Talent
Dogberry calls it, “Gifts that god gives.” Talent can also be a curse, if one craves too much attention. It helps having a mother slightly askew, in the creation of a talented child. That I have witnessed many times, and especially in person. Doris, Will and Me.
I remember the director of Twelfth Night, in High Park, Toronto, let me ask for food from crowds that were never less than 2000 every night. Weaving through the people crammed on our hill, on my way to gull Malvolio, I’d scavenge cake a few beers and all sorts of phallic vegetables from returnees. It was always slightly scary and fun, as well as providing nutrition as we his in bushes. The whole experience lowered my blood pressure. That many minds just on me, making stuff up, seemed so peaceful, even when drinking and belching about the stage. The kernel of talent for me is therefore related to the pleasure one experiences playing in public. You can’t fake that. Stage fright is almost universally common, and while it can be managed, it is not an ideal state for a stage actor to be in. Many aspirants, just soldier on.
Intelligence is, of course, important. The brilliant Douglas Rain, head of the National Theatre School for a while, Hal in 2001: A Space Odyssey, would learn massive roles, word perfectly, before the first rehearsal. I witnessed this as Stratford and Shaw Festivals. He could start playing whenever his partners were ready; he knew his lines perfecty. Between his Gloucester and my Edgar, we had 4 conversations, over two seasons, each about 2 sentences long, while we rehearsed and played in Ustinov’s Lear. Two interactions were unpleasant as I was holding him too tight on the heath. I can’t remember the other two. My point is, all the interactions, all the intimacy between a father and son were discovered on a stage, with a word-perfect text, each performance. For a rich experience, that involved negotiating seemingly infinite mental and emotional landscapes every performance. I cannot conceive of nailing all of Edgar in one evening. Douglas and I just worked on it every show, dividing thoughts ever finer, letting emotions course ever deeper. We just never talked about the work on, or off, the stage. We thought at home, and then just played, watching and listening to each other, keenly!
A sense of humour is kind of an actor-necessity. People in the biz always seek laughter, from everywhere. I know that I have been described as a funny guy. Maggie could certainly be naughty, on occasion. Don’t be a prude. Many of the best characters are obsessed with sex, anyway. You don’t have to lower your standards, even contribute, but you should enjoy hearing laughter. The ability to laugh, like the one to play, are gifts most professional actors possess. They are what sustain you. To be honest no play actually translates to no talent. Besides, play is often a better teaching-tool than work will ever be.
May your talents and mine, help others to play out loud.