The Everyday Life Performance project was very challenging. Last year in my voice class we did a Voice Donor project in which we recorded and imitated two classmates. For some reason that was substantially easier than the ELP project for me. I think this was the case for two reasons. First, these were my classmates that I saw every day. Second, it was for a voice class so I was more concentrated on the technical aspects of the performance. For my ELP project, I only see the person I interviewed occasionally and so I am sure that made it more difficult. Also, there was this feeling of not only do I want to achieve the technical aspects of this speech but also really wanted to deliver the message of what this person was saying. I found myself developing an attitude about my interviewee and what he was saying and reflecting on how he meant this story to be received. I concentrated a lot on the text and on how I did not want to miss one “umm” or one word that would lessen the truth and accuracy of what he said. To me, there was this combination on focusing not only on how he said it but also on what he chose to say. I wanted to get both of these aspects across in my rehearsing and in my performance. It was a great experience for me because by not concentrating on just the technical, but also the words, I was able to relate to this person as a human being and not an imitable character. He chose those words, not me, and I think it’s important in this process to actively reflect on those words and why those may have been chosen over others.
I feel like this is the same reason it's important to memorize lines exctly when doing a show. Even if the character is fiction, they're saying those words in that order for a reason. In fact, I think it's even bigger than that. When you're performing a character, that's their only chance they'll ever have to be really alive. Even if it's performed again, with the same actor, there will be differences.
ReplyDeleteSame thing with an ELP, even the ums are important. Why was there an "um" there? Were they trying to remember something, figuring out what to say or how to word it or was it just habitual? I think this goes back to what Amy said about people being complicated
I totally agree with you! I found it so hard to do an ELP of a man, being a woman. I finally just gave up on it, and interviewed my little sister. Someone who even looks similar to me. I want to think it made it all easier, but then again, maybe it didn’t. Maybe I was just more comfortable with getting my sister wrong, then a complete stranger. You’re exactly right when you said, “He chose his words, not me.” But of course, we are the ones voicing their words, and is the most difficult thing in the world to be someone else. It’s even hard being ourselves.
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