I am transformed.
Attending THE MASTERCLASS – an immersive acting lesson being offered by renowned Canadian actor, producer, director, theatre practitioner and author, Nathan Bridgets – was nothing short of a revelation.
Not familiar with Bridgets, who sometimes goes incognito as actor Kyle Claeys?
Trust him – he is an industry legend, whose iconic status was cemented by his seminal mounting of Peter Shaffer’s Equus (at the class I attended, he shared inside dish on the now-legendary troubled production). All you really need to know is that the man is a whirlwind of intense creativity and cutting-edge theatrical technique – and that THE MASTERCLASS is an experience designed to help us access the rawest, soupiest parts of ourselves..
When Bridgets’ assistant Stephanie (who has her own incognito identity of M Fera) guided our class into the nondescript studio at the Charb Arts Studios and asked us to remove our shoes, I was skeptical. The bare walls, minimal decor and unremarkable chairs were a far cry from the glamour I expected would enshroud so legendary an actor’s domain.
But when the class began, I saw the genius behind the simplicity.
For this unadorned space perfectly complements Nathan Bridgets’ modern manifesto for acting, which is not about leaning on outdated crutches like character, motivation or authenticity. It’s about stepping boldly into today by displaying – proudly and loudly – “nudity of the mind”, which we achieve by laying bare the body, mind, senses and voice beneath our actual body, mind, senses and voice . . . or something like that.
Bridgets (think a young Ryan Reynolds) is a hurricane of theatrical passion. He welcomed our class with an intensity that was both exhilarating and terrifying. During a round of introductions, the master graciously sought an artistic insight from each of us, which he turned to a teachable moment: displaying his superior understanding and beginning to correct our many misconceptions about acting.
His energy then swept us into a swift succession of verbal and physical warmups, exercises that includes a revelatory lesson on Shakespeare, and then – yes – some acting. Bridgets’ intensity and originality were impossible to resist. There was no room for sitting back to spectate: we were participants on a journey – a learning journey – that blurred the lines between reality and performance and was designed to change us forever (and convince us to sign up for the full, regular-priced program).
Bridgets’ method, drawn from his forthcoming bestseller (we can also learn from the master’s confidence) “An Actor Does NOT Prepare,” demanded everything we had – and more. We laughed (a lot), we cried (much less), and we exposed our naked souls in a roomful of strangers – all under his watchful, manic eye. Each exercise teased off another layer of concealment in this collective thespian striptease. The experience was at once intensely personal and universally transformative.
And then, just when we were poised at the pinnacle of artistic enlightenment, the unexpected happened. On this night at least, the acting got a bit too real for the master himself – and the class ended abruptly. But as Stephanie escorted us out, I was even more convinced that, exorbitant price tag be damned, I had to sign up. For here was the most perfect testament to the power of Bridgets’ method: a reminder that true art is raw, real and uncontrollable.
THE MASTERCLASS is a wild and unforgettable ride. In his unhinged brilliance, Nathan Bridgets has forged an experience that is at once intensive, immersive, expressive, coercive . . .,and ultimately transformative.
If you are lucky enough to have the chance to attend, brace yourself. THE MASTERCLASS, presented by A.C.T. Productions will challenge and change you in ways you never imagined.
Visit eventbrite.ca for tickets and info.
© Scott Sneddon, SesayArts Magazine, 2024
[/responsivevoice]
