RSO on *quirk*
So, you're quirky, huh? Hmm.
To identify where they fit in a story, one of the most important things artists must do is to describe themselves: their voice, their look, their authenticity and their energy.
This last category can be confusing, and many are tempted to use “office interview” answers (I’m punctual, professional, collaborative, etc.) that don’t really help, because these are basic prerequisites to working professionally. But more specific answers (Patrick Page is “intimidating, powerful,” Jane Krakowski is “flirtatious, hyper-feminine,” Eva Noblezada is “grounded, mysterious,” etc.) can be useful to understanding an artist’s internal life. Still among these handy responses is one pervasive and increasingly dull descriptor:
“Quirky.”
This word has become such a vague go-to that, like repeating a word too many times, it has all but lost its meaning. In days past it was “hip” or “edgy,” but today it’s a catch-all for feeling just a little bit different, or cute, or silly, or weird, or funny, or … ahh!
These days, everyone seems to be “quirky.”
And this makes sense in the theatre. As drama kids, weren’t we all a bit odd in high school? To separate from others on the chorus line, aren’t we all striving to be original? Don’t we fancy our uniqueness to be a bit original and eccentric, and wouldn’t we all dream of being anything but predictable?
And so describing ourselves as “quirky,” left alone, is essentially as useless as those tired “office interview” words. We HOPE you’re quirky; we ASSUME you’re quirky, until we are proven wrong!
YOU: Well, RSO, “quirky” is about all I had, and now you’re trying to take that away from me and I just spilled my coffee on my leg and the day is ruined and I’m going back to bed—
WAIT! Come.
Sit.
Welcome… to SUBQUIRKS.
Subquirks™ :) are a way to describe your brand of quirk more precisely. And while we do want to honor who we are in civilian life, it’s also useful to remember we can HARNESS our energy STRATEGICALLY to better define the energy we can AMPLIFY to position ourselves more desirably in casting. Here we can pinpoint within our natural, unconscious, and immutable energy the vibes we want to magnify in the room.
(That is, sometimes our at-home quirks [like say, taking your sandwich apart and smelling it before you eat it, checking the stove four times before you leave the house, having philosophical conversations with our cat *and* playing both parts] may get in the way in a professional setting and we choose to damp them in public.)
We may find a performative quirk we choose to utilize as part of our brand. Many comedians do this — onstage they take on a wild personality trait (still TRUE to themselves) which expands something tiny within them — but catch them chilling at the bar, and they seem subdued by comparison.
So, below you will find a list of examples — but by no means comprehensive!!! — of subquirks you may identify with. Take a peek and reflect on your observations!
(Note that all of these are genderless and any human may associate themselves with them.)
CEREBRAL — Internal, always thinking, (over) analytical, you know too many facts because learning all the world capitals was fun! Your quirk is always seeming too smart for your own good, but that’s why we love you!
OVERBRIGHT — Can’t stop smiling, hard to repress your joy, in the dark days you chin-up! Your quirk is that you always seem too dang happy, and that’s why we love you!
SILLY/PLAYFUL — Your brand asks why’s everyone so GD serious!??!!?, because you believe everything’s a game if you try hard enough! The “manic pixie dream girl” trope comes from this, and while that has taken on more negative connotations of late, some people do identify proudly with it. Your quirk is that life’s too short to not be a little silly, and you’re always goofin’ and cheesin’, and that’s why we love you!
NEUROTIC — An *endearing* level of nervous or unsettled energy, a low-grade panic for our enjoyment (key: the neurosis is *harnessed*, not unhinged). Your quirk is that watching you “suffer” is what makes us love you.
WILD CHILD — Unpredictable (in a safe way, please), who knows what you’re gonna do?, you have too many ideas and see the world as an endless stew of possibilities. You’re outrageously creative, leaving many in awe of how quickly you come up with all of it, and that’s why we love you!
STRANGE AND UNUSUAL – Lydia Deitz, Wednesday Addams, deeply in touch with the macabre, a little witchy. (Many will want to choose this, but I ask you: do you live with the lights off, visit graveyards, struggle to smile, see darkness everywhere — or do you just wish you did?) Your quirk is that you love what’s spooky, grisly, and miserable, and that’s why we love you!
"QUEERKY" – You identify as queer and you are gonna lean into that -ness in every way possible; being LGBTQIA+ is literally 99% of your personality. Why walk when you can sashay? You’re (in the words of Tina Fey) “almost too gay to function,” and that’s why we love you!
“URTH GODDXSS” — You’re a hippie for 2023, the stars talk to you, you have more crystals than you know what to do with, and if there’s a production of Hair happening, you should be consulted first. You crunch when you walk and you are one with the cosmos, and that’s why we love you!
And the list goes on. In fact, if you identify as quirky and DON’T see yourself here thus far, that’s probably a great thing! Can you create a new subquirk all your own, such that people who meet you wish they were a little more LIKE YOU?
(And if you find yourself living between two or more of these, that’s also a clue to redefine a new subquirk all your own.)
We hope this is thought-provoking for you and will help you better identify your incredible special energy!
Your strange and unusual friend,
RSO
