The Great Acting Blog: “Take A Point Of View And Act On It”

The Great Acting Blog: “Take A Point Of View And Act On It”

Take a point of view on everything you do. If you don’t like the way something is done, don’t just accept it, make a note of it, work-out how it can be done better, and do it in the new way.

Perhaps you don’t like the way auditions are done, perhaps you don’t think having the panel hunched behind a desk, while you the actor have to sit on a chair in the middle of the room, is the way to help you do your best. So do it differently if you ever get the chance to hold auditions. Perhaps you want to get rid of the table altogether, and instead of having the panel directly opposite the actor, you might want to place the chairs in a circle and remove the confrontational element from auditioning. After all, actors do their best work when they are relaxed, not when they feel they’re being judged. You might think this is a small and inconsequential point but we are talking about getting the best possible actor for a production, surely it’s worth the time and effort of working-out how you might do that more effectively.

Take a point of view on all aspects of your career, on all of your experiences. Make a note of what you like and don’t like. Do this for scripts, for directors, for performances you see, for correspondence you receive, do it for absolutely everything that catches your eye or piques you. Then, you’ll slowly create a design for your work and life which you believe in. You’ll be able to take action on that design so that what you do is in line with what you think. In so doing, you’ll not only avoid hypocrisy, but make a positive contribution to your culture.

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