Action!

Inside the Method of Acting Steven Harders

by Emily Wilkerson photo courtesy of Smokestack Theatre Co

role of a little girl’s cat and his only line was “meow.” His most memorable production was Little Shop of Horrors, primarily because he got to do this show not once, but twice. While the first time he played Orin Scrivello, DDS, the second time he got to be a puppeteer for the plant, Audrey II, and designed the special effects for the show. He states that this experience “really expanded my theatrical creative and engineering skills and was immensely fun bringing the stage to life.”

Though he is certainly a veteran of the stage, no actor is immune to stage fright. Harders says he sometimes experiences this phenomenon when he is not confident in the material he is presenting- what he refers to as “the age old ‘actor’s nightmare.’” He claims that he also gets stage fright when he focuses his attention on how the audience perceives him, instead of focusing on his role. According to Harders, the best way to combat these dilemmas is to review your lines as much as possible, and to stay in your character’s head and just focus on the story you are telling.

Harders believes that “the absolute most important quality (of an actor) is to be empathetic.” Actors should be able to fully understand and resonate with everything the script calls for their character to say and do. He says to “understand there is always a reason behind every word and deed. Every word has an opportunity to create new levels in the character.” Once that is achieved, the actor can translate those emotions into their body movements to show to the audience what the character is feeling, without even having to speak.

For those considering trying their hand at acting, Harders recommends you learn as much as possible, and not to be discouraged if you do not get cast. “You can be disappointed, but don’t get discouragedthere is a difference.” He also encourages those who are not cast to get involved in other ways. “There are so many facets to a show. Don’t be afraid of the saw, hammer, paint brush, sewing needle, light board, sound board, ushering, ticket taking, etc.. It is all important, needed, and respectable work.” It truly takes a village to put on a show, and there is a role in the theatre for everyone.

Scene: Scene: Linda is hauling Plant, swaddled in blankets in a child’s red wagon, on a scenic tour around the block.

Linda: Plant, you’re heavy enough that hauling you up this hill in this wagon is running me subterranean.

Plant (leaves quivering like a dog leg vibrating ecstatically): Oh, joy; so warm is the sunshine.

L (sweating): Why are you so heavy?

P: Bushing out from consistent sunlight, water, plant food, plus you moved me to a bigger pot. Ceramic. I am rising up in the world.

L: I regret my decision to water you so liberally.

P: You parent me well.

L (puffing): I never expected to parent a plant. At least I’m getting credit for the increased stepcount.

P: Then step lively, Parent. It’s important to have healthy parents who are not out of breath just because they’re on an incline …

L: … I’m inclined to let go of this wagon because it feels like I’m climbing Mount Rushmore… breathing like a freight train…

P: In two-parent human families,

Plant VIII:

Father

by Linda Lemery

both parents should share the parenting load, but in the animal kingdom, some animal fathers interact (seahorses, beavers, emperor penguins) and some do not (bears, dogs, lions).

L: I wish your father were hauling your wagon up this hill.

P: Who is my father?

L (wiping sweat from her forehead): …That would be my husband, Steve.

P: Which of you do I favor?

L: …Neither of us... you’re a plant.

P: Nevertheless, adopted children develop similarities with their adoptive parents. How am I similar to my adoptive father?

L: Have you had conversations with Steve? Maybe when he’s watering you?

P: Not yet. He seems more logical, less likely to accept plant speech as non-delusional.

L: What do you mean, more logical? I’m the one who does most of the checkbook subtraction.

P: Arithmetic is a tiny subset of mathematics.

L: I am wounded speechless…. do you identify more with a male or female parent?

P (skirting the issue): I have been silently observing this male parent. He exhibits love for his plants by watering them and for you, his wife, by paying attention. He has intriguing, curious, patient conversations with you while you try to keep up. When your adult children visit, he engages them with bad dad jokes. For example, “What do you call a fish in a bowtie?”

L: …Wha-at…?

P: “So-fish-ticated.”

L: That’s so bad, it’s good. Dads are famous for cracking bad jokes, like, “When does a joke become a dad joke?”

P: …I do not know…??

L: “When it becomes apparent.”

P: …Moving on... He shows love and respect for life and environment by treating others well and seems like a good human being and father.

L: A significant portion of the world celebrates Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June. This started when Sonora Smart Dodd, one of 6 children being raised by a single dad, was inspired by a sermon to advocate starting a day of father recognition. Fathers increasingly help with childcare.

P: Besides your plants, you have raised two human children. Is Steve happy about his children?

L: He loves his boys but also loves that the boys and their wives are now self-supporting. We visit one set probably more frequently than they might choose and the other set not frequently enough to exhaust our welcome. They all visit us.

P: Proximity likely influences visitation rate.

L: According to literature, two-parent families can be a stabilizing force in children’s lives…

P: …Or the life of a plant, by providing bigger ceramic pots for growing, by keeping the soil coming, the water flowing, and the sun shining in…

L: …Assuming that either parent remembers to open the blinds.

P: Should I open a dialogue with my father figure?

L: Try speaking a dad joke like, “I’m afraid for the calendar. Its days are numbered.” Steve’s journey toward acceptance will be somewhat turbulent and may take some time. However, once he arrives, we could both haul your heavy wagon around the block.

P: Together.

About the author: Plant and Linda Lemery llemery@gmail.com wish Evince readers Happy Father’s Day.

28 Days Later (7/10 Rating)

Released June 27, 2003 (US)

For rent on Amazon

Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi

R: Strong Violence and Gore, Language, and Nudity

1h 53m