Old But Interesting Interview.....

things can go wrong, go right when you don't expect it and you have to be able to improvise, which doesn't seem to be one Ioan's fortes either, Apart from learning to lean on his body language and his voice as well as his face expressions, I guess some stage work could only do him good in the improvisation sector, too... In the end, you have to be able to improvise on the stage, but you have co-workers and a script you can rely on to help you out of situations that turned out different from what you expected.

At the age Ioan is right now, there are still so many avenues his career could take, if carefully thought out. He may decide to direct,produce, try writing,and even accept some meaty Broadway/British stage role some day. Experiences, personal circumstances and just plain changes in personal tastes, as we grow older, have a lot to do with what occurs in our lives. What he does now may not be at all appealing ten or fifteen years up the road.

Shipmate - I think most of the older members can attest to the changes that can happen over the the next ten to fifteen years. Sylviane - I think you're right in saying improvising is not his thing. In fact, I think it was in the AG commentary that he mentioned how much he appreciates rehearsal, so that he knows what he is going to do in a scene. After posting the last time, I thought a bit more about mannerisms that we start to notice. I think this can happen with most actors. We just tend to notice more with Ioan because we are watching so closely and he does gesticulate more frequently than some actors. But all actors even Robert De Niro or Meryl Streep have mannerisms that show up frequently unless they have a director who makes sure they don't get away with them.

Sylviane - I think you're right in saying improvising is not his thing. In fact, I think it was in the AG commentary that he mentioned how much he appreciates rehearsal, so that he knows what he is going to do in a scene. Like I said, I did mean to be sarcastic about his improv talents. I knew there was reason why I had that impression of him. So it was AG in which he said that, I thought it had to do with maybe FF (but that may have been more related to the 'accent' thing.)

Sylviane - I think you're right in saying improvising is not his thing. In fact, I think it was in the AG commentary that he mentioned how much he appreciates rehearsal, so that he knows what he is going to do in a scene. Well, I guess stage actors appreciate rehearsal as much as screen actors, if not more, given that there are not do-overs for stage actors: once the curtain rises, they have to get to the end of the show no matter what. Being able to cope with the unexpected doesn't mean totally relying on your and your colleagues' improvising talent. After posting the last time, I thought a bit more about mannerisms that we start to notice. I think this can happen with most actors. We just tend to notice more with Ioan because we are watching so closely and he does gesticulate more frequently than some actors. But all actors even Robert De Niro or Meryl Streep have mannerisms that show up frequently unless they have a director who makes sure they don't get away with them. Yes, many actors have mannerisms that I think can help them get roles sometimes. I remember an interview with Al Pacino where he told that during the filming of one of his movies (I can't recall which, sorry) the director realized that he was 'straying' from his usual acting and told him "Do Al Pacino!"

I find improvisation scary at times, though I'm getting better since doing it more frequently. The key for me is to stop worrying whether or not what I choose to do is the right choice. Just to listen and respond, practice does seem to make it easier.

Actually, improvisation makes me nervous at times, but I'm getting better at it, too. Anyway, I think that I'd be worried if I came to a point where I'm not in the least nervous in front of the unexpected and the need to improvise because it could be a sign of an excessive self-confidence likely to lead to mistakes.

I find improvisation scary at times, though I'm getting better since doing it more frequently. I spent thirteen years in Drama-in-Education, working with youth groups, in schools, on stage and running a Youth Theatre, when I graduated from drama school. With kids, you simply have to be able to improvise as they think of things you wouldn't in a million years. The reason I took this route rather than straight acting was the interaction with the youngsters, helping them with issues and topics, getting in amongst them. Unfortunately, the burn outrate in community arts is high and mine came when I had two babies. Although I changed careers, my nursing is still a way for me to work with children,learning how they tick and helping them understand things. The skills I learnt as a drama worker have stood me in great stead. I am never nervous of taking teaching sessions or making presentations! Impro is a skill you never lose (or sometimes never gain :wink: )

Thirteen years working with kids and theater! Wow, it's surprising you didn't burn out well before that. You must have incredible stamina and had a great influence on many children. Improv is definitely a beneficial skill in other life areas. Great confidence builder for kids, too. And usually things that are a wee bit scary, stretch us the most.

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