I was at an audition recently and the form asked me whether or not I would be willing to do nudity for the role.
I know many actors have no problem with this, and have all faced this moment. The moment where you negotiate what you would be comfortable with, before starting a creative process. As a rule, I tend to say no when asked about nudity. Truth be told, however, there are some roles, that if done the right way, I would get naked for. Several have commented on the issue of nudity on stage. Playmaker weighed the pro's and cons of doing nudity for a bad role, but good theatre company. There is also Sheila's blessed rant which I quote all the time.
My bigger issue is with the fact that this was not mentioned in the audition invitation. There are a couple things that I would like to see added to an audition notice (some theatres are very good about including this information, but many are not).
The first is the nudity requirement. It wastes everyone's time if the director/play requires it and the actor is unwilling to do it. Why schedule an audition slot if you have no reason to? So it would save everyone a lot of hassle to just be up front about it.
The second is the callback requirement. I have been called in so many times and been unable to make the callback, at which point I get a response saying that callbacks are required to get the role (which in fact may be their way of saying they were not that into me, but regardless, it sucks). If the callback is a requirement to get the role, then the callback date should be in the audition invitation.
Lastly - and this is not for the audition invitation, but just something I would hope would be common sense, but will mention anyway. Physical intimacy on stage is something that should be approached very carefully between actors and with a great deal of respect. Just as stage combat should be. In an audition it would seem very wrong to attempt a punch, or a make out session. So it was surprising to me, when at this audition, that so many attempted it. It made me feel like a prude, but in the end my reading was cohesive and clear and there was no fumbling for paper while trying to straddle or slap someone I had never met.
Onward.
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2 comments:
There's an acting coach in Chicago I'm acquainted with who maintains that nudity breaks the essential contract that is a play - the audience agreeing to believe.
He feels a naked actor is one of those many things that can take you out of your state of belief, along with a loud noise outside or a missed lighting cue, a fit of the giggles -whatever - when the nudity happens, you stop following the story, and instead you think about the fact that there's a real live naked person in front of you. The actor ceases to be the character for a moment and becomes the actor again.
I agree with him, personally, and think it's why in the vast majority of plays I'm aware of, the naked moment fails. I've done one nude scene in my career, and so far it's the only one I have agreed to because it acknowledged that weird moment, let it happen, and then said, "can we go on now?" That play was Richard Greenberg's THE DAZZLE. I'm trying to think of another play I'd immediately agree to strip for, but nothing comes to mind.
I could not agree more. The moment only seems to work when those onstage are acknowledging their nudity, along with the audience.
If you get the chance, read Sheila Callaghan's rant that I linked to above. It is along much the same lines, only with her particular wit.
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