I just posted photographs from the Richard III play at the Theater in the Round.
I admire amateur actors because they are so willing to take on the most impossible roles. In this case, Shakespeare's Richard is an incredibly difficult character who at once needs to seem pleasant and cooperative with all the people around him (mostly his royal family), and at the same time so duplicitous and dangerous that he can have people killed with ruthless impunity (mostly his royal family). The TRP actors do a very good job with this. Richard is a diabolical liar and the personification of evil. His victims, and even the survivors of his cruelty, are credibly brave and have great dignity in the face of this whirlwind of terror.
The photographs were also hard to make. There was the need to show action under subdued lighting...something hard to do with available light photography that doesn't use flash to freeze the scene. There was also the need to show Richard on his good days (which I'm not so sure I actually accomplished) as well as his bad where it was easier to show his manipulation of others and the consequences of his acts.
It's also great to now see actors I've photographed before who usually approach me to thank me for the photos they get...amateur actors rarely get anything for their work and It's gratifying to see them take away something meaningful to them from their roles.
RPW
I admire amateur actors because they are so willing to take on the most impossible roles. In this case, Shakespeare's Richard is an incredibly difficult character who at once needs to seem pleasant and cooperative with all the people around him (mostly his royal family), and at the same time so duplicitous and dangerous that he can have people killed with ruthless impunity (mostly his royal family). The TRP actors do a very good job with this. Richard is a diabolical liar and the personification of evil. His victims, and even the survivors of his cruelty, are credibly brave and have great dignity in the face of this whirlwind of terror.
The photographs were also hard to make. There was the need to show action under subdued lighting...something hard to do with available light photography that doesn't use flash to freeze the scene. There was also the need to show Richard on his good days (which I'm not so sure I actually accomplished) as well as his bad where it was easier to show his manipulation of others and the consequences of his acts.
It's also great to now see actors I've photographed before who usually approach me to thank me for the photos they get...amateur actors rarely get anything for their work and It's gratifying to see them take away something meaningful to them from their roles.
RPW