When I started my University studies, I was quite certain that I wanted to be a medical doctor and that my undergraduate study focus should be on math and science. I thought that Freshman English was unimportant, irrelevant for my career goals, and a waste of precious time. My arrogant certainty was shattered by a great writer and a gifted professor in the first week of the second semester.
Sarah was distraught when Paul died, worried about the consequences for him because he was uncertain about the teachings of all the world’s religions and never accepted Christianity as the eternal truth. A strange dream offered comfort.
What happens to us when we die? Paul had explored the answers offered by many of the world’s religions but found them all incomplete, somehow. Now time was up and he needed to pick one – or did he?
In this workshop Natalie Bury, a professional dancer, choreographer and actor, guided us in exploring the power of authenticity in movement. Physical authenticity is a powerful means to establish our character’s connection with the audience. As the day progressed, we became more connected to our our vulnerability and the importance of bringing movement out of our authentic self. We gained a better understanding our need to both be seen and not seen. At the end of the day, each of us was more aware of the space we are moving in and the many ways we can use that space.
This workshop gave each of us an amazing opportunity to become a little more aware of the social face (or “mask”) that each of us have unconsciously chosen to present to the outside world. Bogdan Tabacaru, an experienced and talented director, used Sanford Meisner’s teaching on text and improvised scenes to help each of us begin to set aside our mask just a little bit so that we could authentically step into the shoes of vulnerable characters on stage. Each of us left the workshop with a sense of having gained a bit of insight into living more truthfully in our real lives.
Where does the actor meet the director in the process of creating a memorable dramatic performance? How do I, as an actor, blend my preparation and emotional passion for my character with the the vision of the director so that we can truly be partners in this creative endeavor? This recent, memorable workshop on exploring the expressivity of our emotions and bringing that to the stage offered some inspiring insights.
We all say “I love you” from time to time – to our spouses, our special friends, our children and our pets. But what does that mean? Ted, facing the imminent death of his long-term partner, seeks an answer in this fictional story.
Learning to become a more authentic actor requires opening up more fully to the full range of my emotional being. It’s perhaps safer when playing a character on the stage, but it’s still not easy. The reward is that I am at the same time learning to connect more fully with everyone around me in my real life. I’ll never be finished with this exploration as long as I’m alive, but it is an extraordinary and exciting journey for sure.
Harold Pinter was considered to be one of the most influential of modern British dramatists with a career spanning more than 50 years as a playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005. He wrote plays that emphasized that unflinching, unswerving, fierce intellectual determination to define the real truth of our lives and our societies is a crucial obligation which devolves upon us all. Coming to understand what this means for me personally has been a long journey.
I was part of an acting workshop recently in which we explored how careful attention and deep listening can result in more authenticity in our stage performances. In this post I write about some of my insights and discoveries from that magical day.
The assertion that the mistakes and inadequacies of parents cause significant problems and issues for their children and grandchildren can be found virtually throughout recorded western history. It was an important theme in Greek drama, was referenced numerous times in both the ancient Hebrew Bible books and in the New Testament, and has been the inspiration for countless books and (more recently) movies. What is often overlooked is the real meaning of “visit” in Euripides’ quote. It does not mean that the mistakes and misdeeds of the children are all the fault of the parents but rather that those children will be challenged to deal with the consequences of those inadequacies in a better way than their parents did. In this post, I explore some facets of my own journey in dealing with the challenges of being an adoptee.
Paul thought he was going the visit his sister for a couple of months to help out when their mother died. It didn’t quite work out as he expected.
