Friday, April 30, 2004
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
Mary Moody Northern Theatre
I went to see The House Project with Edmund Friday. Chris was in it...aka...Billy the Kid. Wow!
seeing him took me right back
to the back yard
hugging him took me right back
to the wild west
kissing him took me right back
to longing for Bonny Billy's bed
I went to see The House Project with Edmund Friday. Chris was in it...aka...Billy the Kid. Wow!
seeing him took me right back
to the back yard
hugging him took me right back
to the wild west
kissing him took me right back
to longing for Bonny Billy's bed
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
VORTEX Repertory Company presents
Kathryn Blume’s
The Accidental Activist
When: This week!!!
Three nights only. April 22-24, 2004 8pm
Where: The VORTEX, 2307 Manor Rd. Austin, TX 78722
1/2 mile East of I-35, between Chestnut and Maple
Bus route #20, Free Parking, Wheelchair accessible
Tickets: 512-478-LAVA (5282)
Thursday: Pay What you Wish
Friday: $10
Saturday: $15—Kirk Smith will be playing live music in the café after
the show.
Limited Seating. Advanced purchase recommended.
VORTEX Repertory Company is pleased to present the Texas debut of The
Accidental Activist, written and performed by Kathryn Blume, co-founder
of the Lysistrata Project. Last year’s global theatrical event
demonstrated artists’ solidarity against the impending war in Iraq
through the unprecedented presentation of 1000 simultaneous readings of
Lysistrata in 59 countries and in all 50 states.
The Accidental Activist recounts the story of Blume’s astonishing
inability to save the world. With fantasy and passion, this
irrepressible performer explores how she might possibly make a
difference on a planet that couldn’t care less. Laced with wit and
impossible optimism for socio-political observations and deft sketches
of determined, defiant woment around the world, The Accidental Activist
is one lone person’s on-going search for a good reason to get out of
bed.
This show contains strong language and some adult content.
Three nights only!
For tickets call The VORTEX Box Office 512-478-LAVA (5282).
www.vortexrep.org
Kathryn Blume’s
The Accidental Activist
When: This week!!!
Three nights only. April 22-24, 2004 8pm
Where: The VORTEX, 2307 Manor Rd. Austin, TX 78722
1/2 mile East of I-35, between Chestnut and Maple
Bus route #20, Free Parking, Wheelchair accessible
Tickets: 512-478-LAVA (5282)
Thursday: Pay What you Wish
Friday: $10
Saturday: $15—Kirk Smith will be playing live music in the café after
the show.
Limited Seating. Advanced purchase recommended.
VORTEX Repertory Company is pleased to present the Texas debut of The
Accidental Activist, written and performed by Kathryn Blume, co-founder
of the Lysistrata Project. Last year’s global theatrical event
demonstrated artists’ solidarity against the impending war in Iraq
through the unprecedented presentation of 1000 simultaneous readings of
Lysistrata in 59 countries and in all 50 states.
The Accidental Activist recounts the story of Blume’s astonishing
inability to save the world. With fantasy and passion, this
irrepressible performer explores how she might possibly make a
difference on a planet that couldn’t care less. Laced with wit and
impossible optimism for socio-political observations and deft sketches
of determined, defiant woment around the world, The Accidental Activist
is one lone person’s on-going search for a good reason to get out of
bed.
This show contains strong language and some adult content.
Three nights only!
For tickets call The VORTEX Box Office 512-478-LAVA (5282).
www.vortexrep.org
Monday, April 12, 2004
CRAFT NOTES
MAKING YOURSELF CRY
New actors often have this thing about making themselves cry. It's like it is a litmus test for whether or not they are real actors. Real actors, so goes the logic, can make themselves cry on cue, and if you can't pull off that hat trick, you lose. In a recent acting class, I actually got into a heated debate with a very earnest student who believed that feigning crying would be the only acceptable application of indicating (showing the audience how you feel) - which is pretty universally considered an acting error.
Some actors figure they can cut onions on the movie set or put glycerin in their eyes to give the illusion of crying. Directors have been known to play cruel tricks on child actors to get them to cry, telling them their dog just died and such.
Let's clear the air, and the tears, okay?
First, an ability to make yourself shed real tears is decidedly not the earmark of an excellent actor. I have seen plenty of high school actors that can do it. I have worked with professional actors that could do it, and it was not affecting. The mechanical generation of tears is just that and nothing more - a mechanical generation.
Tears are an expression of sadness and maybe frustration. (Tears of happiness, like the ones you shed at weddings, will be the subject for another newsletter. They are the result of a mixture of happiness and sadnessŠ) Tears are a uniquely human expression of emotion. It is said that elephants cry but there has never been any actual documentation of that. As far as I know, only humans do it. The reason is that we have thinking brains and emotions are automatic value responses. Tears require abstract thought.
Emotions are contextual, and sadness does not always result in tears. Take a look at the scene in Charlie Chaplin's movie "Gold Rush" when he realizes that Georgia the Dance Hall Girl has stood him up on New Year's Eve. No tears, but the sadness is almost tangible. There are times in life when sadness goes beyond tears. I remember once having to tell a friend in New York that his father had passed away. He did not react with tears until much later, but he was obviously devastated by the news.
We humans empathize with emotion. Tears in themselves carry little empathetic currency. They are just wet things. The important part is how the character feels, tears or no tears. Sadness expresses itself in the curve of the back, by the slackness in the muscles, by an inward-looking moment. It used to be said that Geraldine Page could do more acting with her back than most actors could with their front, and this was largely a factor of the way she expressed sadness with her body. The same was true with Eleanora Duse.
If you absolutely positively must make yourself cry real tears, you can probably do it. I can do it and have done so in various film projects. The trick is to put yourself on the edge of tears before they say "Action!" and then spill over in the moment. You have to have a private place in your brain to hold context. It is a mental discipline.
But, seriously, I would not make a big deal out of being able to cry. It is not a litmus test of your talent. More important is for you to have compassion and empathy for the human condition and for you to be willing to be a shaman. If tears are appropriate to the moment, then they will be there.
Until next month...be safe!
Ed Hooks
http://www.edhooks.com
MAKING YOURSELF CRY
New actors often have this thing about making themselves cry. It's like it is a litmus test for whether or not they are real actors. Real actors, so goes the logic, can make themselves cry on cue, and if you can't pull off that hat trick, you lose. In a recent acting class, I actually got into a heated debate with a very earnest student who believed that feigning crying would be the only acceptable application of indicating (showing the audience how you feel) - which is pretty universally considered an acting error.
Some actors figure they can cut onions on the movie set or put glycerin in their eyes to give the illusion of crying. Directors have been known to play cruel tricks on child actors to get them to cry, telling them their dog just died and such.
Let's clear the air, and the tears, okay?
First, an ability to make yourself shed real tears is decidedly not the earmark of an excellent actor. I have seen plenty of high school actors that can do it. I have worked with professional actors that could do it, and it was not affecting. The mechanical generation of tears is just that and nothing more - a mechanical generation.
Tears are an expression of sadness and maybe frustration. (Tears of happiness, like the ones you shed at weddings, will be the subject for another newsletter. They are the result of a mixture of happiness and sadnessŠ) Tears are a uniquely human expression of emotion. It is said that elephants cry but there has never been any actual documentation of that. As far as I know, only humans do it. The reason is that we have thinking brains and emotions are automatic value responses. Tears require abstract thought.
Emotions are contextual, and sadness does not always result in tears. Take a look at the scene in Charlie Chaplin's movie "Gold Rush" when he realizes that Georgia the Dance Hall Girl has stood him up on New Year's Eve. No tears, but the sadness is almost tangible. There are times in life when sadness goes beyond tears. I remember once having to tell a friend in New York that his father had passed away. He did not react with tears until much later, but he was obviously devastated by the news.
We humans empathize with emotion. Tears in themselves carry little empathetic currency. They are just wet things. The important part is how the character feels, tears or no tears. Sadness expresses itself in the curve of the back, by the slackness in the muscles, by an inward-looking moment. It used to be said that Geraldine Page could do more acting with her back than most actors could with their front, and this was largely a factor of the way she expressed sadness with her body. The same was true with Eleanora Duse.
If you absolutely positively must make yourself cry real tears, you can probably do it. I can do it and have done so in various film projects. The trick is to put yourself on the edge of tears before they say "Action!" and then spill over in the moment. You have to have a private place in your brain to hold context. It is a mental discipline.
But, seriously, I would not make a big deal out of being able to cry. It is not a litmus test of your talent. More important is for you to have compassion and empathy for the human condition and for you to be willing to be a shaman. If tears are appropriate to the moment, then they will be there.
Until next month...be safe!
Ed Hooks
http://www.edhooks.com
Thursday, April 08, 2004
Waiting for Trains
watch the clip
that's my voice
the mmmmeeeaaaaan mom
how sad for that poor boy! :-(
watch the clip
that's my voice
the mmmmeeeaaaaan mom
how sad for that poor boy! :-(
