The Musical Theatre Teacher: Character Idea
Slightly overweight woman, with a limp cigarette hanging from her mouth, wearing ruby red lipstick, too much eyeliner and something resembling a cape, sweeps into a rehearsal space. She looks as if she must have been attractive in her day and, in fact, it’s hard to tell if her day was 10 years ago or 20. She has the presence of someone who once worked tirelessly at being other people and at doing so to large, packed houses.
She carries, in the crook of one arm, folders and librettos, papers nearly falling out everywhere and a mug of lukewarm black coffee in her hand while the other arm hangs limply at her side.
Upon surveying her students, wearing their uniform of black jazz pants and black shirts, as they practice dance steps, sing in that all-too-familiar modern Broadway over-pronounced, over-aspirated belty yelling sound and overact with scripts in their faces, she says, just audibly and through lips held tightly around her ever-diminishing cigarette,
“God, I hate musical theatre.”
Thoughts?
Prince Dimitri : A Character Analysis by a 10-yr-old in my Acting Class
Before we start I want to point something out. I think the prince should have black hair since most fairy tale princes have black or blond hair and I choose black. (He proceeded to tell me his mother agreed to die his blond hair black for the show.)
Now we begin. I was born a quite baby. My parents are the Tsar and Empress of Russia. At two, I became noisy because I wanted my way. But my parents lived through it.
When I was 6, I was taken to the theater. My parents spent a long time discussing whether I was too young and whether I would have interest. I loved it! That’s why I still go. My favorite play was Romeo and Juliet.
When I was 7, I began having ideas and started to wonder when my Juliet would come.
After 2 years I meet someone who was doubtful about my royalty sooo…I got in my first fist fight. The bloody nose proved I was and still am a better lover than a fighter.
I was older when I meet someone else special who happened to move to the U.S.
Now I am looking for someone to marry because I have always been a love bug. (He then blushed, laughed and declared that he hated his last line in the play - “I’ve found my princess!”)
(I copied this verbatim. Our play is based on The Golden Slipper - the Russian Cinderella)
