Actors capture a moment
By Lucinda Garcia
4/30/10
While audiences need to connect to an actor's performance, the work to get to that point begins weeks if not months earlier. Actors take various paths to perfect their performance.
To get into character she does a lot of research, "I take notes from the playwright. That comes first. But it goes to the back of my head. It sorta becomes secondary. I find it through the dialogue," Redmond said.
Jamie Marcotte, 27, said researching, interviewing and acting as the character, like walking around as a cripple, helps her to achieve and refine the image desired. She has been acting since childhood
"I do a lot of studying in front of the mirror when I think no one is looking. I try different facial expressions," she said.
Marcotte said while on stage she tries to react to the other characters. "Being in that moment I actually try very hard in a play where the fourth wall is not broken to simply get involved in the literature of the character," she said.
Redmond said the characters she loves depicting are anything outside her own physicality. She strives to meet the challenge of becoming what's outside of her natural ability. Redmond gave the example of playing a person with Tourette Syndrome at Emerson.
But sometimes a mishap will occur, despite all the preparation. When it does, Redmond said she tries not to dwell on it because she doesn't want to lose the connection with the audience. She said the previous summer she depicted a character with three noses. An incident happened where a nose fell off due to the scorching heat from the day.
"The nose fell off, but I gotta go with it," she said.
Like Redmond, Marcotte had a mishap but it involved a wardrobe change in a play. Her skirt ended up being tucked into her pantyhose. She also continued with her performance.
Instances like that are why she loves theater, Marcotte said. "I've been mortified on stage before. Every time I walk on stage, I walk on stage knowing that anything and everything could happen. And that's why I love theater. Because you always have to think on your toes," she said.
Audiences connect in live theater because they know anything can happen as well.
The Martins family loves going to Broadway productions whether in Boston or New York. "What I most enjoy is the music and the singing," said Christine Martins, 47. " If I can connect with that, then I can feel and enjoy the music, singing and dancing, and I won't pay attention to the scenery."
Elle Martins, 15, said "the actors have the biggest impact, that's what the focus of the show is."
Her younger sister Antonia, 10, said, "I expect a lot from the performers, and I expect a lot of excitement when they are on the stage. I like to see their enjoyment on the stage."
(Photos taken by Kristin Lincoln of Bad Habit Productions for the play "Stop Kiss")
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