Thespian Arts

Before this past weekend, the last time I performed in a play was in Grade 8 (circa 1984), when I played the part of the prodigal son. After a 35+ year hiatus from the thespian arts, last Friday I performed in a Murder Mystery play here in Kingston, in front of a crowd of about 60 people. This summer we will be doing a total of 4 performances, at a mix of different venues, culminating in our final performance at a local theatre.

The path that took me here is an interesting one.  A number of years ago I began to consciously push my comfort levels, taking on new activities I believed would be enjoyable and challenging, but for whatever reason (e.g. not enough time, unsure where to start, etc.), had resisted pursuing.  These included volunteer teaching in prison, joining a local sports team, creating a social support group for men, expanding my social circle, dating again (after my divorce), creating a philosophy meetup group, trying to launch a philosophy with children initiative (though it never got off the ground!) and joining a local improv class.  All of these activities have been powerful catalysts of personal development, enabling me to grow and gain new insights into my own personality and the social world.

My current role in this play came about by happenstance- through the local, in-person improv class I recently completed.  At first the idea of having to memorize lines and perform for the public was anxiety-inducing.  When I was offered the part there was less than a month until the first public performance!  Yikes.  But I just happened to be reading the book Flow when this acting opportunity presented itself.  And I recalled Csikszentmihalyi's description of flow activity as "providing a sense of discovery, a creative feeling of transporting the person into a new reality.  It pushed the person to higher levels of performance, and lead to previously undreamed-of states of consciousness” (74).  This opportunity to act and perform in public could be a great catalyst for my own self-growth.  I knew this activity would not be easy, nor would it be impossible (the part I was playing did not involve memorizing a Shakespearian play, for example, or performing on only a week's notice/preparation).

I also believe it is important, especially with the isolation and closures of the past 2 years, for people to return to socializing and the performing arts to be revived and celebrated.  Here was an opportunity for me to play some small part in making people laugh and socialize again, to connect and feel truly human.  So I wanted to make the most of this opportunity.

I approached the first task of memorizing my lines with a problem-solving mentality, something I have long used for giving large lectures and scholarly talks.  The lesson I learned over 25 years ago (often repeated to me by my father) was this- "know your material!".  I don't get stressed or nervous about giving academic talks because I know what I am presenting very well.  Adequate preparation is the antidote to nerves and anxiety.   

So I tried to apply this same "uber-prepared" mentality to my first (adult) experience with acting in public.  My first instinct was to highlight all my lines in the script (25-30 lines totaling approximately 1000 words).  But then I decided to check YouTube for professional advice.  And I found a number of useful videos.  It turns out my first instinct, to try to start memorizing my own lines, was a common mistake!  I think I figured this out after a day of trying to memorize my lines.  The reason this was somewhat futile is it lacked "context".  What I needed to really do first was read the whole script, at least twice.

By reading the whole script I gained an understanding of the plot, and my character.  I gained insight into who my character was, why he was saying what he was saying, the dynamics of the interactions he was having with other characters in the play.  All of these points helped give me a "bird's eye view" of what was going on in the play versus the myopic lens I had initially adopted when I tried to just learn my lines.

In total it took me two weeks to memorize my lines.  I tried to memorize about 3 new lines every 3 days.  I would repeat, orally, the lines I had already memorized and the new lines multiple times a day.  They would be the first thing I said when I awoke each day, and the last thing I would say before sleeping.  Another useful tip I learned was to actually write out my lines from memory, which I did both in handwritten and type form.  That really helped my brain to memorize the specifics of my lines (vs simply saying them out loud only). 

In addition to the challenge of memorizing lines, you also have to know when to speak, which means you need to know the details of what other actors are saying and when to insert your lines.  A YouTuber gave a great tip on how to do this.  I did an audio recording of myself reading various parts of the script from the other actors, and then left a blank pause when it came to my lines.  When I played it back I would hear the lines that came before and after my parts, which helped me to memorize when I was to say particular lines.  

The cast also did zoom readings of the script, and multiple in-person rehearsals which were critical for helping my mind process all the other factors (e.g. where to stand, the movements to make, as well as learning the acting style of the other actors, etc.).   

Once I had my own lines memorized, I still had 10 days before the first performance.  The rehearsals were great practice but I was worried I might not perform the same in front of an actual audience as I did when there was no audience there.  So for 10 days I utilized my oculus VR headset to perform my lines in front of audiences from immersive YouTube videos which showed the audience from standup comedian shows and bands, etc.  I would "pause" the video at a point where I would see the crowd from the performer's vantage point, then I could look into the faces and eyes of audience members while saying my lines.  I virtually performed on a crowded street corner in London (UK), a comedy club in San Diego CA, and a large outdoor music concert.  I think this really helped me move from simply memorizing my lines to the experience of doing at least a "quasi"-performance with different venues/stimuli.  

By the time of the first performance I had already memorized all my lines for over 10 days, virtually presented those lines in front of stationary audiences over a dozen times, and done half a dozen practice performances with the cast.  I felt I knew my material.  This enabled me the luxury to spend the last week or so refining the acting, and actually enjoying playing the character.

Once I understood the logic of the play, and the role my character played (e.g. the function of the lines I was delivering for the overall story-line), the job of memorizing my lines became much easier.  Writing out the lines (vs only saying them) helped my brain memorize them.  Recording the lines of dialogue before and after my lines helped me to remember when I was to speak specific lines.  And practicing before a variety of  virtual audiences in my basement with my VR headset on helped me learn to say my lines and act the part from an "adaptive" / flexible mindset.  

All of these factors helped me to make my first performance a positive one.  I still have lots more to learn.  The other actors in the play are all more experienced than I, so I have learned a great deal from just watching and interacting with them.  I look forward to our future performances!  

Cheers, 

Colin