So, I widdled my characters down to five distinct people in addition to the generic Greek chorus ensemble member I play in most of the songs. Only at the last rehearsal did I come up with who one of my characters, CONGRESSMAN #2, was going to be and that was only AFTER running the scene a few times (so I still haven't actually tried out the character!). The more vague the character, the longer it takes me to find him. Many actors in the cast excel at improv and can easily try on different guises for their roles and quickly discard them if they don't work out, but I generally will say my lines outside of a character until I get a better feel for how I think the role should be played. Anyway, here's the inspiration board I've come up with for my roles, starting with...
CONGRESSMAN #2
This guy is part of a trio that grills Jackson at an exploratory senate hearing. There is so much in the scene to react to (even though my back is to the audience), so I'm going to play this guy as a conservative, wholesome dweeb who is aghast at anything the slightest bit illicit. This guy would probably be a member of the Parents Television Council. Here are the people in my head for this guy:
JOHN CALHOUN
Calhoun is the most interesting of the real people I'm portraying. He was a political player throughout Jackson's life, serving as Secretary of War during Jackson's invasion of Florida during the First Seminole War, winning the Vice-Presidency in the same election that saw Jackson losing the Presidency after no candidate won an Electoral majority (John Quincy Adams was named President after the first "corrupt bargain"), and also winning as Vice-President to serve under Jackson when he won the Presidency during the next election. [FYI: Vice-Presidents at the time were elected separately from the President; the concept of being on the "same ticket" had yet to be hatched.]
Calhoun was a strong supporter of slavery, nullification (of any federal law that a state deemed unconstitional), and secession of states from the Union. I'm playing this guy as a Good Ol' Southern Boy, taking in both Scott's notes which I posted before...
JOHN CALHOUN of South Carolina - "a smooth, Rhett Butler like Southern senator, the smartest man in the room" (Alex Timbers [librettist for BBAJ]), legendary member of the Senate, vice-president to both John Quincy Adams and Jackson, strong slavery advocate and proponent of nullification (i.e., "states' rights")... When Jackson left the White House, he said to a reporter, "After eight years as President, I have only two regrets, that I have not shot Henry Clay or hanged John C. Calhoun."...and those listed in the Cast of Characters in the script:
"Gentlemen senator from the South. Sinister, good-looking, charming, and brilliant. A vain mastermind. Wears the finest clothes. The most restrained of the cabal."
RED EAGLE
I only have three lines as Red Eagle, aka William Weatherford, but this guy also has quite a history! His mixed lineage included Creek, French, and Scots ancestry, though he was the chief of the Upper Creeks who led the "Red Sticks" against the U.S. in the Creek War (1813-1814). He had a plantation (with slaves!) in the Upper Creek territory, but resented European-American settlers and the Lower Creeks, who were becoming assimilated. Red Eagle, a brutal warrior, and the Red Sticks attempted to drive out those "encroaching" on their land. They lost the final Battle of Horseshoe Bend, but Red Eagle manage to escape and join the Seminoles in Florida. Red Eagle eventually turned himself in at Fort Jackson. Colonel Andrew Jackson spared his life and used him to negotiate a peace treaty with the Upper Creeks, which resulted in the Creeks losing even more of their land.
ANDREW JACKSON SR.
I'm relying less on the real life of this character (not much is actually known about him) and more on an archetype: the racist asshole who loves to beat his wife (Scott's words!) and easily flies off the handle. Though we are playing this scene straight instead of comically as the original production did, there is still a lot of humor here as we set up the irrationality behind Andrew Jackson Jr.'s hatred of Indians, which of course stems from his good ol' dad!
Yes, that's Eric Roberts in Star 80!
OPTIMISTIC GUY
I have a long monologue that follows one of the favorite stage directions I posted about last week:
Jackson is President, the People of America stand behind him unified. He's either going to be the best President ever of the worst. Holy Shit.
Obviously, this guy thinks Jackson's going to be the best! I imagine that this guy feels exactly how many Americans felt when Obama was elected President. That things were finally going to be different!
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