Not stirred...

Today I bring you a pseudo-guest post.This was a previous post elsewhere by Lee Presson of "Lee Presson and the Nails" that I have obtained permission to re-post here. (Also don't forget to check out their music over here if you like bad ass swing music.)

Vermouth

"This is a tough one to try and describe, but I'll do my best.  I've often compared research for any theatrical endeavor to the vermouth in a martini.  You pour it in, you swish it around, you dump it out.  Then you put in something completely different, be it gin or vodka, but the hint of that vermouth still remains. So with that metaphor in mind, let's take LPN as an example: I immersed myself in Jazz history, I learned as much about it as I could, I listened to as much of it as I could... and then I dumped it all out and tried to develop an original stage presentation.  But the hint of all that history is still there, see? (also the 70 year-old songs help)

Or say, Edgar Allan Poe at Dickens Fair.  I obviously can't play him as he actually was because this is supposed to be a Christmas fair... a CHEERY occasion!  So, same thing... do the research, learn as much as I can, then toss it all and ask myself the following question: given what I know about this man, how would he behave at a party if he were given the chance to forget about his inner demons for just a few hours?  I think he'd be grateful for the opportunity, and that's how I play him. 

There are two ways to play a character.  One is to pretend you're the character, and the other is to pretend the character is you.  I choose the 2nd approach.  Take the role and make it yours.  Just don't forget the vermouth!"

A little bit of everything...

 This is a great way to think about taking something and making it your own after learning about what has come before. The history of an art is import if for no other reason than to know you are not wasting your time re-creating someone else's wheel. It's also good to know the "Rules" of something so you can then bend, break, and discard the ones that don't apply to you or what you are doing. 

The problems lies in those who don't think they don't need this knowledge and they end up being a pale comparison of something that came before them because they never bothered to research in a time when it's easier than it ever was. 

It's never too late to take a look behind you...