The Great Acting Blog: “False And Dull Or Thrilling And True?”

The Great Acting Blog: “False And Dull Or Thrilling And True?”

Whenever we make a big decision in life, it is always a gamble because we are not in full possession of the facts when we make that decision. It doesn’t matter how much planning and researching we do, or how much experience we have, we cannot know what the future will be, and what it will throw at us. Therefore, it’s not about making the right decision, but about making whatever decision we make right – making a total commitment to making  work whatever course of action we decide upon, that no matter what is thrown at us, we’ll deal with it, never backing down.  This is isn’t easy of course, especially when we live in a culture which indoctrinates it’s participants to spend their time trying to control their lives to the extent that the biggest decision they have to make is what flavour Pop Tart to have on Tuesdays, and to structure their lives so that each day is broadly indistinguishable from  any other, knowing exactly what to expect day-in-day-out. All uncertainty is removed, no nasty surprises – everything is nice and quiet, just how we like it – false and dull.

It is often said that acting is an “insecure life”, certainly I think that many who go into it do so in search of adventure. And yet, many actors try to stamp out this adventure whenever it rears itself, and no more is this true than in performance. To step onto the stage or infront of the camera, is to step into the unknown, into the electric blackness. Yes there is the script, but that’s just a framework, the real adventure, the real test, is in dealing with what comes at you in the moment, what the other actor sends your way, what is actually happening, and none of this can be known in advance. Doing this is not only challenging and requiring enormous commitment (faith?) but thrilling. The vast majority of actors however, spend their time ignoring what is happening to them, terrified of rupturing the cute, adorable, affable, polished version of themselves which they present to the audience, terrified that they will not be seen to be perfect, terrified of not seeming to be superior to the audience and to circumstance, and, most of all, they are terrified of the craft of acting itself, of taking action, of making decisions, moment-to-moment, and facing upto the challenges which result from those decisions, and so they ignore what their fellow actors are doing, they ignore the truth of the moment. Their performances are a lie, in the same way many people’s lives are a lie.

The truth is always thrilling.

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