HaleyHamillActingRealism

EnronReflectionJournal#4

Fromstarttofinish,IwasengrossedintheEnronstory,astorythatIhad,unfortunately,

neverheardbefore.Thephenomenalcastingofseveralcharactersandthefloorplan,nodoubt,

wrotethebelievabilitycheck,whileafewkeyperformancescasheditin.Thosewhoplayed

clearactions,thosewhoinvestedintheircharactersidentity,andthosewhointeractedwellwith

otherstrulymadetheshowandthus,evenwithseveraldullmoments,wereabletodrivehomea

lastingandinfluentialmessagetothecrowd.Eventhesmallerrolesofferedsomethingtothe

performanceandtousasactorsandactresses.

ThemainmessagecamefromJeffreySkilling(BenHatt).IfeltHattsperformancetruly

broughtjusticetoJeffreySkillingshumanity,goodandbad,andhisalmostcircumstantial

downfall.WithBackwardsandForwardsbyDavidBallinmind,Isawhoweachline,andthe

actiontherewithin,broughtSkillingcloserandclosertohishorribledecisions.Hattsabilityto

playthevictimoftheAmericandream,ofwantingtodosomethingimportant,andthe

facilitatoroftheAmericandreamsdownfallasaproductofhisselfishnesswaskeyin

conveyingseveraloftheoverarchingmessagestoanaudience.Ofcourse,thesedifferentsidesof

SkillingwerentconveyedbyHattallinoneswiftmotion:itwastheactionheplayedineach

beat,eachlineofthescriptthatmadeforatrulyconvincingperformance.Forinstance,when

Skilling(Hatt)mentionsseparatingfromhiswifepostcoituswithClaudiaRoe(MaddieTaylor),

althoughitshorribleconsideringtheadulteroussituation,weseeabitofhishumanityand

need/desireforaconnection.Hattalsoplayeddesiringaconnectioninthescenesbetween

Skillingandhisdaughter.However,wesee,inthesceneswithFastow(guysfirstandlast

name),SkillingsselfishnessandruthlessnessashecompletelydisownsAndywheneverAndy

doesntdowhatSkillingwants.

AndasHattthrewtheblameandbullyballto(guyslastname),(guyslastname)

threwitrightbacksometimesatafasterspeed.(guyslastname)sperformanceandcasting

wasincredible,simplymovingandcompletelyconvincing.(guyslastname)capturedthedanger

ofworshippingotherswithoutquestioningtheirmethodsbyplayingbothIworshipyouandI

[tryto]impressyou.Normally,impressingmightnotbeconsideredadanger,butwhenyou

ditchyourmoralcompasswhichisoftentimesthecaseimpressingbecomesverydangerous.

While(guyslastname)asFastowservedasaconvincingsupportingcharacter,IfeltlikeRoe

(Taylor)fellflat.Throughouttheshow,IneverreallyunderstoodwhyRoewasthere.Itwasasif

shewasntpresentingabigenoughobstacle.AndIdontthinkitwasnecessarilyTaylors

performance,butmaybeHattsthatmadeRoeseemflat.Hattthrewsuchaheftyballin

everyonesdirectionhisvoicereverberatedthroughouttheroom,hispresencetookupthe

wholespacethatcatchingitseemedtotakeacombinationofthings,namelybelievinginyour

characterandbeingabletovocalizethatbelief,anditdidntseemlikeTaylorcoulddothat.The

volumeoftheperformancewasdefinitelylow,andI,ineverywayshapeandform,seewhyyou

makeusdovocalwarmupsnow:onesconvincibilityishamperedifonecantgettoacertain

volume.

Besidesvolume,theotherthingsInoticedduringtheperformancewerevoiceinflections

andactorphysicality.ImentionedvoiceabitwhendiscussingTaylorsperformance,butit

wasntjustherhavingahardtime.Onceinclassyousaidthatactingiscontingentonhowmuch

youallowthewordsyouresayingtobeyours.Taylorandacoupleofothersitseemedhada

problemwiththis,andtherewasanairofthisisntmethroughout,whichmadeforstage

voices(thethingpeopledowhentheyactShakespeare)andhavingalmosteverythingendona

highnote.Also,physically,everystepHattmadewasconvincing,itwasifheknewwherehe

wasinbothspaceandtime,butsomeoftheothersseemedtobehavingaproblem.Nottopick

onTaylor,butsinceherperformancewasoneofthemainonessoIhavealotofmaterialto

exemplify.Taylorsmostconvincingmovementwasinthechoreographeddancesequencewhen

everybodywaspartying.Othertimes,Idnoticehermoveherlegswithoutconfidence.Inever

trulyrealizedtheimportanceofthesetwoseeminglysmallthingsintermsofactinguntil

examiningithere.Ifthevoiceandthemovementconfidenceisabsent,theperformancejust

becomesawkwardandconfusingtomeasanaudiencemember.Italsobreaksmysuspensionof

disbelief.Interestinghowsuchlittlethingsholdsomuchweight.

However,Icantsayyouhaventbeensayingthisallsemester.Itwasastonishinghowso

muchcanbeaproductofcircumstanceifwejustdecidetofloaton,butgoingwiththeflowisa

decisioninitselfandcantbeexcused.Onadirectorialnote,theslowmotiondancingcoupled

withsongsbyCharlieXCX?Amazing.Italmostservedasaproverbialstatementaboutour

generation'slackofasenseofresponsibility.Anyways,fromthephenomenalperformancesby

theleadsandthemanyotherpeople(okaythatBillClintonimpersonationwasspoton),tothe

amazingsetdesignconsistingalmostsolelyofaboardroomtableanda90sminifridge,this

performancewasdefinitelyworthfivedollarsandtwohoursandthirtyminutesofmytime.

HattsperformancemademerealizethatifIwanttobeastageactor,thenIhavealongwayto

go.Butwithhardwork,hopefullyaperformancelikehisandevenbetterisattainable.Who

knows?Imightjustauditionfornextyearsmainstage.