HaleyHamill

ActingRealism

EnronReflectionJournal#4

Fromstarttofinish,IwasengrossedintheEnronstory,astorythatIhad,unfortunately,
neverheardbefore.Thephenomenalcastingofseveralcharactersandthefloorplan,nodoubt,
wrotethebelievabilitycheck,whileafewkeyperformancescasheditin.Thosewhoplayed
clearactions,thosewhoinvestedintheircharactersidentity,andthosewhointeractedwellwith
otherstrulymadetheshowandthus,evenwithseveraldullmoments,wereabletodrivehomea
lastingandinfluentialmessagetothecrowd.Eventhesmallerrolesofferedsomethingtothe
performanceandtousasactorsandactresses.
ThemainmessagecamefromJeffreySkilling(BenHatt).IfeltHattsperformancetruly
broughtjusticetoJeffreySkillingshumanity,goodandbad,andhisalmostcircumstantial
downfall.With
BackwardsandForwards
byDavidBallinmind,Isawhoweachline,andthe
actiontherewithin,broughtSkillingcloserandclosertohishorribledecisions.Hattsabilityto
playthevictimoftheAmericandream,ofwantingtodosomethingimportant,
and
the
facilitatoroftheAmericandreamsdownfallasaproductofhisselfishnesswaskeyin
conveyingseveraloftheoverarchingmessagestoanaudience.Ofcourse,thesedifferentsidesof
SkillingwerentconveyedbyHattallinoneswiftmotion:itwastheactionheplayedineach
beat,eachlineofthescriptthatmadeforatrulyconvincingperformance.Forinstance,when
Skilling(Hatt)mentionsseparatingfromhiswifepostcoituswithClaudiaRoe(MaddieTaylor),
althoughitshorribleconsideringtheadulteroussituation,weseeabitofhishumanityand
need/desireforaconnection.Hattalsoplayeddesiringaconnectioninthescenesbetween

Skillingandhisdaughter.However,wesee,inthesceneswithFastow(guysfirstandlast
name),SkillingsselfishnessandruthlessnessashecompletelydisownsAndywheneverAndy
doesntdowhatSkillingwants.
AndasHattthrewtheblameandbullyballto(guyslastname),(guyslastname)
threwitrightbacksometimesatafasterspeed.(guyslastname)sperformanceandcasting
wasincredible,simplymovingandcompletelyconvincing.(guyslastname)capturedthedanger
ofworshippingotherswithoutquestioningtheirmethodsbyplayingbothIworshipyouandI
[tryto]impressyou.Normally,impressingmightnotbeconsideredadanger,butwhenyou
ditchyourmoralcompasswhichisoftentimesthecaseimpressingbecomesverydangerous.
While(guyslastname)asFastowservedasaconvincingsupportingcharacter,IfeltlikeRoe
(Taylor)fellflat.Throughouttheshow,IneverreallyunderstoodwhyRoewasthere.Itwasasif
shewasntpresentingabigenoughobstacle.AndIdontthinkitwasnecessarilyTaylors
performance,butmaybeHattsthatmadeRoeseemflat.Hattthrewsuchaheftyballin
everyonesdirectionhisvoicereverberatedthroughouttheroom,hispresencetookupthe
wholespacethatcatchingitseemedtotakeacombinationofthings,namelybelievinginyour
characterandbeingabletovocalizethatbelief,anditdidntseemlikeTaylorcoulddothat.The
volumeoftheperformancewasdefinitelylow,andI,ineverywayshapeandform,seewhyyou
makeusdovocalwarmupsnow:onesconvincibilityishamperedifonecantgettoacertain
volume.
Besidesvolume,theotherthingsInoticedduringtheperformancewerevoiceinflections
andactorphysicality.ImentionedvoiceabitwhendiscussingTaylorsperformance,butit
wasntjustherhavingahardtime.Onceinclassyousaidthatactingiscontingentonhowmuch

youallowthewordsyouresayingtobeyours.Taylorandacoupleofothersitseemedhada
problemwiththis,andtherewasanairofthisisntmethroughout,whichmadeforstage
voices(thethingpeopledowhentheyactShakespeare)andhavingalmosteverythingendona
highnote.Also,physically,everystepHattmadewasconvincing,itwasifheknewwherehe
wasinbothspaceandtime,butsomeoftheothersseemedtobehavingaproblem.Nottopick
onTaylor,butsinceherperformancewasoneofthemainonessoIhavealotofmaterialto
exemplify.Taylorsmostconvincingmovementwasinthechoreographeddancesequencewhen
everybodywaspartying.Othertimes,Idnoticehermoveherlegswithoutconfidence.Inever
trulyrealizedtheimportanceofthesetwoseeminglysmallthingsintermsofactinguntil
examiningithere.Ifthevoiceandthemovementconfidenceisabsent,theperformancejust
becomesawkwardandconfusingtomeasanaudiencemember.Italsobreaksmysuspensionof
disbelief.Interestinghowsuchlittlethingsholdsomuchweight.
However,Icantsayyouhaventbeensayingthisallsemester.Itwasastonishinghowso
muchcanbeaproductofcircumstanceifwejustdecidetofloaton,butgoingwiththeflowisa
decisioninitselfandcantbeexcused.Onadirectorialnote,theslowmotiondancingcoupled
withsongsbyCharlieXCX?Amazing.Italmostservedasaproverbialstatementaboutour
generation'slackofasenseofresponsibility.Anyways,fromthephenomenalperformancesby
theleadsandthemanyotherpeople(okaythatBillClintonimpersonationwasspoton),tothe
amazingsetdesignconsistingalmostsolelyofaboardroomtableanda90sminifridge,this
performancewasdefinitelyworthfivedollarsandtwohoursandthirtyminutesofmytime.
HattsperformancemademerealizethatifIwanttobeastageactor,thenIhavealongwayto

go.Butwithhardwork,hopefullyaperformancelikehisandevenbetterisattainable.Who
knows?Imightjustauditionfornextyearsmainstage.