Fame The Musical
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Acting
Forum Discription: Q&A about auditions, character development and other aspects of the craft
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3309
Printed Date: 11/04/25 at 1:17am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Fame The Musical
Posted By: tonyboling
Subject: Fame The Musical
Date Posted: 7/25/08 at 8:03am
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I'm currently playing Mr Myers the acting teacher and I'm very comfortable with it. The only scene I'm having issues in is the bit towards the end where Myers walks up to Carmen and talks to her about dropping out. I've been playing it calm and sympathetic and it just doesn't "feel" right to me. Our "director" says it looks fine, but he's also in the show so he's not onstage during it. Last night we did a brush up rehearsal for the few understudy's we have and I tried to play it a little more gruff or mean and it totally didn't work and tonight I'm going for more of a warning type attitude. I'm happy I'm able to come up with a ton of ways to play it but it doens't seem like any of them work and I'm starting to suspect it's our Carmen. She's great at singing and stuff but she's not a very giving actor. It just feels like I'm struggling to breath out there....but only for that scene. I'm not getting any direction here...so anyone here have any ideas? |
Replies:
Posted By: POB14
Date Posted: 8/12/08 at 2:48pm
I'm probably too late to help, but, oh well . . . .
Use what she's (not) giving you. Don't see it as the actor not doing her job; see it as Carmen being obtuse about what you're saying. Maybe she's deliberately ignoring you. Maybe she doesn't understand what you're saying. Maybe she thinks you're full of it. Don't worry about playing it "calm" or "gruff" or any other adjectives; play the action "to knock down the brick wall Carmen's built between us." ------------- POB Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard |
Posted By: tonyboling
Date Posted: 8/12/08 at 3:06pm
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Yeah, totally late... I will think of that approach the next time I'm in a situation like that though. I guess my objection to that in this situation was that had she really read the script she'd have known she was supposed to be angry and mad at me. her scene just prior to that one has her really complaining about the teachers and Mr Meyers himself when she's talking to Schlomoe in the sense that you can derive a lot about your character by what other characters are saying about you in other parts of the script. I ended up offhandedly mentioning if Carmen was angrier at Meyers in that scene, that her next bit with Schlomoe would be much more impactful for her character. She did exactly that in order to make herself look good and the byproduct was that I had much more to feed off of im my scene. I generally do play the action, but I guess I've always just had scene partners that actually gave action instead of in-action. And I guess in-action is action as well but one of Meyers' lines was "You know Carmen, your anger could be your greatest asset..." I just think her previously not being angry is what halted that little scene. Ahh well it's over now. It had a decent run and turn out. The kids had a fantastic time and that's what it's all about. i don't get many chances to be on stage due to my schedule so I was just trying to make the best of it. |
Posted By: POB14
Date Posted: 8/13/08 at 1:27pm
Sorry about that; because of an illness in the family, I haven't been on the board much for a while. I think I'll be around more now, though.
That's a way better solution than mine, anyway. Although you've got to really be careful, and not seem to be giving the other actor notes. I've never been good with tact, so I tend not to suggest things to other actors at all. Depending on the actor's temper, ego, and degree of passive-agression, she might
------------- POB Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard |
Posted By: tonyboling
Date Posted: 8/13/08 at 1:45pm
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I may not be all that good with tact either....backstage notes happen all the time here. I guess if the directors would pay attention and direct it right the first time it wouldn't happen so much. People don't really give notes to alter a directors choice, but rather enact a choice that was never there to begin with. |