#9 It's Been a While

Dear Hal,

Well, I've been debating whether or not to continue the use of this blog. For various reasons, I decided that it might not be in my best interest to be publishing my personal life on the web regardless of the potential viewership. One way or another, however, I decided that I really should be keeping myself busy by keeping a blog and my thoughts. I have a terrible memory and this is one way that I can keep track of what has happened in my life. Another reason for this comeback... I would like to document my journey in finding Cliff Bradshaw. The character who I will be playing this semester in Cabaret. We've already had three weeks of rehearsals, but they've been mainly music and dance... two things Cliff does not do much of in the show. Now this week will be the beginning of blocking rehearsals and what not so I'll be increasingly more and more busy with finding Cliff. Under the suggestion of my director, I checked out a book by Christopher Isherwood from the UWP library entitled 'Berlin Stories.' This book was the inspiration for the play 'I am a Camera' and which later led to the musical Cabaret. Again I find myself playing the character of the author. In 'The Marriage of Bette and Boo,' I played Matt Hudlocke, the Character Christopher Durang wrote as himself. In Cabaret, I will be playing Cliff who is the Character of Christopher Isherwood. Interesting.
Anyway, like I said, I would really like to have myself document the process I go through when developing a character.

-Today in our last Dance rehearsal for a while, I was adjusting my arms to see what might be considered reasonable for an author in the early 1900s. I remember seeing the TV broadcast version of Sam Mendes' Cabaret and realized that arms across the stomach was a very reasonable 'pose' for my arms. For Matt in Bette and Boo, I like to lock my fingers together on my belly button as a 'pose' for the academic Durang, and from there branch out into professor like gestures throughout my monologues. In this show however, I feel that Cliff is a very observant listener at heart (although at times can be assertive when provoked). With that in mind, I feel arms folded across the stomach (not to be confused with arms folded across the chest) invokes a near laid back and friendly feel I believe is Cliff at heart. This is also very versatile in that I can convey, through stereotypical gay gestures, that Cliff is a gay character. Now I know that I will have to be extremely subtle about this because this is the 1920s and Cliff has been self consciously hiding this, but very subtle movements and gestures can be very effective in giving the audience a sense of Cliff. Now this was just a single thought on what should be my goto 'move' when onstage. Arms across stomach.
Because Cliff is also a great listener, I feel like my head should be tilted slightly forward and sideways. This will be similar to Matt. Very dissimilar to Moonface Martin, Mrs. Mears, and Nick Bottom, all of whom I have played before. Because Cliff is an academic like Matt, I feel like the illusion of the eyes looking up (because the head is tilted down) gives a sense of respect and attention. If I'm looking up at a sky scraper or a very tall man, I'm giving respect. Now even if the person across from me is short, by having the head slightly forward I can give the illusion that I'm looking up at him. Subtly of course. (I am a fairly tall guy already, so this has been a slight challenge to make this work)
Now I'm worried about my Gait (or walk). Most of my characters before have had very specific walks. With Moonface Martin, I was a 1920s gangster swagger. He is a very comedic character so I did quite an exaggeration of this swagger to emphasize that he is far from a serious crook and really public enemy 13 way down the scale (and I must say a clumsy gangster swagger). Mendel in Fiddler was way uptight, took short steps and held his head high with a slight emphasis on with the chin in the air (in a not terribly snooty way). Nick Bottom was by far my most unique walk in having him walk very flat footed and crisscrossing feet. For example: my left foot would cross my right and point left, my right would cross my left foot and point right. My standing 'pose' was my right foot in front pointing right, my left foot in back pointing left with my left toes directly behind my right heel. Mrs. Mears was somewhat similar but not so exaggerated and she always stood in a bevel. I tried my hardest to lead with the chest with Mrs. Mears (seeing as I had a stuffed bra on and a chest to really poke out) but it ended up more with a shoulder lead. Cliff is going to be a huge challenge for me because I'm not sure what to do. He's such a 'normal' character that I might not have to do anything specific, but that kinda scares me because it isn't lending itself to me 'creating' this character. My current thoughts are to be typically heal-toe (which I do naturally) with a slight slump in my stomach. He is an American in Berlin and I might try be a stereotypical American to the Berliners by doing this. Beliners are quite upright and stiff that an American contrast would be slightly slump and big heal-toe walkers. This is my thought thus far. We'll see how this goes.
I have a lot more to explain, but it is currently getting late. I'll update (I hope) tomorrow.

Until Next Time,

Ben Barlow