www.backstage.com: For some actors, practicing a stage kiss for the first time can be a nerve-wracking experience. For Dave Droxler, star of The Stolen Chair Theatre Company’s upcoming production of “The Man Who Laughs,” the task was downright impossible.
That’s because Droxler plays Gwynplaine, a man whose mouth was violently transfigured into a permanent grin. In order to embody the character’s disfiguration, Droxler wears a special prosthetic: a headgear that wraps around the back of his head, with hooks on either end that pull back the corners of his mouth into a smile.
3 comments:
This is a really interesting concept. I imagine that for an actor in a "silent film"-esque production, facial expressions and body language are some of the best ways to express your character. If you were to loose control over as major a part of your body as your mouth, an actor must learn how to express emotion differently. How can you portray happiness without smiling, sadness without frowning, frustration without pursing your lips? Those rehearsals must have been very interesting, and I image the actor would have to spend a lot of time practicing expressions in front of a mirror with the prosthetic. It would also change other character's reactions drastically, performing with the prosthetic and without it.
The first thing I thought of when I saw this picture was Heath Ledger's portrayal of the dark knight in the second Batman film, but all thoughts of him slipped away as I realized that Gwynplaine is a sad, tortured character whose approach to his scars is completely different. As Jess says, this is definitely an interesting concept, and it is reminiscent of the silent film era, in particular bringing to mind "The Black Pirate." It is always fascinating when an actor must wear a mask and cannot rely solely on facial expressions to act, but in most cases masks are meant to help represent the character that is being portrayed instead of contrasting with his emotions and personality. This actor's body language must be doubly accurate in order to counteract the feelings the device delineates.
In life we constantly wear a smile on our face. However there is only one real genuine smile, that you physically cannot hold back. All other smiles are forced to some degree. A confection of how you really feel. It seems to me a challenge of this role, is putting on the mask of someone who happy. When is he smiling underneath or frowning underneath. Does he use his eyes to convey to people how he feels? Do his eyes always tell the truth. Do people normally assume he's happy? Does he use his smile to his advantage? Does he not worry about how he seems to the world because his smile will always tell a different story.
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