Wednesday, October 06, 2004

Kids in Theatre

So I'm getting a little tired of writing about politics. A while back I promised I'd write about one of my favorite directing experiences.

During the summer of 2000, I co-directed the Hobbit with a friend of mine by the name of Mateo. Mateo had directed a number of children theater shows, but this was my first time. I can't remember how it came about, but I still feel I owe Mateo big time for including me in that project. So anyway, we decided to do things a little bit differently than usual. First of all, we held auditions and didn't cast everyone who came. This was not how this children's theatre usually operated. We got them to agree to this because this was a summer show, sort of an extra show, and there were plenty of other opportunities for every kid to be shows. For us, keeping the numbers down meant we'd be able to work with the kids in a more one on one way than was typical. There were two kids that stand out in my mind as I think back on it. The first was the kid who played Thorin, the Dwarf.



wonderful drawing by "Thorin" of www.dragonsera.com's fan art section. Check it out!


He was a very likeable kid, smart, and really got into playing the loudmouthed dwarf. However, at the end of the show Mateo added some lines for him that weren't in the play, but they were in the book.
Farewell, Bilbo. I go now to the halls od waiting to sit beside my fathers, until the world is renewed. Since I leave now all gold and silver, and go where it is of little worth, I wish to part in friendship from you, and I would take back my words and deeds at the Gate. There is more good in you than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. But sad or merry, I must leave it now. Farewell!

I worked with the kid on this speech so much. And he wanted to so badly to get it right. He knew it had to be less gruff and over the top than he'd been the rest of the play. He knew it was his most important moment in the show. And when he nailed it opening night, I was so proud of him.

There was another kid who played Gollum.



Gollum is a fun character to play if you're willing to really throw yourself into it. This kid was. At first, he was hesitant. But Mateo and I encouraged him. So he contorted his body, his face, created a wonderful voice, and just attacked the role. He wanted to know everything there was to know about Gollum. So we told him the backstory - how Gollum had been a Hobbit-like creature once but had been twisted by the Ring. He got into the character; he understood him. And in the end he was amazing. When the curtain call came, he was the one who received the loudest applause. And damn me if he wasn't humbled by it. I remember looking at him after the first show and realizing that he got it. He understood what was so amazing about theater, about acting, about putting yourself out there. A lot people think it's the applause, and, yes the applause is great. But it's more than that. It's the opportunity to exercise your emotions. It's the chance to feel things that you might not have the chance to feel in your real life, to embrace those feelings, to make them part of you.

To feel ultimate joy or ultimate sorrow even if only for a moment on stage - that's what being an actor is really all about.

And watching that boy realize the magic of that for the first time was one of the best directing experiences of my life.

2 Comments:

At 8:36 PM, October 06, 2004, Blogger Lars said...

That is one awesome story! Theatre really can be an amazing thing, and should be an amazing thing...it should make people feel and think and not just the audience the actors as well. It is a vital part of our society! :-)

 
At 10:17 AM, October 07, 2004, Blogger Matt said...

Thanks for your comments.

 

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Name: Matt
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I am a Dad and a Husband. An Actor. An Administrator. A Hiker. A Writer. Probably a bunch of other things too. Read my blog and you'll find out more.
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