Upper School Theater Students Become Rock Stars for Unit on Character Mimicry

McGregor Family Theater was transformed into a music time machine last week, as those in attendance were treated to high-quality renditions of some of the world’s most famous musical performances as part of a unit in the Upper School’s theater 1 class.

 

The course, taught by Caleb Goh, is exploring the building of a character from “the outside-in” by developing an appreciation and understanding of physical approaches to performance and acting.

 

“Students learn empathy, appreciation for what it means to live in someone else’s shoes, and how to apply their essential self to the creation of a highly performative character role,” Dr. Goh said.

 

In this case, they were tasked with a thorough mimicking of a famous musician. They researched the star of their choosing extensively, studying mannerisms, style, affections and deliveries.

 

Famous French actor, instructor and theater pedagogue Jacques Lecoq posits that mimicry is a vital behavioral process in which actors can learn to understand themselves, as well as the world around them.

 

“In essence, the student is developing and ‘filling’ an empty container in which they will embody the likeness of the chosen subject,” Dr. Goh said.

 

The unit culminated with a performance titled “Rockstars 2018” inside McGregor in front of family and friends last week. There, students flashed back to various eras of music and pop culture, using costume choices, dance moves and other familiar celebrity mannerisms to bring the song, and its singer, to life.

 

The performances included the slow jazz piece “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra, ‘80s pop hits like Madonna’s “Material Girl,” Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” and Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical,” the alt-rock anthem “When I Come Around” by Green Day’s Billy Joe Armstrong, the ‘90s chart-topper “Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears and the 2008 hit “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga.

 

In addition to performing their own song, students served as backup dancers and characters on their classmates’ pieces, meaning they had several performances to fine-tune.

 

The unit is part of a year-round performing arts class that introduces students to theater and explores a wide range of theatrical areas, including acting, production and theater history.