This week continued our exploration into simple text work.
We repeated the same exercise from last week with greater expectation and then developed into some work on silence.
Silence on stage can be magnetic. However, we only earn these moments if we build to the silence. There tend to a lot of semi-pro or amateur productions, especially in Brighton, that drag - they contain very little pace. The main reason for this is that actors are not directed away from the pauses. It is a very natural, if bad habit, to think through the thoughts of your character before speaking. However, this does not reflect real life. In life we think at the same time as speaking. Our brain can work through things extremely quickly and we can change topic or expand on a subject without having to take a long break to think about it. If we want to create naturalistic performance then as actors we need to think through the line rather than before it. This will increase the pace and demand that the audience pay attention. If they don't then they might miss something. Once this pace is established we can then begin to concentrate on finding the moments of silence. Why do we choose those moments and what does the silence create? The last thing we want to create is a sense that the actor is thinking about their next line!
So how do we earn that silence when dealing with text.
Often a good rule is to build to that moment of silence in terms of pace, rhythm and potentially volume. For example, Shakespeare makes things extremely clear when he writes verse. If the iambic (10 beats per verse line) is broken then that quite often suggests a pause for thought or silence or if he begins dialogue half way through the verse line (on beat 4 or 6) this often suggests that there is room to build silence into the performance. But when two actors are talking it is important to know exactly what is going on in that silence and why we have paused with the text. Are we trying to build tension or are we wanting the audience to focus on an action rather than the text?
Tanushka lead a fantastic exercise where two actors started off stage. On stage were two chairs and a table. On the table was a white envelope. Each actor took it in turns to make a strong move (or action). Each action had a clear beginning and end. For example, one actor might choose the action that involved picking up the envelope and then holding it up above their head. The other actor would respond to this with another action. The point of this exercise was to build drama in silence. It demanded a fantastic focus from both performers and allowed the audience to build their own story in the silence.
Once that focus was established and both audience and performer were gripped, we began to introduce small pieces of text but this time really embracing the silence between the words.
It is often the case with young actors that they are afraid to leave too many pauses. Even with professional actors, standing in silence on the stage can be terrifying. If we're not careful we can use the text to hide behind and not allow ourselves to be vulnerable. But it is in showing vulnerability that we have more of a profound affect on the listener/watcher. Silence exercises in rehearsal can also be one of the best tools to show actors exactly what their bad habits are.
Coming back to the text, the temptation can also sometimes be to rush through it - get it out the way. With this exercise we explore the fact that this isn't always needed.
It's a fine balance between pace and earning silences but sometimes starting with silence is the way to create dramatic and enthralling drama.
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