MetaChat - Please watch me do this thing and then critique me!

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30 May 2009

Please watch me do this thing and then critique me! →[More:]OMG OMG OMG in just a few hours I'm going to go audition for a play despite having never had the faintest desire to do theater. And when I say play I mean basically a one-man-show, and that man would be me. I. am. terrified.

So here is the brief piece I'm going to read in addition to the song I'm performing. The character is a (real-life) songwriter and just about everything in the play is based on tape letters he made for a friend, so I'm supposed to be in a practice space with a piano, talking and playing into a tape recorder for the whole thing, basically.

Am I hopeless? Is this passable? Is there something I should be doing differently? All of the ums and y'knows are in the script, by the way.

Be gentle.

post by: 2or3whiskeysodas at: 14:23 | 29 comments

Too many "y'know?"s but if they are in the script, then I guess okay.*

*IANATC (I Am Not A Theater Critic)

posted by Doohickie 30 May | 14:36

This page is a great summary of a lot of the stuff we went through in acting class. I would particularly look at section 4- the breaking up of your monologue into beats. It can be really helpful in giving a monologue depth. Like, there's the beginning about "I am everyday people" and then he changes his mind and says, you know what, I don't really believe that. That's your first beat- the change from confidentally spouting the song cliche to turning on the dime and saying, actually, I don't believe that, and then going on into why. I think you're well on your way to really inhabiting the character, and I think exercises like the one on the page linked could be a great help. Break a leg at the audition!

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 30 May | 14:50

I liked it! I watched it without clicking "more inside" and it really seemed like an actual character, not someone acting.

Tiny thing: you might want to try less emphasis on some of the "y'knows". Some people just use them as kind of verbal tics, like an "um". It can almost be a "ynr" without any stresses or pauses for a response.

posted by TheophileEscargot 30 May | 15:16

Thanks everyone so far!

Yeah, the "um"'s and "y'know"'s are something I don't quite know how to handle yet. Some of them are certainly more important than others. The writer/director of the production took the time to transcribe each and every one of them. So I'm not sure whether or not he's looking for me to really hit them all or if they're just there to guide me towards kind of fumbling through these speeches and such. But I hear he can be a real stickler for that kind of thing.

I'll be getting on the bus to head to the theater soon, I'll let everyone know how it goes!

posted by 2or3whiskeysodas 30 May | 15:25

What Theo said!

Good luck! I think you're brave and adventurous! And a total cutiepie!

posted by Specklet 30 May | 17:47

UPDATE: I GOT THE PART I GOT THE PART I GOT THE PART I GOT THE PART!

HOLY CRAP I GOT THE PART!

I AM GOING TO BE PLAYING A YOUNG DANIEL JOHNSTON IN A PRODUCTION PUT ON BY A BADASS LOCAL THEATRE TROUPE THAT DID A VERY SUCCESSFUL PRODUCTION ABOUT HIM A YEAR OR TWO BACK! IT'S BASED ON A TAPE-LETTER HE SENT TO A FRIEND WHEN HE WAS 23! IT'S GOING TO PRETTY MUCH BE ME AND A PIANO AND A TAPE RECORDER FOR MOST OF THE SHOW!

IF THE SHOW DOES WELL THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT IT WILL TOUR! AT LEAST TO AUSTIN AND MAYBE TO NEW YORK!

THE WRITER/DIRECTOR WAS BLOWN AWAY AND OFFERED ME THE PART ON THE SPOT!

AAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

posted by 2or3whiskeysodas 30 May | 18:01

IEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posted by The Whelk 30 May | 18:01

I AM HAPPY FOR A STRANGER'S SUCCESS BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET! WEEEE! IF IT COMES TO NEW YORK I WILL BUY YOU A SINGLE WHISKEY SODA.

posted by The Whelk 30 May | 18:02

WOO HOO! CONGRATS! YAY! HUZZAH!

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 30 May | 18:10

Hee! Well done!

(and I'm with Specklet RE the cutiepie thing)

posted by jonathanstrange 30 May | 18:13

Dude, that's awesome! Huge congrats!

posted by BoringPostcards 30 May | 18:14

NICE WORK, YA KNOW?!!! :D

posted by haunted by Leonard Cohen 30 May | 18:37

Congratulations on getting the part!

posted by box 30 May | 18:42

Wow! I am thrilled for you!

posted by Ardiril 30 May | 19:00

Now I guess you'll get the big head and won't be hangin' out with us anymore.

Ha! Really congrats. ;)

posted by netbros 30 May | 19:23

Wow, congrats!!!

posted by treepour 30 May | 20:06

Well holy shit. Congrats.

posted by Meatbomb 30 May | 20:22

It's your blue eyes. Hold the audience in your hand with them, you will. Break a leg!

posted by WolfDaddy 30 May | 20:34

Oooh, that's fantastic. Congratulations!

posted by notquitemaryann 30 May | 21:19

WOW! Yay!
(Also, yes--blue eyes!)

posted by Stewriffic 30 May | 21:22

Congrats!!!!!!! Well done, and break a leg out there!

posted by pjern 30 May | 21:23

Congrats! This is awesome!

posted by goshling 30 May | 21:30

Congradulamations!!

posted by deborah 30 May | 23:15

Woooooooooo!

posted by TheophileEscargot 31 May | 02:58

VERY GOOD. And congratulations. You're a natural.

posted by rainbaby 31 May | 11:57

Thanks everyone! Now comes the work. I got a lot of memorizin' and piano-relearnin' to do.

Thanks again!

Thanks!

posted by 2or3whiskeysodas 31 May | 17:15

Finally got a chance to actually watch this. Look at you, all cute and talented! You have great control over subtlety of expression, with very natural shifts in tone. If a friend had sent me this video, I'd have called him immediately to make sure he was all right. Congrats again!

posted by notquitemaryann 31 May | 20:09

Congratulations!

posted by brujita 31 May | 20:29

Wow! I don't even begin to have the guts to do that. Plus, you're so good!

Big Congrats!

posted by mightshould 01 June | 07:24

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