When lovers reunite after periods of absence there are often feelings of intense anticipation and unspeakable joy: Hannah's expectation that this will happen for her is no different. But she is caught by surprise when Aidan appears at the front door. He's early - she's not ready - and the guests are not there for the surprise party. She greets him with open arms and cries of pleasure. Her lover's arms never felt so good. Hannah is about to learn that all is not as she thought it would be and Aidan is about to confess some disturbing news. This soldier carries deep emotional scars and in that sense Hannah will never know Aidan the way she did before he left for war. The actor's responsibilities for this scene are broad. Rehearsals will possibly begin by exploring the couple's relationship and their history. How do they feel about each other? What understanding exists between them? How does Hannah feel about being married to a soldier? What is it like to know that your spouse is putting himself in harms way and one day may never return? Clearly the actor playing Aidan will need to research the affects of PTSD. How does the body deal with extreme trauma? What are the physical manifestations of PTSD? Does it affect people differently? How does the emotional body operate with PTSD? For Aidan dealing with trauma is one thing - confessing to his wife that he has made attempts on his own life is another. This may be the most vulnerable Aidan has ever been. As a soldier he is trained to suppress emotion. Whatever he has experienced has clearly changed him forever. The acting choice supporting these character and emotional obligations needs to be strong and impacting for the actor. Using a strong personal substitution may be one way of exploring this, becoming open to and sharing and expressing vulnerability. Hannah's expectations are clearly defeated and in a sense go from bad to worse (see defeated expectations). She travels through a range of different emotions in this scene: from joy and jubilation to concern to fear to shock to deep feelings of care and love (naming only a few). This presents an exciting acting challenge for the actor playing Hannah. Her role in this scene is almost all reactive - she simply does not know what is coming next. If the actor can surrender to this roller-coaster ride of the emotional journey it will certainly be a rewarding acting experience for both audience and actors. While Hannah's conflict is primarily focused on her husband, Aidan's is almost entirely focused inward. He is constantly dealing with horrific images in his mind; they leave him feeling dead inside. He has turned to alcohol and has sought his own destruction. Coming home today has most likely been a huge struggle in itself. Part of him wanted to stay in the military hospital a little longer - while another part has desperately wanted to return home. He is a torn and broken man. Exploring the emotional lives of both these characters presents an exciting acting challenge. This scene carries a responsibility for the actors to represent a painful aspect of the human condition with accuracy and authenticity. War is tragedy. It's after affects are long lasting and devastating. But from the darkest depths of despair the flicker-flame of love ignites eternal. And as it grows and brightens; the power of love lifts us all. |