Today, we had a rehearsal of "Zero Hour" and I read my 10 lines. (Up until now, Piper was opposed to those lines even being in the play. She and Jim have tussled over it.)
Afterwards, she turned to me and said, "I love the way you read those lines as a total deadpan."
WHAT????!!!
Now, here's why that statement made me totally happy. You see, when the play was done earlier this year, the person who played this role -- the investigator of the House Un-American Activities Committee -- did it with this very deep voice, doing it in a very threatening dramatic way.
But I knew I couldn't replicate that.
A. I'm a tenor.
B. I can't scare anyone with my voice.
So, I thought to myself, "What is the scariest thing of all?"
And it hit me: A bored bureaucrat who is impervious to being charmed or led astray. I even pictured him sitting there reading off the questions in a very rote manner. Unmoved. Uncaring.
So, it was an acting choice! Me, the untrained actor made a choice and Piper Laurie loved it. She even said, "I like that you used that high, thin voice."
"Well," I responded, "that's pretty much the only voice I have."
Still, my great acting victory has been achieved!
No comments:
Post a Comment