Monday, May 2, 2011

First Day of Summer

What does any normal 35 year old who has just finished his first year of grad school at 3pm today do at 4pm? Throw a 19 ounce steak on the grill and read David Mamet's newest book, Theatre, which pretty much negates every single thing I learned this year... or ever. Want to gain some confidence in all your acting training and how it's going to help you? Don't read this book. Want the secrets of how to become the greatest actor in the world? Don't read this book. In perfect Mamet form, the man who changed my life when I read True and False, has done it again and drilled in me the fact that an actor's job is to tell the story. That's it. Leave your ego and all the "tricks" that you've picked up and tell the fucking story.
I don't agree with everything he says, I never have, but it's always an eye opener to read his stuff. It helps get me out of my head and stop thinking so much. We tell stories and "act" all day long and say "text" and always are going after something. Although, when we get on stage, it's like we forget how to do everything going all the way down to breathing. We suck. That's why kids are such great performers. They're honest and they believe what they're saying and they don't give a fuck who Stanislavsky, Hagen, Strasberg, or Meisner are.
That's all I got right now. Happy summer. 4 months till classes begin. Oh Mamet would be so happy.

No comments:

Post a Comment