The elusive search for presence

On training with Philippe Gaulier 

You either have it or you don’t. That is what we are led to believe. Certain actors have the innate ability to compel without words, projecting an aura that makes an audience hold its breath.

In training with Philippe Gaulier, very few students ever impressed him. Failure became a daily occurrence. What was he looking for? ‘I will know it when I see it. You must find it. You must have pleasure.’

Playing a bouffon clown in class one day, I waited outside the door for the command to enter. Unsure of what would happen beyond the door, my mind raced: I could burst into song; I could trip over my feet ... Each time I thought I had nailed it, I was greeted with ‘You leave!’

Seven times I entered, seven times I was sent back to re-enter: ‘Again! With pleasure!’

By the tenth time, I was frustrated, fuming and feeling utterly vulnerable. My mind was a fog of emotions unable to conjure any ideas. I threw the door open and furiously entered: ‘Alright! This is all I’ve got!’

Silence.

Gaulier said nothing. I could feel my eyes burning into audience members, as fear turned into energy growing inside me. Without thinking or pre-planning I launched into a passionate monologue: my character’s story. For three minutes I held the audience, entranced. When I came to a close, Gaulier simply said, ‘That was it.’

It was not immediately that I fully understood what had happened that day. Much later, with hindsight, I realised that pleasure projects from the eyes when you are present and engaged in the moment. Whether your character is happy or sad, angry or lost, as an actor, we need to live that moment with truth and passion in order to exude the elusive stage presence.

Originally published by

Kate Craddock (Volume 8, 2017) Training Grounds Editorial, Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 8:2, 225-230,DOI: 10.1080/19443927.2017.1326722