Last night I saw the first of three shows I will be attending this week. Circle Mirror Transformation was the story of five people in a weekly acting class. Being there for the opening night with a theatre filled with actors, Artistic Directors, and theatre practitioners was an absolute treat. The very opening scene involved all of the actors laying on the floor on their backs in stillness and silence until the first word was uttered. That word was "one". And without hesitation the audience laughed hysterically because we were all brought back to that moment in acting classes when we all performed that counting exercise. I am curious to know how this show will be received by audiences that are not filled with theatre practitioners. I wonder if too much of the humour would go over their heads, or if it will land nicely in a way that still fulfills the basic story. I guess time will tell.
What the show definitely did for me was allowed me to reflect on all of the ridiculous acting exercises I've done. I remember one time in University being in a vocal class with 8 ladies. In one of our exercises were were on all fours, curving and arching our backs, while exhaling with these drawn out moans. I can only imagine the thoughts that went through the heads of any guys that walked by the room at that time. That was the moment when I realized what exactly I was spending thousands of dollars of tuition on. In the end I guess it was worth it. I have a career in theatre and still perform regularly, but I have to admit that some of those exercises were absolutely ridiculous. Ridiculous, fun, and awesome!
Just for fun - here's a video of a ridiculous drama class. Enjoy!
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