I have made an interesting discovery. Scenes are more difficult for me than monologues. This was a surprising discovery for me because I was sure that it would be easier to memorize when there was another actor to feed lines off of. I figured that it would be easy because it would be a conversation. I was so wrong. For example, in preparing a monologue, memorization is less challenging in a way because you can memorize straight through without having to remember what your cue lines are. I have been able to go to bed with my lines running through my head and I study and recite them over and over until they become my words. It doesn't take too long to be able to recite with clear intentions due to the fact that the words have become second nature and I don't have to think so much about what I am saying, but rather, how I am saying it and why. Scene work on the other hand has proven more difficult for me to memorize. I find myself leaving out or mixing up certain lines because is is difficult for me to memorize lines that are broken up in a dialogue. This also creates a difficulty in playing with clear intentions because I am trying to think of my lines and which ones I am to say next instead of thinking about the specificity of why I am saying them.
Unfortunately, memorization is just the beginning of the difficulty when it comes to scenes. My partner and I did a scene from 'Night Mother and decided on our intentions and movements, but we had no idea of the great need of specific movements as a duet. After performing our working scene, one of the problems that we found was the overall look of the scene with our positioning and the use of the space we had created. We had decided on movement choices that we felt were good for our personal characters, but we failed to realize how our personal movements might clash or look unnatural with the movements of the other character. For example, there were times when I would stand and move across the room with a specific intention while my scene partner stayed seated in behind my movements, this caused her to be hidden behind me while she recited her lines. This is something that would not be thought of if this were simply a real life situation in our home, but on stage, this creates an issue.
I am grateful that this issue was addressed though, because it provided an opportunity for me to learn a stage skill I had not even considered before, that of countering. This is the simple act of each actor finding a reason to move to the opposite side of the space as the an the other actor moves across the stage. For example, with our previous issue of my scene partner being hidden behind me when I moved to stand in front of the table in front of her, she found a reason to counter my movement and got up and moved to replace where I had been standing. It was so simple and yet made such a difference in the overall look of our scene. This skill of countering and all the other little things that need to be considered when working a scene as opposed to a monologue is something that I am so grateful to have acquired in this class. It is going to make my awareness of show direction so much more informed which will make a big difference in my stage presence.
Unfortunately, memorization is just the beginning of the difficulty when it comes to scenes. My partner and I did a scene from 'Night Mother and decided on our intentions and movements, but we had no idea of the great need of specific movements as a duet. After performing our working scene, one of the problems that we found was the overall look of the scene with our positioning and the use of the space we had created. We had decided on movement choices that we felt were good for our personal characters, but we failed to realize how our personal movements might clash or look unnatural with the movements of the other character. For example, there were times when I would stand and move across the room with a specific intention while my scene partner stayed seated in behind my movements, this caused her to be hidden behind me while she recited her lines. This is something that would not be thought of if this were simply a real life situation in our home, but on stage, this creates an issue.
I am grateful that this issue was addressed though, because it provided an opportunity for me to learn a stage skill I had not even considered before, that of countering. This is the simple act of each actor finding a reason to move to the opposite side of the space as the an the other actor moves across the stage. For example, with our previous issue of my scene partner being hidden behind me when I moved to stand in front of the table in front of her, she found a reason to counter my movement and got up and moved to replace where I had been standing. It was so simple and yet made such a difference in the overall look of our scene. This skill of countering and all the other little things that need to be considered when working a scene as opposed to a monologue is something that I am so grateful to have acquired in this class. It is going to make my awareness of show direction so much more informed which will make a big difference in my stage presence.
No comments:
Post a Comment