THE MEMORY WORK

As I read over Joe's notes to me, I'm struck by how strongly I react to the idea of forgetting one's lines. He calls it going "up." I'd not be "up" at all. More likely down--in a puddle--on the floor.

It's a gradual process, but in community theater the whole timeline is compressed, sort of in fast forward. Many of the actors have jobs, and the whole memorization process seems, as I've already said, daunting. The number of performances is limited, but the amount of work that goes into a production is the same.

So, how does it all work? By the time they're in rehearsal the actors have a pretty good handle on their lines. They're still working out blocking, and someone is nearby with the "book." (Remember, this is the insider's reference for the script.) If an actor goes "up", they simply call "line", and it's fed to them. Because every actor learns their lines differently, and they're all trying not to lose the moment, the bookholder may feed lines differently to each actor. (Boy, you've got to love the bookholder, right?)

The director notifies the cast when they will be expected to be "off book." Initially some line feeding is still permitted. Then, again, the director dictates that line calls will be eliminated. At this point my imagination has run amok. My palms are sweating. In this situation I think I would be hyperventilating.

They're actors. They're up to the task. They are, literally, relying on each other. It's important, now, that the lines are delivered in the appropriate timing and rhythm. When someone goes "up", if everyone is in the moment the line can sometimes be fed with a question, or sometimes a line can simply be skipped with an ad lib by another actor. Acting is, really, reacting.

The cast is a team. They all have a common goal, and their responsibility every performance, is to do whatever it takes to deliver the best performance possible each and every time. Every performance will be different. They're live. No "take two", no voice overs, or ADR. What you see is what you get. The Golden Rule in acting is: don't leave anyone hanging out to dry."

Early in Joe's acting career he is playing the Kralahome in "The King and I." It's his second play. Anna and The King are on stage. The Krahahome's job is to enter, deliver a greeting, and announce that the British are here. One night Joe scoots out and delivers the greeting. Brain fart. He actually thinks he's done.

The wonderfully talented Carol Black is playing the part of Anna. She leans around The King and says, "What's the commotion? Who's here?" Now, Joe experiences a brain bomb. He blurts, "The British! The British are here!" And on they went.