I used to leave Aaron Speiser’s acting class with these great epiphanies. Maybe the classes would take me to a dark place in my mind and bring up an onslaught of suppressed emotions. Those night, I left feeling emotionally and physically drained… but always with a better understanding of who I am and where I come from. Other classes would leave me over analyzing everything I encountered, from interactions at the supermarket to the peculiar rhythm of brushing my teeth. On these nights, I left so wide eyed and curious, with an insatiable thirst for experiencing every single facet of life to it’s fullest capacity. Of course, Aaron and his team covered the intention and objective of the scene, figuring out what your character needs and how they are trying to obtain it. But for me, the classes went so much deeper. It was as if I was receiving a therapy session while listening to a lecture on sociology and psychology all wrapped up in the fulfillment of an enlightened understanding of the craft of acting.
Acting is such a peculiar profession. To embody an entirely different persona and live out a entirely scripted scenario based upon this fictional character’s back story, habits and circumstances. All to bring enjoyment to an anonymous audience. Hmm
Now it has been over a year since I studied at Aaron’s studio, and I was ready to try something new. I chose Doug Warhit’s classes for two reasons: proximity to my home and decent reviews. If Aaron
teaches how to become a character on set, Doug teaches how to perform believably in an audition. His main objective is that he wants his students to deliver the lines so effortlessly that the casting director believes you are improving. Strong choices and moments before are key and doing research and personalizing are mandatory if you want a nod of approval from Doug. I leave his classes and private lessons knowing what I did wrong, but not necessarily quite how to fix it. It’s not that I don’t trust him and his approach, I just don’t know if I trust me. The character choices and my involvement in the scenes are not enough.. there’s something missing, something vital to whether or not I “make it.” And while I feel frustrated and discouraged, I’ve always been one for a good challenge.
So here’s my resolution for 2014 (better late than never.. way I see it I’m ahead of the game for 2015), I am going to become the best possible actress I can be. Acting is my goal, and my passion, and that is my main focus for 2014. I will not only live my scenes with intention, but experience life with a heightened sense of purpose. I will stand by my decisions and not hold back my emotions. Every day, I will wake up with intention and each action will have a clear objective. I will put down my cell phone and experience life through all of my senses. I’ll come to terms with past failures to pursue future successes. And I will be true to myself.
2013 was one hell of a wild ride, but for 2014 I want to grab the reigns. Sure I trust in fate, but I believe the choices we make determine whether or not we actualize the full potential of our destiny.
xoxo
C
