Thursday, April 1, 2004
'Magic of else' or, in Cooper's case, a whole bunch of elses
Copyright © 2004 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
Greater Portland's Entertainment Weekly.
Weekends begin on Thursday. In Go.
At the age of 22, Bates College student Saida (pronounced "sadda") Cooper of St. Albans is playing eight characters in her senior thesis project. A theater major, her thesis is the production of Jane Wagner's "The Search for Intelligent Life in the Universe." The one-woman show was originally written for Lily Tomlin and contains more than the eight characters Cooper will be playing.
To prepare herself for the performance, Cooper has been working with Katalin Vecsey, a teacher of voice and speech at Bates College, and Michael Rafkin, founder of Mad Horse Theater Company.
Q: Were you involved in theater before majoring in it at Bates?
A: I was your typical drama nerd in high school. I was in my first play in third grade and just fell in love with the stage and performing. My first play was "Sandy the Red Horned Rain Moose."
Q: Why did you pick this particular show for your senior thesis?
A: I chose "The Search for Intelligent Life in the Universe" because I wanted to challenge my senses. I wanted the challenge of performing alone on stage and the challenge of portraying several different characters. I love to try new things and this is something completely new to me. I love character work, developing different vocal and physical characteristics to morph into someone else. To me theater is about the magic of transformation and storytelling and this play demonstrates this in a truly remarkable way.
Q: Your thesis is a two-semester project. Besides actually performing the show, what has your thesis project involved?
A: Besides performing, I spent a great deal of time cutting the script to enable me to perform without an intermission. The rest of my time was spent analyzing the themes and characters in the script.
Q: You play all the parts in the show. What are the challenges of doing that? Is it something you would do again?
A: In cutting the script, I am playing eight different characters in this production. And the challenges of playing these different characters are the greatest I have ever faced in acting. The transitions between the eight characters are very fast. The challenges lie in changing vocal technique and physicality, as well as emotions, in a way that will distinguish each character in a matter of just a few seconds. Usually in a play, the actor only worries about developing one character througout the course of the play. However, in this play, the characters must develop fully in a matter of minutes; this has been extremely difficult for me. Though the difficulties have been immense, I would definitely do this again no one ever said acting was supposed to be easy; and I cannot even explain the magic I feel when I am able to fully transform from one character to the next.
Q: I understand you have been working with Katalin Vecsey for developing characterizations. What have you learned while working with her and how have you applied it to your one-woman show?
A: I have been working with Katalin for three years now. She is actually my academic advisor at Bates, as well as my vocal coach. She is truly amazing. She is very honest about my work, but supportive at the same time. She has taught me a great deal about different breathing and vocal techniques. She has encouraged me to explore a wide variety of vocal patterns and intonations for each of my characters in this show. She has taught me that the family life, careers, hopes and fears of characters all have a great effect on their voices. The voice reveals a great deal about a person and character.
Q: You've been working with Michael Rafkin on this show. How has he helped you prepare for this show and what have you learned from him?
A: It has been an honor to work with Michael. I feel as though I was given a gift. He is simply amazing. At the end of each rehearsal, I leave wanting to do more, wanting to try new things. Michael has taught me to follow my impulses, never hold back or be afraid to try new things, and to let the emotions of the characters guide their actions. He taught me the importance of making acting personal rather than showy. He has been extremely supportive of me and this project. He brings such incredible insight to every rehearsal of mine. He is truly a remarkable human being incredibly talented, insightful, and one of the most caring individuals I have ever met. Q: What are your plans after graduation? Do you intend to pursue a career in the theater?
A: I plan to go after my dreams of acting on the big stage after I graduate. It has been my dream since I was in my very first play and I know I would really regret it if I didn't give it a shot.
News Assistant Stephanie Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6455 or at: sbouchard@pressherald.com