I Can't Play the Lute (Experience #2)

02-29-2020

Last night I spent my evening at the Dallas Museum of Art as a painting come to life for their Family Mystery Night. I was the Lute Player out of Pietro Paolini's painting Bacchic Concert, and I, along with my fellow paintings and sculptures, was a suspect in the destruction of the DMA's talent show. It was up to the children running throughout the museum's galleries to find out who had ruined the talent show by gathering clues and interviewing artworks.

Working as a hired actor for the DMA's event wasn't new to me--I'd actually done it over the summer for an adult murder mystery--but it was my first time interacting so closely with children as an actor. There were some things that I knew to expect going into the evening. For example, even though I'd had my script for weeks and knew what I was supposed to say, I knew it would be inevitable that I would have to deviate from my given lines. Crowds of children and parents were going to swarm me asking questions, regardless of whether or not they were on the list of suggested questions to ask the actors. Being able to improvise in character in the moment is essential in that situation. What I didn't expect was how creative children's lines of questioning could become. I had to quickly come up with backstories for how I felt about each of the band members in my assigned painting. I had to imagine band names. I had to make up rules for how I, the Lute Player, was standing outside of my painting because, according to one child, if I was really outside of my painting, then wouldn't the Lute Player be missing from the physical painting on the wall behind me? The adults who'd been questioning me the last time I worked for the DMA had nothing on these kids. It was both delightful and terrifying to feel their scrutiny and suspicion upon me, but I knew I could handle it. The job proved to be an excellent way for me to hone my live performance skills.

There was one big challenge that I was uncertain of how to deal with going into the my performance for the Mystery Night: I can't play the lute. When I'd gone to my costuming appointment, they informed me that there was no lute for me to use. Then I was told to bring something to use as a replacement for a lute, so I came prepared with my ukulele. But here's the thing: a ukulele is obviously not a lute. The children brought this up to me time and time again, asking why I had a ukulele. "Well, I didn't have the ability to buy and learn how to play the lute in just a couple of weeks," wouldn't have been an acceptable answer. Instead, I realized I could incorporate my ukulele into my character's story. "Just because I am playing the lute in my painting," I told the children, "doesn't mean that I can only play the lute! I can play any instrument I want." The children would readily agree, as any audience is willing to do for an actor imbuing their words with confidence. I even went so far as to add, "In fact, I'm not playing my lute right now because I've hidden it away in my painting for safekeeping. I'm terrified whoever wrecked the talent show might try to wreck my lute too!" This set most of the children abuzz with excitement over a potential new clue, one that I had made up on the spot all because I couldn't play the lute.

The job ended up feeling more like playing a game than working. It was an opportunity for me to practice my skills as an actor. I had to be ready to improvise at a moment's notice. I had to maintain my character from the start to the end of the night. I had to maintain my focus and energy for the sake of those who hadn't spoken to me yet. The biggest takeaway for me, though, was learning how to interact with the kids as my character. It was a new experience for me, one that I wasn't sure I would be good at, but in the end, I found that I really enjoyed working with them to help them solve the case!