Sincerely Funny

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December 1, 2011For the first time since becoming a professional singer, I’m now acting in a stage play.  The play, a musical comedy, is challenging not just because of its demands on me as the male lead, but also because it’s been such a long time since I’ve done anything in the realm of theater.  

As I’ve realized, one major difference between working on a theater production and one on television is that expressions and reactions have to be noticeably exaggerated in order to effectively reach an audience.  TV: acting into a close-up on screen where every nuance of one’s face can be seen; versus theater: acting live in front of an audience that may only be able to see you from afar at times.

Now the reason I brought this topic up is not because I want to discuss the fine technicalities of acting (as I am no expert myself).  It is rather something my director told me during rehearsal.  He once said, “While this play is a comedy, we must still hold on to truth and sincerity in our performance”.  What he was saying is that despite the exaggerated (sometimes cartoonish), well-timed, deliberately staged nature of what we are approaching, genuine belief and sincerity in our delivery is what makes everything work.  As an actor, you have to be fully tangled up in the situation.  In other words, it’s only funny if you don’t seem like you know it is. 

And he was right.  Seeing a performer reach for the audience is pretty awkward, not to mention unconvincing.  As I’ve found, this theory applies quite widely across different disciplines too; be it in entertainment or business, concerts or boardrooms; there’s always an advantage to being sincerely engaged in what you are doing…  at least on the outside…

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