Although acting Chekhov doesn't require the Russian accent, I think it's
worth looking into. The actors just finished studying it with Natalie, and
I want to share some of what she had to say with everyone else.
She teaches us that a good way to access an accent is to consider the
geography where it comes from. Keeping in mind the vastness and coldness
of Russia, it makes sense that the Russians speak the way they do. The
most prevalent sound is the backwards C, as in "All." This is also
considered the darkest of the vowels. Natalie also describes the accent as
"throaty and rich;" it typically has a deeper pitch than the other
accents.
In the Russian accent, we can hear the passion and sorrow of a country
that has produced some of the best music and literature in the world.
Here are authentic examples of the accent on IDEA:
http://web.ku.edu/~idea/europe/russia/russia.htm
And here are more on the Speech Accent Archive:
http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.php?function=find&language=russian
I think the qualities of the accent shed some light on the people we are
portraying, and the world in which they inhabit... "A climate where
blizzards are practically a daily occurrence, and yet we stand around
having polite conservations."
Thanks,
Alex
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
belief systems
Since most of the play deals with death (3 sister's father, Tuzenbach,
their dreamy lives in Moscow). A few things on what they believe(d) in
the world that is Russian Orthodoxy.
-Souls do not leave the body until after three days, then they travel
to the Judge
-Hell was "destroyed" by Christ. It still exists but is supposedly
"sentenced to death." (‘Today Hell groans and cries aloud: It had been
better for me, had I not accepted Mary’s Son, for He has come to me
and destroyed my power; He has shattered the gates of brass, and as
God He has raised up the souls that once I held’... In the words of St
John Chrysostom, ‘Hell was embittered when it met Thee face to face
below. It was embittered, for it was rendered void. It was embittered,
for it was mocked. It was embittered, for it was slain. It was
embittered, for it was despoiled. It was embittered, for it was
fettered’.)
-Paradise or Heaven is not a concrete place, but a "state of the
soul". ("Just as Hell is a suffering on account of the impossibility
to love, Paradise is bliss that derives from the abundance of love and
light. He who has been united to Christ participates completely and
integrally in Paradise.")
-Other aspects & dogmas of Eastern Orthodoxy can be found on this
Online Catechism: http://orthodoxeurope.org/page/10/1.aspx
Some words from Chekhov on his beliefs:
“I am afraid of those who look for a tendency between the lines and
who insist on seeing me as necessarily either a liberal or
conservative. I am not a liberal, not a conservative, not an
evolutionist, nor a monk, nor indifferent to the world. I should like
to be a free artist and nothing more, and I regret that God has not
given me the power to be one…Pharisaism, stupidity and tyranny reign
not in shopkeepers’ houses and in lock-ups alone; I see them in
science, in literature, in the younger generation…I regard trademarks
and labels as a kind of prejudice. My holy of holies is the human
body, health, intelligence, talent, inspiration, love and absolute
freedom – freedom from violence and falsehood no matter how the last
two manifest themselves. This is the program I would follow if I were
a great artist.”
“What an unhappy lot we are! Other boys may run, play, visit their
friends. We can only go to church.”
“I am an unbeliever, but of all the faiths, I esteem the faith of L.
Tolstoy the nearest to my heart and most suited to me.”
"What is unfortunate is not that we hate our enemies who are few but
that we do not love enough our neighbor who is infinitely numerous.”
St. Gregory of Nyssa is a well revered saint in Eastern Orthodoxy. A
few quotes on his teachings of the faith:
"When he who beholds that Divine and limitless Beauty, [and] sees the
things discovered at every step to be so altogether new and
unexpectedly marvelous in comparison to what he saw previously, he is
overcome with awe by what unfolds before his eyes at every step. His
desire to see [God] never subsides, because what he anticipates is far
more magnificent and divine than anything he has yet seen”
"While we carry on our present life in many different ways, there are
many things in which we participate, such as time, air, place, food
and drink, clothing, sun, lamplight, and many other necessities of
life, of which none is God. The blessedness which we await, however,
does not need any of these, but the divine Nature will become
everything for us and will replace everything, distributing itself
appropriately for every need of that life..."
their dreamy lives in Moscow). A few things on what they believe(d) in
the world that is Russian Orthodoxy.
-Souls do not leave the body until after three days, then they travel
to the Judge
-Hell was "destroyed" by Christ. It still exists but is supposedly
"sentenced to death." (‘Today Hell groans and cries aloud: It had been
better for me, had I not accepted Mary’s Son, for He has come to me
and destroyed my power; He has shattered the gates of brass, and as
God He has raised up the souls that once I held’... In the words of St
John Chrysostom, ‘Hell was embittered when it met Thee face to face
below. It was embittered, for it was rendered void. It was embittered,
for it was mocked. It was embittered, for it was slain. It was
embittered, for it was despoiled. It was embittered, for it was
fettered’.)
-Paradise or Heaven is not a concrete place, but a "state of the
soul". ("Just as Hell is a suffering on account of the impossibility
to love, Paradise is bliss that derives from the abundance of love and
light. He who has been united to Christ participates completely and
integrally in Paradise.")
-Other aspects & dogmas of Eastern Orthodoxy can be found on this
Online Catechism: http://orthodoxeurope.org/page/10/1.aspx
Some words from Chekhov on his beliefs:
“I am afraid of those who look for a tendency between the lines and
who insist on seeing me as necessarily either a liberal or
conservative. I am not a liberal, not a conservative, not an
evolutionist, nor a monk, nor indifferent to the world. I should like
to be a free artist and nothing more, and I regret that God has not
given me the power to be one…Pharisaism, stupidity and tyranny reign
not in shopkeepers’ houses and in lock-ups alone; I see them in
science, in literature, in the younger generation…I regard trademarks
and labels as a kind of prejudice. My holy of holies is the human
body, health, intelligence, talent, inspiration, love and absolute
freedom – freedom from violence and falsehood no matter how the last
two manifest themselves. This is the program I would follow if I were
a great artist.”
“What an unhappy lot we are! Other boys may run, play, visit their
friends. We can only go to church.”
“I am an unbeliever, but of all the faiths, I esteem the faith of L.
Tolstoy the nearest to my heart and most suited to me.”
"What is unfortunate is not that we hate our enemies who are few but
that we do not love enough our neighbor who is infinitely numerous.”
St. Gregory of Nyssa is a well revered saint in Eastern Orthodoxy. A
few quotes on his teachings of the faith:
"When he who beholds that Divine and limitless Beauty, [and] sees the
things discovered at every step to be so altogether new and
unexpectedly marvelous in comparison to what he saw previously, he is
overcome with awe by what unfolds before his eyes at every step. His
desire to see [God] never subsides, because what he anticipates is far
more magnificent and divine than anything he has yet seen”
"While we carry on our present life in many different ways, there are
many things in which we participate, such as time, air, place, food
and drink, clothing, sun, lamplight, and many other necessities of
life, of which none is God. The blessedness which we await, however,
does not need any of these, but the divine Nature will become
everything for us and will replace everything, distributing itself
appropriately for every need of that life..."
The Great Santini
Over the break I opened up a The Great Santini, a novel by Pat Conroy. Its
is about an Ace marine fighter pilot Bull Meecham and his family of four
children. This mans children have loads of resentment for him because
every year or so the children must uproot their entire lives and move to a
completely new place. This resentment is counter balanced by Bull's rigid
dicipline and his wife's unwavering love and devotion to him and the
family. Vershinin undoubtedly has had to move his family all about Russia.
In fact this could be the very reason she is so miserable and wishes to
kill her self so often. As the children in the novel explain it is so
difficult to get close to any one and then move away from them so quickly.
They kids question why they should make friends when those friends will be
dead to them in another year or so. The connection between my wife and I
isn't good to begin with. This may have been redeemable except for the
fact that my career takes away all of her friends and other sources or
comfort and love at random times in her life. She is completely alone. No
wonder she wishes to kill herself. To make matters worse, I am almost
wholly responsible for her misery.
Another interesting topic brought up in this book is how officers
lead. The protagonist in the book is considered one of the best
fighter pilots the army has. That being said, he behaves like a
jack ass often and shoots off his mouth when he shouldn't. When
this man leads it is through intimidation and display of power.
However, men that he started in the marines with with have
already surpassed him in rank. These men lead with their
intelligence and wit and were Masters at knowing when it was
smart to bite your tongue and listen. How to appear to be exactly
what their superiors and everyone around them wanted. This
brought me back to what Bates said about Vershinin. He may not be
the best fighter, but he is the best at being what everyone needs
him to be.
This got me to thinking- What is Vershinin molding himself to be
for each or the sisters. For Olga he may be trying to assure her
that her father was a wonderful soldier taught him to be a
fantastic soldier. His current rank is a reflection of that
initial training he received. I think his fills a rather large
vacuum in Masha's life by becoming her lover and Ideal man. What
happens when parts of one role interfere with another. When
infidelity stops me from looking like the best soldier I possibly
can be in act four, I have to strive against Olga who is using
things I am ashamed of as proof of my poor discipline.
is about an Ace marine fighter pilot Bull Meecham and his family of four
children. This mans children have loads of resentment for him because
every year or so the children must uproot their entire lives and move to a
completely new place. This resentment is counter balanced by Bull's rigid
dicipline and his wife's unwavering love and devotion to him and the
family. Vershinin undoubtedly has had to move his family all about Russia.
In fact this could be the very reason she is so miserable and wishes to
kill her self so often. As the children in the novel explain it is so
difficult to get close to any one and then move away from them so quickly.
They kids question why they should make friends when those friends will be
dead to them in another year or so. The connection between my wife and I
isn't good to begin with. This may have been redeemable except for the
fact that my career takes away all of her friends and other sources or
comfort and love at random times in her life. She is completely alone. No
wonder she wishes to kill herself. To make matters worse, I am almost
wholly responsible for her misery.
Another interesting topic brought up in this book is how officers
lead. The protagonist in the book is considered one of the best
fighter pilots the army has. That being said, he behaves like a
jack ass often and shoots off his mouth when he shouldn't. When
this man leads it is through intimidation and display of power.
However, men that he started in the marines with with have
already surpassed him in rank. These men lead with their
intelligence and wit and were Masters at knowing when it was
smart to bite your tongue and listen. How to appear to be exactly
what their superiors and everyone around them wanted. This
brought me back to what Bates said about Vershinin. He may not be
the best fighter, but he is the best at being what everyone needs
him to be.
This got me to thinking- What is Vershinin molding himself to be
for each or the sisters. For Olga he may be trying to assure her
that her father was a wonderful soldier taught him to be a
fantastic soldier. His current rank is a reflection of that
initial training he received. I think his fills a rather large
vacuum in Masha's life by becoming her lover and Ideal man. What
happens when parts of one role interfere with another. When
infidelity stops me from looking like the best soldier I possibly
can be in act four, I have to strive against Olga who is using
things I am ashamed of as proof of my poor discipline.
the gulf between those who have and have not
here are some contrasting images that blatantly show how much more
desirable moscow (and the society it offered) was to the provincial
lifestyle--especially for those looking for cultural enlightenment and/or
upward mobility (natasha, oh yes)...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v250/lord_whimsy/Miscellany%20VIII/p87-4610.jpg
versus
http://images.imagestate.com/Watermark/1527409.jpg
not hard to see the attraction of the latter...
desirable moscow (and the society it offered) was to the provincial
lifestyle--especially for those looking for cultural enlightenment and/or
upward mobility (natasha, oh yes)...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v250/lord_whimsy/Miscellany%20VIII/p87-4610.jpg
versus
http://images.imagestate.com/Watermark/1527409.jpg
not hard to see the attraction of the latter...
Akhmatova & D M Thomas
"Nadezhda Mandelstam has this to say about Akhmatova's
preoccupation with the double: 'it was something rooted in her psychology,
a result of her attitude to people--in whom, as in mirrors, she always
sought her own reflection. She looked at people as one might look into a
mirror, hoping to find her own likeness and seeing her "double" in
everybody....Apart from the element of self-centeredness, it was due as
well to another quality which she displayed in high degree: a capacity to
become so passionately involved in others that she had the need to tie
them to herself as closely as possible, to merge herself in them.' "
similarly, as we work to understand our characters and the humanity of the
people we are trying to communicate to the world we talk at length about
the importance of identifying WITH the person/personality rather than
focusing on how FAR we are from them in our own lives and experience. i
found it interesting to have these same thoughts discussed in reference to
an artist in a different realm from us AND a russian one at that.
secondly: another quote from D.M. Thomas's introduction to her selected
poems--"Her incorruptibility as a person is closely linked to her most
fundamental characteristic as a poet: fidelity to things as they are, to
'the clear, familiar, material world'."
i likened this to chekhov's study of the drama of life as we know it. he
explores the theatricality of our down to earth humanity. this is far more
subtle than the average commercial disney musical and therefore far more
difficult in my opinion, but there is SO much to work with. it takes time
and analytical energy to attempt to get to the core of such work, but as
we have begun to discover, it is so rewarding and fascinating--the more we
delve, the more we find.
-jessie
preoccupation with the double: 'it was something rooted in her psychology,
a result of her attitude to people--in whom, as in mirrors, she always
sought her own reflection. She looked at people as one might look into a
mirror, hoping to find her own likeness and seeing her "double" in
everybody....Apart from the element of self-centeredness, it was due as
well to another quality which she displayed in high degree: a capacity to
become so passionately involved in others that she had the need to tie
them to herself as closely as possible, to merge herself in them.' "
similarly, as we work to understand our characters and the humanity of the
people we are trying to communicate to the world we talk at length about
the importance of identifying WITH the person/personality rather than
focusing on how FAR we are from them in our own lives and experience. i
found it interesting to have these same thoughts discussed in reference to
an artist in a different realm from us AND a russian one at that.
secondly: another quote from D.M. Thomas's introduction to her selected
poems--"Her incorruptibility as a person is closely linked to her most
fundamental characteristic as a poet: fidelity to things as they are, to
'the clear, familiar, material world'."
i likened this to chekhov's study of the drama of life as we know it. he
explores the theatricality of our down to earth humanity. this is far more
subtle than the average commercial disney musical and therefore far more
difficult in my opinion, but there is SO much to work with. it takes time
and analytical energy to attempt to get to the core of such work, but as
we have begun to discover, it is so rewarding and fascinating--the more we
delve, the more we find.
-jessie
an actor prepares
This is an introduction to An Actor's Work:Konstantin Stanislavski. It is a contemporary translation by Jean Benedetti of An Actor Prepares and Building a Character.
The intro begins with the story of an actor's dog in Stanislavski's company. The dog always knew what time rehearsal was over at least ten minutes before hand. Stanislavski determined the only way the dog could tell was by hearing. He heard the difference between real life conversation at the end of rehearsal versus fake conversation(Acting).
Declan talks about how Stanislavski was obsessed with finding the aliveness in theatre. It's the same idea about the live sparrow versus a stuffed eagle. How can we get something that is alive?? Donnellan gives a nice introduction to the book and to Stanislavski's teaching. It is inspiring and informative.
The intro begins with the story of an actor's dog in Stanislavski's company. The dog always knew what time rehearsal was over at least ten minutes before hand. Stanislavski determined the only way the dog could tell was by hearing. He heard the difference between real life conversation at the end of rehearsal versus fake conversation(Acting).
Declan talks about how Stanislavski was obsessed with finding the aliveness in theatre. It's the same idea about the live sparrow versus a stuffed eagle. How can we get something that is alive?? Donnellan gives a nice introduction to the book and to Stanislavski's teaching. It is inspiring and informative.
the sea...
This is a wonderful quote from one of Andreyev's diaries.
"The sea...
I had waited patiently and for a long time. I do not know why we, the inhabitants of dry lands, dispatched by our fate and birth into the heart of continents, are always so eager to seek the sea, and even before we have seen it, love it like an old friend from the beginning of time. This love originates in the dark depths of antiquity and glows in our Varangian blood as a vague striving -- this agonizing and sweet love for the infinite, the unknowable, the eternally vital and enigmatic. Every time I look upon the sea, i am overcome by trembling, and i feel an urge to do something that would express both my fear and my rapture and my adoration, fall to my knees, kiss it and quietly ask it for something. It is as if a curtain rises before me and i see that which it is not given to man to see, and that is why I feel so awestruck and happy."
"The sea...
I had waited patiently and for a long time. I do not know why we, the inhabitants of dry lands, dispatched by our fate and birth into the heart of continents, are always so eager to seek the sea, and even before we have seen it, love it like an old friend from the beginning of time. This love originates in the dark depths of antiquity and glows in our Varangian blood as a vague striving -- this agonizing and sweet love for the infinite, the unknowable, the eternally vital and enigmatic. Every time I look upon the sea, i am overcome by trembling, and i feel an urge to do something that would express both my fear and my rapture and my adoration, fall to my knees, kiss it and quietly ask it for something. It is as if a curtain rises before me and i see that which it is not given to man to see, and that is why I feel so awestruck and happy."
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