chiaroscuro.
Garret van Honthorst's The Matchmaker
As I watched the extraordinarily gifted Jesmille Darbouze in Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's opening night of Eugene Ionesco's Exit The King I was thinking of the term Chiaroscuro. ABSURD, AMMIRITE?!
I was struck with a moment Jesmille's character took a SHARP TURN. Playing one action and then playing the opposite. Because of their opposition, the moment was dynamic and unforgettable.
Chiaroscuro is Italian for "light-dark"- used in painting and later film noir lighting (ooooooo!), this concept "emphasized shadows and harsh lighting to create a sense of depth and volume in paintings" (Filmakeriq).
Like a painter always seeking the direction of the light -you must contrast with complementary hues or the colors blur and the image is unclear. As a performer if those actions run contrast to each other or to the situation - the more potent or dynamic the moment feels. Like a minor chord. Discordant. Exciting.