The Essay: Watching from the Wings

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Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

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The Essay: Watching from the Wings: 10/04/2024

10/04/2024

Watching from the Wings

BBC Radio 3 - The Essay, Watching from the Wings, 10/04/2024

Michael Goldfarb remembers his theatrical life as an actor.

Michael Goldfarb remembers his theatrical life as an actor.  In this essay, he's performing with the Cocteau Repertory Theatre in New York.

Preparation for a performance on stage goes beyond just memorising lines, learning blocking and hoping it will be alright on the night. A diligent actor studies the history of the period of the play, learns about the intentions of the playwright, and absorbs from older colleagues knowledge of how the play has been done in the past.

In his less than stellar career as an actor, Michael Goldfarb went through this process many times.  

In this episode, it's the story of The Count of Monte Cristo, as performed by James O'Neill, father of playwright Eugene O'Neill. It was the play that made him rich and his family miserable, as depicted in Long Day's Journey Into Night. Nearly fifty years ago, it was revived by the Jean Cocteau Repertory Theatre, located on the Bowery in New York. The Cocteau was the only rotating rep theatre in New York and Michael Goldfarb was part of the company.

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Rubbing knees with Sondheim and meeting Gielgud at the theatre door. Michael Goldfarb remembers his theatrical life as an actor.

Preparation for a performance on stage goes beyond just memorising lines, learning blocking and hoping it will be alright on the night. A diligent actor studies the history of the period of the play, learns about the intentions of the playwright, and absorbs from older colleagues' knowledge of how the play has been done in the past.

In his less than stellar career as an actor, Michael Goldfarb went through this process many times.

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10/04/2024

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