The Fourth Side in Opera

How many times do we see singers that stare at the floor in an opera or other vocal performance? Or conversely they push out into the space with mugging and illustration?

Rather than telling the singer to “get your eyes up and out” or “stop mugging to the audience”, we need to understand the reason behind such behavior. These bad techniques come from an inability to use the fourth side in an effective way. Once we understand how to use the fourth side in the theater, the tremendous burden that this removes from us is worth its weight in gold.

Oftentimes, we panic with a sudden awareness of the audience and this forces us to subconsciously “hide” by not giving our eyes to the auditorium. When we try to correct this, we end up pushing our eyes out into the auditorium which completely destroys our faith in our onstage life.

So what to do?

Well, we need to know that we can use the fourth side in two ways:

Primary use of the fourth side is used in two circumstances. When we are in an outdoor scene, we will contact visually specific objects that we can see and that we refer to verbally. These items are NOT in our minds eye. (For example, when singing about someone who is not in the room, we don't actually "see" them or place them in the room, unless they're a ghost - Macbeth, Hamlet, etc.)

The objects that are seen are usually referred to in the libretto by name (a mountain, a tree, a cloud, a bush, etc.). When these items are mentioned, the singer needs to know where in the auditorium these objects should be. To do so, objects should be attached to things that you can ACTUALLY see in the auditorium (the exit signs, the edge of a balcony, a railing). Don’t turn the EXIT sign into a bush, but place the bush under the exit sign. The other usage of the fourth side in a primary way is when all members of the cast place specific objects on the fourth side and use them together (A mirror, a painting, etc.). This is usually a directorial choice, and will be a strong one if taken by other members of the cast.

A rich operatic example of Primary Fourth Side would be Butterfly's aria, "Un bel di". In the aria, the actress portraying Cio-Cio San could place objects that she sees in the vista before herself. (Where will the smoke come from? Which hill will Pinkerton come up from? From where will she see the sails of the ship?) The vista that she sees down into the harbor can serve her throughout the opera in her expectation of seeing Pinkerton. This also will lead to an exciting rendition of the aria, as she creates this reality for Suzuki.

An error is to affix your eyes on only one spot for an entire aria.

Subliminal “secondary” use of the fourth side is when objects are there for you, but you are only aware of them unconsciously. When none of our activities should be OVERTLY directed out front. For example, when playing a scene in a room, it’s best to complete the wall with objects (4-6 items) that are merely THERE FOR you and affirm your faith in them. If you suddenly contact an object that you have placed on the wall (a clock, for instance) and are aware of the time on that clock, then you have made a secondary usage of the fourth side a primary one for yourself. Unless you and the other cast members have established that that is a clock, and where it is located, the audience will wonder why you suddenly became aware of something in the auditorium (is there an emergency? Did someone arrive late to the theater?).

A lesson I learned the hard way is this: you CANNOT suspend objects in MIDAIR!

Try it. Visualize an object in front of yourself. Then turn away from it and back again. It will elude you as you try to refocus on it. Until I made the connection of putting my visualized objects onto things I COULD see, I was susceptible to an unfocused usage of my eyes. (Where is that object again?)

You should also put your objects on the fourth side DURING REHEARSALS. Spend time in each scene and/or act that you are performing in building this fourth side for yourself. You NEVER want to be fastening your objects on things during a performance. When performing a concert or a competition when you may walk onto a new stage, try to do whatever you can to see the space before you perform to decide where your objects will be located. If possible, get online and look for pictures of the hall that will give you a sense of space and visual landmarks.

A word of advice: you should also always place your objects within peripheral view of the conductor. In this way, you can always be in contact with the maestro without having to lock eyes on him.

How can you practice this on your own? Hagen’s second Object Exercise entails self-awareness while making a phone call to someone. During the conversation, note what your eyes land on in your home, while you are primarily occupied with the telephone call. If you are lying in bed, your eyes will tend to move toward the ceiling, which will negate the purpose of this exercise. Be aware that you are only making secondary use of the things you see in your environment. If during the course of your call, you suddenly become aware of the time on the clock on the wall, you have made primary use of the fourth wall, which is not the purpose of this exercise.

With that knowledge, approach an aria. Are there any objects visually contacted during the course of the aria? Are you outdoors? Indoors? Does the aria make primary or secondary use of the fourth side? Create your objects in locations that you CAN see in the hall similar to the same way you did in the phone call, so that they are merely there for you. This should lead to an exhilarating feeling of “creative solitude” which allows you to tell the story of the aria without staring at the floor, or pushing out into the audience.

Try it!