As I come to an end of Uta Hagen's respect for acting, I am very pleased. This was a book I wanted to attempt/ conquer for about 2 years now. I am happy I finally sucked it up and "just" read it. Although it was a lot smaller of a mountain than I had thought, I feel a clearer head and a calmer stomach.
Right now, I'm not in an acting class or in rehearsals (which will soon change! I will be in a student production of an original musical come May), so it is difficult to apply the concepts and exercises just yet. It's hard to say, but I truly have no prediction of whether or not they will work for me. Some of them seem almost fool proof, while others seem like they will chain me down, make my head spin, and cause me to sweat profusely (and not while I'm trying to access a sense memory of heat if you know what I mean). Although she constantly talks about getting out of your head and into your body, I think some of these exercises might do the exact opposite. It's silly though to critique something that I have not even tried yet so I will move on.
It's funny what strikes you. Of all 200 pages there is one thought that excites me and entices me the most. This thought is (to put it simply): you never play a character, you are simply being yourself in different circumstances. This interests me for many reasons. One, I love the idea that "you are more interesting than any character". For a while there I was convinced it was the opposite way around. I often view myself as boring, simple, and predictable. So yes, this realization is ego boosting, but also empowering. Which brings me to my second point. With the understanding of this idea comes a new understanding of what acting is. If you are not playing a part, but being yourself (a living, breathing, real human being) than acting is so much make believe, as it is being. Your stage life (as Uta calls it) can and should be just as real as your real life (with some exceptions of course).
This way of viewing acting is much more interesting and exciting. Why be some one else, pretending to feel and experience, when you can be yourself, going on wonderful journey's every single night.
It is also breaks down any boundaries. A character lives on the page. They are made up of the words of the playwright. The character needs the script to define themselves. But you? You are a human being. Your existence is existential (is that redundant?). You don't need anything to define you. Everything defines you. I'd rather see the latter on stage.
That's all for now. I'm not sure where this book will take me, but again, I'm happy I read it.
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