Death is a phenomenon that most of us will only experience once in our lives. However, for actors, it can become a regular occurrence. On stage, they may face death in various forms, from sudden gunshots to prolonged and emotionally charged scenes. But what is the psychological and physical toll of dying night after night in these roles?
In the 2017 production of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America at the National Theatre, Nathan Lane portrayed Roy Cohn, a real-life political operative who denied his AIDS diagnosis until the very end. Lane faced a double challenge in this role. In the play, Cohn fakes his own death before ultimately succumbing to the disease. Lane had to lie in a hospital bed on stage, pulling out an IV and simulating body tremors. He recalls feeling psychologically affected by this experience, as there is something unsettling about being in a hospital bed and gown that starts to make you feel sick.
Josette Simon, who played Cleopatra, decided to die with her eyes open in a production at the Royal Shakespeare Company. This decision meant she had to sit unblinking throughout the next character’s speech. Playing Richard III for the same company, Arthur Hughes found himself hyperventilating during his death scene, surrounded by the ghosts of the men his character had murdered. The intensity of the role took its toll on him, and he had to create a ritual to “de-role” after the performance to find stillness and shed the angst.
Patrick Vaill has been dying on and off for 16 years in his role as Jud Fry in Oklahoma! He explains that death is presented to his character in a romanticized way, and the staging emphasizes emotional and intellectual reality rather than a literal portrayal of death. However, he began to feel the weight of performing this scene every night during the Broadway run and sought help from a physical therapist. The therapist made a connection between the emotional performance and the physical toll it took on his body. Vaill found that taking a hot shower after the show helped remind his body that it was not actually experiencing death.
Performing a death scene in theater requires a different approach than film or television. The repetition and intensity of performing the same scene eight times a week for months on end necessitate aftercare to ensure the well-being of the actors. Physical and mental repercussions can linger long after the performance is over, and it is crucial for actors to prioritize self-care and create routines to help them transition out of their roles.
Josette Simon’s experience portraying Cleopatra involved a daily shift in mindset as she prepared for the role. She chose to die with her eyes open, which required extensive training to ensure she could hold her gaze without blinking. She trained the muscles around her eyes, gradually increasing the duration each day. Though she didn’t have a specific ritual to let go of the character and her death scene, she found solace in the post-performance stillness and her breathing, viewing each night as a new page in her theatrical journey.
While engaging with death in theater may spark meaningful conversations, it often does not translate to discussing death in our culture. Victoria Melody’s show Ugly Chief sought to challenge this fear of death by exploring the experience of planning one’s own funeral. She and her father used the funeral as an opportunity to stimulate conversation and remove some of the fear surrounding death. They recognized that funerals, like theater shows, involve a certain level of theatrics and creativity.
Overall, the actors who repeatedly portray death on stage face unique challenges and take various approaches to cope with the psychological and physical impact. The aftercare of performance becomes as important as the warm-up before the show, and rituals and routines help actors find stillness and shed the weight of their roles. These performances offer a glimpse into the human experience of death and present an opportunity for broader conversations about mortality and our cultural discomfort with discussing it openly.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
