Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience
of play “Rhinoceros”
“Don't be an actor. Be a human being who works off what exists under
imaginary circumstances.”
-Sandford meisner
INTRODUCTION
What is acting? Many definitions are there for acting. Acting is a game. Actors
play a game. That’s why it’s called a play. Actors are creators. They live on the
stage and bring their own world with them. Sometimes, actors can live under the
impression that the inner world of a part is so far away from their personal
experience that there is no other access path towards the core of the character than
creating a substitute, a model that would be convincing enough, so that, through
imitation, reproduction and simulation of reality, they might go through with the
scene. Some others might think that the simplest way to approach a part is to only
focus on the lines, enveloping themselves in the melody, in an incantation of
sorts, thus making the text, who had in the meanwhile become unclear, to
surround them with a kind of fog that gives them the feeling they experience
something real, an actual state. Some other times it happens that actors find
physical actions to fill their own voids. It is a way to hide, and the actions are
actually useless, and non-artistic. To find the way to a character one needs, first
of all, to discover and understand the logical mechanism it is built upon, that
makes a character what it is. For me acting is self exploration, self knowing and
self awakening.
Every actor will go through certain acting process to ‘get into a character’, that
is to understand how a character thinks, behaves, walks, talks and lives. Many
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
theatre practitioners like Konstantin Stanislavski, Jerzy Grotowski, Stella Adler,
Lee Strasberg, Sanford Meisner and many more have successfully devised
many theories to get into a character and how to act differently. From that every
actor will find their own process to perform a character. Sometimes it will be
inspired by other practitioners or it will be their own, which is devised after
years of experience. Sometimes it will be a mixture of other existing acting
theories but the choice of an actor to pick which process he wants is personal
and it is different from person to person.
There is so much more to great acting than just being extremely emotional, it
comes down to the marrying of play and technique. This combination of play
and technique allows for a free-flow of expression by being grounded in the
body and connected to the voice. Being grounded in the body and connected to
the voice is necessary to have emotional depth, release the affect, play fully,
vocal and physical articulation, specificity, free and open sound, and to really
see the other person—which leads to living in each moment truthfully. Once
these components are set in place the actor can transform into a multifaceted
character, and be fully invested in their scene partner. However, there is another
very important component most actors overlook – the actor must also be able to
expand their energy beyond the stage into the audience breaking the fourth wall
that stands between the audience and the actor. Breaking the fourth wall is
necessary to engage the audience as willing participants in the world of the play.
On film and television this is equivalent to the actor taking the camera with
them by connecting through subtle nuances and maintaining a brightness in their
eyes. To me bright eyes are the same thing as soft focus on stage or being aware
and responsive to what’s happening from moment to moment. People don’t go
to the theatre to merely sit back and watch a lovely show, they want to go along
for the ride. Audiences want to be moved, inspired, terrified, entranced, shaken
up, and entertained. They pay big bucks to experience theatre in which the
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
players take them along on their journey. A great actor understands this and will
expand out to the audience from backstage before they even step on stage.
Here in this project I am trying to analyse the acting process which I have gone
through as an actor during ‘Rhinoceros’, a play we staged in school of drama
studio theatre as school production . The rehearsal period has spanned over one
and a half month. Why I am taking this production is because the production
process had stopped due to Covid 19 pandemic situations and was restarted after
10 months and the recollection of previous experience seems to be very hard.
And this is the first time I was gone through such a process.
Objectives of research
 Signifying the importance of devising once own training process.
 To know about how effectively ‘own deviced' process will help to
become a character
 Finding different ways to prepare an actor to be a character.
 To study and understand the various scopes of acting and how to use it in
practice.
CHAPTER 1
THE PLAY RHINOCEROUS AND READING OF PAPPILON
Rhinoceros is a play by Eugène Ionesco, written in 1959. Over the course of
three acts, the inhabitants of a small, provincial French town turn
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
into rhinoceroses; ultimately the only human who does not succumb to this
mass
metamorphosis
is
the
central
character,
Bérenger,
a
flustered everyman figure who is initially criticized in the play for his drinking,
tardiness, and slovenly lifestyle and then, later, for his increasing paranoia and
obsession with the rhinoceroses. The play is often read as a response and
criticism to the sudden upsurge of Fascism and Nazism during the events
preceding World War II, and explores the themes of conformity, culture,
fascism, responsibility, logic, mass movements, mob mentality, philosophy and
morality.
Eugène Ionesco was a Romanian-born French dramatist. He wrote a series of
plays in the mid-20th century, and was the leading figure of the Theater of the
Absurd, a movement which broke with the conventions of traditional theater.
Besides Rhinoceros, Ionesco also wrote The Bald Soprano, The Lesson and The
Chairs. He is one of the most influential and widely performed French
dramatists of the 20th century.
SUMMARY OF THE PLAY
The play begins in a very ordinary setting with very ordinary characters. We
meet Berenger and Jean, two friends whose outward appearance and inner
identities contrast greatly. Berenger looks messy with an untucked shirt and
unkempt hair. He drinks every day, he cannot make appointments on time, and
he feels as if he is drowning in the chaos of life itself. Jean, by contrast, is
immaculately well dressed with combed hair and shiny shoes. He prides himself
on the order and structure that he maintains. As they sit at a cafe in the town
square, Jean attempts to help Berenger get his act together. He suggests that his
friend visit museums to culture himself and notes that Berenger must make an
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
effort to improve his situation. Berenger, somewhat depressed, does not believe
he can make such improvements but says he will try.
While Jean and Berenger discuss life and its challenges, several other
conversations proceed around them. These conversations are banal and evoke
the sense of "everyday life" in any town. The characters themselves represent
the stock townspeople: the Waitress of the cafe, the Proprietor of the restaurant
and his wife, as well as a housewife with a cat. Of all the other characters in this
act, the two who deserve most note are the Logician and the Old Gentleman.
Their conversation, at least, revolves around logic, one of the central themes of
the play. They discuss how many paws a cat has and deduce that any thing with
four paws is a cat, which leads the audience to start noticing the general pattern
of false reasoning within this town—and in the human experience overall.
As the conversations go on, a rhinoceros unexpectedly barges through the town.
They do not know what to make of the event, and before they are done
discussing the event, it happens again. This time, the rhinoceros kills the
housewife's cat. The characters react to the strange events by obsessing over the
details and using logic to purportedly resolve (but actually muddle) the issue.
Was there one rhinoceros or two? Did it have one horn or two? Which kinds of
rhinoceroses have one horn, and which have two? The act closes with an
unsettling feeling that something is not right with this town or the people in it.
Act Two begins in Berenger's office. We meet his co-workers, Dudard and
Botard, and his boss, Mr. Papillon. Daisy, Berenger's love interest (she walked
by the cafe in the previous scene), also works here. Together, the characters
discuss the newspaper article that has come out regarding the rhinoceros
incident of the day before. Botard cannot believe that the event happened,
despite Daisy's and Berenger's personal testimony to it. Like the Logician,
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
Botard uses false logic to understand but muddles the issue and confuses the
others.
Meanwhile, one co-worker has not arrived to work. Just as his tardiness is
becoming unacceptable, his wife, Mrs. Boeuf, arrives in hysterics. Her husband,
Mr. Boeuf, has turned into a rhinoceros! He followed her to the office and,
indeed, is waiting downstairs. The characters do not know what to make of this
absurd event and harp on strange details. They suggest that she get a divorce.
They wonder how she can collect insurance from such an event. Finally, Mrs.
Boeuf decides she will stay with her husband after all. She jumps out the
window onto his back. The scene closes with firemen rescuing the office
workers.
Next, Berenger visits his friend Jean in his apartment. Feeling guilty about the
conversation in the cafe, he starts to apologize but notices that Jean is acting
differently. Berenger cannot recognize his voice. Jean acts aloof and apathetic,
and he has a bump on his forehead. As Berenger relates the current rhinoceros
situation, he notices that the lump on Jean's head is getting larger until before
his very eyes. Jean turns into a rhinoceros. Terrified, Berenger runs for help.
Act Three takes place in Berenger's room when Dudard comes to visit him.
Several days have passed, and by now, rhinoceroses have been cropping up all
over town. Dudard reveals that Mr. Papillon, their boss, decided to "join" the
rhinoceros crew. Daisy arrives, and the three characters appear to bond in a
mutual desire to remain human. But as they discuss the situation further, Dudard
begins to use false logic to defend the rhinoceroses. He becomes more and more
entranced by their calls until finally he jumps out the window and becomes one
himself.
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
Daisy and Berenger appear to be in love. Berenger realizes that they are the only
two humans left on earth and sees their duty to repopulate the planet. But Daisy
starts to doubt their position. Like Dudard before her, she becomes charmed by
the rhinoceroses and eventually joins them.
Left alone on stage, Berenger grapples with his own sanity. For the first time,
he contemplates becoming a rhinoceros himself, but he snaps out of it
decisively. He ends the play with a strong commitment to his humanity, his
individuality, and his morality: "I'm not capitulating!"
PLAY ANALYSIS
This play is considered as Ionesco’s first political play. In Germany it was
staged in 1960 which won him global attention. This play is often interpreted as
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
a kind of attack on totalitarian philosophy. Ionesco said he wrote the play as a
response to the widespread conversion of supposedly free-thinking humans to
fascist ideals before and during World War II.In the preface Ionesco has tried
to explain the importance of rhinos. Why not some other animal was chosen?
He says that “in the course of my life I remember being very much struck by
what one might call current opinion : it develops so rapidly and is so contagious
that it soon grows into a regular epidemic. Suddenly people get caught up in
some new religion or fanatical doctrine; in short, what professors of philosophy
and the ragged philosophers of journalisms call ‘the inevitable historical
moment’. Then what takes place is really a mental mutation. I don’t know
whether you have noticed, but when people no longer share your opinion, when
you can no longer reach an understanding with them, you have the impression
you are trying to get through the monsters.”
The Rhinoceros has been used as a symbol for monsters in this play as they have
the same mixture of ferocity and ingenuousness. It seems that the writer has
visualized this symbol for rhinoceros. Ionesco has successfully tried to give us
reasons behind the spread of rhinoceritis. The character sketch of Berenger is
also very interesting. In fact he is the single character who posits that who have
transformed are not balanced properly. They are “temporarily unbalanced”.
For Berenger, alcohol is his means for mental escapism, and the false sense of
identity that alcohol confers upon him suggests why the ensuing rhinocerosmetamorphoses (and, by symbolic extension, conversions to fascism) are so
seductive. Escaping oneself, or belonging to another group, Berenger implies,
somehow allows the individual to feel as if he is more himself, a better, stronger,
potential self. Still, the benefits of collective consciousness are given their due
here; the newly unified community comes together to discuss the rhino.The
character sketch of Berenger is also very interesting. In fact he is the single
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
character who posits that who have transformed are not balanced properly. They
are “temporarily unbalanced”.
Jean's reference to himself as the "superior man" borrows from Friedrich
Nietzsche's vision of a "super-man" who is beyond conventional human
morality. This super-man, Nietzsche believed, would lead the world.
In this play those who are resisting humanity are bad according to Botard, but
he himself transforms into a rhino. Jean and Botard both are not sure of their
action so their behavior is inconsistent. They try to rationalize their inconsistent
behavior. They first deny the rhinos but later accept the transformation.
In a world in which the atrocities of fascism can take hold of human emotions,
Ionesco classifies logic as absurd and inexplicable, beyond human rationality.
Ionesco further demonstrates the inapplicability of logic to human emotion as
he cross-cuts dialogue between the Logician's proof and Berenger's fumbling
attempts to provide some coherent reason for his unhappiness.
Like most works of The Theatre of the Absurd, Rhinoceros explores issues of
chaos while it manages to arrive at a clear message about that chaos. It is critical
to note that despite the wild themes and happenings in the play, a structure does
exist and a plot does move forward. The Theatre of the Absurd was not simply
anarchic; it relied on at least some devices in order to reach audiences and make
points. In challenging the point of life and the rational nature of humans,
Ionesco challenges us to understand ourselves and our actions.
“Rhinoceros” the play is marked by a sentiment which embodies the betrayal of
humanistic and political idealism, terror, pessimism, hate within the atmosphere
of the society. All these emotions are represented through the monstrous
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
fantasies of individuals transforming into ruthless and barbaric rhinos on the
stage.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS : PAPPILON
Papillon is the head of Berenger's office. He privileges work above his
employees. Despite the rhinoceros sightings, Mr. Papillon is mainly concerned
about having his employees get their work done. Although he is an authority
figure, he cannot think for himself and quickly decides to join the rhinoceros
movement, Berenger’s boss at the law publication office. He’s in his 40s, is well
dressed, and is a very proper man. His offense when Botard insults religion as
being an “opiate of the masses” suggests that he’s a religious individual, while
his badge from the French Legion of Honor indicates that he served in the
military. Despite his interest in arguing about the rhinoceroses with his
employees, he’s far more interested in making sure that everyone gets their work
done, to the point that after the rhinoceros Mr. Bœuf destroys their staircase, he
focuses on figuring out how to continue working rather than how to get everyone
out of the second floor office safely. Ionesco also denounces the privileging of
work over people, such as Papillon's view of Boeuf's metamorphosis as a mere
labor shortage. Ironically, "papillon" means "butterfly" in French, contrasting
sharply with Papillon's indelicate nature. Though his behavior and mannerisms
otherwise suggest that he’s a levelheaded and dutiful individual, he becomes a
rhinoceros a few days after the office closes. This offends Berenger in particular,
as Berenger believes that as an authority figure, Mr. Papillon had a duty to resist
and set a good example for others.
Basically he fills the very important role of representing “management.” A
middle manager, if you want to be specific. There are folks above him dictating
policy, and it’s his job to make sure those policies get followed.
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
Plus, he believes anything that’s printed in the paper, making him a foil for Botard
in some respects. He is not a tyrant, but the outside world can’t shake him from
his sense of duty to the job. Even after one of his workers turns into a rhinoceros,
and the stairs leading to the office collapse, he only really cares about being a
manger:
PAPILLON: "I want you all back in the office this afternoon." A bit of a hardarse, as we like to say in the office world.
When Berenger finds out that Papillon has transformed into a rhinoceros, he’s
shocked, because Papillon was good at his job and seemed to love bossing the
little people around. Maybe there’s more to Papillon than meets the eye.Overall,
we don’t see a lot of him, and as far as Daisy’s concerned he’s kind of a gross old
man who goes in for sexual harassment in the workplace. Better off rhinoceros,
for sure. Whatever the case, Ionesco paints this middle manager as a man who
simply exists to do his job and make others do their jobs as he sees fit.
DR. S SUNIL KUMAR’S ‘RHINOCEROS’
Dr. Sunil kumar’s Rhinoceros is merely an adaption of Inesco's rhinoceros. The
three act play is edited, marked some changes that suits to the contemporary
situations. The major change in this production is that it’s trying to focus on RSSBJP fascist ideology and its dangerous impact on Indian society. On the other
hand Rhinoceros can be read in a vast circumstances that is individualism,
religion, Stalinist ideologies and communism and collective consciousness. Not
only Ionesco is attacking fascism, political conformity and totalitarianism in this
play, he is also trying to attack the ideologies of the Left, particularly in France.
Ionesco here attempts a subtle attack at French Intellectuals who embraced
Communism to the point where they started endorsing Stalin and his ideologies
in their works in the name of their communitarian values and their allegiance to
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
Communism. Botard, for example, is a character in the play who expresses
himself in solidarity with his French Communist counterparts. Botard is a young
and narrow-minded person who is skeptical and obstinate. He is convinced that
the outbreak of this epidemic of „Rhinoceritis‟ is just a right-wing conspiracy
which was propagated by the press and consumed and digested thoroughly by the
masses. Leftist ideology has so deeply seeped and rooted itself within the psyche
and mind of Botard that he is unable to speak or think for himself, his rationality
and thought processes are rendered useless and he is left incapable of taking
actions on his own.
Characters of botard so durard were splitted into two in act two. In act three Jean
so his mind was shown as a character that try to confuse him.
Like that in the edited script there is no much detailing about the character
papillon , that what kind of person he is. And why he is behaving like that to other
characters is missing. In the original script Daisy mentions him a swain but in
the edited version there is no such type of thing.
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
CHAPTER 2
CHARACTER PREPERATION
READING LITERATURE
Reading the text was the first step. We read the malayalam translation of the play
in play reading process. At that time casting was not fixed. After play reading we
get to know about the play, place, time when it taken place, and the rough sketch
about the characters. After three days of play reading process we next move to
improvisations. We take some scenes from the play and try to improvise it. Then
we got the edited script and start to improvise the scenes without fixing the
casting. After couple of days we fixed the casting. Thus the the papillon comes
to me.
I go back to reading the text. I try to know what is the significance of papillon in
script. By reading the original script I try to answer some questions:
 Who the character is ?
 Where is he from?
 Who is he ?
 How old is he ?
 What kind of person he is ?
 What and how is his relation between other characters?
 What is his past?
 Why is he doing a particular thing ?
 Why is he doing and what is he doing inside the script?
Finding significance of this character and what change will this character makes
changes in the play is a tough job. Because it is possible to read the play without
the whole office scene. So it is important to find the crux of the character. What
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
change Papillon makes in Beringer’s arc. Then I came to understand that the
transformation of Papillion make Beringer afraid.It affects him a lot. Because a
man who stands like an authority and power over some people can't even resist
the ‘rhinofication’ then how can he resist it. And being a ex-serviceman he will
show some power and authority over other people. So this authority and
command over other character’s are the main crux of the character.
OBSERVATION
The next step was to find a man who resembles like papillon or a man with some
shades of him. It's not possible to get out of the campus to observe other
people.There is no enough time to do so.so i started to watch men in the
campus.Men in high authority. A man who takes more command on others.Then
I locked on 'Xaviour' ,HOD of MBA department. I see a Papillon in him. He
behaves like an power authority in the department over the teachers and students.
He hates everything that interrupts his job and his student's study. He was a rough
and tough guy out side. He smiles very rarely in his office time. And then I
noticeed a change in his body language, when he deals with lady staffs. It's like
traces of an old swain pop up when he deals with women but he convincingly
hide that. These characteristics was so apt for pappilon. Pappilon is a such aman
like Xavier, who is very strict in work and acts as a big daddy in the office. So I
tried to follow him. Watched his activities inside the office. How he is dealing
with co-workers. And then I note down the findings.
After a couple of days observation, All these details are sorted and then I stiched
a skin of the character.
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
INTERNAL & EXTERNAL OF THE CHARACTER
Finding internal was the important thing to play the character. In this time of
rehearsal I started to know about Sandford meisnar. My fellow actor Vysakh
discussed many things about meisnar techniques with me and I was impressed
with that. From these conversations about acting I become aware of finding a
internal to the character.
It is evident in the script that he behaves like an authority and superior power in
the office but its not enough to make the internal of the character. When we
reading between the lines it’s said that he will be punctual, strict about time and
duty. And over all that a question arises. What will be his sex life ?
This question arises from around when I read the play then becomes main inner
of the character. A man who is not satisfied with his sexual life will go for many
women. And an unhappy sexual life will makes him more rude man in office. So
Papillon have eyes on Daisy; a lady staff and beringer's love interest.
External though was so easy after finding internal though. A person who has an
internal thought about sex will definitely try to hide that from others. He wants to
express it and at the same time he want no one to know about it. When he talks
to Daisy he tries to touch her and all but at the same time he tries to hide. Meisner
technique says that ‘something is evident more when we tries to hide’. Thus
trying to hide his internal emotion in front of others is the main external thought
of the character. After the transformation he is also like any other men who is out
of him mind and he act like others do.Thats his type of change. He is trying to
imitate others. He doesn’t have an independent endity then.
RELATION WITH OTHER CHARACTERS
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
It is the most important thing that we want to read from the text what relation that
you connects with other characters in the play. How my action affect other
characters ? who are them to me ? Do I like him/her or not? Like this questions
can led to find the relationship between the actors.
For papillon everybody is his workers. But he don’t have any personal intimacy
towards them. He don’t like Botard because he is a conservative leftist man. He
is an atheist, while papillon is a hardcore believer. He won’t support Botard. But
Dudur is a man who tries to impress Papillon. They flatter him. So papillon will
talk to them normally . Daisy is papillon’s interest. Papillon tries to woo her. He
wants to fuck her. But no one should know about that. So he tries to impress her.
But Daisy neglect him. Even though Beringer is a late comer and lazy man,
Papillon don’t pay much attention to his faults. And he is impressed with Ms.Boff
too. After seeing Ms.Boff’s becomes a widower papillon tries to make an
advantage on her.
Papillon shares a basic office relation with all the characters in the scene and after
the transformation he is not aware of anything. He don’t even recognize Daisy.
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
AIM OF THE CHARACTER
There are intentions and objectives for Papillon that led to an action. When we
think about need and want, Papillon has only want there is no need for him. His
want is Daisy or sex with any other lady. Want is external and it will be known
by the character. Need is internal and unknown for the character. Need of a
character is what a character want to learn about themselves, that lead to achieve
the want.
Here Papillon is not achieving anything his arc is flat. He starts with a want to
woo Daisy and ends with transforming to a rhinoceros. But his intention in the
office scene is supporting his want.
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
Character arc
A character arc is the transformation or inner journey of a character over the course of a story.
If a story has a character arc, the character begins as one sort of person and gradually transforms
into a different sort of person in response to changing developments in the story. Character arc
makes a character more stronger. To perform a character in detail we have to go through
following steps
 Find your character’s first goal.
 Brainstorm helps and hindrances.
 Find a point of no return.
 Plot growth and change.
 Bring external and internal conflicts to a head.
It is evident in the script that papillon changes to an authority man to a rhinoceros.
But there is no signs of those 5 points that makes a strong character arc. So other
than the goal mentioned in the text I find a motive for the character., to woo daisy.
So he wants to woo her and at the same time no one will know that. That is the
main conflict, how to hide these things and try to impress daisy.
MENTAL AND PHYSICAL PREPARATION TO BECOME THE
CHARACTER
We planned to do the play in a stylized way of acting. I start trying to do a method
acting style. After observing Xaviour the first thing I implemented is imitating
his facial mannerism. He has a unique mannerism with his mouth and lips. In the
period of lockdown I watched Francis Coppola’s ‘godfather’ and very much
attracted to Merlin brando’s performance as vito Corleone. He is also doing a
similar mannerism through out the movie. I fixed it and it itself changed the
character.
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
I started to spend more time with the fellow actors in the second scene to develop
a character relation. We continuously speak about acting and how to do that
scene. Then I shave my beard and set a French beard. I started to behave like a
swain. I started to talk to Kallu, who is doing the character of Daisy in a seductive
way and she continuously reject that. That process helped me to find the internal
of the character. We the actors in the second scene started talking in the way that
our character talk. Except one I got emotionally connected with every character
in my scene. I stopped masturbating and started dirty talks with women which
was a new thing to me. The lust was inside me. In rehearsal there is only one need
to the character , woo Daisy and fuck her. It becomes the primary intention. I find
some songs that fits my character vibe. So that helps me to get in to the mood
easily.
Apart from psych Denny Paul’s physical training was also there from the
beginning of rehearsal period. His various method helped me to find body
language to the character. I started to look by turning my head and using head
over and over while getting emotional. Using hands and resting resting it while
in an unstable motion was a major problem of mine. I tried to sort with controlling
hand movement in a stylized way. With rooted legs and slightly bended knees
and tummy pushed forward thus I fixed with body posture. And walking style
was that of a person who is in his 50’s with not so strong legs. That walking style
helps me to differ the character from others and inside the skin of the character
he oves an ex service man who retired after a major injury to his legs.
Voice
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
Voice has an important role in acting. Voice helps to make believe People what
the character is. For Rhinoceros we undergo several voice training methods
both individually and under guidance od Dr. Sunilkumar.
Control ever breathe is the best way to get control over voice modulation and it
helps to raises voice projection too. I was very weak in sound projection and
clarity of speech was also some times low. Several exercises helps me to
overcome that to some extend.
 Shwasana kriya - Inhale and exhale in five different
posture while
stretching hands down to touch the toe with out bending knees.
 Controlling breath - Take breath slowly taking our own time and hold it
for 30-40 seconds and release it slowly.

Breath in doggy posture – Stay in doggy position and continuously inhale
and exhale with putting your tongue out side and take breath to stomach.
Feel breath in stomach.
I tried a different type of speech/dialog delivery which is like throwing dialog
loudly. But some times I miss the clarity of speech and sound. Tried many
breathing exercises to get rid from that problem.
Movement
Body movement was most important aspect of this production. There were
many choreographed movements in the play, choreographed by Denny paul.
Papillon demands a different walking style from others. Papillons body
movements were deviced from animal movements. We have done many animal
movement training in this production. Both legs are rooted on floor, weight
balanced and slightly bended knees. Legs won’t be misplaced roughly other
than time of walking. It was so much inspired from comedy del arte
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
performances.Body movement’s iniciation was from shoulders. And hands were
frequently used while speaking.
Influence Of Popular Media
As a ciniphile movies influenced me a lot while we start to prepare for the character. Many
actors, their roles in movies where such an inspiration to build a character and in
performance. Godfather was a movie that inspired me a lot. Its character arc, performance of
actors and all makes me a fan of that film. I watched many of merlon brando's interviews
about the character preparation of the actor. How he find a mannerism for the character was
one thing that influence me lot. I try to imitate his lip movement and his activities with mouth
while he is talking. So different from god father I found my own mannerism for pappilon.
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Preparation of an actor for a character; A case study on the experience of play “Rhinoceros”
Chapter 3
Performing the character
Performing the play rhinocros demands a high level of energy. And it was the
main task to keep the energy level steady for two hours play physical exercises
led by denny paul focus on stamina. Various exercises, workouts and stretches
was practiced in morning class and before the morning session of the rehaersals.
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