Good Actors are Good Readers (and other adventures in theories created via anecdotal evidence)

Source: etsy.com via Nicole on Pinterest

Warning: This post is based on huge assumption, for which I have no factual basis. Someday, if I go back to school, I think I will do my Master's thesis on this, with lots of research. But for now, all conclusions are based on purely anecdotal evidence.

I love to read. I started reading pretty early, and read everything I could. Some of my earliest memories are of sitting on my dad's lap while he read Bernstein Bears and Dr. Seuss books to my sister and I (my dad loved the rhymes). I found books so much more interesting than real life that I would narrate my life, wanting it to be part of a book, frequently adding "She said" to the end of my sentences (Yeah, I was a dorky kid). My parents doubled our allowance if we wanted to used the money to buy books. I still spend a ridiculous amount of money on books. And now, with iBooks, I read more than ever.

I realize there are plenty of people, kids especially, who don't love reading. Reading is hard. Or tedious. Or boring, because they are forced to do it. But for me, reading, like theatre, is transportation to another world, involvement in other people's lives. It's magical.

My friend Steve and I have this theory that "Good Actors are Good Readers". In our work with actors, whether as other players or as directors, we have found a striking similarity among those actors (of any age) with good instincts and a solid understanding of the text they are given, able to inflect and contextualize properly-- They love to read. These actors love words, language, story. As they savor language, they are learning- new vocabulary, meanings of punctuation, how to craft a story to keep outsiders interested. All things they need to know to deliver an excellent performance.

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It's All in the Timing

Photo by Annie Roi. Used by Creative Commons License.

Pausing is important. On stage, that quiet is crucial for a number of reasons. Set up a punch line. Make sure the audience hears the meaningful line. Allow a reaction to speak instead of an action. In dance, that moment of stillness is a beautiful contrast to movement.

Right now, I have the pleasure of working with Jared Reed on Good Doctor. The man is master of the pause. He gives just enough time to allow a situation to become suitably awkward, or reflective, or comical. That’s something I’m working on. It’s so easy to rush into the line. To “do” something. But that quiet time is important.  It gives the audience time to process what they just heard and saw, and to get back with you for the next bit. It gives you and your fellow players time to react, to share a moment.

I think the pause is underrated. Underutilized. In theatre and in life. People are uncomfortable with silence. We are afraid of what it might reveal if we sit in reflection. If we give others time to process our words and actions. If give ourselves time to really feel and react. Much of our daily interactions are done without thought or consideration.

I’d like to suggest a pause. Not too much, or the momentum never comes back. Not too little, or it’s ineffective. Work to find that right time in each situation that allows time for thought and feeling. It’s certainly not easy. But it’s very important for clean, honest, intentional interactions- on stage and off. 

Do What You Want to Do

By o5com. Used by Creative Commons License.

I want to do everything. I can’t say no. I don’t want to miss out on anything.

Shaun has informed me this is one of his favorite parts of being an actor. You get to do everything- be a corporate bigwig, live in Victorian England, be a mermaid, live in a trailer park. One lifetime would never be enough to do all the different things I want to try, and some would be impossible.

The other nice thing is that you don’t have to commit to it. It’s only for a run. Not the rest of your life. I actually think more people should view their jobs that way. A lot of people see their jobs as a life sentence. A job does not have to be a permanent thing. Changes can be made. And probably should be made if you are unhappy, or if the job doesn’t ultimately fulfill your goals. It’s ok to have a job be a stepping stone to something that you want. It can be a learning experience, rather than a career. With our volatile economy, this is a good perspective to have anyway. Seth Godin writes on this topic a lot, so I’ll leave it to him.

When you are an actor, you get to delve into different worlds. Be different people. It’s fun. It gives you a different perspective. And that is a life skill you get from acting. The opportunity to experience another person’s life is something not everyone gets to do. It reminds us that everyone has a story- their own problems, their own past, their own hopes and dreams.

I hope I can remember this and treat people a little more gently. What is under the surface is much more complex than what we can see and hear. We may never know the journey that has shaped them. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t there, or that it isn’t important. The journey that they are on intersects ours for a moment. Cherish it.

The Things I Do for Art....

As I write, today is the first day of Musical Theatre Summer Camp at Hedgerow. For camp, I doing something I haven’t done in ages, and something I’ve never done before. I will be accompanying students on the piano. And, I will be writing the show. No pressure.

Thankfully, the camp is all kids I’ve worked with, on Oliver!, Godspell or Cinderella. So they’ll be kind. I’m actually excited about trying to write the show. I think I have some good ideas that could really become something. Maybe not in 3 weeks...but, it’s a good starting point.

As for the piano part. I’m not terribly excited about that. I don’t really play that much anymore. So, it’s time to get my chops up. Practice, practice, practice.

This camp really is a chance for me to be my best self in all aspects- teacher, choreographer, musician, singer, writer, actor, director. It’s a steep challenge, but I believe I up to it. I’ve been learning, training and practicing for a time like this. It’s a chance to prove my artistry, in every area.

I feel a little overwhelmed. I feel a little terrified. Yet, at the same time, I’m excited and eager. Mark 3:30pm, Friday, July 15th on your calendar. You’re all invited to Shakespeare Showstoppers!

Listen Up!

The most important acting lesson for me had nothing to do with delivering lines. Interestingly enough, this is the same important lesson I learned about being a choreographer, when I was still in college. It’s called “Creative Listening”.
Photo by Ky_olson. Used by Creative Commons license.
I was first taught this concept by Cheryl Cutler and Ran Huntsberry in a Choreography and Improv intensive at Eastern University. They have a great book, called Creative Listening, that I highly recommend (and not just because there’s an anecdote about me in there either!).

Creative listening in choreography and dance means listening to your body and the movement, and letting one movement just naturally unfold from the previous. It’s a very organic way of creating movement. It’s helpful for breaking movement habits and using “steps” to get through a dance, rather than meaningful movement.

It also is a great way to do contact improv. There you expand the listening beyond your body, to the bodies sharing space with you. Where are they? What does that mean for your body? How can you connect? Should you connect? When the focus becomes about the relationship, the movement, again, flows organically.

In acting, this lesson is just as important. Lots of people consider acting the delivery of lines. But the people who must respond to those lines are acting too. And have, perhaps, the harder job in the relationship.

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