用垃圾桶奏乐的人

    请想象一下，一间屋子里面满是人，各有不同的背景。现在给他们每人一个垃圾桶盖子，想交流的时候就敲响盖子。此外，还可以跳舞。

    这正是约翰•安吉丽斯每天在外百老汇节目STOMP里所面对的挑战，不过它只是一个简化了的版本。这是一个极端物质化的节目——表现者利用自己的身体，通过敲打拖把柄、打火机和塑料袋等普通物品来作曲。有时候，他们会使用和脚绑在一起的硕大油桶来发出声音。

    尽管听起来很疯狂，但效果不错。为了保证效果，一个名为“军长”（Sarge）的角色控制整个表演的节奏。最近一年来扮演“军长”是约翰•安吉利斯，现年32岁，具有鼓乐和音乐教育的背景，他已参演这个节目5年了。

    成为演出阵容的核心人物是一个巨大的转变。他向《财富》杂志讲述了错误如何可以创造优美的音乐以及如何在一片嘈杂的声音中，无需说话即可进行沟通。

    你扮演“军长”的时候，主要负责什么？

    你要控制整个节目以及每一个节拍的快慢。它取决于观众以及表演阵容，每个晚上都不一样。节目开始前15分钟，你可以感觉到演员们的能量。如果他们无精打采，或者我可以按照这样情绪进行演奏，在一开始的时候稍微轻松一点，随着节目推进逐渐加强；或者我也可以决定给他们打打气，从第一个音符开始就把节奏提起来。

    但有时候观众需要略微缓慢的节奏，因此我会说，好吧，虽然我们想让你疯狂，但是我们打算先来个自我介绍，而不是一跑出来就冲着你大喊大叫。

    扮演“军长”之前，你已经来到Stomp一段时间了，转换成为领奏者的感觉是怎么样的？

    当我最初扮演这个角色的时候，在第一个月，我总是低着头。因为我不能按要求去做好。我们的排单经理将其他曾扮演过“军长”的演员安排在我旁边，帮了我的忙。不过有时候，我只是在按自己的演奏在表演，他们却更像“军长”。老实说，在最初的时候，我感到非常气馁。我感觉自己更像只是在提供音乐，不过我实际上并没有和观众们联系在一起。

    Imagine managing a room full of people with completely different backgrounds. Now give them trashcan lids to bang while you try to communicate. Now, also, dance.

    This is a simplified version of John Angeles' everyday challenge as part of the off-Broadway show Stomp. It is an extremely physical show -- performers maneuver their bodies to create songs with mundane objects like mop handles, lighters, and plastic bags. At one point, they manage to make music with massive oil drums tied to their feet.

    As nuts as that sounds, it works. But to make it work, one character called "Sarge" sets the rhythm of the entire performance. John Angeles, a 32-year-old performer with a background in drumming and music education, has been playing Sarge for one year and has been in the show for five.

    It was a big transition, becoming the heartbeat of the cast. He talks to Fortune about how mistakes can make great music and how to communicate, without speaking, over cacophony.

    What are your responsibilities when you play "Sarge?"

    As Sarge, you set the tempos for the show and for each number. And that depends on the audience and lineup of the cast, because it's different every night. In the 15 minutes before a show, you can feel the energy of the cast. And if it's lethargic, I can either play to that and relax in the first number, and then we build it up through the show, or I can decide to give them a little kick in the butt and pick up the first number.

    But sometimes the audience needs to be cradled a little bit, so I'll say, alright, we're going to rock your minds, but we're going to start off by introducing ourselves instead of just coming out and yelling in your face.

    You were at Stomp for a while before you played Sarge. What was it like to switch into the lead?

    When I first started this role, I'd say the first month, my head was pretty low. Because I couldn't do it. Our scheduling manager made sure to put the other people who played Sarge in with me, which helped. But there were times when I was literally just playing my numbers and they were being more "Sarge." Honestly, in the very beginning I felt pretty defeated. I felt almost more like I was just providing music, but I wasn't necessarily connecting with the audience.