Performance Lab by Christine Brubaker with Nightswimming’s Pure Research
Actors experience the story they are telling differently in relationship to specific audiences and performing circumstances. Theatre performance will feel different than on-camera work. A story will feel different in front of a full live audience than an almost empty house. The repetition and disruption of filming can change the actor’s experience of that story entirely. In all mediums, a story can sometimes can feel easy to tell - the story can take on a life of its own - it inhabits the whole body and imagination; the actor feels “connected”. Sometimes self-consciousness sets in and a story can feel false and the performer feels exposed. Sometimes, even after telling a story a hundred times, the very presence of new audience lets you hear something brand new in the story - you discover something you have never known before about that story. In this series of questions, I am going to ask you about the extremes of these experiences during the current performance in an attempt to understand how various audience types affect the actor’s experience of story. Please answer the following questions in relation to the audience medium for which you just performed. I ask that you indicate with an X to reflect how you feel between the two extremes.
For example: When you woke up this morning, did you feel... Hungry?
Not very ________________________ X__________________________ Very
(Your answer would indicate that you were neutral about your hunger - neither not very hungry nor very hungry)
This morning when you woke up and discovered your car was broken into, did you feel... Angry?
Not very ________________________________________________X_ Very
(Your answer would indicate that you felt very angry about this circumstance)
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Name ___________________________________________
Perf# _______ Tuesday Oct. 16th
1.A During a performance, an actor can feel very “in the storytelling” moment. Sometimes this is defined as being very connected to the character you are portraying or the story you are telling. During that moment in today’s performance in which you felt MOST CONNECTED, did you find yourself feeling...
Confident?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Focused?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Truthful?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Engaged?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Excited?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Nervous?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Self-conscious?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Happy?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Embarrassed?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Relaxed?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Were you aware of ............... The audience?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The story?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Your physicality?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The room?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
2/7
1.B During the moment in today’s performance when you felt the LEAST CONNECTED, did you feel...
Confident?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Focused?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Truthful?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Engaged?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Excited?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Nervous?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Self-conscious?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Happy?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Embarrassed?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Relaxed ?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Were you aware of ............... The audience?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The story?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Your physicality?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The room?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
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2. This piece/monologue/scene is something you have performed many times before and you are very familiar with this story and its content. In today’s performance, did you find you DISCOVERED SOMETHING NEW in or about this story? If YES, please answer the both 2.A and 2.B. If NO, please move directly to Question 2.B on the next page.
2.A In today’s performance, at the point in time when you felt you DISCOVERED SOMETHING NEW ABOUT THE STORY, did you feel.... Surprised?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Confident?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Excited?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Focused?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Happy?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Engaged?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Relaxed?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Nervous?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Thrown Off?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Were you aware of ............... The audience?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The story?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Your physicality?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The room?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
4/7
2.B Sometimes with pieces they’ve performed many times before, the actor can experience the feeling of “phoning it in”. At the point in time in today’s performance that you felt you simply REPEATED or REGURGITATED SOMETHING YOU’VE ALWAYS PERFORMED, did you feel.....
Surprised?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Confident?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Excited?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Focused?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Happy?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Engaged?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Relaxed?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Nervous?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Embarrassed?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Were you aware of ............... The audience?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The story?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Your physicality?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The room?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
5/7
3. Sometimes during a performance, an actor feels the way s/he tells the story is different than on previous occasions and that this can actually change the story itself. In the context of today’s performance, did you feel the STORY you told CHANGED from previous tellings? If YES, please answer the question below. If NO, proceed directly to Question 4
3.A At the point in time in today’s performance that you were most aware of the CHANGE in the story, did the story feel.... Different?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
A Lot
Clearer?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
A Lot
Livelier?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
A Lot
When you experienced that CHANGE, did you feel.... Surprised?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Engaged?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Thrown Off?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Happy?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Focused?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Nervous?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Confident?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Were you aware of........ The audience?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The story?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
Your physicality?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
The room?
Not Very
_______________________________________________
Very
6/7
4. When performing, different external factors can affect an actor’s pleasure/satisfaction in the experience. In this particular performance, you had a unique audience and setting. How did you find the AUDIENCE SETTING altered your storytelling experience? Did this AUDIENCE SETTING make you feel......
Nervous?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Confident?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Happy?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Relaxed?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Self-conscious?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Thrown Off?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Excited?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Embarrassed?
Not at All
_______________________________________________
Very
Did you experience..... Pleasure?
Not at all
_______________________________________________
A Lot
Joy in telling the story? Not at all
_______________________________________________
A Lot
_______________________________________________
A Lot
Did it make the story..... Easier to tell?
Not at all
If there are any comments or observations about your experience in front of this particular audience setting and how it affected your relationship to the story, please add them here. Feel free to use the back if you need more space. For example, if you made any new discoveries in your work and why that may have occurred (if you think you know), please elaborate etc. Thanks so much
7/7