[avalanche14]

Hi, I got cast as chorus and lady of the court (court member)
My directer told our ensemble that she wants the extras/court members who don't have a name to have his/her own character quirk to make each role as realistic as it can be.
These are some of my ideas:
Food fetish (always eating even when there's an intense scene)
Vain: constantly looking into a mirror and primping
Bookish: reading a new book every time I go on stage
Ill/injured: sneezing, arm in a sling, limping
Nervous: always biting nails, twirling hair,
Drunk: carries flask, drinking, and tottering from side to side etc.
Quarreling with another person in every chorus/court member scene
Constanting scratching
Always falling asleep

I have a few of the ones above that I'm considering to use, but the other people in my cast might claim them first, so can you give me some ideas? thanks =]

[BroadwayBaby0202]

Haha, I really like the 'food fetish' one!!

[Sweeney Hyde]

^^That's an aweful lot...don't upstage whoever the focus of the scene is on.

[avalanche14]

[lt.shaw]

i personally think you shoud go withe the food fetish. Right now at my community theater we are doing DEARLY DEPARTED. Delightful is the daughter that is constantly eating. Potato chips, dilly bars, m&m's, coke. She is absolutley histerical. If you do it the right way it could be really amusing!!

[Cake_in_Song]

I have to confess, I'm not really a fan of the idea. I always prefer characters to be as natural and honest as possible. Do you really know someone in real life who is that over-the-top? You could always have a funny idiosyncrasy, since most people do (I, on the other hand, am completely perfect an every way...), but I'd let it kind of grow organically. Think of a character, flesh her out, and then see what kind of flaw feels natural. Then, be aware of that flaw, but don't feel like you have to show it openly on stage. Be aware of it, and let it govern your actions. The best type of character is one with hidden depths, not one with a really obvious, one-dimensional gag. I know I always have to bring My Fair Lady into everything, so I'll tell you about Mrs. Pearce. My Mrs. Pearce had a heck of a lot going on in her life that never made it on stage. For one thing, she had been Higgins' governess when he was young, and known him all his life, which really affected my on-stage relationship with him. I knew him on such a wonderfully intimate way, which was revealed slightly in my interactions, reactions, private smiles when he did things that were particualarly in character. And, thanks to a deal with one of the servants (if I wrote this on my character outline, he would write that he was an alcoholic), I ended up being a fan of opium. I was aware of that, but I didn't act drugged-out on stage. It was a very private truth, known only by myself and the Steward, who'd witnessed it, and revealed only very, very slightly in my on-stage interactions with that character. The governess thing was invented by the director, and the drugs came up during an in-character improv session (there was nothing I could do, since it's rude to block). Anyways, I'm sorry, that was a massive digression. The point is, strength comes in subtlety. Sure, you'll get some laughs if you come on stage scratching or in a cast, but is that really what acting is about?

[PappyCat]

My take on each.

Food fetish - Cute, as long as it's not done in an overbearing way. And not just, like, a candy bar. Maybe just randomly has a turkey leg, and is knawing away at it. Very casually.

Vain - I think the mirror thing might be distracting.

Bookish - A book is too proppy to seem natural. And what would you do with it when you had to dance?

Ill/injured - my first reaction was that this would be too distracting. I'd wonder what the point of you being in a sling was if I were in the audience, and sneezing would be a distracting action.

Nervous - I can see this one, being a little more skittish with Winnifred at first, and shy around the King.

Drunk - Distracting, especially when Song of Love comes on and Fred gets drunk. Only one drunk per song! Hehehe.

Quarreling - Distracting.

Constanting scratching - Distracting and out of place.

Always falling asleep - Distracting.

Anything that has too much action (scratching, falling asleep, etc) will draw away from the main part of the scene.

We had a Lady In Waiting (LiW) who was especially fond of the king. Each LiW had a knight they were especially drawn too. Maybe you have a LiW, who really likes Dauntless, or something. Anything you do has to be completley unobtrusive. And just be fun to watch if an audience member happens to look your way, but shouldn't draw away from the main characters who are in the scene.

[norayouadora]

[star2ballie]

I think a cute quirk, that wouldn't be too distracting or unrealistic would be like we had in our show...a few LiW would kind of swoon and giggle when Sir Harry would come in...because he is the grand knight or whatever (I can't believe I already forgot...it's only been 7 months!!), and is therefore kind of the "hunk".

Not over-the-top (think: silly girls in BaTB), just a little giggling and whispering when he would walk onstage...it was cute, and also gave Harry something to play off of.

[PappyCat]

Yeah totally...Because that's something that is part of the show...not just some random add in.

It's Chivalric Knight of the Herald.

[star2ballie]

^ Thanks. I like how I even had a line about it (I think?) and can't remember.

Whatever, I was just trying to not breathe in his B.O., that is what I was concentrating on.

[musicalsnewbie]

One of our LiWs is very mannish, which I think is funny, and it's really subtle. I play Fred, but I play her more upbeat and goofy, and not really masculine, so there's no real friction there. But this girl is SO funny. It just kind of happened accidentally. When she delivers her lines, she speaks really deeply, and when she does the Spanish Panic, when all of the other ladies are fainting in their partners' arms, her knight faints in HER arms. Also, in Quiet, when the ladies scream, her scream is the last scream, and it's frickin hilarious because it's this deep, throaty thing when all of the other screams are really high and girly. She came up with it herself, and I thought it was inspired. Haha. So there's something to consider. It's different.