Nathan Grant has been with the Unrehearsed Shakespeare Company since its inception, where he played MacDuff in our inaugural production of MacBeth. He has worked with the Waltzing Mechanics, Boho Theater, and has recently begun his own production company, iDNie Grant Productions. Check it out on the Facebook Machine.
Q: Describe your first experience with Unrehearsed.
NATHAN: My first experience with Unrehearsed was in graduate school at WIU. I went to the Unrehearsed meeting prior to my performance in Romeo & Juliet (I played one of the fathers, Juliet’s I think), and Bill Kincaid started teaching us this method. The most memorable experiences include the famous shoe monologue and the Lady Macbeth scene where she is dreaming. Both were perfect examples of why this method works. Here we all were, at various experience performing Shakespeare, and this was a great equalizer. It made us ALL better. And suddenly, Shakespeare was understood in a cold read, which really never happens.
Q: How does Unrehearsed Shakespeare compare to most theater? Do you approach characters differently?
NATHAN: Unrehearsed is completely different. Throw almost everything you learned about acting out the window, except listening! First of all, I don’t memorize the lines as I would with normal theatre. Memorization seems to really get in the way. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t work on it. Everyday, in preparation for a show, I will read the lines out loud. My mouth has to know what it is doing and I’m training it with muscle memory. About a week before the show, I get on my feet, crossing every line. I try to work on crosses forward and also away depending on if the words used are personal or impersonal (you/thou). I try not to prepare specific movements or blocking. I have tried that in the past, and I just leave the stage frustrated because I forgot what I had planned out.
Voice and breath support are extremely important. There is a tendency to start yelling or overprojecting when you do Unrehearsed.
In Unrehearsed, I don’t look at the entire script beforehand, and I try to get rid of preconceived notions as to how a role is performed. This is probably the most difficult thing to overcome. Imitating another famous portrayal of a famous role usually falls flat.
Approaching a character is very different. Since I only have my lines, I don’t know what everyone else’s lines are that describe my character until I am playing it. There are usually clues in the phrasing of my lines. Shakespeare’s dialogue really helps me in figure out if my character is a “character.” It’s best to come to the show as an empty canvas and let your lines and others inform your performance in the moment.
Q: You’ve now started your own production company (iNDie Grant Productions), focusing largely on video and photography. Do you see yourself moving more towards video (and away from live theater), or are you merely expanding your artistic reach?
NATHAN: I love film and photography, both of which I started to explore more of in graduate school, even though I was there for theatre. There are things I can do with film that cannot successfully be done in theatre. With film, I can focus on the tiny aspects, the details that are bound to get lost in the theatre (unless you are in a tiny space). As a filmmaker, I would rather be behind the camera than in front of it. Whereas with theatre, I’d rather be onstage. New technology has made it possible for me to do a lot that just wasn’t possible 15 years ago.
Overall, I would say that I am moving toward the film and photography business. I currently have a short film in preproduction that I am extremely excited about. We hope to film in the spring with a few familiar Unrehearsed faces. I am currently not actively pursuing theatre, but I love doing shows with Unrehearsed, which allows me the flexibility to perform without weeks of long rehearsals.
Q: MacBeth is sort of home-away-from-home for you, having played MacDuff in our inaugural production (and its remount). Without giving away any secrets, how is this production different for you? How has your technique changed over time?
NATHAN: I love MacBeth. When I was in high school, it was one of Shakespeare’s plays that really grabbed me. I’m a fan of power struggles, politics, and the supernatural, and MacBeth has it all! MacDuff was a labor of love. I’d always wanted to play the character and our inaugural production allowed me that opportunity.
This production is different because I have no idea what is going to happen! I am a different character, and what is funny about playing someone else is that there are parts I am in this time that I don’t remember at all from last time. But that’s how this works. Since I haven’t been reading and rereading MacBeth for the last 3 years, I really only remember the parts I was in. Now, I get a completely different view with a different cast in a different venue.
I touched a bit on my technique earlier, but I can say that the last time we did this, I had a real idea of how I should be playing the role. That was fine, but it really didn’t free me up for any great discoveries. I had a character that I was playing. Now, I am an open canvas. I listen more. I try to stay as engaged as possible. You never know when someone is going to tell you to do something or when you might end up acting something out that you never realized was there before.
Q: What was your favorite Unrehearsed performance? Why?
NATHAN: My favorite performance was probably the remount of MacBeth at KC/ACTF in Michigan. It was a midnight show and we had a packed room full of theatre students and professors. When I stepped up and said, “Turn hellhound, turn!” the entire audience was on their feet screaming and chanting “Kill him!” I still get chills talking about it. Never, and I mean, NEVER have I been a part of something that brought about that kind of an audience reaction.
That’s one of the reasons I try to do as many Unrehearsed shows as I can. Whether I’m doing a show I’ve done 3 previous productions (MacBeth, Midsummer, Twelfth Night) or it’s the first, the audience gets so much out of the production. We don’t really need any other elements of theatre to make this work. An audience, the words, and us always equals an exciting and dynamic performance. My favorite thing to hear after one of our shows is, “I can’t believe how much fun that was!” I can’t believe it either!
Who will Nathan be this time? Find out by seeing MacBeth!
November 12 and 19
Justin’s
3358 N Southport Ave
7:30 pm
Requested donation of $5 at the door
