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‘Acting in the Real World’: Acting Methodologies, Power and Gender

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 March 2019

EMMA WILLIS
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Abstract

What does the #MeToo movement reveal about how acting is understood at the present time, both in practice and by the public at large? The claim of one convicted abuser, New Zealand acting coach Rene Naufahu, was that his sexual offending in the classroom was simply preparing his students for the ‘real world of acting’. Drawing from Elin Diamond's argument that dramatic realism does not simply reflect the real but in fact produces it, I examine how figures like Naufahu promulgate certain notions of acting in order to produce a reality that legitimates abusive behaviour. Furthermore, I suggest that this behaviour is often a performance of acting itself whereby the actor, director or coach, in a selectively self-reflexive manner, exploits their professional ‘role’ in order to exert power over their victim. I argue that one way of contesting real-world practices that rely on hegemonic assumptions of what acting is or should be is to redeploy the critical terminology of acting to analyse and expose such abuses for the acts that they are.

Type
Articles
Information
Theatre Research International , Volume 43 , Issue 3 , October 2018 , pp. 258 - 271
Copyright
Copyright © International Federation for Theatre Research 2019 

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Footnotes

Many thanks to the clear-sighted anonymous reviewers of this article and to the journal editors for their care and patience in helping me refine the work.

References

Notes

2 Old Vic, at www.oldvictheatre.com/news/2017/11/the-old-vic-commits-to-a-new-way-forward-after-releasing-its-conclusions-following-an-investigation-into-the-alleged-conduct-of-former-artistic-director-kevin-spacey, accessed 11 September 2018.

3 Alexandra Topping, ‘Theatre Director Max Stafford-Clark Was Ousted over Inappropriate Behaviour’, The Guardian, 20 October 2017, at www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/oct/20/theatre-director-max-stafford-clark-was-ousted-over-inappropriate-behaviour, accessed 11 September 2018.

4 American Theatre, September 2018, at www.americantheatre.org/category/special-section/theatretoo, accessed 30 August 2018.

5 Debbie Cuthbertson, ‘Theatre Companies to Act on Sexual Harassment after Survey Reveals Widespread Abuse’, Sydney Morning Herald, 17 December 2017, at www.smh.com.au/entertainment/theatre-companies-to-act-on-sexual-harassment-after-survey-reveals-widespread-abuse-20171216-h05rv8.html, accessed 4 September 2018.

6 Kelly Dennet, ‘Former Shortland St Actor Rene Naufahu Revealed to Be Actor Facing Multiple Indecent Assault Charges’, Sunday Star Times, 12 March 2017, at www.stuff.co.nz/national/90135830/former-shortland-st-actor-rene-naufahu-revealed-to-be-actor-facing-multiple-indecent-assault-charges, accessed 4 April 2018.

7 Diamond, Elin, ‘Realism and Hysteria: Towards a Feminist Mimesis’, Discourse, 13, 1 (Fall–Winter 1990–1), pp. 59–92Google Scholar, here p. 61.

8 Tommy Livingston, ‘Former Shortland Street Actor Rene Naufahu Sentenced to Home Detention’, Stuff, 23 January 2018, at www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/100795668/former-shortland-street-actor-rene-naufahu-sentenced-to-home-detention, accessed 4 April 2018.

9 Dennet, ‘Former Shortland St Actor Rene Naufahu Revealed’.

10 Tess McLure, ‘A Victim of Serial Sex Offender Rene Naufahu Speaks Out’, Vice, 3 November 2017, at www.vice.com/en_nz/article/pa3378/a-victim-of-serial-sex-offender-rene-naufahu-speaks-out, accessed 7 May 2018.

11 Sam Hurley, ‘Victim of Shortland Street Actor Lee Rene Naufahu “Abused and Betrayed”’, New Zealand Herald, 2 September 2017, at www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11915664, accessed 12 June 2018.

12 Ibid.

13 Jenkins, Linda Walsh and Ogden-Malouf, Susan, ‘The (Female) Actor Prepares’, Theatre, 71, 1, (1985), pp. 66–9CrossRefGoogle Scholar, here p. 66.

14 Tait, Peta, ‘Bodies Perform Inner Emotions: Stanislavski's Legacy’, Australasian Drama Studies, 53 (October 2008), pp. 84–102Google Scholar, here p. 92.

15 Malague, Rosemary, An Actress Prepares: Women and “the Method” (London: Routledge, 2012), p. 5Google Scholar.

16 Elaine Aston, Feminist Theatre Practice: A Handbook (London: Routledge, 1999), p. 7.

17 Sue-Ellen Case, Feminism and Theatre (Basingstoke: The Macmillan Press, 1998), p. 122.

18 Ibid, pp. 122–3.

19 Diamond, ‘Realism and Hysteria’, p. 61.

20 Karen Hollinger, Feminist Film Studies (London: Routledge, 2012), p. 247.

21 Kyle Steven and Murray Pomerance, ‘Close Up: Great American Performances’, in Murray Pomerance and Kyle Stevens, eds., Close Up: Great Cinematic Performances, Vol. I: America (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2018), pp. 1–12, here p. 3.

22 Hollinger, Feminist Film Studies, p. 248.

23 Malague, An Actress Prepares, p. 7.

24 J. Ellen Gainor, ‘Rethinking Feminism, Stanislavski, and Performance’, Theatre Topics, 12, 2 (September 2002), pp. 163–75, here p. 166.

25 Tait, ‘Bodies Perform Inner Emotions’, p. 92.

26 Livingston, ‘Former Shortland Street Actor Rene Naufahu Sentenced’.

27 Harrison Christian, ‘Victims of Rene Naufahu Speak Out, Call His Apology “Ridiculous”’, Stuff, 1 September 2018, at www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/96413473/victims-of-rene-naufahu-speak-out-slam-his-apology, accessed 1 October 2018.

28 Matt Donnelly, ‘Watch James Franco Ask to “Cross Some Lines” in “Sex Scenes” Class Tied to Accusations’, The Wrap, 12 January 2018, at www.thewrap.com/watch-james-francos-sex-scenes-class-tied-accusations-video, accessed 29 August 2018.

29 Daniel Miller and Amy Kaufman, ‘Five Women Accuse Actor James Franco of Inappropriate or Sexually Exploitative Behavior’, Los Angeles Times, 11 January 2018, at www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-james-franco-allegations-20180111-htmlstory.html, accessed 28 August 2018.

30 Ibid.

31 Virginia Wright Wexman, ‘Masculinity in Crisis: Method Acting in Hollywood’, in Pamela Robertson Wojcik, ed., Movie Acting, the Film Reader (New York: Routledge, 2004), pp. 127–144, here p. 131.

32 Anjelica Jade Bastién, ‘Hollywood Has Ruined Method Acting’, The Atlantic, 11 August 2016, at www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/08/hollywood-has-ruined-method-acting/494777, accessed 4 March 2018.

33 Karen Hollinger, Hollywood Acting and the Female Star (London: Routledge, 2006), p. 15.

34 Aimee Levitt and Christoper Piatt, ‘At Profiles Theatre the Drama – and Abuse – Is Real’, Chicago Reader, 8 June 2016, at www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/profiles-theatre-theater-abuse-investigation/Content?oid=22415861, accessed 28 August 2018.

35 Ibid.

36 In a response to the expose of abuse at Profiles Theatre, Howard Sherman notes, ‘As for Profiles, there is distinct irony that the company has employed the tagline “Whatever the truth requires” in its marketing. The truth requires that Profiles be held to account now that they have been exposed for twisting the theatrical concept of truth to their own ends’. ‘In the Wake of Profile Theatre Expose, a Few Points to Know’, 10 June 2016, at www.artsintegrity.org/in-wake-of-profiles-theatre-expose-a-few-points-to-know, accessed 4 September 2018.

37 Levitt and Piatt, ‘At Profiles Theatre’.

38 Malague, An Actress Prepares, p. 9.

39 Levitt and Piatt, ‘At Profiles Theatre’.

40 Alejandro G. Iñárritu, writer and director, Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (New Regency Pictures, 2014).

41 Wexman, Virginia Wright, ‘Masculinity in Crisis: Method Acting in Hollywood’, in Wojcik, Pamela Robertson, ed., Movie Acting: The Film Reader (New York: Routledge, 2004), pp. 127–44Google Scholar, here p. 127.

42 Boyd has not publicly responded to the allegations.

43 Diep Tran, ‘When Damage Is Done. How 3 Large U.S. Theatres Have Dealt With Allegations of Sexual Misconduct, Abuse, and/or Sexist Cultures’, American Theatre, 21 August 2018, at https://www.americantheatre.org/2018/08/21/theatretoo/, accessed 17 December 2018.

44 Diamond, ‘Realism and Hysteria’, p. 77.

45 Sam Hurley and Anna Leask, ‘Former Shortland Street Actor Rene Naufahu Sentenced for Indecent Assault’, New Zealand Herald, 23 January 2018, at www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11955791, accessed 12 June 2018.

46 Excerpts reported in the media include: ‘They tried to stop my destiny, thought they had seen the best of me, from the day the cops arrested me, even saw my kin detested me. Abandoned by hypocrisy, once close ties now lost to me, hatred fuelled by jealousy, gossip spread maliciously. My name became like leprosy, Jesus Christ what's next for me? Haters north, south, east and west of me. Driven to the flame, hoes requested me’. See Lucy Warhurst, ‘Convicted Shortland St Actor Rene Naufahu Calls Out “Haters” and “Hoes”’, Newshub, 1 September 2017, at www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/09/convicted-shortland-st-actor-rene-naufahu-calls-out-haters-and-hoes.html, accessed 12 June 2018.

47 Hurley and Leask, ‘Former Shortland Street Actor Rene Naufahu Sentenced’.

48 Lauren Huff, ‘Seth Meyers Grills James Franco over Sexual Misconduct Claims’, Hollywood Reporter, 10 January 2018, at www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/seth-meyers-grills-james-franco-sexual-misconduct-claims-1073778, accessed 4 September 2018.

49 Max Cea, ‘James Franco's Handling of These Sexual Misconduct Allegations Isn't Heroic, It's Manipulative’, Mic, 11 January 2018, at https://mic.com/articles/187360/james-francos-handling-of-these-sexual-misconduct-allegations-isnt-heroic-its-manipulative#.eiHvo08Fu, accessed 30 August 2018.

50 Chris Jones and Nina Metz, ‘Profiles Theatre Closes; Actor Responds to Allegations of Misconduct’, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2016, at www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/news/ct-profiles-theatre-chicago-closes-20160615-story.html, accessed 6 September 2018.

51 Aimee Levitt and Christopher Piatt, ‘Profiles Theatre Belatedly Acknowledges Use of Pseudonyms after Reader Investigation’, Chicago Reader, 17 June 2016, at www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/06/17/profiles-theatre-belatedly-acknowledges-use-of-pseudonyms-after-reader-investigation, accessed 1 October 2018.

52 Yohana Dester, ‘Roman Polanski Thinks the #MeToo Movement Is Just “Mass Hysteria”’, Vanity Fair, 9 May 2018, at www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/05/roman-polanski-opinion-me-too-movement , accessed 12 June 2018.

53 Diamond, ‘Realism and Hysteria’, p. 60.

54 Diamond, Elin, Unmaking Mimesis (London: Routledge, 1997), p. 38Google Scholar. I am mindful here of the argument recently made by Elaine Aston when she writes of current dramatic realism's potential for enhanced ‘fluidity’, and a ‘heterogeneity that invites us to think not of realism, but of realisms, realisms expressive of a shifting socio-political climate’. Aston, Elaine, ‘Room for Realism?’, in Adiseshiah, Siân and LePage, Louise, eds., Twenty-First Century Drama: What Happens Now (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016), pp. 17–36Google Scholar, here pp. 19, 20.