Switch Roles

“At one point, when [Steve] Martin and [Robin] Williams had been dominating the table, he [Nichols] abruptly said, “Let’s change parts,” and had [Bill] Irwin read Martin’s role and [F. Murray] Abraham read Williams’s. He let the scene play for some time before saying, “Okay, that’s enough.” Martin nodded and said, “I learned a lot” from reading Lucky. Nichols replied, “It’s not so easy, is it?”” -excerpt from the book, Mike Nichols: A Life by Mark Harris

For the actor…

If you’re having trouble figuring out what you want in the scene, trying reading it from the other person’s point of view. Switch roles. Their action might become more obvious to you. With which case you can then just pick an opposing action for your actual character. Presto! Instant conflict and now it’s a fun scene to play and a compelling one to watch.

This is also a great exercise for the director in rehearsals. Mike Nichols used it throughout his career including in his production of Waiting For Godot (excerpt listed above). Just like Steve Martin found out, switching roles can engender empathy throughout the entire ensemble.

Walking in someone’s else’s shoes is never a bad thing. In rehearsals and in life.

And after all, isn’t that why we do and see theatre in the first place? To gain a deeper understanding about the entire human condition.