How to discover and express subtext

刘晓冰

【Abstract】Subtext is the spirit of actors lines， and it is a must in performance. As a consequence， subtext is important in both performance and actors lines. This paper will give subtext a comprehensive analysis and discussion in four sections， say， what subtext is， the significance and function of subtext， how to discover subtext and how to express subtext.

【Key words】Subtext； Discover； Express

Before entering the Central Academy of Drama， I did not know the meaning of this term-subtext， and I did not know how to use it. I became interested the relevant contents of subtext when I learnt it. Subtext is the spirit of lines， and it is a must in performance， so subtext is of great importance for an actor. In the following discussion， I will use four sections to analyze it by combining my own understanding， hoping that I can have a deeper understanding of subtext and to use it better in the performance in the future.

1 What is subtext

In order to have a deep understanding of subtext， we have to figure out what subtext is. Subtext is the idea， intention and goal that hide under the actors lines， and the real significance of lines， said Stanislavski. Subtext is the unconspicuous spiritual life of the role， and one can feel it by heart. It is flowing under the cover of lines， backing the lines and giving lines life. Subtext is what drives us to speak out actors lines， and it exists in all lines. A simple sentence can have many potential meanings， in other words， the “undertones” or “implications”. “In order to achieve some certain goals， some actors lines are designed to express the meaning directly”. However， some lines are indirect due to the special situation and subtle relations between different characters， leading people to consider the implications and undertones. Within such lines， the lines and subtexts are opposite in terms of their surface meaning.

2 The significance and function of subtext

From the discussion above， we can see that subtext is what drives us to speak out actors lines， and it is the spirit of lines. It is of great importance for us to use it on handling lines and roles. When we are structuring the roles， we should discover every subtext under the line， and fully express the subtext when we lines， making your competitors and audiences feel your right and strong thoughts and feelings， thus creating real and organic communication. This is the base for shaping stage characters. Only when we have a right and solid foundation can we shape an outstanding stage characters successfully， and this is the meaning and goal for choosing this subject. I believe that subtext has to be used when one is engaged in performing， and I believe that I can benefit a lot from the solid foundation of using subtext.

3 How to discover subtext

When we have understood the meaning and the function of subtext， we should come to the issue of how to discover subtext. To discover the subtext is the first step for using subtext well. Just as its name implies， to discover the subtext is to find out the words that the character wants to utter beyond the lines after analysis. Only when we have discovered the right and detailed subtext in the script can we express it accurately. So the key for discovering the subtext is accuracy， then delicateness.

There are two methods to discover the subtext.

a.One should discover the subtext from the characters language action. The accurate analysis of language action is the prime for discovering the subtext which can best express the real meaning of the line” For example， in the drama of Beijingren， the majority lines of Si Yi are disaccord with his subtext， so discovering the real language action is important. We can see that his idea is expressed in an indirectly way rather than a direct way. Let us take one of his lines for example， for long Si Yi has hating Su Fang， but he says “you are the only one who treat me well in this family” when facing Su Fang. What these words have expressed is seemingly the digging at Su Fang rather than the surface meaning of the line. It is the hidden averseness and hatred toward Su Fang that generate the necessity of expressing these feeling， showing audiences clearly the real intention of the character.

b.To discover the subtext from the ultimate goal of the character， especially those lines that have a second meaning. That is to say， we have to analyze the ultimate task and all the behaviors of the character to analyze those lines which have used devious method to achieve its goal. We have to discover the subtext from a far vision of the character.

For example， in The Young Mistresss Fan， Mrs. Chen is a vanity and officious woman， her ultimate goal was to marry her daughter to a rich and powerful man. On the ball， she introduced her daughter to her ideal son-in-law， asking them to date in the veranda. When they came back， Mrs. Chen said “Mr. Wang， you should be blamed for dating my daughter at the corridor， for her body is weak and she cannot stand the wind”. It seemed that Mrs. Chen was blaming Wang Zhao to date with her daughter at the corridor and she was worried about her daughter. But when we analyze the ultimate goal of Mrs. Chen， her real intention would be opposite to that reflected in her line. There was implication in her lines. So the real meaning of this line should be“Mr. Wang， I am happy that you can date my daughter at the corridor， and I want you to take care of my daughter in the future for her body is weak” Mr. Wang seemed to understand Mrs. Chen clearly， echoing her words. If we do not know the ultimate goal and intention of Mrs. Chen， we may not discover her subtext from her lines， and we cannot further find out her hypocritical and sleek personality. Only when the lines have accurate subtext can they become energetic ones.

For the discovery of subtext， I think that we should not only explore it through the above two methods， but also we should carry out comprehensive analysis based on the characters personality， characters habits， characters social state， characters social background， etc， mastering the subtext from a overall view. In this way， we can find more accurate and more delicate subtext.

4 How to express the subtext

When we have discovered the accurate and delicate subtext， we need to express it vividly and in detail， which is the last and important phase for finishing the subtext. The discovered subtext must be felt by our competitors and the audiences， if we do not have appropriate technique of expression， the subtext will not come into bloom and spark the brilliant light.

When watching Beijingren performed by Beijing Peoples Art Theatre， I was impressed by the lines of Si Yi， her performance could clearly show her real thoughts and feelings. When she wanted to marry her eldest son to Su Fang， her lines were designed perfectly. ”Both my family and your family are strong and equal from now on， and no one will be wronged”. The actress put accent on 大 and 都不， and in terms tones， she almost shed tears， thus expressed the real meaning of this sentence. Si Yi is a mighty woman， and it is clear that she wasbullying Su Fang， but through this line it seemed that Su Fang was teasing Si Yi. By saying so， Si Yi wanted to show that Su Fang was a bad woman， but the audiences can see clearly that the reality was Si Yi was bullying Su Fang. Through the words of Si Yi， we can see that she is a shrew and good at handling affairs， also she was good at confuse truth and falsehood.

In sum， I have made a comprehensive analysis of the subtext through the above four sections， say， what subtext is， the meaning and function of subtext， how to discover subtext and how to express subtext. Form the above analysis we can conclude that subtext plays an important role in the art of line， and it is a necessity in shaping complete character. It makes sense that the playwright generates lines， and the actor will generate subtext. And actors will give life to the language on the paper created by the playwright by handling it with their own voice and language. What is more， the techniques of the actors will also make playwrights language more vivid， thus making it touch and move the audiences deeply.

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[责任编辑：王楠]