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English translation: without presenting your private self
18:42 Dec 16, 2016
German to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Cinema, Film, TV, Drama
German term or phrase:Nicht privat zu werden
Hello,
This is from a series of interviews with drama students. One of the interviewees makes this comment:
Das ist eine ganz schwierige Frage, das ist ja die Krux in der ein Schauspieler lebt, finde ich, also dieses schizophrene, ich bin X aber ich spiele jetzt Kassandra und ich finde ein guter Schauspieler schafft es seine Persönlichkeit an die Rolle anzubinden aber nicht privat zu werden. Das heisst eine Figur zu lieben, eine Figur zu verteidigen und sie aber mit persönlichen Elementen anzureichern.
The concept I'm not really sure about is "nicht privat zu werden". My rendering: "I think that a good actor manages to merge his personality with the role, but not to (---)". Could it be something like "not hold back", "not be private about something."? I have no idea.
Imo, this "nicht werden" (on stage) refers to the mental/emotional discipline of separating out the "private self" that one chooses not to channel, inadvertently or intentionally, into the role.
I've been involved in semi-pro theatre in Germany for many years, both in English- and in German-language productions (as an actor). Whenever the German director or well-meaning fellow actors told me "werd nicht privat" or "das ist zu privat" they mean that I shouldn't put too much of my own character and mannerisms into a role, mostly when I wasn't concentrating properly during rehearsals, i.e. being myself and not the character I am supposed to play...
So they had to know me personally ("privat") to notice that I'm acting "privat" rather than what was expected of me as the character in the play.
So your choice of Jonnie Legg's answer is fairly appropriate, but, with acting being a very un-precise art that's very difficult to nail down to some sort of definition, elements of Ramey's and Michael's answers are just as relevant and acceptable.
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
@Lonnie
07:47 Dec 20, 2016
nope, just keeping to the question. Happy solstice!
I "catch"--at first I thought you were referring to the opposing elements of the acting process, as reflected upon by the actor...
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
@Lonnie
17:28 Dec 19, 2016
Yours and mine - Both suggestions refer to an actor distancing her private self from the role. Your suggestion is an outward motion of the actress (not) injecting her private being into the role. My suggestion is an inward motion, the role (not) penetrating an actress's private being. Do you catch my drift?
Which two interpretations are you referring to? The distinction you point out in your comment to my entry is exactly what I'm referring to--but beyond this distinction, also separating out the "private self" that one chooses not to "werden" on stage, i.e. not to channel into the role.
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
AW, C'MON Desmond!
11:31 Dec 19, 2016
At least tell us what you DID use! The rest is academic.
I delivered this project on Sunday evening. If the client questions the rendering of "nicht Privat werden", I'll definitely consider using some of the other suggestions you have all thrown out there.
It was great to see people being so passionate about language! Thank you all once again for making this such a dynamic forum.
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
@Björn
08:48 Dec 19, 2016
Ah, the grammar! This leaves room for doubt, on all counts and for all suggestions. And what makes it so nebulous.
As I said, I won't rule out the possibility - there's a good reason why I don't like watching interviews with actors anymore than the ones with soccer players. "Hey, the team was fantastic; everything was great; I soo could feel the connection between us..." yadiyadiyada
I just don't see it here. You'd have said something like "ich finde ein guter Schauspieler schafft es, seine Persönlichkeit an die Rolle anzubinden aber nicht im Privaten so zu agieren/werden/..." - the change of "privat" to "im Privaten" makes all the (grammatical) difference to me (and this version would have ruled out Lonnie's suggestion).
Best wishes
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
@Björn
08:21 Dec 19, 2016
Your arguments are undeniably convincing, as good arguments should be. Still, we have two viable interpretations, and you may certainly find examples of the other way around, if you were to look for them. Nicht privat zu werden: does the role (not) penetrate your private life or do you (not) project your private life into the role? I do not believe my suggestion is written in stone, I never do, it is merely viable, as is Lonnie's. There are always other interpretations. Language lives!
I assume this is a case of thinking too much about a phrase (something I am guilty of a lot, I guess). The expression has little or nothing to do with acting - even in another context, its meaning remains the same.
I don't disagree with you or Kristina that what you're suggesting is something an actor should not be doing.
However, this particular German sentence does not support your interpretation; in essence, "privat werden" means either divulging information from your personal life or (possibly) getting intimate. See the examples below, e.g., about the singer (3rd link): Listeners feel that they are directly spoken to or can relate to the things he sings about; it's not some cold, distant "narration." But the singer "wird nicht privat," i.e., he's not divulging anything too personal.
Just take a look at the preceding sentence bit: "ich bin X aber ich spiele jetzt Kassandra"
Say, you have to play Cleopatra. Then you should become Cleopatra by studying her life. Maybe you can slip some of your own quirks into the role, but you should never act as Kassandra.
It's not about taking it home with you - what would that have for an impact on your performance? It may have an effect on your personal life, but that isn't what these drama students are being interviewed about.
Putting the issues with "personal and "private" aside for a moment (which are semi-false friends, as you may well know), I'd like to add that while I don't doubt Kristina's knowledge, I don't think you can answer this question by looking at what's more common in acting. Case in point: My quote below, which says "some actors preach."
In my opinion, the only way to resolve the difficulties which Armorel had with the "aber" in the second sentence is to follow Lonnie's suggestion.
Here's why: "ein guter Schauspieler schafft es seine Persönlichkeit an die Rolle anzubinden aber nicht privat zu werden" - i.e., a good actor can bring a bit of his personality, but not his personal life into the role
"Das heisst eine Figur zu lieben, eine Figur zu verteidigen und sie aber mit persönlichen Elementen anzureichern." - i.e., you should really work tirelessly to assume the role you're given, but add a bit of a personal touch to it
"Some actors preach that you need to leave your personal life outside when you step onto the stage, but she is a firm believer that you can’t separate the two — that there is no character if you don’t bring your personal life into the show because you are the character." https://dramaticarts.usc.edu/transparent-star-alexandra-bill...
Apparently, this person's opinion differs from the one of the drama student who was interviewed. But still, it can be used as an example of what's meant here.
I found something: "Wir finden heraus, wie wir von uns selbst mehr fordern können, ohne in Selbstkritik zu verharren, wie wir in die Arbeit als unabhängige Künstler gelangen, ohne gegen Machtspielchen ankämpfen zu müssen, und wie es geht transparent in unserem Schauspiel zu sein, ohne unser persönliches Selbst aufzugeben und in der Arbeit privat zu werden" http://www.actors-space.de/uploads/1/0/2/7/10277711/actors_s...
"Wie geht man damit um, ohne gleich seinen eigenen Senf dazuzugeben und privat zu werden? Das mag der Zuschauer im sogenannten „freien“ Theater nämlich gern: Wenn er - befreit vom Allgemeinwissen des Bildungsbürgertums - die Handlung ohne große Anstrengung verfolgen kann, lachen darf und alles (ALLES!) bis aufs letzte Wort sofort versteht." http://www.echoraum.at/yorickt.htm
"Die Songs, und vor allem die Texte, tragen dabei trotzdem eindeutig Danzers Handschrift. Und die ist immer persönlich – ohne dabei allzu privat zu werden" https://www.lustspielhaus.de/pdf/Programm-4-2005.pdf
Conclusion: It does mean that you may find some of your traits/quirks useful for a role, but you should never show your personal life/struggles on stage. Two roles.
{but not possible to become private: although he can insert his personality in the play, that is only a play and the spectoters can't associate it to his own personality: it's purely a character and nothing else
No, I think it means you're not supposed to act like you would "im Privaten" (meaning when you're at home).
What they're trying to say is that you may "spice up" your role with some personal quirks or whatever, but you're not supposed to merge with it.
There is you, the guy who laughs a lot and drinks heavily at parties, and there is the "other you" (you in your role) who doesn't like alcohol and comes across as stiff everytime someone is celebrating something.
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
18 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +4
not take it home with you/get too personal about it/identify too strongly with it
Explanation: The 'aber' leads me to believe it means NOT to get too involved - although, shouldn't it be dative? an der Rolle?
..to blend it in with/connect it to his/her personality, but not identify too strongly with it/not get too personal/not take it home with you.
Ramey Rieger (X) Germany Local time: 14:10 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 25