NOV 2010: The photo above is an initial 'raw' or 'core' image to use as a guide to plan makeup. From this, along with postural positioning of the head/face will determine how to project the shape of Nixon's face to the audience to achieve the best re-creation. I've been blessed with the ability control so many of my facial muscles so as to 'shape-shift' into a needed image. Sometimes this takes a lot of practice to achieve a certain 'look'. I'll be doing this up until the show is mounted.
DEC. 2010: It appears that I will be able to create a good look-alike image... I wonder if the director will decide to hold the Nixon facial audience view out of sight of the audience for the first few lines and then suddenly give the full visual impact of the re-creation when Nixon starts his on-camera White House farewell speech. My eyes find it difficult to accept that I can even look like this - as does most everyone I know who sees this image. That means I probably won't be recognized outside of the theatre... therefore no resultant type-casting.
The Process:
Re-creating the Nixon character from history has required extensive research: a study of his voice, his facial expressions and gestures from as many sources as one can get. They are then compiled over a period of his lifetime. When manifesting the character, most people remember only a caricature of him - not as he was. The comedic imitators and the film are part of those lasting media images. For stage, one needs to morph into a persona that is somewhere between both ends of that spectrum: the reality of the past and those public collective memories.
Being trained in Stanislavsky and Growtowsky methods, after a long background study, the character has to be manifested and morphed from within - then released outward with all the emotions, motivations, habits, gestures,and vocalizations of the character.
THE VOICE: I began vocal training for this part in November 2010. Voice modification requires rigorous training to be able to reproduce the same characteristics, but if there is no stage hidden microphone the task becomes more difficult since the volume needed to project narrows the potential subtleties that an actor wants to impart. For voiceovers I'm considered a baritone. His voice is twofold... a general speaking tone and another that is 'presidential', authoritative, in control and commanding.
JAN 2011: I've reviewed as many old news videos as I could get. Watched the interviews. I've studied his Gestures (subtle and overt as well as his gait. They'll have to be bigger (but not exaggerated) to be seen by the audience from the distance of the stage... the subtle tightening of his upper lip under times of stress, the slight raising of one eyebrow as he plans for a strategic response, the hand to head when stretching for time or folded hands when calculating for for a verbal 'kill'.
Throughout the performance his motivations, self-image, and emotions all have to become incorporated into a portrayal. He even had a sense of humour - though had trouble imparting this to those around him. There is an art to delivering a funny line and as someone who actually can do stand-up - I have to find a way to marginally let the audience in on those lines and see that humour.
I may have to do some slight body weight modification to give that 'larger head' look.
The real Nixon: He appears to have been a 'auditory/kinetic' type of person - which essentially means his gestures were frequent and they coincided with each word and phrase. This also accounts for the constant delays and hesitancy - even within his sentences. Always quite cunning in his answers, he took considerable time to select his best words and phrases for each reply. His voice was not as deep as people seem to have remembered. Throughout the interview process Nixon is deliberate, calculating with his choice of words. One detects a self serving arrogance - but as an actor it is necessary to subtlety let the audience 'in' on when a question has hit a sensitive spot - this done with vocal inflection],rhythm changes in delivery of the line and specific physical/facial clues. At the end, of course - the fatigue of it all (past and present) surfaces and consumes him.
The audience must remember when seeing this play that it is a dramatization - not a re-enactment! The actual interview was quite mild and 'civilized' - especially by today's standards. Nixon was, on the whole, very cool and collected. The actor's job is to reveal to the audience what the historic character held inside, the personal feelings that were being experienced at the moment.
What I find even more exciting about this particular production is that the audience will see two actors in a form of re-creation - but two actors skilled at impersonation, delivering convincing performances of Frost and Nixon, deeply immersed in their parts!
After having completed an intensive study of Nixon's real voice, accent and pacing from archived videos, it is apparent that his voice was nothing like people remember it to be (thanks to all the impersonators!) His was at least a full note higher than my natural voice. I will just blend the two for the sake of the stage dramatization.
April 2,2011
I am now completely off-book and before the full cast table read! I have incorporated subtle facial expressions to go with the lines. Ready to do this show anywhere, any venue and for any company!
-BB
