Getting Along

Back to work we go this afternoon for four hours or so working on Richard the third. Half the problem is always sorting out who the heck all the characters are and what they are doing around here, and what in the world are they talking about! All that being much clearer, much more understood, there is always the problem or issue with the language itself, those damn words! Now nothing is worse to my ear than "the tone" adopted by some actors when reading or performing Shakespeare. And mind you, reading is a separate function, task, skill from acting. Knowing the words, lines and using them in context of doing an action on stage is radically different than reading from a printed script while kind of indicating something is being meant, felt, wanted, etc. And so to me, acting cannot and does not take place until a person completely knows their lines by heart. Once you know your lines, you can rehearse. Until then, no. But anyway, even reading doesn't stop many of us from adopting that "tone." Drives me bonkers! The beauty of the language in both sound and meaning comes not from airy official sounding declamation or rhythmic vocal gymnastics or even from the obvious indicating of an implication from an individual word, but rather more from a total phrase, a total thought put together and expressed freely and easily. Actors tend to think that they need to stress so many words, and play their one action of explaining (to explain), so that the spectators get it. Big mistake and happens all the time and might be the single biggest reason that I myself hate going to see plays. (ok, hate is a strong word there). Don't they know that spectators can grasp whole thoughts, complete sentences all put together without constant pause and emphasis and gesture meant to further explain? Nothing ruins my ear more as a spectator that small, plodding, obvious phrasing. But given that we love our moments as actors and love to act we want to act the hell out of every word - especially in Shakespeare. But surprisingly enough, or not, if you are doing what you should be doing as an actor, the dialogue as composed by Shakespeare begins to take its proper place in an exacting way. An exacting way. Yes it requires some attention, as all language does, and some physical skill in breathing and articulation, and knowledge of meaning and music, but those things come to the forefront with all good acting. Emphasis on good.