When Uta Hagen speaks, people listen. And for good reason. She's not only one of the finest actors in the American theatre, but one of the country's leading acting teachers. Her books "Respect for Acting" and "A Challenge for the Actor" have influenced actor training across America.
This has been Ms. Hagen's year. Starring in "Mrs. Klein," which opened to critical acclaim in the fall, she's now reaping the benefits of the Off-Broadway hit during this award season, receiving the Drama League Distinguished Performance Award, the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play, and, earlier this week, the Village Voice Obie Award for Sustained Achievement, as well as a nomination for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play.
Hearing her speak about her craft is inspirational, and I've had plenty of occasions to be inspired at the various award shows I've been attending. But this past Tuesday afternoon I was especially privileged to hear her talk for a full hour about her career, when the League of Professional Theatre Women invited her to be a part of its series of oral histories of women in theatre that's being videotaped and collected by the League in collaboration with the Theatre on Film and Tape Archives (under the direction of Betty Corwin, a League member) at the NY Public Library of the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. (The oral history project was originally conceived out of the need for more knowledge and documentation of women who help build the American theatre. Past participants have included Jean Dalrymple, Rosetta LeNoire, Zelda Fichandler, and, most recently, Phoebe Brand.)
Uta Hagen's career in the theatre spans over 60 years. She made her professional debut in 1937, at the age of 18, as Ophelia in Eva Le Gallienne's production of "Hamlet." She made her Broadway debut in 1938 as Nina in the Lunts' production "The Seagull." In 1947, after having been married and divorced from Josƒ Ferrer, she met Herbert Berghof while playing on Broadway in "The Whole World Over." She was invited to join the staff of the Herbert Berghof Studio--where she still teaches today, having trained many of the outstanding actors of the American stage and screen. (She married Mr. Berghof in 1957.) In 1948 she played Blanche DuBois in the National company of "A Streetcar Named Desire," then succeeded Jessica Tandy on Broadway the following year. In 1950, Ms. Hagen won her first Tony Award for creating the role of Georgie Elgin in Clifford Odets' "The Country Girl." In 1962, she won her second Tony Award for the role of Martha in Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
She's made TV appearances, had film roles, and continues her stage work. She's the author of two other books--"Sources," an autobiography, and "Love for Cooking"--and has been the recipient of numerous other awards and honors.
The event's moderator, Leah Frank (a League member as well as critic and author) was smart in focusing the hour specifically on Ms. Hagen's craft and approach to a role. In answer to the question of what aspects of her career Ms. Hagen would like to develop, considering that she's a lifelong student of her art, Ms. Hagen answered, "Becoming connected with a character is a whole learning process. I like a long run because my challenge here is to convince myself that all this has never happened before." She referred to seeing Laurette Taylor--one of her favorite actors--for a second time in a role. She was disappointed when a favorite moment didn't occur, but there were 10 new moments that happened that transcended what she had previously seen. The same thing happens for her in "Mrs. Klein." "If you came earlier to the show, you won't recognize it now," she noted. "I put myself in the moment each night and create new moments."
Commenting on the role of the director, Ms. Hagen stated that there never was conflict with the director of "Mrs. Klein," William Carden, but noted that a different point of view between actor and director can be exciting so long as you finally come together in agreement. But, Ms. Hagen pointed out, theatre is in a terrible state all over the world with innovative directors who feel a need to find new ways of doing the classics. She noted a "Hamlet" set in a health spa and an Ophelia distributing condoms. "They are destroying the art they turn actors into puppets. I'm not a machine the actor has the experience on stage, not the director. One director who saw me in 'Mrs. Klein' would love for me to play King Lear I don't believe in gender switches. What for?"
Her favorite directors were and are Harold Clurman, Mr. Berghof, of course, and now William Carden. "A director pushes the actor further than the actor thinks he could go. Herbert was the best." Asked if she would like to direct, Ms. Hagen said that she didn't have the visual imagination that being a director requires. "Everyone wants to be everything in America, but the pursuit of a specific craft in a field is a lifetime job."
What constitutes a "wonderful" role for Ms. Hagen? It's one that allows her to express a point of view of the world, something that she very much wants to share with others. "Every girl thinks that she must play St. Joan. Every guy thinks he must play Hamlet. You should ask yourself what you need to identify with I'm a tremendous romanticist. I've always been an enormous Shaw fan." (By the way, her pooch's name, that she brought along with her, is GB.) She named several Shakespearean roles that she always wanted to play, but emphasized she has no interest in playing Ophelia or Gertrude.
How does she define talent? According to Ms. Hagen, it's someone who is highly sensitive, aware of the world around him. Someone who has a vulnerability and doesn't shut himself off. It's also someone who has a need to express himself.
There were questions to be answered from an eager audience. Why didn't she do more film work? To the audience's surprise, Ms. Hagen stated that she was blacklisted for 10 years, then "greylisted" for another 10 years. "It kept me honest," she said proudly, and spoke about the temptations that Hollywood offers. She used as an example one famous stage actor turned TV actor who subsequently went back to the stage for a brief run and couldn't understand why he bombed. She said that she never learned to understand this need-to-go-to-Hollywood mentality.
Was it difficult to work with her husbands? Ms. Hagen noted that Josƒ Ferrer was very competitive and it was very hard on him when she was working. He was much happier when she was at home. "On the other hand," she said, "Herbert got mad at me if I wasn't working." They worked together--in harmony--for 44 years.
In spite of all the awards she received this season, she spoke of awards as being meaningless. "They're all hype, they don't make a grain of sense," she stated emphatically. "Everything here's a tradeoff. What does that have to do with honoring me and my work in the theatre?" But she did appreciate the $1,000 check that accompanied her Obie Award. "That goes straight into the Studio's th