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Question: Is it bad to take ideas from another's performance!?
I'm auditioning for a school play and have my monologue picked out already!. I watched some performances of it on youtube, to get some good ideas, and some of the stuff they did I really liked!.
Is it bad to take aspects (ex!. a scoff here, a condescending tone here, a bitter laugh there, roll your eyes there) from others' performances, and put them together to make your own!? The monologue I'm doing is Shakespeare and I'm new to acting which is why I looked them up on Youtube!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Art is derivative!. All actors study other actor's performances!.
The trick here is to make it your own!. If you're just aping what someone else did, it's going to read as false!. If it doesn't feel natural to you, don't do it!. Www@QuestionHome@Com
All of us, whether we write, paint, act, dance, play music, sculpt, whatever, start out basically copying the stuff we admire because we have yet to figure out how to use the techniques we are learning!. Then we master the technique and we are all about it--all our stuff is a beautiful expression of the rules that lacks that extra something more practiced artists seem to have!. If we keep going we find our voice as artists and figure out how to use the rules and techniques to express what we feel and hope to evoke in our audience!. The key is to start, work through the awkwardness and grow into mastery!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Yes, it's all right!. If you see something you like, and it makes sense, go for it!. Although, I've found that it's a lot more satisfying to come up with your own stuff!.
p!.s You know, I think I submited answers to a couple of your questions on Friday about this same thing!. Break a leg at you audition! Www@QuestionHome@Com