Acting and Fabric

Acting, Movement and Fabric

Perspectives on Process

by August Roy

“I want fabric to move like actors and actors to move like fabric, ” said Director Mark Hardiman at a recent rehearsal.

He continued, “Fabric is useful to the theatre in so many ways, Not only do we make costumes out of it, use it in our set designs, but we can completely substitute fabric for walls, doors, and veils between worlds. Most of Poe’s pieces deal with the permeable, or sometimes impermeable, barrier between the worlds of the living and and the dead, the veils, awake and dreaming. For this project we are using enormous pieces of fabric 55’ by 6’ wide. Fabric in this quantity has a way of moving that suits this piece really well. It wants to move in a continuous and languid way in a free float or a lash. It cannot be rushed recklessly but must be guided in continuous and structured ways.” Hardiman adopts the actions in his body as he speaks, illustrating the moving fabric with his arms, hands, and body. “This is not to say that it cannot move quickly, but it wants careful consideration in doing so.  We are structuring the actors’ movements in a way that mirrors the nature on consistency of our primary scenic element. Our goal is to have the complete piece reflecting a structured control, where movements are considered carefully and form the physical sinews of this piece writhing between worlds.”

All of Hardiman’s notes taken into consideration, fabric is incredibly hard to work with as an actor. Having been an actor working with it myself, once upon a time, I know how frustrating it can be. Fabric on a stage is slick when stepped upon, and can be a major safety hazard when, tripped on, tangled in, and caught by unintentionally. If dealt with inappropriately, this can even be hazard for an audience member. An actor has to be constantly aware of, without trying to be in control of, the fabric. And the fabric is always right. The fabric will do what it wants, when it wants, and will never do exactly the same thing at exactly the same time every night, reliably. Thus, improvising is crucial, and being able to say “yes… and” to the fabric when it decides to do what it will, is an absolutely necessary skill. Another great skill for an actor working with fabric is soft focus. Being able to see everything at once without focusing on any one particular section or moment, but being able to adjust to the whole. This allows an actor to gauge what changes will have to be made when working with the fabric, but also to maintain focus on their character and the actions on the stage. All of this adds pressure to the critical thinking that is required to be an active and present actor in a production.