In a message dated 8/5/00 9:21:16 AM, ibracamonte@y... writes:
<< Dr. Hanson and Dr. Diane have convinced me to get a
hold of one of Wesley Balk's books -- I have
Performing Power sitting in front of me -- but my
question is: is it possible to learn acting from a
book? The concept seems so unlikely. Must you go to
one of Balk's seminars (although I'm sure they're
fabulous) to get the full benefit of his teachings?
Are there private acting coaches out there anymore (I
know Lillian Nordica had an acting lesson every
morning before her singing lesson every afternoon, but
that was then), and what do they do (and could I
reproduce whatever that is with a camcorder in my
living room)? Does acting in straight theater help
(and is Shakespeare better than modern theater)? What
can we actually do, as actors, to improve?
>>
Isabelle:
I purchased one of Wesley Balk's books--The Radiant Performer--and found so
"technical" as to be donwright impenetrable. Now, this does NOT mean that I
don't think that his ideas have value--I've seen far too many posts from
people whose opinions I respect to write him off. And I also strongly suspect
that working directly with him could be very rewarding and worthwhile. I just
didn't find this particular book, by itself, helpful to me. I prefer a more
organic, less analytic approach.
When I first started acting in opera, I had already done some musical comedy,
and I have always been quite comfortable in front of an audience. But
operatic acting IS different, as Lloyd explained so well, and I wanted to
read something that would help me. I found Stanislavsky's The Actor Prepares v
ery interesting and helpful. The Goldovsky books also have a lot of wonderful
insights.
But I don't think that you will really learn how to act from a book. You
learn by doing. It helps to observe people and their gestures and their
reactions. It can also help to remember an experience in your own life that
is somehow related and work your reactions and emotions into the
characterization.
Here's what I mean--I was singing Marguerite with a small local company, and
the opera was double-cast. The rehearsals ran too long, and somehow the
director never got beyond giving us the most rudimentary blocking for the
last act. The other Marguerite got the first performance, and I watched her
stand in one spot, without any movements, gestures, reactions or anything
that would suggest acting. (In fairness to her, she was probably panicked by
the situation and couldn't think what to do.)
I went home very upset but determined NOT to fall into the same trap. I had
24 hours to come up with a solution, so I tried to think of the situation in
my life that most resembled Marguerite's. Now, I have never been seduced by
someone who drank a love potion, never given birth to an illegitimate child,
and certainly never been in prison. But I had been second in command at a
company that was in deep financial difficulty (through no fault of mine--the
situation pre-dated me). We were being besieged by creditors and my boss was
afraid to answer the phone, so I had to deal with threats, etc. on a daily
basis. I felt that I was trapped because I needed the job (or at least, so I
thought!) and was struggling valiantly to see that no bad checks were issued,
and that I never made a promise that I couldn't honor. One day the accountant
who had been hired to help us find our way out of this financial nightmare
deliberately bounced approximately $100,000 in checks because my boss had
refused to give him a higher fee. Needless to say, it was a hellish
situation--I felt like a caged animal at that point.
Back to the opera--I decided that Marguerite also felt like a caged
animal--she had been misled and used badly, seduced into doing things that
she normally would not consider. I made myself some shackles (went to the
hardware store and bought some chain and bits of aluminum) and practiced
working with them.
Instead of standing center stage, I knelt, or cowered. I rarely lifted my
eyes.
I was also very careful to allow the music to suggest what my gestures and
movements should be. I knew that if I just flailed around wildly the entire
time, it would be overkill, but that an air of desparation (which, as I knew
from my on-the-job experience, is often paralyzing) combined with one or two
well planned moves, would have the impact that I was after.
When Mephistopheles entered, I "sensed his presence" as a trapped animal
would. I froze and thought about all of the phone calls and the accountant. I
refused to look at him, covered my ears, drew back and slowly moved away from
him but never rose to my feet until sometime toward the end of the final
trio.
Anyway, it worked out very well, and this approach has been central to my
acting technique ever since. I look first at the music, to see what gestures
and movements the composer has suggested. I consider the character, who she
is, her station in life, her beliefs, what she has done, what she wants to
have happen--and I experiment with movements that I believe the character
would make. Once I've found some gestures that I like, I practice them until
they feel very natural. I will sometimes put on a recording of the opera and
walk through my blocking and my gestures so that I can get a feel for the
timing without being encumbered by trying to think about lyrics or vocal
technique. Eventually when it feels right I'm ready to put it all together.
Last but not least, I think that much of what you describe as "force of
nature" and "energy" is in fact identification with--and commitment to--a
specific idea. Specificity gives you power, grace and energy as an actor.
Sorry to ramble on for so long--I hope this helps give you a starting point
for your own exploration of acting. I think it's fascinating!
Judy
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