All About Deepak Morris

Many people contact me, asking to help them become actors - on stage, in films, or in serials.

That's not a problem. I'm always willing to help someone become an actor.

However, their attitude always seems to suggest that acting is not so much an art or a science but simply being in the right place at the right time. They are not looking for training in acting, they are looking for some miraculous opportunity that will catapult them to fame.

Doesn't happen.

Scientists study hard and long and some still don't make it big.

That's acting. Study hard and long and there's still no guarantee you'll make it big.

Working with my student on "The Merchant Of Venice".

"Everyone just hated the Jews, right?" she said when we tackled the parts where Shylock came in.

"Everyone needs someone to hate", I replied, "Shakespeare made that someone a Jew. Whom do we hate now?"

She paused. The pause grew longer.

"Muslims?" she asked tentatively.

I kept quiet.

"Radical Hindus?" she asked again.

I kept quiet.

"Fundamental Christians?" she asked before lapsing into complete silence.

Finally, "Shakespeare was saying we can find reason to hate anyone!"

Two of my scripts are now available for Kindle through Amazon at just a dollar a download!

If you don't own a Kindle it's no problem, just download the free Kindle for PC application.

So, here goes,

Download Business Is War

Or download Who Let The Dogs Out?

Just a dollar a download!

I think it is very, very important for an actor to explore music. Music, far from being something just a few "gifted" people enjoy, is actually very much a part of every human being's speech and action. When someone has "an accent" (everyone thinks someone from a different country has an accent whereas he/she doesn't), rhythm, cadence, is very much part of that accent.

Play an upbeat song and a child automatically moves to the beat. Try it. If you think you're bad at music, just play an upbeat song for a child on your music system and see how it delights in moving to the music. No one taught it. It's doubtful if it had the chance to see someone dance but it dances!

Now see how changing the beat can actually change the music! The following is the original "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by the Shirelles:

See what happens to it when the beat is changed to Reggae:

Note how Gray stays within the melody but the beat frees him to experiment more with the notes. How can this help you deliver lines differently? Can you change the beat so the lines become fresh because the notes you hit in your speech (oh yes, we hit notes in our speech) are different?

Here's an example of using your imagination to make sense of a vague script. I saw a question on Yahoo! Answers that asked how a particular script with no stage directions could be used to create a meaningful scene.

The question and my answer (selected as Best Answer) can be seen by clicking the link below:

Making sense of a vague script

(Dinesh, around 40, walks on, struggling with a pile of large books – large in area and in thickness – in his hands)

DINESH: (Putting books down on the table)

Okay, girls, let’s settle down and begin today’s lesson. (Long pause) Oh, okay, you want to eat your biscuits (pause) um... okay, tiffin. You know, tiffin is a uniquely Indian word, from when… (pause) what, Melanie? You want to go to the toilet? Oh, okay, I’ll get one of the helpers to take you.

(He calls to an imaginary helper) Um, Melanie here wants to go to the toilet, can you take her, please? (Pause) Oh, Siddhi seems to want to go too. Is it too much of a problem – oh, thanks! You’re a saviour!

What’s that, Riddhi? (Pause) Yes, I know Siddhi’s your twin but that doesn’t mean – oh all right, stop doing that, I get that you need to go to the bathroom too. You may follow your sister.

So we, um, yes, it’s just you and I, Ghia. No, not you and me, you and I. Yes, that is the right way to say it and your daddy is (beat) not entirely wrong if he says “me” but the more correct word in this context is “I”.

Context? Oh, that’s something you’ll learn when you grow older. And Melanie, please don’t drag that steel chair across the floor. (Pause) Yes, I know you’re back from the toilet – the screeching chair told me so. Child, okay, girl, okay MELANIE!

Oh dear god, don’t cry! Please don’t cry! Pretty please don’t cry?

Okay, um… see the pretty pictures in this book? Oh dear god she’s still crying. Hey! Want some ice cream?

Oh damn, that was a mistake.

No! I said “oh Dan”! I DIDN’T say a naughty word! I said “Dan” I tell you!

This is a monologue I wrote for the "Chillin' In My Brown Skin" Asian Festival in Toronto years ago. Enjoy:

The Matchmaker

By Deepak Morris

Copyright © Deepak Morris, 2005

(The Front Room of MRS CHITNIS’ home office. There is a table and a chair. There is a pile of files on the table. MRS CHITNIS’ voice is heard off)

MRS CHITNIS:

Come in, come in, my dear. What did you say your name was? (coming on) Anjali? Anjali Bambawale? Any relation to the Bambawale’s of Sadashiv Peth? You know, they live near Chitale Bandhu? The Sweetshop (pause) No? Oh, okay. (Sitting at the table) Let’s see now (searches among the files until she locates Anjali’s file, opens it, reads) Hmmm… 34? (Looks across at the imaginary Anjali) You’re THIRTY-FOUR years old? What have you been doing so long? Your parents should have tried to get you married long ago. And it’s no wonder you’re having difficulty finding a match… you’re dark skinned! Were your parents sleeping? They should have got you married ten years ago. Really, I tell you, parents are so lazy these days!

(Pause) What’s that you say? Father died six years ago? Well, really! How are you going to pay the dowry then? That’s the trouble with you ‘modern’ people. No idea how important it is to have a father alive and earning to pay the dowry. Hmmm… let’s see (reads the papers in the file) any brothers…. brothers... brothers… hmmm.. one brother… hmmm… older…. ACTOR? Which Serial? (Pause) Humph… STAGE ACTOR? We can write off any dowry contribution from him then. You people make it so difficult for the matchmaker these days. Let’s get one thing clear, young lady, though why I call you young I don’t know…. THIRTY-FOUR! And dark skinned too! As I was saying, let’s get one thing clear; with a skin like that and your age, the dowry will have to be hefty. (Pause) Illegal? Well of course dowry is illegal. That doesn’t stop people from asking and girls like you from paying if you want a good match.

Well, let’s see if we can salvage something from the situation…. (reads the papers again) You’re a POST-GRADUATE? What on earth were you thinking? First of all, you’re dark-skinned. Then you wait until you’re 34. And on top of that, you go and get a post graduate qualification. Now you’ll tell me you want someone better qualified than you. (Pause) I knew it! No doubt he’ll have to be earning more than you do too… Don’t nod like that! Do you know how difficult your position is? And mine too. I have a reputation to protect, you know. I’m the best matchmaker in Pune. And I don’t believe in that nonsense about being spurred by a good challenge. If I were interested in spurs, I’d be a jockey – now don’t interrupt, young lady (sneering tone at “young”) I don’t need a lesson on horseracing.

Anyway, let’s see... hmmmm… Occupation, teacher… College! Ah, that’s good, that’s good. Teachers are in demand these days, especially if they are willing to migrate to the USA… What’s that? (Pause) Now look here, you silly fool. None of that patriotic nonsense. What do you mean you want to stay in India? (Pause) Nothing doing. Apply for a job in the USA or Canada. Or at least Australia. No wait! Australia doesn’t recognise Indian qualifications. It has to be the USA. Don’t interrupt! So far, you’ve done all you can to spoil your chances of getting married. Now don’t spoil the one remaining chance.

Here’s what you do. Look through the appointment pages – the Opportunities Overseas section – and apply for all the teaching positions in the USA or Canada. Keep me informed. There are plenty of good boys who will jump at the chance to marry a girl who gets a job in the USA. Canada too. The minute you get a job there, we’ll fix an engagement. Better to fix things so that nobody backs out at the last minute. There was one girl who went off and then married somebody in the USA. So you’ll pay my fee before you leave India. Yes, you may go now… (Watches as the imaginary Anjali leaves, then sighs and shuts the file, to audience) THIRTY-FOUR! I hope I can find a fool who will believe that she is still innocent.

BLACKOUT

Note:

Women, regardless of age, who are looking for a husband are called “girls” in India. Similarly, a man looking for a wife is called a “boy”.

Innocent is a euphemism for virgin.

To see my answers about various aspects of theatre on Yahoo answers, go to the following URL:

My Yahoo Answers

Over 2,000 answers and adding day by day.

There are a couple of interesting discussions going on about music being mathematical at Facebook - well, they are the ones I'm aware of, there are probably more discussions on the same theme on Facebook by people to whom I am not connected.

Music and theatre are inextricably intertwined. Theatre uses music to creat mood, to reinforce the ethos of a scene, to accelerate the grasp of a scene - when you hear a rimshot, you know a one-liner has been delivered and you laugh. Then your brain replays the one-liner and you get the actual humour and laugh again. Every stand-up comedian knows this.

So I thought I'd explore this theme a bit in this blog. It'll probably take more than a few posts to explore this but here goes:

Music is inherent in humans

Have you watched a mother swaying her baby to sleep? She sings a lullaby without even thinking about it. She may never have sung in her life. She may think she's an awful singer. At a karaoke bar, she may actually prove that thought. However, to put her baby to sleep, she SINGS! 

What is it that makes every human mother sing to her baby? Is she genetically programmed to do so?

If that is true, then music is in our genes. Even the most un-musical human has the musical gene or he / she would never find a lullaby soothing.

Where did this music come from?

The begining of music is rhythm

I once had an argument with a music teacher, my stance being that some people are musical, others are not and nothing can be done about that.

My teacher grimly replied, "Even the most un-musical soldier learns to march in step."

(This ties in perfectly with my own belief that we are all actors, we just don't know it, but that's a topic for a different post).

Rhythm, then, is an integral part of us. We may not move our bodies very elegantly to a rhythm but we CAN stomp to a rhythm

There has to be an evolutionary reason for this. There HAS to be a reason why every human mother sings to her infant and every human being is capable of moving in rhythm.

I'll leave you with just these two thoughts for now. I'll be exploring them in further detail over the days.

Stay tuned

You know, every once in a while someone does something for you that is so unexpected, it knocks you out of your socks.

I received the following recommendation on LinkedIn from Prafull Devale, who has worked with almost every English-language group in Pune:

Deepak Morris is the 1st name that comes in mind when one talks about quality English Theatre in Pune.

I'm lucky that my Theatrical Innings began with Deepak's "Rhapsody Theatre". Not only did he first cast me in a full-length Musical Play, he also persisted with me in his subsequent Plays, in plum roles...

What strikes immediately about Deepak is his no-nonsense, professional nature, his love for Dramatics & his expertise in the same. With a helpful nature, an ever smiling face & a dash of humour, Deepak is a pleasure to work with. Everything - right from the initial play reading, casting to scheduling, blocking,  rehearsals, costumes, props, lights, sound, publicity, tech.rehearsals & the final presentation - is carried out in real world-class manner. Nowhere else,have I seen the basics being adhered to so meticulously.

Deepak is non-intrusive, soft spoken & allows the actors the freedom to develop their own style. During a production he is calm, unruffled & casts actors strictly on merit & as per the demands of the role. No personal favourites with Deepak, as far as the castings go. If a role is unusual/difficult, he goes out of his way to make things easy for the actor, and is also flexible, open to suggestions. Very important - he listens to the actor & understands the actor's point of view.  Deepak is extremely fair in all his dealings, a fine gentleman & a completely dedicated, true Thespian. If you are a Theatre enthusiast, living in Pune & have not been a part of Deepak Morris' Rhapsody Theatre Productions', what Theatre have you done?

My Note: Thank you, Prafull!