Going For It

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to write a quick entry about something that I started thinking about at rehearsal last night. I had arrived to rehearsal about 15 minutes early and Melissa was working with some of the younger members of the cast on another part of the play. They were rehearsing one of the musical numbers that illustrates Jo's imaginative stories. These parts of the play are written in a very over dramatic fashion which provides an excellent opportunity for the actors to really have fun with the heightened reality. Melodrama can not only be very entertaining for the actor but for the audience as well. However, there is a danger with melodrama. With over dramatic lines and a plot that acts more like a soap-opera, it is easy for an actor to be scared to really commit to the part. For example, a character named Rodrigo says, "This is your end, villain! I've waited a lifetime to destroy you." That kind of line is not necessarily something that a "normal" person would say in day to day life but the actor has a job to really believe in the line so that the audience will believe the actor. As an actor you must fully commit to every line you have so that the audience will actually believe and hopefully enjoy the story you are telling. I have seen before that when an actor doesn't fully commit to his role then the show is much less enjoyable and sometimes even uncomfortable to watch. If the actor doesn't believe in his character and situation then why should the audience? Even if you might have a line that seems completely over dramatic if you really believe in it and commit to it fully then your acting will be believable. I think this is something that separates really good actors from okay ones: the ability to take big risks. If an actor is fearless and willing to do anything on stage, including risking looking like a fool, then that actor will be successful on stage. You end up looking like a bigger fool if you shy away from fully committing to something. That is just something that I was thinking about in rehearsal last night. Totally random but I'd love to hear what anyone else thinks about this, so feel free to leave comments if you want. Don't be afraid to take big risks!

Suzanne