HasBeen
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Re:DQ: 12/14/06 - Pet Peeves - 2007/03/01 00:50
Great topic! Here are a few off the top of my head:
1) Chorus members in high school or community theater productions doing fake, over-the-top business and reactions: bug eyes, open-mouthed surprise, elaborate hand gestures, chattering with each other as if in fast-motion, etc. Yes, I know these are not professionals, but it's the director's job to tone down the chorus so they look a bit more believable.
2) Performers in long-running Broadway shows who look bored, distracted, or don't give 100%, especially at matinees. Believe me, I know it's hard to keep things fresh when you've done the same show hundreds of times...I did 500 performances of one such long-running Broadway show myself. However, the audience is seeing it for the first time and has a right to the best performance the actors can give. There are thousands of people who would give anything to be in their place, and it just seems insulting when actors walk through their performances. (I actually knew people who used the matinee as a "warm-up" for the evening show.)
3) Directors who think they are more clever than the original composer or librettist and try to re-write shows to make them more interesting or relevant.
4) Truly talented people who don't know how to audition! I have seen so many good people destroy their chances at auditions by picking the wrong song, being rude to the accompanist, shuffling on stage like they were lost, dressing inappropriately, etc. Auditioning is a skill in itself, and you'd better learn it and practice it if you are serious about this business!
Okay, rants over...for now!
Henrik
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