At first glance this scene looks fairly straightforward: girl crosses the line with another guy and boyfriend gets pissed. Boyfriend walks out - game over. And that certainly is true of what happens in this scene. As the actors delve a little deeper into character and personality traits it will be interesting to see what else is discovered. How often in life do we allow ourselves to go against a first thought or deep intuition? What was at the back of Jessica's mind when she accepted Brad's offer? Did she have a subconscious need to provoke Mathew? Is she totally innocent or just naive? Is there something in their relationship that needs shaking up a little? Mathew's reaction is understandable. He is jealous, hurt and angry. He's just caught his best girl kissing his arch rival in the bathroom at the party. Is this every guy's Achilles heel? Is this every guy's worst nightmare? Is his reaction as much to do with saving face in front of the crowd as is it to do with his deep hurt? But through the anger and outrage is he throwing out the baby with the bath water? (Apologies for the over use of analogies.) This scene gives both actors strong dramatic material. Each has clear actions to play and each knows what to fight for. Jessica is fighting for the survival of her relationship and to protest her innocence. See: characters act to survive. She claims it is a mistake. Nothing was meant by it. The actor who plays Jessica will need to make strong and specific choices here. How much does she regret her actions? Was it all a lapse of judgement? How much does Mathew mean to her? Wherever possible we make the strongest dramatic choices that fit the logic of the scene. Perhaps she was tempted to test the line, using Brad to see where Mathew stood. Perhaps she wanted a strong demonstration from Mathew or again perhaps it was all completely uncalculated. These decisions are all open to interpretation. The actor playing Mathew will need to examine the emotional obligations of hurt, anger and jealousy. And just how deep these feelings go will also depend on the emotional investment of the relationship between Jessica and Brad. Adding to the questions we asked earlier about Mathew's reasons for cutting it with Jessica, we might also explore his belief system. Does Mathew have a rule that involves fidelity and faithfulness? How can he be so cut and dry so quickly? It's over so it's over. Or is there more to it? Is he just reacting out of deep hurt? The actors will also need to factor in the effects of drug and alcohol on the system. Clearly these substances have an effect on their behaviour, rationality and their emotional systems. The effects of the alcohol and dope take their toll on Jessica. Mathew has a chivalrous moment when he gets her some water, but this is not enough to change his course of action. It Was Nothing: gives actors an opportunity to explore a strong scene where they can work from the front foot and react off each other's offers. It provides strong material for investigating subtle and subconscious elements of relationship and character. The actors playing this scene may make some surprising discoveries pertaining to why people feel and act the way they do - and they are not always obvious.
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