ACTORS, DON’T FORGET TO BRING YOUR GIFT!

Dear AnD Friends,  I wrote this blog for a monthly column and thought you all might enjoy it. 

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                ACTORS,  DON’T FORGET TO BRING YOUR GIFT!

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I don’t mean a gift, I mean

your gift.  Not your ego, your gift.  I’ll explain.

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I know that sometimes actors work so hard to learn  great acting skills and techniques  and to remember to ask the right questions when preparing for an audition that they forget to bring what makes them unique.  

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So this is just a reminder that you need to do all that preparation but you cannot forget to bring what makes you unique, special, and distinctive.  Let’s talk about how to make sure that gift helps you but doesn’t hurt  your chances to create that audition you are proud of.  That piece of work that will always make you satisfied with what you did.  

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But wait a minute I suppose I should explain what I mean by your “gift”.   Why don’t I start with what Albert Einstein said,

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 “ The intuitive mind is a sacred gift; the rational mind is a faithful servant.  We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”

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Your intuitive mind is a sacred gift.  Your rational mind is a faithful servant.  When I read this quote I realized that I always want the actor to bring both to their preparation.  I don’t believe that you should forget about either your intuition or your rationality.  Each works in a unique way that helps you create a believable , exciting performance whether in an audition or in the work itself.  

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An actor came to me in an introduction class at an actors’ group and told me, “I just do my thing, you know what I mean.”   I asked him to explain what he meant.  He related some legendary story about how an actor walked in and threw away the script and did “his thing” and got the job.  First of all, I am not even sure that was true but I asked him how many actors he knew had done such a thing and got the job.  He did not know anybody.   

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So I suggested that he put himself in the shoes of the writer, director or producer who had been working on a script for a film for over 5 years.  He chose to be the writer.  I asked him what he would feel  like if he had worked diligently on a script for years and then an actor walked into an audition and said he was going to throw it away and do his own thing.  As I watched the actor’s eyes widen I knew he had begun to understand that his job is to interpret this script not “throw it away”.

 As the writer, this actor realized that this script is the writer’s “baby”.  He has brought it to life, nurtured it and has seen it grow. This actor began to realize that throwing away the script is like telling the writer his baby is “ugly” and we would never say that to a parent would we?

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So I am not telling you to take your gift and go off on some “ego” trip.   You have a job to do.  What is that job?  As an actor you have been given a road map which is the script and any other information from the casting director or director.  You must first use your rational mind to analyze that script, the information you had been given, and your character.  You need to be a good detective to find all the clues the writer has put into the script and make sure you have gotten all the information you can glean.   

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Then it is time for you to listen to your instinctive skills.  Now is the time to make it your own, to find every personal connection for this character.  Your instincts will work even better if you have gathered as much information and facts first.   BUT don’t forget to bring your intuitive mind.  

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So how does one explain the intuitive mind?  I’ll try to show how it works for me as a coach.

Many times I don’t know “why” I feel it is important for an actor to explore another aspect

 of his character but I don’t worry about the logic of what I am thinking.  I just trust that something has been triggered to lead me to ask the actor to try another way. This is the only way I can explain when something comes to me that has no logic.   You can call it instinct, acute observation or just a gut feeling but I have learned over many years that we all should listen to it.  

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So bring your gift – your intuitive mind, and be sure to make room to bring your faithful servant – your rational mind.  Both are important but as a team they will give you what you need to create an exciting, believable performance.  

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Albert Einstein really knew what he was talking about!  Whether you are a scientist, a business person or an artist you need to trust both your rational mind and your intuitive mind.  Thank you Mr. Einstein!

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