Connecting with people on an emotional and spiritual level through theater and music, said two BYU–Hawaii professors and the dean of Juilliard. But these transformative interactions into something divine, they said are the responsibilities of all those involved, from the composer, to the performer, to the audience.
Transcendent moments in theater
Kristl Densley, assistant professor of Theater at BYUH, said human connection is the most important part of performing in theater. “All theater is about connection. A live audience with real people makes theater. It’s transformative because actors have a real want and need to communicate. An actor is only believable when they know exactly what their character wants and is trying to achieve it. If they don’t know what they're trying to get, there’s a disconnect.
“In theater, you can’t play emotion. Emotion is a byproduct of action. If you are going for that want, the byproduct is emotion, whether by the character or audience … I like to call them transcendent moments. These are moments where we have real understanding and real connection with something else. I like to compare it to the gospel, where you have Aha moments. It’s the same in your art, where if you don’t practice, you’ll forget what it was.”
Densley said one of the most powerful experiences she has had connecting with a character was when she was in “How I Learned to Drive” by Paula Vogel. “I couldn’t connect with it. I couldn’t connect with a woman who couldn’t see what a monster her husband was.
“One day my speedometer was broken, and I got pulled over on way to rehearsal. I had documentation about my speedometer being broken, but the officer didn’t believe me. I felt really wronged. I got to rehearsal and I was late, so they were doing that scene. I was thinking about what had happened to me with the police officer.
“I connected with the character because she felt wronged. I had this huge emotional release through the words of the play. That was the first time I realized you have to put yourself in the character. But it doesn’t have to be the same experiences as the person.”
Another example of this, Densley shared, was when she had a student doing “Into The Woods.” “After the show, we had a debriefing and … he started crying, and he said, ‘I can’t let it go.’
“He had identified with this character, and he was able to communicate that with the audience every night. He didn’t know how to stop doing that. For him it was extremely profound. Then I talked him through how you invest yourself. But you have to have something to get you out because it’s really not you.”
Her personal method of getting out of a character, she explained, is to use specific exercises. “I walk myself slowly into the world of the play and the wants and needs of the character. When I finish, I walk myself back onto the reality that is my life and my wants and needs. It is so important to do some kind of ritual like this so the two can remain separate.”
Turning artistic impulses into musical notes
Daniel Bradshaw, chair of the Music and Theater Department, described how a composer infuses emotion into their music. “That’s part of my job as a composer: to notate the music well enough that performers can then interpret it in a way that will be meaningful for them and for the audience. This comes from years of experiencing musical scores myself, as well as some experience collaborating with performers.”
As a composer, Bradshaw explained, “I start with artistic impulses and turn them into notes. The performer has the difficult job of going in the opposite direction, trying to interpret notes and directions on the page in a way that will elicit something deeply meaningful from the work and allow it to resonate with the audience.”
Helping the audience feel this connection, he said, has something to do with faith. “You have to believe if you find meaning in a certain way of presenting the music that other people will as well. If you feel it, they will too, at least to some extent. That’s often the way of getting past nerves for me as well. I focus on the joy or angst or longing of the music, try to immerse myself in the meaning of the piece, and that focus helps me forget my own nervousness.”
Bradshaw shared one experience he had with this was when the Minnesota Orchestra performed his piece, “Chaconne,” and it came across just as he had envisioned it. “As a composer, the greatest thrill comes for me when I hear a performance of my work so closely match the vision I had for the piece. The vision and performance become one and the same. When that happens, the creation and realization of the piece harmonize so well it resonates in a way that approaches the divine.
“It wasn’t a perfect performance, but I was riveted to my seat. There was a charge of energy in the hall that seemed to explode when the baton dropped, and the audience applauded. To have Maestro Vänskä and 50 orchestral players interpret the ink I put on the page in a way that so closely matched my artistic impulses, it was a spine-tingling experience.”
The miracle of artistic expression
Ara Guzelimian, provost and dean of the Juilliard School, explained on the music school’s website people have the potential to make music something miraculous. In regards to his school, he said, “The minute a student walks in here, there’s the possibility of a blossom, the possibility of a miracle. Behind every door of this building is a potential miracle. Here there is a deep commitment to exploring that possibility with a student, expanding musicians' sense of themselves and the possibilities within the music.
“The study of music is a time-honored tradition of art passed from seasoned artist to student. At Juilliard you will learn to interpret music of any period — to nurture it, refine it, give it life, and make it your own. Complementing your work with your primary teacher will be collaborative experiences in chamber music and large ensembles, not only with other musicians, but also with the school’s talented dancers and actors.”
Connecting with people on an emotional and spiritual level through theater and music, said two BYU–Hawaii professors and the dean of Juilliard. But these transformative interactions into something divine, they said are the responsibilities of all those involved, from the composer, to the performer, to the audience.
Transcendent moments in theater
Kristl Densley, assistant professor of Theater at BYUH, said human connection is the most important part of performing in theater. “All theater is about connection. A live audience with real people makes theater. It’s transformative because actors have a real want and need to communicate. An actor is only believable when they know exactly what their character wants and is trying to achieve it. If they don’t know what they're trying to get, there’s a disconnect.
“In theater, you can’t play emotion. Emotion is a byproduct of action. If you are going for that want, the byproduct is emotion, whether by the character or audience … I like to call them transcendent moments. These are moments where we have real understanding and real connection with something else. I like to compare it to the gospel, where you have Aha moments. It’s the same in your art, where if you don’t practice, you’ll forget what it was.”
Densley said one of the most powerful experiences she has had connecting with a character was when she was in “How I Learned to Drive” by Paula Vogel. “I couldn’t connect with it. I couldn’t connect with a woman who couldn’t see what a monster her husband was.
“One day my speedometer was broken, and I got pulled over on way to rehearsal. I had documentation about my speedometer being broken, but the officer didn’t believe me. I felt really wronged. I got to rehearsal and I was late, so they were doing that scene. I was thinking about what had happened to me with the police officer.
“I connected with the character because she felt wronged. I had this huge emotional release through the words of the play. That was the first time I realized you have to put yourself in the character. But it doesn’t have to be the same experiences as the person.”
Another example of this, Densley shared, was when she had a student doing “Into The Woods.” “After the show, we had a debriefing and … he started crying, and he said, ‘I can’t let it go.’
“He had identified with this character, and he was able to communicate that with the audience every night. He didn’t know how to stop doing that. For him it was extremely profound. Then I talked him through how you invest yourself. But you have to have something to get you out because it’s really not you.”
Her personal method of getting out of a character, she explained, is to use specific exercises. “I walk myself slowly into the world of the play and the wants and needs of the character. When I finish, I walk myself back onto the reality that is my life and my wants and needs. It is so important to do some kind of ritual like this so the two can remain separate.”
Turning artistic impulses into musical notes
Daniel Bradshaw, chair of the Music and Theater Department, described how a composer infuses emotion into their music. “That’s part of my job as a composer: to notate the music well enough that performers can then interpret it in a way that will be meaningful for them and for the audience. This comes from years of experiencing musical scores myself, as well as some experience collaborating with performers.”
As a composer, Bradshaw explained, “I start with artistic impulses and turn them into notes. The performer has the difficult job of going in the opposite direction, trying to interpret notes and directions on the page in a way that will elicit something deeply meaningful from the work and allow it to resonate with the audience.”
Helping the audience feel this connection, he said, has something to do with faith. “You have to believe if you find meaning in a certain way of presenting the music that other people will as well. If you feel it, they will too, at least to some extent. That’s often the way of getting past nerves for me as well. I focus on the joy or angst or longing of the music, try to immerse myself in the meaning of the piece, and that focus helps me forget my own nervousness.”
Bradshaw shared one experience he had with this was when the Minnesota Orchestra performed his piece, “Chaconne,” and it came across just as he had envisioned it. “As a composer, the greatest thrill comes for me when I hear a performance of my work so closely match the vision I had for the piece. The vision and performance become one and the same. When that happens, the creation and realization of the piece harmonize so well it resonates in a way that approaches the divine.
“It wasn’t a perfect performance, but I was riveted to my seat. There was a charge of energy in the hall that seemed to explode when the baton dropped, and the audience applauded. To have Maestro Vänskä and 50 orchestral players interpret the ink I put on the page in a way that so closely matched my artistic impulses, it was a spine-tingling experience.”
The miracle of artistic expression
Ara Guzelimian, provost and dean of the Juilliard School, explained on the music school’s website people have the potential to make music something miraculous. In regards to his school, he said, “The minute a student walks in here, there’s the possibility of a blossom, the possibility of a miracle. Behind every door of this building is a potential miracle. Here there is a deep commitment to exploring that possibility with a student, expanding musicians' sense of themselves and the possibilities within the music.
“The study of music is a time-honored tradition of art passed from seasoned artist to student. At Juilliard you will learn to interpret music of any period — to nurture it, refine it, give it life, and make it your own. Complementing your work with your primary teacher will be collaborative experiences in chamber music and large ensembles, not only with other musicians, but also with the school’s talented dancers and actors.”
Writer: Haeley van der Werf