Why Do You Do Theatre?

I started this blog as a way to justify my major to other people, but today I’m finding that my biggest challenge might be justifying it to myself. In light of recent events, and some assigned soul-searching in Movement For The Actor, I’ve been tossing some questions around all week: Why do I do Theatre? Why does anyone?

Monday’s class of Viewpoints began with a routine breathing exercise, and something new. While we settled down in a circle, Lane Savadove posed a relatively simple question. “I want you to give this some thought. I don’t want any deep, spiritual garbage, I’m asking for your honesty. Think about it a little, and speak when you’re ready. Tell me, why do you do Theatre?”

The answers were surprising. Were there some garbage answers? Of course, but there were a lot more “I’m afraid to be alone”s, “It fulfills me”s and “It’s the only thing I’m good at”s. It’s the only thing you’re good at? You’re doing this because everything else kind of just failed you? That’s one ugly answer, but it’s definitely honest.

I realized everybody was listing the reasons why they first got into acting, so I played along. “I was fifteen, my parents hated each other, and I needed something to do to get away from both problems. And I just wanted people to see me.” Pretty ugly.

We’re often reminded to hold on to these answers, and the ones that later develop, for the tougher times. I’m looking forward to finding more depth, but until then, I’ve been pondering my own dedication. In all of this mess, through all these tough times, still, why Theatre? Here’s something I realized: you have to love it.

I’ve met some of the greatest people in my department, and I’ve met some of the worst. I’ve come face to face with the most cutthroat comments and actions that I hope I’ll ever witness. Does everybody live by an actor’s code of ethics? No. Is everybody going to judge you fairly based on your talent alone? Of course not. Will you be back stabbed? Unavoidably, yes. But if you love it, you’ll find a reason to pull through. You remember the compliments, you remember the thrills, you remember how nothing else makes you this happy. You turn failure into motivation, and you keep going until motivation turns into success. It’s not always this bad. And when it’s bad, it’s worth it. Because you love it.

I asked a few others the same question – “Why Theatre?” Sophomore double Art/Theatre major Joe Napolitano answers, “It encompasses so many mediums of art and blurs the lines between them.” Junior Tyler Garamella contradicts that with, “It’s a medium of art that has a unique ability to keep people in the moment, as opposed to transporting them elsewhere. It’s storytelling, and it’s self-expression.”

All this brings me to one question: How much do you love whatever it is you’re doing? Would you fight for it if it didn’t love you back?

Viewpoints: Introduction.

Photo Credit: David Cimetta

http://oliszewski.blogspot.com/2008/10/anne-bogart-viewpoints.html

As promised, I’m really excited to be writing about what I consider to be one of Rowan Theatre’s golden opportunities: Viewpoints. Labelled on the Add/Drop list as “Movement For The Actor,” (It’s open to non-theatre majors, please read on and consider!) Viewpoints is a little known performance technique designed to provide actors with a method of thinking upon acting and gesture. Undoubtedly, this post will find some disagreers or nitpickers who may want to correct some of my descriptions. Disclaimer: I’m writing from my experiences with Prof. Lane Savadove, the East coast’s primary Viewpoints coach. I understand it’s taught a little differently on the West coast, and probably throughout schools and workshops in general.

Before I make this sound like some undercover conspiracy project of rogue actors, I’ll explain that it’s a contemporary, and relatively fledgling coaching method originally developed in the 1970s by choreographer Mary Overlie as a method of movement improvisation. The theory was soon thereafter adapted for stage acting by director Anne Bogart. Bogart and Overlie were both faculty members of ETW at NYU in the ’70s and ’80s, at which time Bogart was deeply influenced by Overlie’s work. While Overlie’s Six Viewpoints (space, story, time, emotion, movement, and shape) are considered to be a logical way to examine, analyze, and create dances, Bogart’s Viewpoints are considered more practical in staging actors.

But that’s enough facts for now, because, let’s be real, even I don’t want to read all of that. Anyway, your favorite professors were never the ones who shoved facts down your throat, but the ones who found ways to relate the subject matter in a way that was relevant and exciting. And I’m so serious when I say that there is nothing more exciting in my life than this class (that might be proof how boring I’ve gotten this year.) Too keep it short and painless, I was ready to throw up when I walked into dance studio my first day. Theatre major or no, I suddenly redeveloped stage fright; this isn’t a class filled with smiling parents, it’s a large group of very talented fellow students. For the most part, however, I have a very supportive class, and these were the same people I survived two semesters of Dance Improvisation with last year. (Rolling around the floor and getting in touch with your body while Prof. Leslie Elkins makes sexual breathing noises, anyone?)

Savadove quickly prepped us on the basis of Viewpoints. Over time, we’ll learn to dissolve our ego (Actors without egos? Good one), live, move and be on impulse, as well learn the place of our body in relation to time in space. Me being me, my mind is blown, but I’m still all, “Wait, what” just as he introduces “Pass The Clap.” A simple game, often performed as a backstage energizer, but this time, intensified with the idea of not looking to one’s left or right, but staring past the room to the far horizon, eyes in the backs of our heads, while we passed energy manifested in a clap around a circle of classmates. I don’t know where I zoned in, but amidst a frenzy of claps, pauses and yells of “Pass this clap with your entire soul! Every reason you have for living is in this clap! You are just a temporary manifestation of a greater energy flying across the room!” I went so crazy, I burst a blood vessel in my hand. THAT’s focus. That’s Viewpoints! Not really, there’s more, but I’ll post those details in the next blog after I’m sore from all the running we’ll be doing tomorrow.

Until then!

Catherine.