similar to Christine in her strength and practicality.

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?
I’ll be performing in my newest cabaret, “Accidental Happiness,” opening on April 13^th at Don’t Tell Mama. www.marniklar.com for more information.

MISS JULIE runs March 3-12, 2013

Sun at 7pm, Mon at 6pm & 9pm, Tue at 7pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Mary Lahti in A LIE OF THE MIND

2013-03-12T13:34:00.001-04:00

Your Name:
Mary Lahti

Role in this production:
Meg

What's been your favorite role, to date?

Cinnimon. No, kidding (sort of). My favorite under 40 role is the role of Amy in COMPANY. My favorite over 40 role is "Georgia" in CURTAINS.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?

Oh, so many to choose from. I guess maybe performing for a Father's Day Benefit dance concert where the only audience member turned out to be the choreographer's father. We were tricked into thinking it was a big benefit concert.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

I was going to say, preparing to massage my character's husband's feet, but that's not so bad. I would say probably finding a balance in the character substitution for my character's daughter who is beat up and has brain damage. It was way too easy to put myself into that realization and I have had to find a balance in the exploration for the character.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

Besides absolutely loving this cast? I would say breaking down a scene by individual objectives and exploring just one at a time for the whole scene to really get a sense of the dynamics with your scene partners as well as within yourself. It's just amazing what unfolds in the process.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?

Oh, I would say the over mothering is probably the biggest similarity and there is mention to not yelling or screaming which is very much me. I don't like yelling. But I am in no way, shape or form a country girl.

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?

Well, I will be helping the company for the season but my next project is my debut cabaret show planned for May which I'm so excited about. This is a different area I had not considered before and after studying this form for awhile, I'm ready to take what I've learned and put on what I hope to be a fun show.

A LIE OF THE MIND runs March 1-17, 2013

Wed-Sat at 7pm; Sat & Sun at 2pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Erin Cronican in A LIE OF THE MIND

2013-03-12T13:22:00.001-04:00

Your Name:
Erin Cronican

Role in this production:
Beth in A LIE OF THE MIND

What's been your favorite role, to date?
I think it might have been Roberta from DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA. I never in a million years thought I would be called upon to play a broken mother from the Bronx. She had so much heart yet so many anger and hurt, and it was amazing to find a personal way into the character so that I was sharing myself fully with the audience.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

Oh wow - The physical & emotional aspects of someone with brain damage, that's for sure. I watched a lot of videos to get a sense of what a person physically goes through when they're recovering from a brain injury. I also did a lot of research on what it feels like, emotionally, to have an injury that severely impacts communication. Beth knows what she wants to say - she still has the same thoughts, feelings and emotions as before the beating - but cannot find a way to free her voice. This was such a challenge to create, and I'm finally starting to feel like I have a good handle on it.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

The ability to build complex relationships with each of the characters in the play, portrayed by some of the finest actors in NYC.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?

Beth is someone who wants desperately to fit in, but doesn't have any way to be the kind of "normal" required. She also is fighting to have her voice heard, against all odds. In playing this role (which has been played by some of the greatest actresses in NYC history) I feel much the same way. I want to so much for my voice to be heard, without judgment, so that my story can come through. Beth also has a love/hate relationship with her body, now that her body has betrayed her through this tragedy. This is especially true in her seduction scene with Frankie - she knows she's no longer beautiful in the way she was before. Through this, I've had to come to terms with my own body image issues (especially since I spend a good portion of the play in just a bra!)

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?
I'll be playing Ophelia in The Seeing Place's repertory productions of HAMLET and ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD. It's a nutty season for me - I went from a girl who didn't exist (Love Song) to a girl who has brain damage (A Lie of the Mind) to someone who goes crazy and kills herself in a rage. Good times. :)

A LIE OF THE MIND runs March 1-17, 2013

Wed-Sat at 7pm; Sat & Sun at 2pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Gabrielle Loneck in MISS JULIE

2013-03-05T20:40:00.000-05:00

Your Name:
Gabrielle Loneck

Role in this production:
Julie

What's been your favorite role, to date?
My favorite role to date has been Kassandra in TROJAN WOMEN. I have a special place in my heart for ancient Greek Drama.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?

Probably the canary scene in MISS JULIE. yeah, definitely the canary scene in MISS JULIE.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

The most challenging thing about this role has been to bring as much of myself to the character as possible. Over a hundred years have passed since when it was written and today and there are concepts within the play that are dated. The challenge for me has been to find what is not and bring myself to that and create a full, living, breathing person.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

Working with Erin as a director! It has truly been a privilege to work with such a passionate and driven director. I love that collaboration and exploration have been encouraged so much by her. It makes that process so much more enriching and fun.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?
I definitely have a side to myself that challenges people and ideas around me. I am a bit more reserved than Julie is, but I feel like we both have a rebellious side.

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?
Next with The Seeing Place is HAMLET and ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD. I am so excited to move forward with The Seeing Place in Season Four!

MISS JULIE runs March 3-12, 2013

Sun at 7pm, Mon at 6pm & 9pm, Tue at 7pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Philip Lakin in A LIE OF THE MIND

2013-03-05T18:37:00.001-05:00

Your Name:
Philip Lakin

Role in this production:
Mike

What's been your favorite role, to date?
All bias aside, I have to say that playing Mike in A LIE OF THE MIND has been my favorite role to date. It is some of the hardest and most detailed work I have ever done on a character. His journey throughout the play is so interesting because his tries so hard to restore order in an insane world, that it drives him insane. Telling his story night after night never gets boring.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?

Trying to do a serious piece based on HAMLET while a Jazz concert was going on in the venue below. The music bled through so much, it was like we had our own live orchestra. Obviously it was a huge challenge and disrupted the show, but some moments randomly worked really well with the show.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

Not having blocking, not having blocking, and, oh yeah, not having blocking. (But I'm getting better with it).

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

The breakthroughs I had in regards to "speaking out." It seemed so strange and foreign at first, but after a wile it really started to help me get closer to my role.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?
His deep love for his family and his stubbornness (to a degree).

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?
Playing Rosencrantz in ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD with The Seeing Place. I have wanted to perform this show since the day I heard my acting teacher talk about it in High School, so I am pretty excited.

A LIE OF THE MIND runs March 1-17, 2013

Wed-Sat at 7pm; Sat & Sun at 2pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Magan Wiles in A LIE OF THE MIND

2013-03-05T18:16:00.001-05:00

Your Name:
Magan Wiles

Role in this production:
Sally, Assistant Director

What's been your favorite role, to date?
Juliet - although I never cracked open that damn tomb scene.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?

I was playing Hero in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING with the Shakespeare Festival St. Louis. I was doing the scene where Hero and Ursula have a fake conversation to make Beatrice think that Benedict is in love with her. There was one night where the audience was laughing their asses off the whole scene, and I thought, "Boy, we must be really cookin' tonight." It turns out there was a possum crawling its way up the front of the outdoor stage. It finally appeared at the edge of the well where we were washing clothes, maybe five feet away. The audience just lost it-all we could do was stare at it, then look at each other, then look back at it.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

Sally is a really lonely and angry person. Recalling times and people that make me feel that way has not been pleasant. Interesting and maybe even cathartic, but unpleasant.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

I will use the tools we are using in our rehearsal process for the rest of my career. I find a lot of Strasberg's technique to fall in line with the way I approach acting instinctively. It's thrilling and fruitful to have the processes I used to do unconsciously be named and used consciously as a rehearsal tool to build an ensemble show.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?

Sally is unsatisfied with her life, and wants to move herself and those around her forward into a new way of living...I have found myself in that place several times over the course of my life. She presents a tough exterior but is actually a very vulnerable person....that' me. But if you ask me about it, I'll deny it :)

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?
I am shooting a New York Film Academy thesis project titled "Meetings" - I play a jealous girlfriend who confronts the supposed mistress in a restaurant and then chokes her out. You know, a feel-good role.

A LIE OF THE MIND runs March 1-17, 2013

Wed-Sat at 7pm; Sat & Sun at 2pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Cast Interview: Jason Wilson in A LIE OF THE MIND

2013-03-05T18:07:00.001-05:00

Your Name:
Jason Wilson

Role in this production:
Frankie

What's been your favorite role, to date?

My favorite role to date was actually a role I haven't got to play yet in a full production. It's Doug from GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES. I got a taste for it in graduate school, when I played Doug for a classmate's thesis project.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?

The wackiest moment happened on the last dress rehearsal for CALIGULA. I was playing Cherea, and I went up on my lines one sentence into a three page monologue. I went so blank that I wasn't even nervous about it. I just looked in the eyes of all the other characters on stage and after getting no response except the appropriate amount of terror, I frustratingly exasperated, "Fellas!", and walked off stage. My director stopped the show and we started over.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

Almost all of Sam Shepard's works are a mountain to climb for any actor.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

Getting to work again with some of my favorite actors I've ever shared a stage with.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?
Thankfully, I can say I've never had a bullet hole clean through my leg so that's not something I have in common with the character I'm playing. I guess I would have to say that love for something I can't have is probably what I most have in common with Frankie. Deep down we've probably all known that feeling. Lusting after the taboo or falling in love with the forbidden fruit is something we can all relate to.

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?
Next up for me is Claudius in HAMLET and ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD with The Seeing Place.

A LIE OF THE MIND runs March 1-17, 2013

Wed-Sat at 7pm; Sat & Sun at 2pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

Director/Cast Interview: Brandon Walker on A LIE OF THE MIND

2013-03-05T14:57:00.000-05:00

Your Name:
Brandon Walker

Role in this production:
Jake / Director

What's been your favorite role, to date?

Warren in THIS IS OUR YOUTH. It's a role I never played. But I played Dennis in a small production in San Diego, and I spent several years preparing to play Warren after I came to terms with myself and realized that I was never the definition of cool. I was the kid who tried too hard. I was Warren. I understand him in my bones and my blood. I rehearsed and read with all sorts of people. I had a couple of different productions of the show over the last six years that never got off the ground for one reason or another. I finally gave up after we didn't get the rights for it. It was supposed to be The Seeing Place's second production. So...Warren joins the list of roles that got away. He's right up there with Hally in MASTER HAROLD...AND THE BOYS and Kostya in THE SEAGULL. I just got too old too quickly. Ah well.

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?

Probably when I had to run offstage and pee in a trash can during the 3rd scene in DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA. I'd had way too much coffee before the show, a pitcher of "beer" and a bottle of "wine" onstage, and we were up there for 90 minutes straight. I realized I had to pee after about 30 minutes. And by about 80 minutes, it was a full on emergency.

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

Having to come to terms with the fact that I am not 100% different from Jake. I haven't beaten anyone, no. But I'm more volatile than I'd like to admit - even to myself. I think that all of us have been a little abusive in one way or another, and we like to pretend we're better than that. And we strive to be better...but it doesn't make the time we went just a little too far any more okay.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

Watching all of my fellow actors come to life. It doesn't always happen. But everyone is doing some very special work. And it's really exciting to play with them all onstage.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?

I wasn't initially intending to play Jake. But I'm glad that I did. I think the role requires a very particular kind of actor. On the outside, it seems like Jake needs to be a typical abuser - whatever that means. For some, it's a rough guy. But as I've done my research, there is no type. That's why this play is beautiful. We see eight people deal with an abusive event. We get all sides of it. Most importantly, Jake is a guy who went too far. He crossed the line. His emotions got the best of him. And that's been the story of his life. And that's the story of mine, too. As Lorraine (and my own mother) would say, I'm an "over-emotional boy". Always have been. I don't mean to say that I feel things any more deeply than anyone else. But me and Jake are a pair of Drama Queens. We're always in a state of crisis. My motto for much of my life can be summed up in Albert Camus' advice to "Live to the point of tears." So...I guess the real question is: What parts of myself are different?

What's next for you (with The Seeing Place, or other)?
Hamlet. I know, right? Kill me now! :O)

A LIE OF THE MIND runs March 1-17, 2013

Wed-Sat at 7pm; Sat & Sun at 2pm, in New York City.

For tickets, click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

To donate (it's a worthy cause!), click here.

How To Make It Through TECH In One Piece

2013-02-23T15:47:00.003-05:00

We all know the cliché. Tech happens. Everyone jumps off of every wagon they've ever been on. All of a sudden, the whole cast is on a smoke break. People drink themselves to sleep. It's a mess.

It's particularly frustrating as a director. We're in our final week of rehearsals for A LIE OF THE MIND (so this post is particularly relevant and timely). Things are really coming together. We're in an exciting spot. But I am dreading tech week. Why? Not because the show isn't good. It's in really great shape. But the panic is just about to set in. Everybody gets scared. Everything goes wrong. Everybody's egos are going to get the best of them. And nobody wants to be at fault. I am just about to become the whipping boy. Anything goal that wasn't reached by any actor or designer, any moment of wasted time, any shortcoming in accommodation is now the director's fault. The Director becomes the reason why the show isn't perfect.

First of all, the show can't be perfect. We are always striving for bigger and better things. That is the goal in art - and in life. Secondly, theatre is a communal experience. It's a group of people doing something together. And all that group has at any given point is their faith, hard work, and commitment to one another. No one person can make anything fail or succeed. The strength of the group is what creates a great ensemble - and a great production. It's necessary to remind ourselves that the rehearsal period is the place to work through issues. And all we can ask of every artist on any given project is that they take responsibility for their work and give their best effort.

It can always be better. There is never enough time. Things will never be 100% ready. And even on closing night, we should always be searching for more. After years of performing in AMERICAN BUFFALO (with great reviews in three productions), Al Pacino commented in an interview that he was just starting to understand Teach. In an exasperated moment after a critique, David Gideon once asked Lee Strasberg, "When am I ever gonna get it right?" Lee replied, "NEVER. Isn't it exciting?"

I just saw a picture of someone holding a glass with water at the half-way point on Facebook. It was an illustration from a teacher, describing stress. You can choose to see the glass half-empty - and focus on what wasn't accomplished. You can choose to see it half-full - and focus on what is left to discover. But MOST IMPORTANTLY, if you hold the glass for a minute, you'll be okay. If you hold it for an hour, your arm will be very tired. If you hold it throughout tech week, you're shooting yourself in the foot. The glass represents stress. And we all have to remind ourselves to remain creative and productive - even in the face of fear.

Come tech week, every artist seems to feel as though they are on a sinking ship. And so you end up with a whole group of people running around the decks, screaming bloody murder, rather than working together to plug up the holes. Perhaps, they don't do this out loud, but you can see the panic take hold. And as soon as that happens, all of the wonderful work that most actors have taken weeks to create vanishes in a blink. The concern becomes: Are people going to like me? Art can't happen with that thought at the forefront.

Tech can be a magical week - when the whole show comes together. It's beautiful when that happens. And it's important for everyone involved in a show to try and use their time wisely, rather than giving into their worries. Many times, we mistake stressing out for hard work. But all stress does is take us away from doing what we need to do to prepare ourselves.

No matter how long of a rehearsal period you've had, when you hit tech, REMIND YOURSELF that you know the play, your work, your character, and your story 100 times more intimately than anyone coming to see it. Your job is to share your knowledge - NOT to be impressive. This lesson goes for me, the artists working on both A LIE OF THE MIND and MISS JULIE (both opening next week in rep at The Seeing Place) - and most importantly, it goes for any artist anywhere when the pressure is on to showcase your art.

Beyond all else, don't forget: It's called a Play for a reason.

Leave a comment! It's the single-most important thing you can do. Share with us. This is a community - or it CAN be. But only if you share with us!

How NOT To Be "Actorman In Actorland"

2013-02-01T16:02:00.000-05:00

Okay, yes. The title is gender specific. Sorry, ladies. But it applies to all of you Actorwomen, too. I actually take the phrase from an old friend, who learned it from some teacher at the La Jolla Playhouse Young Actor's program many moons ago - and it actually comes along with a visual of someone walking around onstage like a silent alien or astronaut or deep-sea diver, exploring the air onstage as though there is something there to explore.

Perhaps that seems ridiculous to you. I know it does to me. And yet, this is how many actors seem to approach their work in rehearsals. They show up, ready to get on their feet and explore the world of the play. How? They'll get that instruction from their directors. Hmmm...so, then the director might say a few words, the group may have a conversation or two on the characters or what things stand out, and then they get onstage to work on their feet...and explore NOTHING to infinity and beyond!

Many actors balk at "overthinking" anything - or any kind of extensive discussion of the play, the story, the characters, their objectives (motivations), their journeys, etc. There seems to be a worry that these kinds of discussions inhibit the actor from exploring. And yet, these conversations are absolutely necessary if the actor is to be given any kind of freedom to play onstage - so that they have something to explore.

Unfortunately, very few actors bring any ideas to the table. Therefore, blocking (creating staged moments throughout a production) becomes a necessity. When afforded the opportunity to work organically, most actors don't know what to do. So, what ends up happening? They'll explore their ideas of the lines and the various attitudes they associate with the meanings they hear in their heads. Or they explore walking around and talking in the way they feel the character would walk and talk. And they love doing that. But it doesn't tend to result in any kind of story being told. You get a bunch of people, walking aimlessly around the stage, talking and gesturing. Maybe they'll get lucky and happen upon something, but maybe not. And why leave it up to luck? If our entire process as actors involves throwing ideas at a wall to see what sticks, then we are lost indeed.

So, what can we do about that? Well, as The Seeing Place has just begun rehearsals for A Lie of the Mind, we've met, discussed, and ultimately asked all of the actors to come in with a plan. That plan includes:
1.) Their character's story as they see it.
2.) Their character's journey of learning.
3.) Their objectives for every scene.
4.) A set of physical tasks to do onstage that make sense to what the character might be doing in every scene.
5.) And a set of imaginary elements to explore the circumstances and situations given by the playwright - and interpreted by the actors.

And then we get together and rehearse - using both the writer's lines and the actors' improvised thoughts. In that way, the actors can guide their work logically from moment to moment. And my job, as the director, is to make sure everyone is actually doing their work and exploring. Furthermore, I am there to make sure that those explorations are serviceable to the story. In that way, we can build the production together. It takes some doing to get used to, but it gets us back to what it was to play when we were kids. Working this way, many of us have been able to get past the need to be good or to be entertaining, and to simply live through something. In that way, we become accustomed to discovering the story.

In the final weeks of rehearsal, we'll shape the play that the audience actually sees. So, we'll only be saying the writer's words at a point, and the technical elements (lights, sound, set, sightlines) will create certain necessary staging. But we'll have all sorts of things to share that we discovered in rehearsals.

That's how we address it. It's possible to do most of this alone. Personally, I find it imperative to walk into any project, having an understanding of the story and an idea of what I can explore during rehearsals. Most directors welcome that kind of excitement. And either way, it's important that actors come in having something to say as artists. After all, that's what theatre is all about.

What are your thoughts on the subject? Don't be shy. Conversation is the best part of a community.

Why Talent Doesn't Matter

2013-01-24T17:28:00.000-05:00

Isn't it amazing just how important "talent" is to us? We hold this idea up like some trophy - as though it's got anything to do with success. Moreover, our society is steeped in this concept that the size of our talent is out of our control. No wonder actors are always so bent out of shape.

What's the definition of "talent"? What does that mean? Really. How do we judge that? How do we put it on a scale and measure it? How do we know if we have it or don't? How do we know if it's greater or less than the average bear's? And most importantly, why the Hell does it even matter to us?

In Strasberg at the Actor's Studio (which is a GREAT book!), Lee Strasberg defines talent as Sensitivity. I tend to agree with that definition. Stella Adler suggested that the actor's talent lies in their choices. And choices are driven by the actor's responses, which are governed by that actor's behavior and understanding, which is guided by the actor's general sensitivity to their surroundings on and off of the stage. So, let's agree that Talent = Sensitivity.

Let's say you're a really "Sensitive Actor". Does that mean your sensitivity works for you, rather than against you, onstage? Nope. But let's say that you have taken the time and energy to build a craft that allows you to focus and use your sensitivity to your benefit. Does that mean you audition well? Nope. But let's say you've struggled and learned how to present yourself as a business-person in an audition. Does that mean you get work as an actor? Maybe. If you're just right for the role, then yes. If not, then you will be some day. You just have to be patient and keep trying.

Are you noticing the common thread? In the scope of the equation, the size of your talent doesn't much matter. What matters is the time and energy you devote to what you do. What matters is your diligence. So, in reality, the more passionate you are about acting (or really anything), the more likely it is that you will be able to become successful at it - whatever that success means to you. That could be monetary satisfaction or artistic satisfaction...or both if you're really lucky.

The two things you really can't help are your level of Passion and your level of Luck. If you're not passionate, then don't waste your time. Really. It's not worth it. If you're not lucky and that destroys your passion, then you're no longer passionate. Either way, the only determining factor in you having a place in this business is YOU. The only thing that matters is how you feel about yourself. If you think there's a place for you in this business, you'll work hard. If not, you won't. And if you're just lazy, then you've got to make a decision to sh^* or get off the pot!

And really...when it comes down to it, when we're casting a play, we're much less interested in the talent that an actor expresses at an audition than any other factor. Talent is like Beauty. You can bet that most people are less interested in being in a relationship with a drop dead gorgeous psychopath than a good-natured cutie. Notice that I didn't suggest anyone goes barking up the ugly tree, so I'm not saying that Talent is 100% unimportant, but it just doesn't MATTER like we seem to think it does. What most people look for in an actor is hard-work, self-expression, timeliness, and competence. Those things in one person are extremely rare. And all of them are within your control.

We all know countless actors that wear their talent like a badges. Some show up to auditions, without having fully memorized and prepared their pieces. Some don't bother to read the plays their pieces come from. Some don't read the sides. Some audition for places like The Actors Studio with scenes they've been working on for a week or two. Some throw all their money away on workshops with agents when they haven't taken the time to develop relationships with casting directors. Many of us are waiting for magic to happen. And when a miracle doesn't present itself, we beat ourselves down. That's like chastising yourself for picking the losing numbers on a lottery ticket.

And the truth of the matter is that nobody is better than these thoughts - no matter how far along they are in their careers or their stardom. There is always more. And there is always someone to tell us why what we're doing is wrong. The only reason that it might seem like some of our heroes are invincible is because they don't let themselves wallow in their worries. They have a public face to put on, so they have to deal with their demons quickly and quietly. Or they just self-destruct. One of the two. I just self-destructed yesterday. And I'm putting myself back together, because I've got a play to direct and a theater company to run, and I don't have time to fall apart. Too many people are counting on me. So, I have no other option than to treat myself well.

I know that some of the big demons I deal with have to do with the fact that my identity is so tied up in my relationship to the theater. I'm an actor, a director and a playwright. So, when I feel like I'm not any good, my whole world goes out the window. And I have to remind myself that my opinion of myself is the only one that matters. And as long as I remain committed to growing and learning, rather than knowing, I will persevere.

We have a year-round company at The Seeing Place. We maintain an artistic home, where we read plays every week and hold workshops. I've found that having that kind of a family is of primary importance to dealing with this business. We have a place to grow together and to keep one another on point. And whether that comes as a company or a class or The Actors Studio, it's a necessity in a business like ours - especially in America. Otherwise, all we have is talent.

What demons do you battle? And how do you cope with them? We'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Please share. Our community depends on all of us.

"Get Out Of My Shower!" - How To Be Private In Public

2013-01-15T18:43:00.002-05:00

Did anyone else scream that, whiles playing on a swing-set with friends? I know I did. What's that got to do with acting? Everything. When people are looking at you, you take notice. When you're onstage, people are looking at you. And with Public Speaking as the #1 Fear for most Americans, how can actors get their attention off of the audience and into the story?

Supposing the piece is Realistic in nature (which has become the standard onstage), we have to behave as though there is an imaginary "4th Wall" at the end of the stage, right? How? In our recent post on "Diminishing Stage Customs", we made a correlation between this concept and Public Privacy. In layman's terms, these two ideas have something to do with one another. In reality, they don't.

This may seem obvious, but it seems important to point out: The "4th Wall" does not exist. It is something that occurs in imagination. Therefore, if the actor is not actively imagining the 4th Wall, it disappears.

People like to talk about the Proscenium Arch (the area of the theater that surrounds the opening of the stage) as being the World's Largest Keyhole - as though the audience is witnessing the kind of event that only happens behind closed doors, in secret, when nobody is looking. The only problem with that concept is the fact that at home, you literally can't see the guy looking through the peephole. That being said, what is to keep an actor's attention on the stage when she knows she's being watched?

David Gideon, a wonderful teacher of Lee Strasberg's work (and my mentor), recalls a time in class, where a student told Strasberg that she had "Stage Fright". As the story goes, Strasberg responded, "Who ever told you you had "Stage Fright". What you have is Sensitivity To Your Surroundings. Give me an actor, who doesn't have that kind of sensitivity, and I can't work with that actor!" Why? Because they're dead. We need actors to be the lifeblood of society. We go to the theater for a chance to see the things we all experience, expressed. Otherwise, we can people-watch at the mall.

As David constantly points out, "Actors, by nature, are passionate people. Take any animal and put it in a room by itself for long enough, and it will get comfortable. Remove one wall to reveal 1,000 people staring, and that animal is guaranteed to run in the opposite direction."

It's completely unnatural for us to open up and express. We're taught to be social, instead. And unfortunately, those habits tend to carry over to the stage. And so frequently, we can see the actor's split attention between the audience and the story when we go to see the theater. It seems that many actors understand the basic idea that they need to keep their attention on the other actors - or at the very least, their attention should remain behind the footlights. But fortunately, most actors are not psychotic. Most actors are aware that they are being watched. And that knowledge overwhelms many of us and shuts us down. Try showering without posturing when someone is watching. It's not an easy time. In terms of Expression, actors are just as naked on stage.

So, what do we do? As explained by Lee Strasberg, "The 4th Wall does not give us privacy. Only our concentration on the 4th Wall can do that." Concentration is the key. It doesn't much matter what we're concentrating on, so long as the actor's attention is preoccupied with something other than performing.

Some people suggest that they BECOME THEIR CHARACTERS. That's a load of malarchy. Or maybe they need to be committed. One of the two. But for the practical actors in the world, we need to get our attention where it will serve us. So, depending on your approach to acting, that might be on some creative element (creating a place, creating a substitution for a particular relationship onstage, etc), or it might be as simple as concentrating on your fellow actors - or even on your physical tasks on the stage. You might even focus on the exploring the actual 4th Wall you've imagined. But whatever you do, the likelihood is that the audience is sure to be a less powerful force as you put your attention somewhere else.

Notice the last statement. You can't NOT pay attention to the audience. We cannot actually DO a negative. We have to intentionally put our attention somewhere else. For instance, if you've tried to quit smoking, it's much harder to not smoke than it is to have a piece of gum instead.

I am constantly surprised to see actors that are shying away from the audience in an effort to concentrate on their work. But no amount of avoiding the audience will help. It takes a lot of time to learn how to tax your concentration in the kind of way that will serve acting. And the more talented the actor, the more difficult the task. It's taken me a long time to learn how to be private in public, and I still struggle with it on a daily basis - as do we all in this theater company. We create fly-on-the-wall theater. It's something that has become a cornerstone of what we strive for at The Seeing Place - most notably in our most recent productions of Love Song and our Off-Broadway debut of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea.

A trick in Public Speaking is to keep your attention on what you are trying to say, rather than how it is being received. And that's exactly what we need to do as actors. We need to keep our attention grounded to the stories we tell, rather than the entertainment level of today's performance. An "unresponsive crowd" can only get a lesser show if you don't share your story.

How have you battled these demons in your acting career? Or do you have a story regarding privacy (or the lack thereof) in a piece of theater that you've seen? Please share your thoughts with us as well. We write these blogs to stir up conversation.

Why "Stage Customs" Are Vanishing

2013-01-07T10:32:00.000-05:00

Photo credit: www.savagechickens.com

As it is the beginning of the year, this seems the perfect time to reflect on the State of Our Art. Michael Feingold started the ball rolling last week in his Village Voice article, "A Case for the Return of Some Vanishing Stage Customs". In the article, he posits that the theatre has lost such important customs as "cheating out" (literally facing the audience, so you can be seen and understood) and "counter-crossing" (when a second actor moves oppositionally to balance the stage picture when the first actor crosses the stage). He also talks about how there seems to be less communication between the actors and audience, due to the effects of technology and the growing importance of casting stars, rather than telling stories. It's a great article. You should read it (after you read this one, of course).

In response to Mr. Feingold's article, we would like to discuss (in terms of acting) why some of these things are happening. He hits the nail very much on the head when it comes to the diminishing effect that the theatre seems to have on audiences. I find that I feel very similarly after seeing much of what NYC theatre has to offer. That said, tricks like "Cheating-Out" and "Counter-Crossing" have always fallen short of the mark in terms of connection. I recall a moment, working with my first acting teacher, Francis Gercke, where he very keenly observed: "Just because you are looking someone in the eyes, it does not mean you are connecting."

We at The Seeing Place make a habit of seeing a lot of the theater in NYC - from Broadway to Off-Off Broadway. What seems to be frequently missing is the art of storytelling. Most actors, when asked, literally don't know what story they are telling. Usually, that job is pawned off on the Director. But no amount of powerful lines, pretty staging, or raw emotion can create a story on its own. The Actor has to be aware of what he or she is trying to communicate, behaviorally. The Director can lead all the best horses to the water, but they still have to drink for themselves.

As far as the art of staging goes, it certainly is an art. But the main issue with acting right now seems to be a lack of craft. We have been taught to believe that we go to study in a BFA program - and maybe even continue on to get an MFA - and POOF! We're ready for the marketplace! Right? Perhaps. It's a good start, anyway. But very few programs stress the importance of professional training, beyond college. As Sandy Meisner famously said, "It takes 20 years to become an actor."

I notice a lack of training, mostly, when actors are unable to be understood while emotions are riding high - either onstage or even in film. Our voices naturally strain when big things are happening. But the actor needs to be understood and expressive at the same time. This is not something that is needed in reality - as my current teacher, David Gideon, constantly points out. In fact, it is absolutely unnatural for people to relax and open up in times of great experience - be it tragic or joyful. And yet it is the actor's job to open up and share at those very moments. That is a skill that takes a great amount of time and effort to master - if anyone ever fully does. I am constantly working in this direction. It's really hard.

As far as the aesthetics of American theatre are concerned, there is a trend toward hyper-realism - as Mr. Feingold points out. And that's fine. As Shakespeare pointed out:

"The purpose of playing, whose end both at the first and now, was and is, to hold as 'twere, the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure."

However, that doesn't mean that we have to discard necessary customs in storytelling in order to behave with reality. More and more, it seems like actors have lost the sense of Play onstage in the name of Reality. In fact, it seems that our understanding of acting, altogether, has reverted back to what it was before Stanislavski began to teach. So frequently, actors seem to hide behind the "fourth wall", rather than developing an understanding of how to be publicly private.

For me and for The Seeing Place, the beauty of the theatre has always been that both actors and audience can collect in a room and live through a situation. In order to do that, we all need to suspend our disbelief together. But the actors do need to live onstage. Otherwise, we would be better served to hold a sociology conference. There is the opportunity in the theatre for social issues to be examined hands-on. That said, we can't ever forget that we are storytellers. What actors do is very special. It is not the same experience to read a play at home.

In conclusion, we agree with Mr. Feingold's increasingly relevant frustration with The State of Theatre in America. And the ensemble of The Seeing Place is in our fourth year of fighting back against the marginalization of the theatre. We specifically set out to put life back on the stage and spend significant rehearsal time pinpointing the stories we share on a nightly basis with our audiences. Our first slogan, was "Because if you wanted a Sitcom, you'd just turn on the Tube." That's not to devalue television, but to put it in it's place. Television is a writer's medium. Film is a medium for editors and directors. The theatre is an actor's medium. It traffics in behavior. It is where we go to see ourselves. That's why we chose to call our company The Seeing Place.

What do you have to say about all of this? Please leave a comment, so we can share in one another's knowledge. Building a community is of the utmost importance to us.

From the Rehearsal Room: Brandon Walker as "Beane"

2012-12-07T13:43:00.001-05:00

This has been a wild process.

First of all, it's been wonderful working with Erin Cronican as a director. Often times, I don't quite get to let go as an actor in rehearsals, because I am either directing myself or I am guiding another director through our process. So, it was a real joy to have that freedom in rehearsals, as she's worked this way so many times.

Secondly, I love this play. But it is not an easy play to do. It seems like it's going to be easy on the page; however, it's very poetic, and it's difficult to get underneath the words to the situation. One scene even alluded us until well into performances - the love scene between Molly and Beane. I kept trying to address the scene with my work, and it just kept falling flat, somehow. It would get too sexual or too weird. It's a love scene, but there's a lot of over-poetic language, and a lot of potty humor, too. It's very odd. Finally, Erin and I discussed the idea that it might be akin to a high school date. One night, I just decided to go hogwild and create the story with the objects in the room, using creative work that makes me sheepish - and miraculously, it worked wonders. And that's just ONE example.

Lastly, Beane is such an extreme character in all of his incarnations throughout the play, and I couldn't play the scenes with any logic by simply putting myself into the situation that seemed to be happening on the page. For instance, he's depressed (to the point that he appears to have Asperger's Syndrome) in the beginning of the play, and he really doesn't respond to regular stimulus. I would continually live through the situation and find that I was too sensitive - and then end up going down some rabbit hole which took us away from the story of the play. Later, he's not just hungry, but rather enjoying life as if for the first time. It seemed to me and to Erin that Beane becomes overly-sensualized - which took a while to actually get my body to DO. And then at the end of the first act, he's not just in a happy mood, but ON TOP OF THE WORLD.

Basically, these are the things that make LOVE SONG a fantastical comedy, and they are important to the storytelling. I believe this is the first time that I was really able to exercise my craft to create these tall-tale situations. Rather than just acting BIGGER, I pushed my creative work to the Nth Degree. From everything I've learned from my teacher, David Gideon, Comedy is Reality Extended. So, let's say that I were turned on in a scene, and imagining that someone were licking me sensually in order to get my imagination engaged. If I were playing a true Comedy, I would want to create TEN PEOPLE licking me. I've basically done just that all over the play.

I'm not going to go into any more specifics with regard to this play, because how I do what I do on a stage isn't the audience's concern. You come to see the story. Ideally, you won't even notice the acting. Best case scenario is that you simply believe what we're doing. But it's been really great to stretch my acting muscles in a way I am not normally able to on stage.

***

Brandon Walker - As an actor in New York: Committed (Dooky) - Living Image Arts; Violating Uncle Piggy (Investigator) - Gallery Players; Love's Labours Lost (Dull) - ATA. Regional: West of the 5 (Charles) - La Jolla Playhouse; Androcles and the Lion (Lelio) - Old Globe; And A Nightingale Sang (Eric Parker) - Barnstormers; A Moon for the Misbegotten (Mike Hogan), The Tempest (Caliban) - North Coast Rep; A Christmas Carol (Dick Wilkins) - Sierra Rep; Two Gentlemen of Verona (Proteus), Playboy of the Western World (Shawn Keogh) - New Village Arts; Marat/Sade (Duperret) - ion Theater; Dog Act (Bud) - Moxie Theatre; This Is Our Youth (Dennis) - Life Out Loud; Romeo and Juliet (Romeo), Titus Andronicus (Saturninus), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Puck), Twelfth Night (Orsino), Measure for Measure (Pompey/Claudio), 'Tis Pity She's A Whore (Giovanni), Taming of the Shrew (Hortensio), The Tempest (Trinculo), Othello (Lodovico), Coliolanus (Brutus), Hamlet (Horatio) - Poor Players). As a Director: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Poor Players), and This Is Our Youth (Life Out Loud). As a composer: Taming of the Shrew (Poor Players).Training: David Gideon. Member AEA.

From the Rehearsal Room: Jason Wilson as "Harry"

2012-12-06T10:28:00.000-05:00

As a special feature, we're excited to introduce you to our cast members and their experiences creating the world of LOVE SONG.

LOVE SONG runs through December 9 - Wed-Sat at 8pm and Sat-Sun at 2pm. For tickets and information, click here.

Introducing: Jason Wilson, who's playing Harry in LOVE SONG. Here is his first-hand account of the rehearsal process.

Build the set. That is, if you’re allowed to as an actor. Some places won’t let the actor take part in building their own sets, but I’m here to tell you the benefits are beyond compare. One of the first questions I ask myself when I take on any role is where am I? This question is quickly follow by, where did I come from and where am I going? The first thing I work on is place. Long before I try substitutions or overalls, I “find” my place. If I have the luxury of actually getting to lay hands on the flats and hammer a nail into the walls or cut a piece of luan with a circular saw, most of my work on place is done. It becomes easy to say this is my house, this is my home, and this is where I’m living, if everywhere I look on stage is the fruits of my labor.

Such is the case with the set of my current production, LOVE SONG; produced by my company The Seeing Place Theater running at the ATA Sargent Theater in Hell’s Kitchen. I built the set with the help of other company members, so now when I look out the window or straighten of picture frame while “in character” on stage I have no trouble endowing the set with a rich history and a tapestry of personalizations. My work becomes real and I’m able to live fully in the moment. I believe where I am and so the audience believes my character believes where he is.

The first time I experienced this level of personalization and truth happened my second year of grad school at The New School for Drama. My class was doing a production called “The Chekhov Project”. We had the audacity to do four Chekhov plays at once, interweaving the dialog from all four plays into one script, creating a whole new play based on Chekhov’s major themes. The production was a tremendous success. I had the pleasure of creating Lopakhin from The Cherry Orchard for this “new” play. As you may know, Lopakhin buys the cherry orchard in the end but has to cut it down in order to create new revenue. When we were building the set, my director, Casey Biggs, had us go up to his house in upstate New York to gather wood and branches he wanted to use for the set. When we got to his house we discovered that on his land were actual cherry trees! Yes, I cut them down and it filled me with all sorts of emotions. I felt the guilt of destroying life and the power in being able to do so. When the weekend was over and all the branches had been loaded into the trunk and hauled to the theater I had an overwhelming feeling connection to what Lopakhin must have felt when he was “forced” to cut down Madame Ranevskaya’s cherry trees. I was able to bring this history (my personal history) to the stage when I performed. It was all needed to make the environment real for me.

Now, when I’m playing Harry in LOVE SONG I have that same sense of truth. When I feel a little lost on stage at any given moment I simply look at the walls and I remember, “oh yeah, that’s where I practically drilled a screw into my hand.” This is an honest thought and that truth brings me right back to the reality of the moment. When I look out the window I’m filled with a sense of pride because I think, “I built this window frame and it wasn’t easy.” If I need to create something to invoke a sense of fatigue or frustration, I simply remember the four days in a row I was at the theater until 5:00am painting, cutting, and drilling. I remember being at the theater for eighteen hours straight building the my set; and yes I’m tired! This is the kind of truth that makes theater seem magical. This level of personalization bring the play to “life”. When the characters are able to live truthfully in the moment the play pops.

I guess this means the cat’s out of the bag. When you come join us for this beautiful and honest look at love, when you see LOVE SONG, you’ll be let in on a secret. “What is Harry thinking about? Oh, right I know”. Thankfully, I wouldn’t want it any other way. When I see theater I want to see real characters living and breathing, thinking and feeling on stage. I want the truth. I want the real experience. So, come experience the results first hand. LOVE SONG runs through Dec. 9th. Come see me, the actor, and if you would please tell me what you think of the set too. I’m very proud to have built it right along with building my character.

***

Jason Wilson is excited to be a part of this dynamic ensemble driven theater called The Seeing Place Theater. Mr. Wilson was last seen on the New York stage in The New York International Fringe Festival, where he created the roles of Reverend Dale Goodkind and Deputy Blackhawk in THE ABDUCTION OF BECKY MORRIS by Alison Crane. Mr. Wilson graduated this past May with his MFA in Acting from The New School for Drama. Since graduating, he has performed with Emursive and PunchDrunk at The McKittrick Hotel, as well as The Fringe. Before returning to his studies 2009, Mr. Wilson spent 12 years as a working actor in Chicago, performing in over 24 theatrical productions as well numerous regional and national commercials. While in Chicago, Mr. Wilson performed regularly at Pegasus Players, Court Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Chicago Dramatis, and The Chicago Theatre Company, just to name a few. In 2007, he toured India with an original play about the American Civil Right Movement titled, MY SOUL IS A WITNESS penned by David Barr III. Some notable characters he’s brought to the stage include, Edgar Allan Poe in the world premiere of E.A. POE:THE FEVER CALLED LIVING, The Captain in WOYZECK, Duke of Gloucester in HENRY VI, Lopakhin in THE CHEKHOV PROJECT, and Barry “Little Bill” Williams in the world premiere of NEVERLAND INDUSTRIES by Danny Carroll. Mr. Wilson was born in Schenectady, New York where his mother still lives in the house he grew up in. He attended Ithaca College and graduated with his BA in Theatre in 1996. Web: www.jasongwilson.com

Live Tweets for LOVE SONG!

2012-11-30T10:42:00.000-05:00

On opening weekend, we were excited to have Megan Smith (@mightymegasaur) in our audience. We asked Megan to use her phone to “live tweet” throughout the show, letting fans know about her thoughts about feelings about LOVE SONG while it was happening (think: running commentary that you hear on DVDs, only it’s on Twitter in 140 characters or less!

Without further ado - our Live Tweet Transcript!

Show: LOVE SONG by John Kolvenbach
Theater: The Seeing Place Theater
Date: November 24, 2012 (8pm)
Tweeter: Megan Smith

7:15pm Megan @mightymegasaur
Live Tweeting for “Love Song” tonight, very excited! @TheSeeingPlace (@ ATA’s Sargent Theater)

7:30pm Megan @mightymegasaur
Cast warming up pre show #lovesong @theseeingplace

Photo by Megan Smith

7:35pm Megan @mightymegasaur
The lovely stage manager/actor Shannon MacPherson from the booth #lovesong @theseeingplace

Photo by Megan Smith

7:40pm Megan @mightymegasaur
“the pre show music is kinda dark and intense so I like to play something light for the actors” -Shannon #lovesong

7:45pm Megan @mightymegasaur
Shannon was right, we just switched from some rocking Black Keys to brooding Smashing Pumpkins :) #lovesong

7:46pm Megan @mightymegasaur
House is open! #lovesong

7:50pm Megan @mightymegasaur
However far away, i will always love you…Singing along to #Lovesong by The Cure brings me back to my high school days

7:55pm Megan @mightymegasaur
I hear there’s a big secret in this play. Hooray potential #spoileralert. I can’t wait to see if I can figure it out! #lovesong

7:58pm Megan @mightymegasaur
Looks like a full house tonight #lovesong

Photo by Megan Smith

8:03pm Megan @mightymegasaur
Very intense opening moment inside the characters paranoia. Great setup. #lovesong @OhBrandonWalker

Photo by Matthew Sussman

8:09pm Megan @mightymegasaur
Taking Joan’s side on this one, u shouldn’t cry when ur boss tells u to file correctly. Oh & keep your underwear out of sight lol #lovesong

8:16pm Megan @mightymegasaur
A human baby in a box?! Lol #lovesong

Photo by Matthew Sussman

8:25pm Megan @mightymegasaur
So true! “I was in love and in Paris, you keep the ashtray”-Molly aka @erincronican #lovesong

8:28pm Megan @mightymegasaur
ohhhh…k…..”I don’t want to have a fork if it’s going to lie to me”-Beane aka @ohbrandonwalker #lovesong

8:46pm Megan @mightymegasaur
Okay there must be a secret here about their relationship… Who is she, really? #gettingwarmer #lovesong

Photo by Matthew Sussman

8:51pm Megan @mightymegasaur
#liberated Beane is cracking me up #lovesong

9:01pm Megan @mightymegasaur
“what secret ingredient makes you think things are possible…fucking”-Beane #lovesong

9:03pm Megan @mightymegasaur
Apparently Harry is turned on by fruit stands lol #lovesong

Photo by Matthew Sussman

9:10pm Megan @mightymegasaur
Who likes the new in love version of Beane? If you’re following/watching, let’s take a poll #lovesong #newbeane or #oldbeane? #intermission

9:23pm Megan @mightymegasaur
“it’s like I’m cutting class, smoking pot, and tricking my mom… It’s exciting”-Joan #lovesong …HA yes.

9:31pm Megan @mightymegasaur
#newbeane is romantic bringing Molly flowers and telling the story of how they met :) #lovesong

9:35pm Megan @mightymegasaur
Ahh love “I will build a house in your molars”-Molly #lovesong

Photo by Matthew Sussman

9:40pm Megan @mightymegasaur
Oh snap the secret is out! #lovesong

9:50pm Megan @mightymegasaur
Genius use of the set here in the 2nd act, bringing back that intensity of the closing walls, very nice! #lovesong

10:01pm Megan @mightymegasaur
These poetic turns in the script are really interesting, nice juxtaposition with the comedy #lovesong

10:03pm Megan @mightymegasaur
#curtaincall and a little closing speech (sorry its blurry!) #lovesong pic.twitter.com/bEOTM73D

Photo by Megan Smith

10:15pm Megan @mightymegasaur
Took a quick survey of audience, seems abt half & half as to who was able to figure out secret but it certainly evoked emotions #lovesong

Doesn’t that make you want to see the show? :) Get your $12 tickets here: SmartTix.com.

Be sure to follow Megan Smith on Twitter. And, while you’re at it, follow us as well!

From the Rehearsal Room: Javan Nelson as "Bill"

2012-11-23T12:16:00.000-05:00

As a special feature on opening weekend, we're excited to introduce you to our cast members and their experiences creating the world of LOVE SONG.

LOVE SONG opens November 23 and runs through December 9 - Wed-Sat at 8pm and Sat-Sun at 2pm. For tickets and information, click here.

Introducing: Javan Nelson, who's playing Bill in LOVE SONG. Here is his first-hand account of the rehearsal process.

A good friend of mine and a fellow actor holds as his personal career motto: "speak it into existence." I've heard the phrase over and over for months, as he pummels along in his journey toward stardom. Sage words, I always think, considering them mildly as another of those upbeat, motivational catchphrases to be stored in some mental knapsack and brought out occasionally for particularly blue days. The other day it was finally brought out, leading me to an incredible breakthrough in my acting process--but in a way I never expected.

Several days ago the director of our current production, LOVE SONG asked her actors to prepare for a scene. She charged us to speak out our feelings, motivations, and objectives out loud as our characters. She explained by doing so we were helping to make our characters' circumstances real to us in our minds. We were speaking the fictions of the play into a truthful existence. Now, many actors may have learned this simple technique when they first began studying their craft. It may even sound rather, well, "duh!" to some of you readers. But if any of you actors out there are like me (I imagine there must be some of you), speaking into existence is a procedure you have probably overlooked.

Certainly I have come across this concept many times throughout my artistic development, even utilized it continually in my work, whether it be through in-character conversing with my scene partners during rehearsal or reminding myself of my objectives backstage before a show. My oversight, however, has been to take advantage of speaking into existence, thinking of it as a mental exercise that can be accomplished in one's head. I have been thinking into existence rather than actually saying the words out loud. To my great surprise, the two are not nearly the same and both are necessary in creating strong work.

Physically verbalizing my character's thoughts--his feelings, his desires, his fears--has proven incredibly helpful in convincing my mind the thoughts it is manufacturing for a character are actually true. Particularly for the character I play in "Love Song," the technique has deeply advanced my preparation for a performance. Bill is a lowly waiter dealing with a heavy sadness at the time of the play. He has decided, however, today is the day he moves on, finding happiness once again, whether he's ready or not. I began practicing speaking into existence during rehearsal a few days ago, talking out loud as Bill. I confessed to myself that I was sad and coached myself on all the things I was going to do to make myself happy again. While I was not particularly down that day, this silly act of saying out loud that I was sad completely changed my mood. I was able to reach an emotional depth I simply could not achieve if all the work had stayed in my head. And because Bill (like Javan) was trying to convince himself he could feel something he wasn't feeling right now, every time I confessed sadness felt like a new stab of torture. It heightened the sadness, hence heightening the obstacle and the desire to overcome the obstacle. Of course, none of this work would have been effective if I had not prepared my creative work and done a substantial amount of mental work; but by putting the work into the air rather than keeping it trapped in my crowded head, I was acting out in real space rather than my own theoretical headspace.

For those of you who may be like I have been in the past, I know what you're thinking: this seems deceptive. You can really convince yourself of something by saying it out loud? The scary answer is "yes" (and I'm just as surprised myself). It's truly astounding how we can manipulate our minds with the proper nudges. I must reiterate, none of the verbalization would have been helpful if I had not first been implanting conscious mental thoughts--before you can speak into existence it's crucial to try thinking into existence first. But by ignoring one technique in favor of the other, it's very possible you're robbing your acting of its full effect. And if you need further proof, I urge you to try it yourself. If anything, it's incredibly simple and entirely worth the shot.

Now, I realize the "speaking into existence" that my actor friend regards as a personal motto is a bit different than what I have talked about. His speaking into existence refers more to sayings like, "I will book a gig this month," in order to motivate the psyche and encourage your self-esteem so that you have the confidence to accomplish your career goals. In the course of writing this blog, however, I discovered a powerful link between the phrase my friend holds dear and the one my director asks of her actors. Verbalizing your career-oriented goals and verbalizing your character's thoughts go hand in hand. Speaking your character's thoughts into existence may very well improve your work, and when you feel your work is strong it becomes much easier to convince yourself you can reach your career goals. Personally, I always feel encouraged about making my dreams come true by knowing those dreams depend on the reality of my own strengths as an actor. I'm a big proponent of giving yourself hope--our futures are in our own hands, we have only to apply ourselves to the greatest parts of our own abilities. So, don't be afraid to put yourself out there. Speak out!

***

Javan Nelson is an alumni of the University of Arizona Fine Arts Acting Program. His work in the NYC area extends through Stageplays Theatre Company (Narrator, Someone Should Kill That Bastard Bran Bentley *staged reading), Random Access Theatre (Orsino/Antonio, Twelfth Night), Columbia University School of the Arts (Archibald Higbie, Spoon River Anthology), and Rescue Agreement (Nikola Tesla, Electric Eden). He has also worked regionally with Arizona Theatre Company (Tom u/s, The Glass Menagerie), Arizona Repertory Theatre (Adam, The Shape of Things; Peter, The Diary of Anne Frank; Costard, Love's Labour's Lost), the Rogue Theatre (Improvisor, BoMA Improv Troupe), and the Now Theatre (Ali, The Retreating World). He is thrilled to be a new member of The Seeing Place, bringing vital theater to a hungry audience. Web: www.javannelson.com

From the Rehearsal Room: Marnie Klar as "Joan"

2012-11-23T10:09:00.000-05:00

Invites To Shows...Are They Spam?

2012-11-20T10:20:00.000-05:00

As The Seeing Place is preparing to open LOVE SONG, many of us have a familiar sinking feeling in our stomachs that it seems is somewhat universal when it comes to putting on theater in New York.

Strangely enough, it's got nothing to do with the show. We're scared to do it, certainly - but I've put my acting career on the line enough times to know that if I get slammed or praised, my ego might react for a little while, but it's probably not going to appreciably change my life. We may not make our money back, but it wouldn't be the first time - and we've promised six plays this year. Heck, we just sold a bunch of season tickets to those plays. So, we're committed.

What many of us are most scared of is alienating our friends when we ask them to come.

If I tell my friends that I want them to see my show, then they tend to hear one of two things:
1.) I want everyone to come see ME and support ME and look at ME and love ME!
2.) I think of them as walking dollar signs - because I'm a producer on the project.

Here's the problem: I have to market to people or they won't know about the show. The world doesn't revolve around me, so we have to remind people that we really want them to come - or they don't. I just missed a dear friend's show that I was dying to see, because he only told me once. Surely, no offense is meant when we reach out a second or third or tenth time. In marketing, it takes 7-10 times for anyone to take notice. I've found that it's not a much better average with our peers. We all lead busy lives. We forget easily. And in fact, I only come to my friends' shows when they let me know that they want me there. Simply mentioning it is not enough. I want to know that they stand behind their work. I want to know it means something to them. Why? Because that means that it's better or I'm going to like it more? No. Because I know that they have something to share.

I know I get confused when I reach out to my friends and get a response as though I've harassed them. It's heartbreaking to tell someone how important they are to you and be met with, "Yeah, I heard you the first time." Or "I've already supported you this year." Partially, I get that response because we're in our fourth season. But it goes deeper than that. We live in a commercial city, and unfortunately we seem to have bought into the idea that Art is either a commodity or a favor. It makes us sad.

The thing is, I'll bet that most of us are not looking to impress anyone. Personally, it feels good when people like my work. It feels even better when people like The Seeing Place Theater's work - and I mean that. But more than anything, we all kill ourselves bringing something to life. And then we birth it for three weeks and it's done. I want to share it with the people I care about. And after the show is over for the night, I want to spend time with the people that came. Because theater is (and always has been) about COMMUNITY.

We sit in a dark room and celebrate humanity together. And then we have the opportunity to come together afterwards and discuss life. It's unfortunate that the Theatre - and even movies - have become something of a bourgeois pleasure. And that price is costing us something very beautiful. The group of us at The Seeing Place firmly believes that the Theatre is an important past-time. To us, it is sociology without the science. And that's why we keep our ticket prices so low. As screwed up as Lenin and Stalin may have been, they understood how mainstream cinema creates a common language for people of all walks of life to come together. In their case, they may have been speaking of propaganda in film. But it applies even more to live theater. There's a reason why Harold Clurman referred to great plays as being "propaganda for a better life".

This is a call to arms. We need a shift of focus in our community. We're opening a show on Friday. We want to share it with our community - especially with those closest to us. It's not because we need our egos stroked. It's because we want to share our souls with you. And we want that to create something bigger than a show you came and liked.

Consider that, when I invite my friends, that it's as though I'm suggesting we go to a movie and hang out afterwards. The only difference is that I'm providing the entertainment. I expect that the show is only the first part of our evening together. And I challenge this community to engage in that possibility with me and with The Seeing Place.

We open John Kolvenbach's beautiful comedy, LOVE SONG, this week on Black Friday. When you come, please stay after and crush a cup of wine with us. How often does a community get a chance to conspire? I never knew the exact definition of that word until an actress names Rhona Gold taught me. It literally means: To Breathe Together. It's touched me ever since.

What thoughts do you have on the subject?

"Organic Theater" - Part 3: Objective

2012-11-16T10:31:00.000-05:00

"Competition [in a scene] is healthy. Competition is life. Yet most actors refuse to acknowledge this. They don't want to compete. They want to get along. And they are therefore not first-rate actors."
- Michael Shurtleff

I don't normally find myself quoting Michael Shurtleff, but it rang particularly true when it was brought to my attention by Erin Cronican (our Managing Director), who is directing our upcoming production of John Kolvenbach's LOVE SONG.

There seems to be an epidemic going around our theaters. I call it playing nice.

We spend our lives learning how to avoid conflict. In my opinion, that's really the main thing taught in the majority of public schools: socialization. But we get it from our parents, our peers - literally everywhere we turn, we're taught how to get along. We learn very early on that Sharing is Caring, that we can't hit people or roar at them when we want something. We can't just take food off of people's plates. We learn to bite our lips, watch our mouths, hold our tongues...the sayings go on and on. And all of these maxims serve us very well in life. Not so well onstage.

The truth of it is: we can't afford to behave onstage the same way we do in life. Many of the great acting teachers have cited a difference between Naturalism and Realism onstage. I'll go into greater detail on that in another post. But the long and the short of it is this: We go to the theater to see ourselves. It's why we chose The Seeing Place as our name, the literal meaning of the Greek word, "Theatron". In our minds, the theatre should be a place to express the things that we don't want to admit about ourselves in public.

We can hardly aim for that kind of goal if we insist on behaving in an everyday fashion onstage. But how do we go about achieving that kind of heightened expression without setting blocking or levels of emotion? What's to keep the strength of the story intact? What's to keep us from avoiding conflict and behaving naturally, when that's what we've been taught all our lives?

In every theater around town, actors and directors alike stress the importance of raising the stakes. But how do we do that?

To answer that, I think Phil Connors says it best:

"It's the same thing your whole life. Clean up your room. Stand up straight. Pick up your feet. Take it like a man. Be nice to your sister. Don't mix beer and wine - ever! Oh yeah...don't drive on the railroad tracks. I don't know, Gus. Sometimes, you just have to take the big chances. I'm bettin' he's gonna swerve first. I'm not gonna live by their rules anymore. You make choices, and you live with them."
- Groundhog Day

Essentially, we have to change the way we're looking at the world. David Gideon, my teacher, talks about the importance of recognizing the fact that we get applause onstage for the same things that we'd be thrown in jail for in real life. But that's not just going to happen of its own volition. We literally have to give ourselves permission. Because there are no consequences onstage. We're there to celebrate the reaches of humanity. And we all have to play with the same kind of openness that we did when we were kids, playing make-believe.

That said, there is still one more piece to the puzzle. Simply acting with abandon doesn't help tell a story. Though it's tempting, we can't just be free onstage. Why not? Because that would destroy the reality of the play - unless the character is a psychopath. We still have to live within some guidelines.

There is a sign posted in our rehearsal space. It reads "GO AFTER WHAT YOU WANT." And it really brings the whole thing to the surface. How many people do you know that say they want to be actors, and yet when you ask them when they went on their last audition, they couldn't even begin to tell you? I'll bet they have the same problem in their work onstage.

The singularly most difficult thing for an actor to find in a play is: AN ACTABLE OBJECTIVE. Many of us are taught to look for some action verbs or what our characters want is. But in reality, what are our characters aiming for? How are they going to get it? Those are big questions. And we spend a lot of time answering them at The Seeing Place.

But it's not enough to have it in mind - in life or onstage. We have to DO something about it. I can know that I should exercise if I want to slim down until I'm blue in the face. Nothing's gonna happen if I just think about it, though. Sometimes, I literally need to force myself to act on my desires. It can't be a matter of 'when we feel like it'.

Because our characters are at big points in their lives. They're taking action. There's a reason that Long Day's Journey Into Night takes place THIS WEEKEND at the Tyrone mansion - not last weekend or next weekend. This is the time the family DID something.

I learned this from one of the greatest books on playwrighting ever. On the second page, it says...

Let's begin the process simply, with a one-line definition of a story:
A speaker tells a listener what someone did to get what he wanted and why.
- THE ANATOMY OF STORY by John Truby

One more time, because I think it's important:
A speaker tells a listener what someone DID to get what he wanted and why.

The objectives are our lifelines in the theatre. If I go head first after what I want, and you do too, then BAM - immediate conflict. I've been told that the greatest stories happen when two opposing viewpoints on living go into battle. Just because Torvald loses the at the end of Ibsen's A Doll's House, it doesn't mean that he shouldn't be fighting for his life all along the way. Otherwise, we'll know what happens in the end before he does. Our failures onstage are what tend to give us the greatest successes.

It's in that collaborative competition that the story is told. We can't afford Kumbaya in the theatre. I don't want to give my scene partners the benefit of the doubt. I want to challenge them. I want them to challenge me back. It's just like any other game we play. We should play to win.

There seems to be this idea that in an ensemble theater, everyone should give to everyone else. We agree. But we shouldn't make ourselves smaller to do that. I'll end with Marianne Williamson's overquoted quote that is especially pertinent:

Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

What are your thoughts on the subject?
This is the third post in a series, defining methods The Seeing Place Theater uses in our rehearsal process to create Organic Theater.

Other posts in this series: Part One: Speaking Out | Part Two: Physical Reality