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So, I’m very, very excited for my little role as Mrs. Soames in an upcoming, local production of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” - just doing it for fun and a little experience -learning so much! But, if you haven’t heard, “Our Town” is an extraordinary play objectively illustrating the sequence of the universal human experience on a corporeal, psychological, spiritual, and imaginative level. It truly is a remarkable work and, even though I’ve read it multiple times by now, Wilder’s ability to define and create a world, that we already know, through minimal scenery and props still astounds me. “Our Town” really is our town.
It’s always a little easier for me to transform into a character when I take the time to define, understand, and process a particular character’s role, not only in the play, but in his or her world. I also make an effort to execute my defining process with pure, unfiltered empathy, toward both the character, the audience, and anyone else who experiences the production, whether it be my director or fellow cast-mates.
Alright, so my character defining procedure may seem a little kooky but it works for me - I “ask” the character simple questions, in writing, which gradually become more “complex” once I get to know the person I’m playing better. And I know its a little crazy, because, after all, I am asking questions that I am ultimately answering, but it is really effective when you perform. If you don’t believe or feel what you’re saying, the audience won’t believe or feel what you’re saying. Defining the emotions of a character in a work is essential when acting. It is equally as crucial for an actor to define the images present in a character’s mind. What permanent memories or images are engrained in the character’s flow of thoughts? What feelings does he or she get when images of a favorite plate of food, images of childhood, or memories of a teacher’s bad breath pop into mind? The actor must see what the character sees. If the actor doesn’t truly see what the character sees, then the audience won’t truly see what the character sees. The actor is responsible for defining, authentically feeling, and sincerely delivering every moment experienced by a character in a work, and an actor accomplishes this by composing and embodying the consciousness of that character in that character’s world, and by possessing the consciousness of the character, based on that character’s experience. - The actor’s goal is to experience the character’s experience, feel what the character feels, and be what the character is. Once the character is defined, constructed, and mastered - truly, truly mastered - the character may embody the actor, allowing a smooth actor-character synthesis to occur when performing - this is where the magic happens and the actor isn’t acting anymore. (I know this was a mouthful, so I’ll try and make the rest of this pretty short and sweet...)
So, in this post, I really wanted to take some time to begin defining Mrs. Soames, and I think that I would like to start this process by analyzing her persona in the literary context of “Our Town.” I’m sharing this because it really gives me more motivation to define her as best I can when other people are reading, and I don’t know why. I really want to become her by fully experiencing every facet of her being, and I’ll do whatever it takes. It’s just a supporting role, but it is a famous one and I really want to take it seriously. I’m gonna build her up more and develop her further (as I’m sure you’ll see in future posts), but this is just an initial step there. Anyway, from what I gather, Mrs. Soames is a choir-woman with a colorful spirit who helps reveal the essence of Grovers Corners through her brisk ability to recall information, good and bad, about residents of the town, through her delightful sensitivity, and, finally, through recognizing the beauty, or lack thereof, in life. She is often perceived by fellow townspeople, critics, and “Our Town” fans as a gossip, and is initially presented in the play running her mouth about the town alcoholic, and though this is easily perceived as “gossipy” behavior, I am afraid that I do not view her as a gossip - I view her as an optimist who is fascinated by people. In the case of the town alcoholic, she reacts poorly to his behavior because she is sensitive, and his evident unhappiness is rubbing off on her. Other people in the town overlook his issues, and try not to “notice” it. His unhappiness is affecting Soames’ happiness, who expresses a belief that feelings of happiness, and wanting happiness, are the most important goals in life. So, naturally, a sensitive, optimistic woman like her is not going to mesh well with an individual who is deeply unhappy, taking his depression out on alcohol. Further, at other points in the play when she speaks of other people, like Emily - the main character - for example, she sings Emily’s praises, speaking so positively of her - she does not say a bad word about her. Mrs. Soames is not a gossip, she is unknowingly studious of people in general, discussing their nature and provides objective, intuitive observations of their personalities. I do not view her as a gossip - I view her as someone who speaks her mind by providing opinions of others who affect her. Whether or not they affect her positively isn’t really the issue - she will still speak of anyone who evokes her sensitive feelings, or anyone who she is directly aware of. However, if one did have a negative effect on her, she will speak of such an individual negatively. If one, for example, made Soames feel happy and positive, she will speak of the individual happily and positively.
Mrs. Louella Soames will always speak about you, but what she says is strictly your doing - What is said by her is strictly up to you :)
