Nudity - the actor's POV
Mon, 28 Aug 2000, 07:55 pmWalter Plinge37 posts in thread
Nudity - the actor's POV
Mon, 28 Aug 2000, 07:55 pmPurely as a hypothetical question (at this stage, anyway): how do the actors out there in community theatre feel about nudity?
Would you do it? If so, under what circumstances? If not, please give reasons.
I'm talking serious nudity here; not "underwear nudity", but actual nudity: full frontal, topless, etc.
Would it be unreasonable of a director to ask a large portion (if not all) of their cast to appear fully nude, for instance in plays like "Hair", or "Steaming"?
And would be unreasonable of a director to apply for a season with a local group with a play or production that will require nudity to work effectively? Could he/she find a cast?
I open the topic for discussion....
D.M.
Would you do it? If so, under what circumstances? If not, please give reasons.
I'm talking serious nudity here; not "underwear nudity", but actual nudity: full frontal, topless, etc.
Would it be unreasonable of a director to ask a large portion (if not all) of their cast to appear fully nude, for instance in plays like "Hair", or "Steaming"?
And would be unreasonable of a director to apply for a season with a local group with a play or production that will require nudity to work effectively? Could he/she find a cast?
I open the topic for discussion....
D.M.
RE: Nudity - article in the West
Fri, 1 Sept 2000, 10:18 amWalter Plinge
Saw 'Orlando' last night.
WOW!!!
Lindy Hume is a god!
She is personally responsible for some of the best nights at the Opera I have ever spent (and I've spent a lot).
It is also because of her that I will NEVER direct 'The Mikado' (after hers, why bother!)
This won't be a review of the show, I'll save that for next week, after I've seen 'Coronation of Poppea' tonight and 'Israel in Egypt' tomorrow night. (Does anyone have a Metallica CD I can borrow as an antidote for Sunday?)
Back to the main point - wobbly bits.
Due to my own preferences, I shall concentrate on my reaction to Chris Josey's butt in ActII rather than Amanda Colliver's breasts in ActI.
After reading the posts on this subject beforehand, I did find myself analysing my reaction to the events.
OK, I know part of me may just be a dirty old perve, but I did find that different parts of my brain were reacting differently at the same time.
My libido centre's reaction was pretty much "Phwoarr! Turn around! Let's cop a look at the rest!"
The bit of my brain that was sucked into the story was agonising for Orlando and empathising with his torment.
The critical side of my brain was in awe at Handel's mastery of his art, and thinking "This is one opera I gotta get on CD".
The musical side of my brain was bemoaning the fact that Christopher Josey was out of voice that night.
The self-critical (Roman Catholic) side of my brain was very busy castigating my libido centre for being such a dirty old perve.
The visual side of my brain was practically orgasming from the set anyway (and had been since the curtain came up).
Need I go on...
So yes. If you appear nude on stage, people will be looking, and noting, and critiquing, and storing aside for future reference.
BUT at the same time they will be doing half a dozen other things.
So, after recent personal experience, I think it vastly underestimates the complexity of the human mind to claim that if you appear on stage nude then people will ONLY be looking at your tits/arse/wobbly bits/pink bits/whatever
Paul Treasure
PS Simon - read your script of 'Equus' carefully, Shaffer never says that Alan and Jill actually take their clothes off, in fact he says that they 'mime' it! Mind you, I think it lessens the ipact of the play if they don't. Hey, I would even go so far as to have Alan and the horse both naked at the start of Act II as well...
But then, I am now a self confessed "Dirty Old Perve"
WOW!!!
Lindy Hume is a god!
She is personally responsible for some of the best nights at the Opera I have ever spent (and I've spent a lot).
It is also because of her that I will NEVER direct 'The Mikado' (after hers, why bother!)
This won't be a review of the show, I'll save that for next week, after I've seen 'Coronation of Poppea' tonight and 'Israel in Egypt' tomorrow night. (Does anyone have a Metallica CD I can borrow as an antidote for Sunday?)
Back to the main point - wobbly bits.
Due to my own preferences, I shall concentrate on my reaction to Chris Josey's butt in ActII rather than Amanda Colliver's breasts in ActI.
After reading the posts on this subject beforehand, I did find myself analysing my reaction to the events.
OK, I know part of me may just be a dirty old perve, but I did find that different parts of my brain were reacting differently at the same time.
My libido centre's reaction was pretty much "Phwoarr! Turn around! Let's cop a look at the rest!"
The bit of my brain that was sucked into the story was agonising for Orlando and empathising with his torment.
The critical side of my brain was in awe at Handel's mastery of his art, and thinking "This is one opera I gotta get on CD".
The musical side of my brain was bemoaning the fact that Christopher Josey was out of voice that night.
The self-critical (Roman Catholic) side of my brain was very busy castigating my libido centre for being such a dirty old perve.
The visual side of my brain was practically orgasming from the set anyway (and had been since the curtain came up).
Need I go on...
So yes. If you appear nude on stage, people will be looking, and noting, and critiquing, and storing aside for future reference.
BUT at the same time they will be doing half a dozen other things.
So, after recent personal experience, I think it vastly underestimates the complexity of the human mind to claim that if you appear on stage nude then people will ONLY be looking at your tits/arse/wobbly bits/pink bits/whatever
Paul Treasure
PS Simon - read your script of 'Equus' carefully, Shaffer never says that Alan and Jill actually take their clothes off, in fact he says that they 'mime' it! Mind you, I think it lessens the ipact of the play if they don't. Hey, I would even go so far as to have Alan and the horse both naked at the start of Act II as well...
But then, I am now a self confessed "Dirty Old Perve"
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