Snippitts of Illusions

So U.S.T. just closed the first half of thier season tonight with Beaux Stratagem. I went to see this performance, funny play really. It's a play written at the end of the Restoration era about two gentlemen who want nothing more than a woman with deep pockets. While there I'm talking with a fellow audience goer, a guy I know, and some of you who read my blog know. A man who's done theatre hear at U.S.U for about five years playing different parts in different shows. An individual who's acting prowess I have absolutely no respect for. Harsh? Yeah, but it's the truth. He asks me how I'm liking the show, I replied that I was enjoying it, which was true. This doesn't in anyway imply that it was a great show, but nor was it a bad show. It was a show, it was closing night and the actors were tired and had a bit less energy than was probably to be expected, the audience was fairly unresponsive, so it lagged in moments. This is bad in older plays because of the language but that's another story. His reponse to me at my comment was "Uhgggh I don't know. I've seen so much good theatre lately..." Now I said before that I have no respect for this individuals acting, nor do I have any respect for his taste: be it theatre, art, film or music. I almost said something about this, but trying to be a nice guy, I didn't.

Now all of that was a prelude to this: the conversation came up about good and bad actors tonight at a favorite local haunt of mine after the play. Now the covernsation was initially about what makes a good actor and bad actor, and I interjected honesty and sincerity. I through those out because I recently realized what people were talking about when the say you're honest and sincere when acting. I was told this myself in the past and I didn't know what the hell they were talking about. Now this isn't to say I'm good, I don't think I am, but I am apparently honest. That perplexed me, then one day it sort of hit. I came to the realization that in order to be honest as a character on stage, you have to be honest as an actor to yourself off stage, now this does not a good actor make. At least completely, but it might be a crucial ingredient to it.

That brings me back to the fellow at the show. While the show wasn't the best I've seen, it certainly wasn't the worst and the actors appeared to be enjoying themselves and thier roles (honesty) so it wasn't a chore for me to sit through. And for the fellow I was speaking with, I realize now that the reason I don't like his acting or have no respect for it is because he's not honest or sincere on stage.

I may be speaking out of place here, and forgive me if I do. Most of you who know me know I've only ever had one theatre class and it was playwriting, I don't know theory behind alot of this stuff like many of you do, nor do I pretend to even be completely competent at acting, like many of you are. I write this merely as observations that I have had with my limited experience. Now if some one else has something to offer, hell: Teej I respect the hell out of your actingl; Jayc I respect the hell out of your directing; Joel, Erica your some of the most knowledgable playwrights that I know. The rest of you I don't know as well, but I do know you have knowledge and viewpoints, pipe up if you disagree, or agree, or if you have more you want to add.

posted by F.G. Shaw @ 5:33 AM