BECOMING HENRY DRUMMOND

I have problems enough figuring out who I am. Some days I feel more me than others, but my "me" is changing, evolving. Joe is working on becoming Henry Drummond, and he is evolving, too--both, Joe, and Joe as Henry Drummond.


There are courses, entire schools, and mountains of information available on character building. This particular post will be a description of how Joe works it out, but please, we welcome comments from other actors about what works for you.


The very subject of learning styles is controversial, but as a mother I'm a believer. Nothing I see as I watch Joe could make me believe otherwise. He paces, he sits gesturing, he's up, he's down, repeating lines the entire time. There is another process going on beneath the obvious one of learning lines. He is becoming Henry Drummond.


Actors become the part they're playing. It's pretty obvious that a minor walk-on role wouldn't require much in the way of character building, but with Henry Drummond it will take a good bit of work. Joe uses several techniques, one of which is the question method. How do you feel? Where were you just before this? What just happened to you? What do you think is going to happen next? What do you want to happen? Did you sleep well? Are you hungry? Is it hot or cold? Do you have a strong feeling at this moment? How old am I? Am I a person of color? Is there anxiety, anger, jealousy? The number of questions one can ask is infinite. Some will always be more helpful than others.


Henry Drummond is past middle-age, caucasian, is from Chicago, prides himself on representing the underdog, and has a "large and in-charge" reputation. The play, itself, will provide some of this information. We know from the script that it's late morning and it's hotter than blazes. Also from the script, Drummond has a history with Brady. Drummond is in Brady's element and out of his own. From the research I've done I know that Henry Drummond is based loosely on Clarence Darrow. I've watched the 1960 film version of "Inherit the Wind" a couple of times, and I would say that the play and the movie make Henry Drummond a bit softer around the edges than Clarence Darrow.


Joe has read the play umpteen times, articles from the analysis of the play, opinions of the authors, the history of Clarence Darrow and information about the Scopes trial, which is available online. This is all being done as he begins to work on the lines, all of it helping him sort out the character.


A friend and mentor, Fred Sebulske, told Joe at whatever point you are in character development, there is always more to bring. You might find it from going deeper into your own memories, or finding a place deeper into the moment of the character. The key here is that he does whatever it takes.


There'll be more on character building, but I sat in on the audition for the part of Howard, the student who is called to testify. I'll tell you about that next time.


Oh, one more thing. I'll save it for later, but the director, Christopher Weaver told me what his comments to, and about, Joe were on the day of the "callback" auditions.