Six highly talented actors are performing multiple roles in the six scripts that are part of the 2nd Act Players #MeToo Play Festival. Here one of them, Jasmine Richman, talks about acting, her characters and the plays. To see her on stage, buy your tickets by clicking here. Only two shows left, Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 3:30.
1. What prompted you to become an actor?
I loved the idea of performing…but as someone else. I’ve been a musician since the age of seven and have always felt the pressure that comes with performing original compositions on stage. I hated the fact that it felt like I was singing my diary out loud while playing it in the key of G on my guitar…..so I decided to try out another avenue of performing. I decided to audition for my 8th grade play and to my surprise I got cast as an 80-year-old women and absolutely loved it.
Suddenly I could perform without feeling the pressure that came from people watching me because even the most outrageous characters weren’t me at the end of the night, they were someone else I could simply shake off. It was refreshing to see things through the eyes of different characters and I became fascinated by the mind and body transformation that comes from stepping into someone else’s shoes.
I was fascinated by this transformation so much that I decided to study it in-depth for four years at Oklahoma City University where I received my BFA in Acting and a minor in Directing.
2. How are you preparing for the challenge of playing multiple characters in multiple plays during our staged readings?
I prepare by daydreaming about the endless possibilities that come from seeing things through someone else’s perspective. It’s incredibly important to do your research but it’s more important to remember to play.
I love taking the time to ask myself, “Where does this character lead from and why?” “How does this knowledge or situation weigh on my character and how do they express that physically?” The body Is where I start in order to express what’s happening in the mind.
3. What feelings/thoughts have the scripts for the festival left with you?
The scripts have left me with several thoughts of “what if?” What if this had happened to me? What if this hadn’t happen at all to my character, would they speak or walk differently? I’m always left feeling the way I imagine a doctor of phycology feels, analyzing where characters are coming from and the mental process that defines who they are.
4. What’s your favorite warm-up exercise to prepare for a show?
Ensemble warm ups are the most important part of a show to me. If you do not feel connected to the energy your entire cast shares then how will you transfer energy to your partner on stage?
Establishing the trust that comes from the flow of energy present before each show Is a must. Personal warm ups for me include tapping into my vocal vibrations and the shaking energy throughout my body so I feel as if I’m always radiating energy on stage, never sucking it.