advice from actors

art doesn't 
end;
it just stops 
in interesting
places. ~anonymous 
(actually the actor couldn't remember who said this first)


lessons from the actors workshop in nyc:


1. say yes


2. get involved


3. create relationships 


4. create your own opportunities


5. play well with each other


6. there is no silver bullet


this was what i got out of the q&a session the actors held with the high school students i went with to nyc. as i listened, i thought about my life and realized that what they were saying about acting was universal. and then i started taking notes on the ideas popping into my head.


i liked that the actors didn't talk down to high school students with stars in their eyes during their first visit to nyc. it was pretty straight forward talk about working hard. putting in the time. there aren't any shortcuts. and sometimes it's just plain luck. being in the right place at the right time.


i want more of that teen age joie de vivre back in my life. these kids were so open and fearless. they hadn't been told no yet. they were so willing to put themselves out there. to make total fools of themselves. to laugh. to screw up. to try something new. and to succeed. 


i think i need more of this. so, tonight is the first night of the improv essentials acting class i'm taking this summer. woohoo!