Hey blogworld. Freedom Train is all the fun and interesting-ness that it promised to be. Firstly, I am advancing (if somewhat slowly, which is also good for me) in my linguistic efforts. Multiple accents and languages in the one show? Bring it on, liebchen.
The big challenge, though, which I hadn't anticipated quite so consciously or articulately, is playing a whole new level of bad guy. Being an ambitious reindeer was one thing. The day we were rehearsing the slave-catcher scene, where I chase and am trying to catch Derrick (=escaped slave) and someone yelled "Props!" and put a whip in my hand...that's an entirely different thing.
I haven't ever played a character with that level of malice or inhumanity. I have never been so aware of the power relationships between different characters. I recognise that this is really good for me as an actor, but it's freaking me out and quite a challenge for me to hold that power, when power in this case is incredibly evil and destructive. What helps is for me to remember that the other actors probably don't identify with their characters any more than I do, so I'm not actually hurting them. And I see them in rehearsal, also aware of the power relationships, subjugating their characters where appropriate, yielding the power to my characters, giving me permission to do my job well.
Whoo, heavy stuff. Happy Martin Luther King Day, everyone.
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