Vocalist.org archive


From:  "Lloyd W. Hanson" <lloyd.hanson@n...>
Date:  Fri Aug 11, 2000  5:44 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist-temporary] "natural" singer-actors


On 0 Aug 2000, Judy wrote:
>I see a lot of acting at this level--skilled use of gestures but no sense of
>commitment to back it up. For me, that's posing, not acting.


COMMENT: No disrespect here Judy, but regarding your above
statement, how would you know. How would you know if what you saw
wes, indeed skilled use of gestures but no sense of commitment.

I have seen performance with little skill, a lot of commitment and
knowledgeable people would not accept it. I have seen performances
with a lot of skill and no sense of commitment and knowledgeable
people loved it. I have seen performances with little skill and a
lot of commitment and knowledgeable people loved, etc.

There is no way for anyone in the audience, knowledgeable or not to
know if the actor's performance displays skill or not or if there is
commitment or not. I know everyone will probably disagree with this
statement but I have seen and covered so many examples of this that I
cannot find any common quality that can be predicted. I do know from
having worked with actors when skill is involved and, from their
comments, when commitment is involved but I do not know of any
audience member, knowledge or not, who can consistently tell the
difference.

The only route for an actor is to learn his/her craft, devote his
best intent to the execution of that craft and let come what comes.
When I see a performance that does not move me I try to decide what
in it was lacking. But I also try to never decide if the actor was
committed or if he had any skill. That is the actor's business.
Mine, as audience, is to analyze what moved me or what didn't. That,
then, becomes a comment on me, not on the actor. And I think that is
one of most important qualities of theatre.

--
Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA
Professor of Voice, Pedagogy
School of Performing Arts
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011

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