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Post by maxx02 on Jun 8, 2007 19:55:15 GMT
OK, Maxx, I'm squeezing my 5 yr old ......what do you think Tom Stoppard meant vs.'"Actors are the opposite of people" and how do you think that relates to our sweety Roof? THid may be the most strenuous question I ask all day. Well I think how I answer that is going to be neccessary colored by how "I" feel about actors, but of course the obvious would be that actors are not human beings. To me the quote means whatever makes a person a person is absent in them-- that they are pretending to portray the human experience instead of living it. What it is to TS I can only guess. I have no idea how it applies to Rufus but he's damn good at being someone else. It's a very rare and unusual moment when I see him "pretending" to be anything. He is absolutely one of the most genuine, in the moment, artists I have ever had the pleasure of watching. And it isn't because he's not sure who he is as it often is with other actors. I think it's pretty obvious to various and sundry that on some level Tom Stoppard has great respect for Rufus as Rufus clearly has for him. I think there are a lot of reasons people become actors and I mean actors like Rufus not celebrities. But I think the best ones have a genuine need to perform as painters need to paint and writers need to write--they have something to share and can't help themselves from doing so even if the pay is lousy and the hours are horrible. I have a great deal of respect and deep admiration for Rufus because he's one of the best there is and most people just don't get what he's doing. Yet he soldiers on doing what he loves trying to break through without compromising. I think a lot of the typical rules don't necessarily apply to him. So let me turn it around now that I've given my 2 cents-- What do you think TS means?  |
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Post by Terri Mac on Jun 8, 2007 22:27:53 GMT
Maxx,
That was so very well put that if you were here I would toast you. (I'm toasting you anyway with my glass of water! - clink-clink)
I don't know for sure what Tom Stoppard actually meant, but before I read your very logical post (and the very high praise for Ruf, which so many of us agree with) my feelings were that it meant that for the most part people are more than one-dimensional (or at least most of us hope we have enough depth to make ourselves more than one-dimensional). People's personalities consist of so many layers and people are different things to different people. However, an "actor" on stage is merely playing a part so the audience sees only what we are supposed to see. Therefore, actors on stage, sort of, would be the opposite of people. SO, I was thinking kind of what you said, but you said it so much better.
With regard to Rufus, I agree, he does such a wonderful job with his characters that you feel that you can know the personality of that character through his performance and what he portrays, because he does such a good job with his voice, his expressions, his body language, and the sheer energy that he puts into each character.
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Post by ree on Jun 8, 2007 23:26:45 GMT
[quote Rufus is damn good at being someone else. It's a very rare and unusual moment when I see him "pretending" to be anything. He is absolutely one of the most genuine, in the moment, artists I have ever had the pleasure of watching. And it isn't because he's not sure who he is as it often is with other actors. I think there are a lot of reasons people become actors and I mean actors like Rufus not celebrities. But I think the best ones have a genuine need to perform as painters need to paint and writers need to write--they have something to share and can't help themselves from doing so even if the pay is lousy and the hours are horrible. I have a great deal of respect and deep admiration for Rufus because he's one of the best there is and most people just don't get what he's doing. Yet he soldiers on doing what he loves trying to break through without compromising. Thank you Maxx, for saying something that needs to be heard! Bravo! |
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Post by dreamer on Jun 8, 2007 23:36:22 GMT
OK, Maxx, I'm squeezing my 5 yr old ......what do you think Tom Stoppard meant vs.'"Actors are the opposite of people" and how do you think that relates to our sweety Roof? THid may be the most strenuous question I ask all day. ...I have a great deal of respect and deep admiration for Rufus because he's one of the best there is and most people just don't get what he's doing. Yet he soldiers on doing what he loves trying to break through without compromising. I think a lot of the typical rules don't necessarily apply to him. What do you think TS means? With regard to Rufus, I agree, he does such a wonderful job with his characters that you feel that you can know the personality of that character through his performance and what he portrays, because he does such a good job with his voice, his expressions, his body language, and the sheer energy that he puts into each character. Let me give my 2 cents about that. I think people aren't willing to experience every feelings, moods, emotions and sensations that real life can bring them, for fear of suffering and pain, so they lose many pleasant things wasting the time got to live hard. Whereupon people prefer living many of these experiences watching an actor pretending living these one for them on stage. Otherwise actors have the great opportunity to empathize with all kind of experience as better as they are skillful, without really suffering them, at least not for long time. Well Rufus is very skillful in his job, as you said so well. I think people should live their own life like actors do playing, with involvement together with aloofness. Ab absurdo, actually actors have experience of Life better than people. For the time being what TS said seems right to me. |
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Post by ree on Jun 9, 2007 0:05:30 GMT
I received an e-mail from a very nice representative of Silksoundbooks. My problem was probably due to the length of the download and my wireless connection. They have checked out their file, and it is fine. So to those of you with DSL/Broadband, don't be concerned about having the same difficulties. Go for it!  |
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Post by lotuspad on Jun 9, 2007 1:21:15 GMT
I downloaded mine last nite and loaded onto my ipod. I listened to it on my way to work today. His voice for the female parts put a smile of my face, well actually he made me laughed out loud. He's simply marvelous. I'm getting ready to get into bed and put on my headset and let Rufus read me to sleep.
Sorry about all the downloading difficulties. But it will be all worth it when you finally get it done. Good luck!!
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Post by Terri Mac on Jun 9, 2007 13:27:57 GMT
Lotuspad, Hooray for you. I agree. Isn't it great - I've been letting Rufus put me to sleep for the last several nights since I've gotten it as well  |
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Post by maxx02 on Jun 9, 2007 13:30:17 GMT
Lotuspad, Hooray for you. I agree. Isn't it great - I've been letting Rufus put me to sleep for the last several nights since I've gotten it as well lol! Poor Roof. I'm not sure that's what he has in mind with his reading of Joseph Andrews. |
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Post by lotuspad on Jun 9, 2007 14:51:26 GMT
Well Maxx...he knows now!! lol... I'm sure he doesn't mind that at all. I dunno, being the heartthrob for us girls is not such a bad job, is it?
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Post by maxx02 on Jun 9, 2007 15:17:13 GMT
Well Maxx...he knows now!! lol... I'm sure he doesn't mind that at all. I dunno, being the heartthrob for us girls is not such a bad job, is it? actually what I meant was putting people to sleep... |
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Post by lotuspad on Jun 9, 2007 20:57:47 GMT
I see. Oh he puts us to sleep in a very good way and we ASK for it. LOL. That's better? Mmm...that yummy voice...
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Post by mcr5137 on Jun 9, 2007 23:09:44 GMT
I'm not sure I could fall asleep to Rufus' reading, if it is a good story! Nick Silver, THAT I could fall asleep to, at least after I'd heard it a few times. But a book? Nah, I couldn't do it. His voice is mesmerizing to be sure......but I'd be caught up in the story and his voice......I just don't think I could go to sleep!
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Post by Terri Mac on Jun 10, 2007 3:02:43 GMT
[I've been letting Rufus put me to sleep for the last several nights since I've gotten it as well] Ok, I have to defend myself because what I said is not what I meant! I'm in publishing, I had better watch my words  What I meant was, at bedtime, when I am most relaxed, I listen to Ruf's reading of Joseph Andrews (not to fall asleep to it, but to have completely pleasant thoughts . . . that is, when it IS time to go to sleep!) . . . and I'm loving the book . . . and the reader  |
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Post by ree on Jun 10, 2007 6:10:21 GMT
aw, I knew what ya meant! Ruf's voice gives me sweet dreams too!  Love that new avatar Teri Mac. |
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Post by sevensisters on Jun 10, 2007 13:34:19 GMT
I'm thrilled! I've got it downloaded and it's as enjoyable as you all have said!
And, Ree, it's encouraging that you received a good response from a Silksounds rep. when you e-mailed them with your problems -- so many times that's not the way it turns out. I'm impressed.
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