“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” — William Shakespeare.
Will was a smart guy. But if this world is just a stage, then stop the play. I didn’t audition for this role. Joking aside, I think Shakespeare was on to something. Life is like a play, which means that life is like a theatrical production, which is performed on this stage known as Earth.
Think about it for a second. We wake up in the morning, pick our costume and the play begins. From the moment we greet or curse the day we have chosen the character we will play. We interact with other characters and produce humor, sadness, tragedy and triumph much like the make-believe actions witnessed in Robinson Theatre.
And in this gigantic theater of dirt and cement, many types of plays are being performed. One such act has been dubbed the “clueless sketch” in which the characters are caught by surprise and have no idea what they are doing. So they take direction from anyone.
It reminds me of a play I once saw called “The Actor’s Nightmare,” in which a poor confused young man is thrown into scene after dizzying scene without a clue where he is or what he is supposed to do. The characters around him try to continue the performance — after all, the play must go on — while he flails around trying to do what they tell him. He doesn’t know his lines. He doesn’t even know what character he is supposed to play. In fact, he has no clue he is an actor. But he stumbles on in a valiant effort to fulfill the roles the other characters insist are his, and all of this in front of an audience.
I see some freshmen like this. They come to college having no clue what they are here for, or what they are supposed to do. They don’t even know that they are students yet. They are just doing what their school counselor or their mom and dad told them they should do. But I can’t pick solely on freshmen; I know some seniors who aren’t much better off.
Another stage act that many of us find ourselves in is known in theater terms as “improvisational scenes,” otherwise known as just plain “improv.” This means no lines, no rules. Anything can happen, and it usually does.
An example would be the TV show “What’s My Line?” on ABC, where the actors are given a situation and expected to act it out the best way they can. The situation can be anything, but the actors work together to come up with the best outcome. At the same time, they are trying not to let anyone see them struggle with figuring out what they are going to do.
Improv is a madcap, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of living. Suddenly you realize it is 10:23 a.m. and you have nine minutes to get dressed in whatever doesn’t smell, brush your teeth with your finger (because you can’t find your toothbrush), run your fingers through your hair and run out the door. Stopping halfway there, you realize you have forgotten your backpack. Once you have retrieved the forgotten bag, you rush madly through campus, foaming at the mouth (forgot to wash off the leftover toothpaste) and plop into your seat when you look around and realize you are alone. That’s when you remember it’s Saturday.
But of all the potential skits, scenes and sketches that can occur, the most exhilarating to see and perform in is the “scripted plays.” Reliable, dependable and planned, they often get the most attention.
From beginning to end, everything is written down and plotted with precision. Character analysis has been extensively researched to find out who the actor’s persona is and what their motivation is to do what they do. Blocking is laid out telling the actor where to stand, how to move and when. Lines are memorized and practiced again and again until it all works together in a fluid picture of words, sounds and visuals.
The Director chose and set the course of the play and you, as the actor, merely obey and follow the outline provided while adding a few colorful additions of your own. You act out every detail of your part with as much honesty and truth you can find in yourself. And you hope and pray that all the other actors will work hard to do their best, too.
All the world is a stage. Who you are and what you do just depends on what type of show you’ve signed up for. Whether it is the leading-man role in a scripted play or a comedian in an improv, all the world is a stage.
You know, the most compelling aspect of theater is that it is done live. There are no retakes and no cuts. The action unfolds, and if a mistake is made there is no going back. That is what makes theater, and life, so exciting. No matter what show you’re in — improvisation, clueless, or scripted — every moment is a potential failure or success according to how you play it.
Jayna Bergerson is a columnist for the Oregon Daily Emerald. Her views do not necessarily represent those of the Emerald. She can be reached at [email protected].