Day 83

LUTAF part deux!

Show: Stageplay

When we first had auditions for LUTAF, this was the one show I was hoping to be in. I read it in its first draft and watched as it developed into the final product. Which I guess it helps that the playwright was my roommate at the time. But I was worried because there are only two characters and we had quite a few people audition. And not only was it based on acting style, but also who you partnered well with. So, I was ecstatic that I was cast and able to work on such a fun and different project.

The show was basically an homage to Beckett's "Waiting for Godot". There were two "actors" sitting onstage who thought that they were watching a play, which was the audience. It was very philosophical, dealing with what makes theatre what it is, what qualifies as good theatre, and the whole idea of these two characters living in their world, which in the end turns out to be an imaginary play. I loved the fact that I had the chance to just sit and stare into the faces of the audience. It broke the 4th wall to the extreme, and I got a lot of different reactions from them. Some people would look away and feel super uncomfortable, others would break out into a smile and just laugh, and then there were a few who wouldn't react. They just sat and stared right back at you. Those audience members were probably my favorite because I got to stare them down and really look deep inside them. People always say that the eyes are the gates to the soul, and I felt that during the show. You can tell what sort of mood a person is in just by staring at them. And it's such a deep and personal moment, I appreciated that some people were willing to be connected to me like that. It was nice.

And it was also a lot of fun being the straight man in a comedy. I've always done comedies as crazy characters, and not necessarily "trying", but aiming to get the audience to laugh by doing kooky shit. But for this show, the characters were so invested in their lives and the world they lived in, they took everything seriously. It was extremely deadpan and serious, and I've never got to be in a comedy like that. I quite enjoyed it. Sometimes things are 10x more funny when you say it with a straight face. And the writing really shines through when you don't have to pull out your bag of tricks to get a laugh. It's just you, the script, and the audience. Pure comedy.

Finally, my favorite part of the show was the ending. It ends with the two characters realizing that they are the play, finding the script, and realizing the show is about to end in a blackout, with them disappearing, and in a sense "dying". It's such a dark but poignant end, saying a lot about death, and really how characters in a play pretty much "die" when the lights fade out and the curtain closes. When the playwright was writing a final draft, he took out the ending and put in a new one. I, along with the director, had a major freak out! We told him it was the best part of the show and to stick with his initial instinct about it. It was a really great acting moment too, going from explaining what happens at the end of a play, realizing that means the characters are going to disappear forever, trying to console the other character, and watching as the lights fade out and pretty much accepting death. It was such a powerful moment, and a great way to end the show. Very Beckett-esq.