I found the reading interesting because I do find that it is more difficult for an actor to remain still and yet active and alive in their body onstage. Actors are much more accustomed to movement than to stillness and I do believe it requires another skill entirely to be effectively still. I think that the times I have had to be still in shows (in tableaux or what have you) were the most difficult, because I had to maintain the "idea" of movement and activity, frozen in an awkward physical stance for who knows how long while still being "present" in the scene and paying attention to the action. In Evita I was a "vanity" as in a piece of furniture with a mirror on it, during one of Evita's songs, a couple other girls and I were playing her furniture, and I had to be completely still, holding a mirror up over my head for a good few minutes . . . that was a lot harder than it looked I'm sure.
ANYWHO, I also was reminded of the Ziegfield Follies and their large Tableaux Vivants of girls surrounded by beautiful splendor, wearing lovely costumes, but not really doing anything but sitting there and looking good. Also I thought about a live nativity scene, when I was in France at Christmas time the Catholic churches there were pretty big on having a live nativity. There is definitely a lot of power in stillness in theatre, I think it can be incredibly important for staging, establishing mood and developing a story.
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