how far would you go as an actor?
Tue, 22 Jan 2002, 05:46 pmWalter Plinge38 posts in thread
how far would you go as an actor?
Tue, 22 Jan 2002, 05:46 pmReally, this is the nudity question all over again... but I don't want it to descend into the fracas it usually does (got that, Leah?). :o)>
I am considering putting in a play to the Blue Room this year that requires four young people (2 guys, 2 girls - all twenty-somethings) to appear fully nude and in highly explicit (simulated, obviously) sex scenes.
It is a serious early play by a major American playwright, dealing with the fractured nature of human relationships and the idea that no matter how close we get to one another, we are all -- essentially -- alone.
(That quote from Albert Schweitzer comes to mind on this... I may well use that in the programme!)
In other words, it's not a cynical, exploitative flesh-fest, but deadly serious piece of theatre needing a dedicated, emotionally mature young cast.
Therein lies the rub... does such a thing exist anymore? Can I realistically hope to cast this show, or would every suitable young actor be too terrified of a room full of strangers scrutinising their privates?
How far are actors (male and female) prepared to go these days, and for the right play (which this one is), would they go the whole hog?
Are you out there, or is this just a pipe-dream?
peace,
David M.
I am considering putting in a play to the Blue Room this year that requires four young people (2 guys, 2 girls - all twenty-somethings) to appear fully nude and in highly explicit (simulated, obviously) sex scenes.
It is a serious early play by a major American playwright, dealing with the fractured nature of human relationships and the idea that no matter how close we get to one another, we are all -- essentially -- alone.
(That quote from Albert Schweitzer comes to mind on this... I may well use that in the programme!)
In other words, it's not a cynical, exploitative flesh-fest, but deadly serious piece of theatre needing a dedicated, emotionally mature young cast.
Therein lies the rub... does such a thing exist anymore? Can I realistically hope to cast this show, or would every suitable young actor be too terrified of a room full of strangers scrutinising their privates?
How far are actors (male and female) prepared to go these days, and for the right play (which this one is), would they go the whole hog?
Are you out there, or is this just a pipe-dream?
peace,
David M.
RE: how far would you go as an actor?
Sun, 17 Mar 2002, 11:36 am[I think the only reason I would not be intersested appearing nude would be my folks!
They come to see every show I'm in and invite their friends. I can hardly see my mum bumping into her friend at the shops and her friend saying
"So what show is Danni in at the moment?"
and mum replying
"Oh it's this wonderful play performed in the nude."]
Without getting too personal here, I think that this kind of typifies part of a problem with Perth independent theatre. Now I don't mean this in regards to people's individual choices as to whether to go nude or not (people get cautious about different things, and there is no shortage of successful, pro actors who draw limits with that kind of thing). Actually, I should probably point out that nothing of what I am about to say is intended to apply to Danni (who I quoted above) as I don't actually know her - it was just a convenient quote.
What I am referring to is the ex-high-school drama attitude of theatre being a little fun thing that you put on for friends and family. Now, speaking personally, the first question I would ask if told to go nude in a play (after ascertaining that it was artistically required) would be - will this play be any good. No-one wants to go nude in something that they consider amateur or low-grade - it would feel cheap and degrading to do so. Yet many of the same people who have issues about going nude in a local independent theatre production probably didn't blink an eyelid when nude scenes appeared in Shakespeare in Love, The Graduate, or countless other Hollywood and English films. Frankly, I think the problem here is that people don't rate themselves, or the productions that they are doing in Perth, to be worthy of being taken as serious works of art - ie something worth going nude for. Unfortunately, this is a bit of a catch-22 situation, because nobody is going to start taking independent theatre in Perth seriously unless the actors/directors etc are prepared to take their own work seriously - ie to start thinking about the artistic/challening merit of of their work - rather than simply thinking about how much fun it would be to put on that play you studied in high school and wouldn't it be great to get mum and dad and your friends along.
They come to see every show I'm in and invite their friends. I can hardly see my mum bumping into her friend at the shops and her friend saying
"So what show is Danni in at the moment?"
and mum replying
"Oh it's this wonderful play performed in the nude."]
Without getting too personal here, I think that this kind of typifies part of a problem with Perth independent theatre. Now I don't mean this in regards to people's individual choices as to whether to go nude or not (people get cautious about different things, and there is no shortage of successful, pro actors who draw limits with that kind of thing). Actually, I should probably point out that nothing of what I am about to say is intended to apply to Danni (who I quoted above) as I don't actually know her - it was just a convenient quote.
What I am referring to is the ex-high-school drama attitude of theatre being a little fun thing that you put on for friends and family. Now, speaking personally, the first question I would ask if told to go nude in a play (after ascertaining that it was artistically required) would be - will this play be any good. No-one wants to go nude in something that they consider amateur or low-grade - it would feel cheap and degrading to do so. Yet many of the same people who have issues about going nude in a local independent theatre production probably didn't blink an eyelid when nude scenes appeared in Shakespeare in Love, The Graduate, or countless other Hollywood and English films. Frankly, I think the problem here is that people don't rate themselves, or the productions that they are doing in Perth, to be worthy of being taken as serious works of art - ie something worth going nude for. Unfortunately, this is a bit of a catch-22 situation, because nobody is going to start taking independent theatre in Perth seriously unless the actors/directors etc are prepared to take their own work seriously - ie to start thinking about the artistic/challening merit of of their work - rather than simply thinking about how much fun it would be to put on that play you studied in high school and wouldn't it be great to get mum and dad and your friends along.
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