What can the actor portraying the character below for the Stanislavski's step "Endowment"

Question

For my monologue, I chose the character Mandisa from the Showmax series, The Wife. Mandisa is a vibrant extrovert—brave yet scorned and resentful. She has fought hard for every good thing in her life. Mandisa is the long-time girlfriend and “baby mama” of Nqoba Zulu. She has been exposed to the harsh realities of the sex work industry and yearns for the acknowledgment of being the wife of a man with whom she has been in a long-term relationship.

I have watched all the seasons of *The Wife*, and in each one, I only saw Mandisa’s family once during the ‘inhlawulo’ ceremony, which refers to the damages paid to a woman’s family when she becomes pregnant out of wedlock. This leads me to believe that she has lacked family support and guidance since childhood.

As a result, she learned to be independent and navigated her way into the sex work industry to make a living for herself. Throughout her journey, she has had to confront clients who refused to pay her after their encounters. It was during this time that she met her boyfriend, Nqoba, and experienced unconditional love for the first time. She fights diligently to preserve that relationship.

You had no problem, as a child, making a stick into a magic wand or into Excalibur, with taking an old sheet and endowing it with great beauty, weight, and even ermine trim as it became your cape. Onstage you endow plastic swords and capes trimmed in rabbit fur or cotton batten. Props and set pieces tend to be lightweight, cheaply made, and unreal. You endow a glass of tea, which is supposed to be bourbon, with aroma, a burning sensation as you sip, a rush of lightheadedness as a possible aftermath. You endow some stiff plastic flowers with invigorating scent, softness, freshness, and the cheap plastic vase you are putting them in with the weight, coldness, and smoothness

of porcelain or crystal. You endow a partner with great beauty to find him irresistible. Endowing something or someone requires a clear memory of the original. If it's not in your experience, you do research. Actors need to keep all the senses awake with each new experience, for the possibility of having to recreate the sensation. They also need to go beyond the obvious, into creative conjecture. The bourbon may be a rare vintage given to you for your twenty-first birthday and sipped on the rarest of occasions. The flowers may be a hybrid developed by a gardener who worshiped you and was sent away by your snobbish parents. The vase might be something your mother brought back from a trip to China, quite expensive, but a color you abhor and she knows it. The cape may have been sewn by angels before history.

The script will suggest some endowment, but the vast majority is up to you and is full of creative possibility. The audience will never know the details as you are sipping or arranging flowers, but there will be a sense of depth, texture; you will look as if you really live in that space and the performance can take on the qualities of a tapestry.

Stanislavski divided endowment into external, where feelings are used to give imaginary life to tangible existing objects, and internal, where your own memory is used to create altogether imaginary objects, such as those that might appear on the fourth wall or in the character's offstage life.

Answer 1

In portraying Mandisa from The Wife, using Stanislavski's step of "Endowment" can significantly enrich your performance by adding depth and nuance to her character. Here’s how you might approach this process, focusing on both external and internal endowments:

External Endowment:

1. Props and Set Pieces:

   • Makeup/Perfume: Mandisa might use makeup or perfume that reminds her of moments with Nqoba or evokes memories of her past. Even if the makeup is merely a standard prop, envisioning it as a transformative tool can enhance your performance. For example, if she applies lipstick, endow it with the feeling of power and confidence––the way a woman feels when she knows she's stepping out confidently into a challenging world.
   • Clothing: Mandisa’s attire can be endowed with significance. Perhaps her outfit represents the struggles she’s faced; a specific dress could remind her of a tough night working in sex work but also signify hope and resilience when she wears it for a date with Nqoba. Visualizing her garments as armor or as a second skin can lead to a powerful performance.
   • Clients’ Money: When handling money from her clients, think of past experiences where money didn’t come easily or was tied to painful memories. Endow each bill with the weight of desperation as well as the hope for a better future, making every encounter reflective of her journey.

2. Interactions with Other Characters:

   • Nqoba's Presence: Engaging with Nqoba, you might endow his presence with feelings of safety and love, perhaps recalling an intimate moment shared. This could juxtapose her otherwise harsh realities. The way she looks at him can emanate sheer devotion, mixed with fear of losing him, bringing more layers to their exchanges.
   • Memorable Spaces: If Mandisa is in a bar or a room where she has worked, envision specific details about the place. Endow the atmosphere—perhaps a faint smell of tobacco can remind her of the conversations that once gave her comfort, or the sound of laughter brings back both joy and sorrow from her sex work journey.

Internal Endowment:

1. Background and Family:

   • Childhood Memories: For internal endowment, draw upon Mandisa’s lack of family support. Recall your own feelings of abandonment or longing. Imagine a childhood object that represented love or support—perhaps a tattered teddy bear or a worn-out book. These emotions can be reflected in her yearning for recognition as Nqoba's wife, transforming her vulnerability into determination on stage.
   • Contrasts of Safety and Danger: Reflect on moments of danger in her life, like confronting clients who refuse to pay. Recall personal experiences that stirred fear, creating an internal dialogue that manifests as tension in your body language or vocal tone during those interactions.

2. Relationships:

   • Love vs. Resentment: Endow her feelings toward Nqoba with layers of love and resentment. Think of a past relationship where you felt both attached yet betrayed; draw on the duality of wanting to keep the relationship alive while grappling with underlying resentments. This complexity will make her emotional conflicts tangible to the audience.
   • Desire for Recognition: Visualize moments where you craved validation or acknowledgment. For Mandisa, being known as Nqoba’s wife represents not just love but societal acceptance. Reflect on your own experiences with validation to imbue her longing with real, relatable emotion.

Performance Application:

As you prepare your monologue, use these endowments to create a rich tapestry of emotion and experience. Before performing, spend time simply absorbing the space around you and engage deeply with the props and your character’s history. Allow memories, feelings, and imagined sensations to inform the physicality and emotional truth of Mandisa. This will infuse your performance with authenticity, ensuring that each moment on stage resonates with the audience, making them not only spectators but emotionally invested participants in Mandisa's journey.