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Using Theatrical Intimacy Practices to Create Vocal Health Boundaries

2022; Routledge; Volume: 79; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.53830/tubi6925

2769-4046

Brian Manternach, D. F. Eggers,

Diverse Musicological Studies

Using Theatrical Intimacy Practices to Create Vocal Health Boundaries Brian Manternach (bio) and David Eggers (bio) THE INDEPENDENT TEACHER INTRODUCTION A recent situation in London's West End has captured the attention of singers and voice teachers as well as the mainstream press: An actor is suing the Walt Disney Company for vocal injuries she sustained while performing in one of its productions. As reported in the Evening Standard, singer Jade Ewen claims her voice was "damaged" due to the taxing vocal demands that came about while performing in the West End production of Aladdin.1 Specifically, she states that she "was forced, repeatedly during the eight performances per week, over a period of about 18 months, to sing at a louder volume and with greater strength than was comfortable and/or safe for her."2 Ewen says she was warned of potential vocal trouble by a vocal coach, and yet, as she claims, management ignored her complaints. She has accused the company of failing to protect her health and safety by not providing in-ear monitors or vocal training to help fix the problem. As a result, she suffered "symptoms of recurrent hoarseness, discomfort, and imbalance in her singing voice" due to vocal fold lesions and a vascular polyp,3 which eventually necessitated surgery "to rescue her singing voice."4 The case brings up several intriguing questions pertinent to singers and voice teachers: What are the proper steps singers should take if they are asked by directors to vocally overextend themselves? How can singers speak up without being labeled by management as "difficult to work with" or "high maintenance"? And what is the role of voice teachers in these situations? The scenario playing out between Ewen and Disney highlights the lack of well known procedures when circumstances of vocal health arise. In searching for amicable solutions, we may consider borrowing techniques from a relatively new process in theatre that is becoming increasingly popular: theatrical intimacy practices. As described by Theatrical Intimacy Education faculty members Susanne Shawyer and Kim Shively, [t]he development of theatrical intimacy practices in the past decade offers one possible response to the need for ethical actor training in boundary management. Practitioners like Kate Buesselle, Adam Noble, Chelsea Pace, Laura Rikard, Alicia Rodis, and Tonia Sina have developed a variety of theatrical intimacy techniques aimed at staging scenes portraying sexual and emotional intimacy or sexual violence in a safe and effective manner. These practices include methods for establishing clear communication around consent, boundaries, and intimacy [End Page 73] choreography, which are widely applicable in the acting classroom and rehearsal hall.5 In this article, we posit that one of the applications of theatrical intimacy techniques is to help actors establish boundaries when it comes to preserving their vocal health. Further, the practices can help outline steps actors can take when asked to engage in potentially risky vocal behaviors in order to advocate for themselves during theater productions. CONSENT-BASED REHEARSAL SPACES One of the foundations of theatrical intimacy techniques is to follow consent-based practices. Borrowing the FRIES acronym established by Planned Parenthood, consent must be Freely given, Reversible, Informed, Enthusiastic/Engaged/Embodied, and Specific.6 In a consent-based environment, actors are encouraged to come to rehearsals with a clear understanding of their boundaries—physically, personally, professionally, culturally, and, we would argue, vocally. A consent-based approach then requires that directors respect and honor actors' boundaries throughout the creative process. An oft repeated phrase in theatrical intimacy training is, "Your boundaries are perfect exactly as they are."7 Requests made of actors during consent-based rehearsals involve the use of openended questions, like, "Does that work for you?," "What are your thoughts on that?," or "How do you feel about that?"8 Significantly, this allows actors to express when they are experiencing discomfort and then articulate what it is they need in order to move forward with the rehearsal process. In these settings, if actors receive vocal direction from a director or musical director that they feel crosses their vocal boundaries and could possibly cause harm, or if it is not something they can readily...