22-Jan / Historical Acting-Koninklijke Schouwburg Den Haag-MUSICA POËTICA / 1 COMMENTS

 

Yesterday I was happy to be back playing Ariadne, in Benda’s Melodrama Ariadne auf Naxos at the Royal Theater in The Hague, as part of the concert series with Musica Poëtica conducted by Jörn Boysen. Coming back to this role again and again reminds me of Heraclitus’ argument “You cannot step into the same river twice, for other waters are continually flowing on.” Ariadne’s role is quite a tour de force at any time. The emotional arch demanded from the moment she wakes up on the rocks of the island of Naxos, thinking that she will be again embraced by Theseus- to being driven to death by the elements is still demanding. This was the fifth time I was privileged to portray this fantastic princess, and I can attest that feelings and affects don’t stagnate. They evolve. If once I thought a scene called upon me to play it with hatred, now it demanded disappointment and pain. This change in the underlying feeling of a phrase or a moment in the play, is not a minute thing. It affects an array of decisions, some conscious and some that I am still at this moment unaware of. Decisions like the timing in which the phrase will be said, how high will my voice rise, in what color will my voice say it, will my voice be husky or shrill. This small change in the underlying meaning of a sentence, or a word, or a pause- will affect the instrumental ensemble in the same way as well. I’m not sure it can ever be a comfortable role. And why should it be? It is an emotional kaleidoscope on an Olympic scale.