Frustrated

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Frustrated

Posted: 7/5/07 at 8:42pm

I am having a really hard time with a role that I am playing. I am a naturally happy person who likes to smile a lot and I am supposed to be playing the big evil Villan.

I am finding it really hard to be angry and "Despicalble", as my director likes to say.

Everyone keeps telling me to think of something that makes me really mad. But I don't get mad often so it is hard to bring something to the surface.

Any tips?

*Wendy*

re: Frustrated

Posted: 7/5/07 at 9:16pm

Goodness, I have the exact opposite problem. I always try to be "realistic" onstage, but sometimes it turns out to be really melodramatic and somber and... bad. I always focus on the drama and forget to have fun with my character.

My advice is, don't focus too much on what makes YOU angry. Think a lot about your character: What is it that makes your character so "evil" and "despicable"? Why do you think your character has chosen this path of life? What makes your CHARACTER angry and mad? Is there a lot of angst? Buried issues? A tragic backstory? A naturally cynical and irate personality? Be specific. Talk to your director about the direction he or she may want for your character, and don't be afraid to contribute your ideas.

Good luck, and I hope this advice helped!! I had the same trouble when I had to cry onstage, and I kept concentrating on what made ME cry instead of my poor character. Keep working! Never quit!

By the way, what role is it? As a natural fan of "somber theatre" I'm always looking for a lovely villian to ponder.

"The art of Illusion is the art of love; and the art of love is the blood-red heart of the world." - Tony Kushner, "The Illusion"

re: Frustrated

Posted: 7/5/07 at 10:04pm

The trick to playing an evil character is not being evil. In other words, a villain doesn't realize he's evil- he's just doing what he thinks is right. You have to get in the character's head and rationalize why he does what he does- you can even make up some reasons. If you are familiar with the Methods, think more Meisner than Stanislavsky.

re: Frustrated

Posted: 7/5/07 at 10:33pm

Thanks that actually helps a lot.

I am playing the villian in "Mulan", Shan-Yu the Hun. My director told me to just act like everyone was the dirt beneath my feet and that I just completly hated china and everyone in it.

We had rehearsal today and I was SO frustrated and my friends were like "Are you ok?" and I was like "NO!"

Hahahah. Maybe I should use that frustration onstage eh?

The play doesn't give much context on where the character came from so I came up with the idea that his father was killed by the emperor in battle and he wants revenge so he is going to try and take over China.

So I am trying to involve that somehow but it is proving to be difficult.

But thanks a lot guys! I really Appreciate. I'll have to see how Rehearsal goes tommorow.

Thanks again! =)

*Wendy*

re: Frustrated

Posted: 7/6/07 at 12:06am

Look up the Huns and find out WHY they hated the Chinese. Did they steal land? Did the Chinese kill someone important? There's a reason for everything! The character you described seems to overgeneralize (like hating ALL Chinese), so make likewise character choices. Go over your lines word for word and figure out what each line means, Some lines can mean more than one thing. Create a detailed backstory. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but it is worth it. Break three legs!

re: Frustrated

Posted: 7/6/07 at 1:33am

I have done a lot of research on the subject. I found out a lot about Attila the Hun and figured that would be a good person to base the character off of because he was the leader of the huns and so is the character I am playing.

I also found out a lot about how topics relate to the names of some of the huns.

That helped a ton actually.

Thank you a million! =)

*Wendy*

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