Most people when using public transportation try to avoid eye contact with other passengers, keep their limbs out of reach from the possibly dangerous, dirty or perverted fellow riders, rarely allowing any expression other than disgust, indifference or emptiness illuminate their sweaty, sullen faces. Laura and Jere are the exception. There is a Subway subculture in Buenos Aires that these two aspiring actors are tapping into, where artists willing to brave the hard knocks of Argentina's Subte can perform, pass around a hat to make a few bucks, and in the process, make the dread of getting from point A to point B, more interesting, or I dare say, entertaining. I was on my way to explore a part of town I hadn't yet been to, where a prospective film school was located, and really I was in no rush. Subways have always fascinated me, and as I was riding the B line towards Carlos Peligrini, studying the people packed together, some in suits, some in muddy coveralls, some in miniskirts, others in habits. It's amazing to see so many humans in such close contact that have nothing to do with one another, and for those minutes on board the train they are anonymous, time is suspended, and then the doors open and people pour out and head back to their lives, while others get on, and pop on their headphones, settle in and hold their breath until the ride on the closest thing we have to a teletransportation device ends. But for Laura and Jere, the Subte represents something entirely different. While everyone else can't wait to get off the train, these two have figured out how to tap into that bizarre Subway-riding mood, and make it work for them. They are actors who, for lack of good paying work in theaters and TV above ground, have gone below to work the Subway circuit, and with a bit of luck and lots of hard work, are able to pay their bills. So, as I'm riding the B line that day, all of a sudden I see and hear what I soon realized was a fake argument between a fake couple, a loud and over-the-top sketch where a boyfriend criticizes his girlfriend for returning home early one day to find him with another woman. The sketch includes the "boyfriend" chatting up a female member of the Subway audience, in this first case, me, and the "girlfriend" later flirting with an unsuspecting male, all with the objective of generating some reaction and participation from the involuntary audience, who hopefully in turn drops a few pesos into the actors' hats at the end of the three-or-so minute performance. It doesn't work on everyone. It worked on me. I laughed and smiled the whole time and then gave Laura a coin (hey, I'm a starving artist myself) and then followed them into the next train car to ask them how and why they started working as Subte artists. We chatted for about 20 minutes, they were charming and lovely and warm and I was intrigued, so we decided we would meet up again the following week, they told me when and where I could find them, and so I did. We met up on the D line at 10AM and straight away we got on, and they started in with the sketch. "Laura, Laura please forgive me, that thing with Nancy was a mistake." That's when they get people's attention, old people and kids especially think there's a real fight going on. Some laugh, some don't even look up from their newspapers or books, others rub their temples with an expression on their faces that says they've seen the sketch before, and they're sick of it, or they're not in the mood. Some just get up and move to another car. But mostly the Subway riders appreciate the positive energy of the actors, the humble entertainment, they smile, play along if involved in the sketch, applaud at the end. The day I followed them around was a good day, a few days before Easter and people seemed to be quite generous when it came to passing around the hats. The way it works is this: the Subway platform goes in two directions, so Laura and Jere get on going in one direction, perform two or three functions, then switch sides and do a couple more functions, and so on. There are obstacles, though, that actors in normal circumstances don't usually come across. For example, there are other artists that use the Subte as a means of survival, like one blind man who plays guitar, and a couple of boys who breakdance. Also, there are vendors who pass around trinkets, gum, maps, etc or others who hope pity will play in their favor and hobble around on crutches or exploit their own disability or that of a loved one in exchange for a few coins from sympathetic or uncomfortable riders. My actor friends respect all of their Subway enterprising counterparts, and the chance to witness first-hand how this underground economy functions, was awesome. If someone was selling something on a car when we got on, Laura and Jere would wait until the vendor finished before starting their sketch. The ones they were friendly with, they greeted with hugs and kisses. They pointed out the ones that faked illnesses or prayed on passengers as pickpockets. I liked watching them perform, but more, I loved watching the reactions of the people, how different the same, tired sketch could seem depending on the energy of the audience, seeing through the eyes of a toddler, a father, teenagers in love, a grouchy businessman, a woman chatting on the phone to her boyfriend, who upon hearing Jere's voice hangs up on her, and then the her crying and blaming Jere for ruining her relationship. "The bad reactions aren't the norm," they tell me, "but they stick with you." I only spent three hours with them, because Laura had to leave early to rehearse for a children's musical she is in, but I was exhausted a very ready for a snack and bathroom break by then. They made about 130 pesos in that time, 65 pesos each, which is about 15 dollars, but every bit helps make it through the month. Plus, as Jere said, the goal isn't to get rich or famous, but to be able to live doing what he loves. I'm in a moment in my life where I appreciate and like to be around people who don't follow, who go against the current, who fight for permission to be on the Subte when everyone else is elbowing each other to get off. Laura and Jere inspired me. I don't know if a career in Subway acting is for me, but I could think of much worse things to do with one's time. If life is a train ride, I'd much prefer laughing and enjoying the show to sitting with arms crossed, waiting for something better to come along.
No comments:
Post a Comment