c h a r a c t e r i s a t i o n

"Becoming a character, as it is colloquially termed in theater, is more than stage make-up and reciting lines. It is the purposeful altercation of one mannerisms and appearance to mimic a very specific sort of person." 1

Description

one act play one act play one act play
only 17 days left, and so much to be done...

This was a "characterisation week". We did some fisical work (mainly based in rythm) which helped us to develop and 'deepen' our characters.

On the other hand, we continue practicing the scenes and editing ->(our director)
However... we don't know yet how's the play going to end


Analysis and Connections

"They say, "Don't judge a book by its cover." But that is exactly what an actor must count on. Because of mass media influences, certain physical attributes are linked with different behaviors." 1

As I always mention, the creation of a play (including it's vision, concept, game, characters, etc.) is not an easy process!
I've learned it is important to "go forward", and avoid changing things in the play that had already been decided or created.

The creation of a character isn't easy either, and as this play concentrates a lot in changes in characterisation to amuse the audience, we've done some exercises in order to know our centre of energy + how (and at what rythm) our characters walk, stand up, and breath.

Although I like my character, it has been hard for me to perform it, as many times I forget about being "sweet" and keep using a more "stereotyped personality". In order to solve this, I will start using Jessica Rabbit's voice as a stimuli. [Jessica's Famous Scene]

On the other hand, I think that my other character (the priest) needs to be further developed, and as I want it to be the opposite from the mean wife (to create a greater surprise in the audience), I decided that my stimuli will be the Chameleon.

"Any actor worth his salt should learn a variety of accents, voice types and voice patterns. Not all thirty-year old men have the same style of voice."  1

Finally, it is essential to know the importance of the internal monologue for characterisation:
"But these things cannot be accomplished without one more task: how does the character think? Understanding the noetic tendencies of a character is the key that unlocks the rest of his personality.Identify the cognitive processes of a character; the likes and dislikes, dreams and failures - what is rational and what is irrational. Create the person that should be represented." 1

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• In plays such as 'La cocina' and 'Más pequeños que el Guggenheim', we were able to see very different types of characters in one stage, and that was one of the things which mainly catched my attention and amused the audience.
  Different accents and personalities (such as Chiclayo and the "bad boy", or "el albino" and Sunday) demostrate that contrasts and good characterisation were essential, as it is going to be in our play.
  On the other hand, (depending on the play's concept) the scenery and design does not need to be extremely elaborated, because if characterisation is well-developed, the audience will concentrate on that and find it very enjoyable (like in 'Más pequeños que el Guggenheim').
• Our method and approach in characterisation reminded me of a class where we discussed about Stanislavski:
  "In Stanislavski's technique, the actor would perform a physical motion or a series of physical activities to create the desired emotional response for the character. Emotions were considered to be formed from the subconscious, so this technique allowed the actors to consciously target and control their subconscious emotions through movement. For instance, if an actor needed to weep, he could sigh and hold his head in his hands, a physical action that many who are crying instinctively do." 2

Reflections/ final question

*It is very important to mention what I've also learned this week:
when you are acting, you DON'T IGNORE what is happening on stage, in order to keep the energy. [It is essential to maintain a high energy]

*If you want a deep characterisation, you need to analyze and develop (psychologically and physically) your character. This isn't an easy process.

*in the creation of a play, lines (better if short) need to be acted and not said.

When do I know if my characterisation is "good enough" to start working on the next one? (in this case, from the wife to the priest)
Is there a better way to approach characterisation (for example, through animals, or cartoons), or does it depend on the case?

Which method works better for our characterisation -> developing our characters from the inside to the outside, or from the outside to the inside?

Quotes from:
1 "Method Acting: How to Become a Character" - by Andy Herrick
2 "Stanislavski's system" - from Wikipedia