BEYOND THE STAGE- PSYCHOSIS AND TRANSPORT IN SELECTED PERFORMANCES (Published)
The actors’ role in every theatrical event is highly indispensible. The tools that are available to the actor to deliver his act before a live audience are his body, his voice and his mind. Since acting is a creative process these tools work together to transform the phantoms created by the playwright into living characters on stage. Actors require a lot of skills and training in order to fulfil the demands of their profession. The negation of acting theories and techniques can lead to catastrophic situations and this should be avoided. A director takes charge of the group and creatively harnesses their talent into an effective production. He leads and guides them, moulding, shaping, sharpening, and eventually an audience is thrilled on how everyday life is recreated in a confined space. Stage productions may not be as well celebrated or patronised in Nigeria as home videos or the cinemas are loved, but creativity, aesthetics and talent are still being displayed at their best in stage performances. Great directors cast men and women into roles and rehearse them extensively, preparing them and helping them learn to cease to be who they are, by being and living the new personalities they have been cast into. After the wonderful performance has been put on stage what becomes of these individuals who have given up their true selves to become people they never are? Do they get back to being their old selves again by simply discarding the adopted personalities? How long does it take to completely let go of this new being whom the actors have come to love or hate to be? Sometimes actors are not even aware that they have carried traits from the theatrical stage to the world stage.This paper looks at the life of an actor before, during and after a stage performance. It attempts to explain the harm done to his personality as a result of the interaction which might be unhealthy, that went on between the dual personalities housed within the actor
Keywords: Performances, Psychosis, Transport