lifeandtimes.biz: Not to betray my age, but I started acting before the widespread use of body mics on stage. I was taught how to project, using my diaphragm, so that the lines could be heard to the very back of the house.
It was never a problem for me. Indeed, most of the professional actors I worked with knew how to project. It was part of the basics one learned in theatre.
5 comments:
The Rikki Lee Travolta’s question about the necessity of amplification in theater strikes at the heart of a longstanding debate– one I’ve actually had numerous times. While technology, including microphones, can enhance audience experience, the essence of classical actor training lies in projecting to reach even the farthest corners of the auditorium. The tension between embracing modern tools and preserving traditional techniques adds a layer of complexity to the ongoing discourse. In my understanding, the concept of projection was indeed a fundamental aspect of an actor’s education, emphasizing the ability to connect with the entire audience, regardless of seating. However, the article invites a reconsideration of this principle in the face of advances in technology. As technology continues to redefine artistic norms, the article prompts a critical examination of when, if ever, amplification is truly necessary, challenging the balance between tradition and innovation in the dynamic world of live entertainment.
I think that this is a very interesting article, as it has been something that I have noticed more and more with productions that I have seen but I have not seen it talked about very openly. I feel like many of the shows that I see now either have a lot of mic uses or tech amplification in order to carry the actors' voices to the full house. Or, shows that do not have mics but actors have been instructed to keep things “natural” and therefore can not be heard. I think that actors should project their voices more and find ways to strike a balance between being natural and telling a story that everyone can hear. I also think it’s important to really think about when and where to use mics, and if they are truly needed. It is an interesting discussion and I am curious to see how this phenomenon continues to play out in the future.
This has been a long and endless conversation within the live theatre world. I for one am a fan of having performers project. I think it is one of the things that makes live theatre so unique. I understand that just micing everyone up is a solution that ensures every performer is heard but to me, it begs the question of is the extra resources worth it or if we can just train our performers better. In classical theater, actors were trained to project their voices and articulate clearly to reach audiences in large, open-air theaters without the aid of microphones and now there is a reliance on microphones to amplify the voice. With that said, in contrast, modern theater often explores a more naturalistic and intimate form of storytelling. So for some productions, an emphasis may be on subtlety rather than projecting to a distant audience and I get that. I just hope that this incredible skill isn’t something that ends up lost to a world of technology forever.
I agree that projecting is an essential tool for all actors to have mastered and that s body microphones have become more prevalent as they have become more to smaller theater companies. A perfect example of this is in the production of Lear here in the School of Drama that I just worked on. The sound designer had originally slated the actor playing Goneril to have a body mic in the later half of the show to add voice effects. After several technical rehearsals, the director felt that the mic was too distracting and that the actor’s own vocal modifications were perfect. On the flip side, this production also utilized choral mics to help audience members catch every word spoken when actors weren’t facing them in the thrust configuration. So often I have trouble hearing what people are saying in everyday life that I will always be grateful for the extra boost.
This was a very interesting article. This is a problem that I have seen too many times and continue to see time and time again. Why use body mics when you don’t need to! I will never understand the draw to use body mics when they are unneeded like in a small venue play. At the youth theatre that I went to from elementary school through highschool I experienced the transition first hand from only the leads getting mics to when our new artistic director came my sophomore year and he transitioned us to everyone having a mic. Gone were the days of the beautifully complicated mic switch plot, it was honestly a bittersweet moment. Overall I am interested to see what happens with mics in the future, because I almost hope that sometime soon we will get a wave of disliking mics for a couple years and then be back on them.
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