ACTORS & ACTING

1. ACTORS & ACTING Glenn Wilson PhD King’s College London Institute of Psychiatry

2. RITUAL ORIGINS OF PERFORMANCE • Chanting and mass singing. • Coordinated instrumental playing. • Formation marching and dancing. • Masks and elaborate costumes. • Special effects (e.g. use of fire, totems & scenery). • Division between performers (shamans) and audience (congregation). • Making the mundane magical/supernatural

3. PERFORMERS AS SHAMANS In modern society the role of the shaman(magician/trance traveller) has split three ways: • Doctors & therapists – perform the healing role of the witch-doctor. • Priests & evangelists – supervise contact with the supernatural order. • Actors & performers – crystallize powerful feelings and archetypes (sex, rebellion, etc.)

4. CHARISMA • “Power of presence” - depends on physical attributes and personality: looks (Monroe), stature (Schwarzenegger), voice (Pavarotti), assertiveness (John Wayne). • Uniqueness (Yul Brunner) and zaniness (Russell Brand) may also be beneficial. • Also derived from social/political position (Kissinger, Prince Charles). • Familiarity contributes (weather forecasters, game-show bimbos). • Charismatic person is not necessarily likeable (Thatcher, Bogart). Even psychopaths can be charming (Ted Bundy, Saddam Hussein). • Self-assurance is central: “the strength to resist the need to be liked” (Brian Bates).

5. THE NAME GAME • Important for actors to have attractive, memorable names: Judy Garland (Frances Gumm), Cary Grant (Archie Leach), John Wayne (Marion Morrison). • Hollywood actors initially anonymous; after “star” system, names chosen by studios: short & clipped for men (Kirk, Clark, Brad): rounded for women (Marilyn, Angelina). • Later realised that complex, unusual names, though harder to acquire, are ultimately more memorable (Olivier, Gielgud). • Gimmicks work on same principle (Symbol: The ArtistFormerly Known as Prince). • Alliteration also memorable (Charlotte Church). • Some names chosen to arouse appropriate emotion (Sid Vicious, Judas Priest). • Prior exposure also used Englebert Humperdinck (Jerry Dorsey).

6. IDENTIFICATION • Audience involvement depends upon process of projecting themselves into the position of characters being portrayed (c.f. empathy). • Individual members of audience may identify with one character more than others (usually the one most like themselves or the one they most like) but “get inside” others as well. • Those with whom we identify do not have to be virtuous – also villains (McBeth, Don Giovanni). • Must be believable – bad casting can destroy credibility (overweight soprano dying of consumption).

7. TWO MAIN “SCHOOLS” Imaginative (internal): Focus of attention on thoughts and feelings of the character being portrayed. Technical (external): Mental viewpoint is that of the audience (standing back and looking at oneself from the auditorium).

8. IMAGINATIVE APPROACH • Associated with Stanislavski and Strasberg’s “method”. • Main concern is with sincerity. • Preparation based on “emotional memory”, character analysis & improvisation. • Suited to avant-garde theatre, TV, intimate films.

9. TECHNICAL APPROACH • Associated with French school (Delsarte) and British directors (Guthrie, Olivier). • Main concern is with communication to audience. • Preparation based on stagecraft, feedback, modelling, body language, attention manipulation. • Suited to classic stage, opera & epic films.

10. SOME TECHNIQUES • Feedback – comments, mirrors, recordings, videos. • Observation/modelling - Study of body language (e.g. Sher studied serial killers & predatory insects; Dr Strangelove’s “alien hand”). • Personality theory – Trait theory describes constellations of behaviour. Psychoanalysis suggests repressed (sexual) motives. • Stagecraft – voice projection, sightlines, curved moves, picturisation, cheating out, cold shoulder, etc.

11. EVALUATION • Some element of each approach is necessary for effective performance (argument is which comes naturally; which needs training?) • Internal feelings, however sincere, are no use unless transmitted to audience. • Character analysis and improvisation may be useful as source of inspiration but of doubtful value thereafter. • Excessive feeling, displayed demonstratively, may interfere with audience empathy. • Excessive technique may show and become intrusive.

12. PUBLIC IMAGE OF ACTORS (As seen by 408 Equity members) • Glamorous, arrogant, overpaid slackers • Boring old Shakespeareans • Laughable luvvies or amoral Bohemians • Bolsheviks & lefties • Unreliable people in unreliable jobs • Winners & losers – nobody in between • Anyone can do it and anyone does • No respect because of antics of some high-profile stars • Not a proper profession/only a hobby • Love/hate (envied for success; scorned for failure) (Source: King 2000 – Leeds Metropolitan Univ.)

13. ACTORS AS EXHIBITIONISTS • Inclined to be outgoing and expressive (histrionic) personality types - need to “show off”? • Rival hypotheses: “deprived of applause in childhood and thus trying to compensate” vs “early reinforcement for theatrical behaviour” (n.b. these are directly opposed). • Behaviour genetic analysis suggests neither is true – personality is mainly constitutional, with upbringing largely irrelevant.

14. ARE ACTORS ENGAGED IN SELF-TREATMENT? • Theory that performers (esp. those that write own material) are neurotics trying to self-treat: Sylvester Stallone (small man becomes hero); Woody Allen (geek impresses goddess); Danny LaRue (transvestite gets to dress as woman). • Performers need love, applause, social approval (we all do) but these are markers of occupational success as well as personal needs. • Need to resist temptation to “pathologise”. Tendency to see performers as lonely, stressed & immature – but may equally be self-actualised, happy, well-balanced. • Rates of depression, suicide, etc. are not grossly elevated in performers (hence strategy successful?).

15. IDENTITY CONFUSION • Some believe acting is a search for identity, never clearly established in childhood - playing a role said to provide sense of identity (e.g. Peter Sellers). • Others argue that acting creates role confusion. (e.g. the re-entry strain of undercover cops.) • Latter may apply more to “method” than technical actors. • Many stars have roles imposed upon them which they are unable to escape (Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, John Wayne, soap stars). These may not correspond exactly to real selves.

16. POSSESSION SYNDROME • Over identification with character may lead to off-stage life being seriously taken over by role being played. • Mel Martin “became” Vivien Leigh, Charlton Heston was “surprised” by the behaviour of Queeg in Caine Mutiny, Daniel Day-Lewis walked out on a performance of Hamlet because he “saw ghost of his own father”. • Famous case of Brazilian soap star who murdered his on-screen girl-friend after she jilted him in the storyline. • Is possession “method” acting taken to extreme?