Saturday 29 November 2008

Impulse vs Emotion


At the moment, I'm lucky enough to be doing a Meisner acting course with the Impulse Theatre Company. Yes, I know...an opera singer doing acting lessons?! Can this really be? Well, all I can say, is this is a new age of singing.

Anyway, we had a talk, recently, about the difference between an impulsive actor vs. an emotional actor. I'd much rather be the former than the later, as emotions can get me really stuck in myself and my own gunk. It's not that being an impulsive actor has no emotions, but I find it much easier to leave them at the end of the exercise or song or performance. I mean, I don't carry it off the stage with me or, as has been a problem at times, I've had the experience where I've been having a lot of emotion, but those listening haven't had the same experience.

My last concert was very different. I just went with 'the impulses' and it went really well. There were no wrongs or rights there was just the moment - the impulse - Fantastic! So opera singers - act!