Stage presence...

[IdinaRocks]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:24pm

I hear about stage presence all the time but I'm not really sure what it means exactly....

Is it something you're born with, or can it be developed?

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:26pm

More towards the earlier, but it can be improved through time.

Updated On: 12/22/04 at 08:26 PM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:28pm

by earlier i am sure you meant former?

It means you walk out on the stage, don't do anything, and EVERYBODY know you are there...

[kangaroo]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:29pm

I think you have it or you don't... you need to be able to walk out and just have everyone's eyes drawn to you

[CaMi MiAmI]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:30pm

I always here stage presence being refered to when you watch someone on stage whom who you can't take your eyes off of or when someone acts/sings with a lot of soul and people are like Oh that person has "It". I totally think you can develope it by being with talented performers and getting to love performing more and more.

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:31pm

Is that when you like draw attention to yourself by making big movements...

[Chloe]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:32pm

I don't know if you can develop it or not, but some people are definitely born with it.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:34pm

Yes, I meant former. I had a serious brain fart and forgot the word.

[CJR]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:35pm

No Sally, that's just drawing attention to yourself.

I truly believe that stage presence is something you either have or you dont.

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:36pm

OK just checking
anyone want to give examples of stage prescence? Like people...
I think Sutton Foster does.

[Fiji]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:43pm

Watch one of the old movies with Marilyn Monroe in a bit part (before she was famous). She walks on, says a few lines, and is rarely seen again, but the only actor you remember is her. That's stage presence (I know, I know, even though it's a movie), and I don't really think it can be learned. Updated On: 12/22/04 at 08:43 PM

[CJR]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:44pm

Ann Reinking

[Mythus]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:45pm

I swear I didn't say this, someone on a review for the Producers OBCR on amazon.com did, but...Roger Bart has a very good stage presence.

Good example of stage presence:

If you ever get to see the DVD of the recent production of The Man Who Came to Dinner with Nathan Lane, watch for Stadlen. He doesn't show up until the third act but when he does, he proceeds to walk off with the entire play and most of the scenery.

From a thing here: http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2004_01_21.html Updated On: 12/22/04 at 08:45 PM

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:45pm

Anthony Warlow

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:45pm

Thank you Mythus.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:47pm

Heather Headley. Her regal presence onstage was palpable.

Updated On: 12/22/04 at 08:47 PM

[Mythus]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:47pm

Well, he does. I'm trying to be unbiased but it's hard. He was sorely missed during the second act of The Frogs.

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:49pm

NOTHING wrong about being biased bout Roger Bart! heh

[gherbert]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:52pm

Okay, there are certain individuals in the business who can walk out on the stage and read the phonebook and one would be riveted to them.

There were many greats who had this X-factor, it is what MADE them legends: Ethel Merman, Mary Martin, Carol Channing, Angela Lansbury, Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera, Bert Lahr, John Raitt, Alfred Drake, Richard Kiley, Sammy Davis, Jr. and so many many more.

Some in our theatres today who have it: Kristin Chenoweth, Brian Stoke Mitchell, Audra MacDonald, Donna Murphy.

Marge Champion really explained it best:

"Mary Martin had that wonderfully crackly soprano voice, but what made her truly unique was beyond that. It was something in the face that asked, You wanna know my secret?

"She had a quality I can't define, except to say that those who have it come onstage with a secret. I call it the X factor. It has very little to do with looks, or even basic talent for that matter You can train yourself until your blue in the face, but you can't get it that way. Your name may be over the title, but that won't do it, either.

"There is certainly nothing wrong with not having it, in being what I call a working actor/actress for your entire life. If you look back, you'll find many personalities that had it all -- except for the X factor that makes for a Julie Andrews, that made for a Robert Preston. And they enjoyed great careers. On the other hand there are those that annot sing, cannot dance, cannot act, and yet they have something that draws you to them.

"You can have the X factor for the Broadway stage and not for movies; witness Ethel Merman and Mary Martin. They were not movie personalities, although they did get over on television extremely well.

"Jim Dale has the greatest facility with his body, but there are a lot of physical people. He has something else. Chita Rivera has it; Gwen Verdon has it. Carol Channing doesn't sing too well; she certainly would never claim to be a dancer. But she has it, too."

I don't think anyone can describe it better than that.

[gherbert]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:56pm

Yes! Roger Bart definitely has it as well! So does Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.

Sutton Foster has it, too.

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:57pm

Thanks gherbert! hmm I didn't fail to see that you used Kristin Chenoweth for stage prescence.

[gherbert]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:04pm

Ahh, SallyBrown! Miss Chenoweth has most susperb stage presence. You see, while Miss Menzel was perfection as Elphaba, in my humble opinion, she was working for our attention. NOW, don't get me wrong!!!!! I love Idina and I thought her performance was Tony worthy, however, Miss Chenoweth only needed to walk onstage and she had my undivided attention. It was effortless. She wasn't fighting for the attention, she just glowed.

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:05pm

gherbert you just toally made my day thank you

[CaMi MiAmI]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:05pm

When on stage, you can draw attention to yourself without making big movements with your body or exaggerated facial expressions. When I have a small role in something I always try doing that and my people in the audience say they always notice me... is that stage presence? If so, I'm pretty sure I developed it.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:06pm

It really can't be taught. For some reason, there are some people that you just can't take your eyes off when they are on stage, even when they are not the center of a scene and have no lines or stage business. I've watched Vanessa Redgrave be all the way upstage in a corner with her back turned to the audience and yet somehow, even when there's a terrific scene transpiring downstage, your eyes still are transfixed on Redgrave's back and "feel" her presence even though she's not even in the scene. Same with Dench and Maggie Smith and James Earl Jones and Julie Harris and Cherry Jones and Christopher Plummer and Elaine Stritch and Rosemary Harris and Zoe Caldwell and Liev Schreiber and others -- they seem to walk around the stage lit up from within.

There's a magnetism, a gravitational force they emit, even (especially) when they're standing perfectly still and seemingly not doing anything -- their very stillness can somehow pull you in and make you focus on them. I've seen Uta Hagen just sit on a couch and read a magazine while another actor is doing a long monologue and you barely hear the other actor, because you're riveted watching Hagen sit, read and re-adjust her sweater.

I'm not sure if people are born with it, but it certainly cannot be taught, because there are tons of technically gifted and proficient actors who just don't have that indefinable "thing" that makes someone a star. It's got something to do with the ability to just "be" ..... on stage. To just live and be at home there, yet somehow project that undercurrent of energy outwards. I'm not sure how they do it or where it comes from, but it's enthralling to be in the presence of.