I have to say that on the whole I admire actors. Being able to pull off a performance as they do. Not just reciting lines but moving to specific places on stage, affecting moods to transmit mood. Being able to do it over and over on command for several performances and then forgetting it all and moving on to the next production. It’s quite a skill.
But I think I admire the plays more. It takes talent to adapt something written on paper and to imagine how you would portray a particular sentiment so that an audience would understand your meaning is a feat.
Miller outdoor theater in Hermann Park
It takes a particular type of writer to pull it off. The act of adapting a story can be somewhat arduous . In some cases it can prove to be impossible. Some writer’s styles (Lovecraft for example), some media (some comic books) don’t easily lend themselves to be turned into plays or movies.
So what is the appeal of going to see a live play? I think when it’s done properly and you have a good script and talented actors that it’s not so much a recitation of the author’s words as much as it is a peek into someone else’s life. You forget that you’re in a theater surrounded by strangers and the story begins to be transmitted straight into your mind. You can get involved in this other world for an hour or two and see a conflict evolve to its final climax and resolution.
One thing I never understood about public school is when they would take classic plays and force the kids to recite the plays in class. It was a ridiculous chore and I could tell most of the kids hated it. The teachers did it because it was mandated but even they had no real appetite for the material. The old English text didn’t make much sense to the kids. The words were dead. I remember at one point a kid had recited a joke in “As you like it” and the professor had to explain that it was a joke.
Instead they should have taken the class on a field trip to see real professionals put life and passion into the words. Let kids see the anger and confusion in Hamlet, hear Macbeth and his inner turmoil over killing his king, laugh along at some of the jokes in midsummer’s night dream. That’s how these pieces were meant to be received.
I don’t get to go as often as I like but when I do I find that we have so many options in Houston that you can really find a wide variety of pieces ranging from light comedies to heavy and thought-provoking pieces. I always feel that it’s time well spent.
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