Author Archives: thevsstudioblog

Make the art you most desperately need and want right now.  If you do so with excellence, generosity, authenticity and vulnerability, then chances are, it will be the art we need right now too.

“To err is human. To forgive divine.” -Alexander Pope “Forgiveness is not weak. It takes courage to face and overcome powerful emotions.” -Desmond Tutu “Let’s be kind to one another. We’re just wicked people living among wicked people. Only one thing can give us peace, and that’s a pact of mutual leniency.” -Seneca “Among theContinue reading “Forgiveness Is A Process”

“In the Cherokee language, this concept of well-being is often called Eloheh (pronounced ay-luh-HAY). The Cherokee meaning of well-being is deep and resonant, and it is hard to capture in English. Eloheh means “well-being,” yes, but it means so much more. Eloheh—what some traditions call the Harmony Way—describes a state of being when all isContinue reading “Eloheh”

A zero-sum game is a mathematical representation in game theory and economic theory of a situation that involves two competing entities, where the result is an advantage for one side and an equivalent loss for the other. In other words, player one’s gain is equivalent to player two’s loss, with the result that the netContinue reading “Life Isn’t A Zero-Sum Game”

For the director… If you don’t know what to do in rehearsal (or if it’s not going well), do a line-thru. Bonus points if you do it lying down or a speed thru or both. For the actor… If you don’t know what to do in your private rehearsal work, read the script one hundredContinue reading “The Text Is Your Friend”

For the director… A great exercise to create intimacy and build chemistry among your cast is to have them lie down next to each other on cots (or on the floor) and go through the entire play. Line by line. Legendary director Mike Nichols used it extensively in rehearsals for his plays and even someContinue reading “The Lying Down Line Thru”

If you’re a teacher, the best thing you can do for your students is to convey your love and enthusiasm for the subject matter. That is far more important than just conveying your knowledge. Knowledge is abundant. Enthusiasm is scarce. When we see it in someone, it sparks our curiosity. Which is exactly what youContinue reading “Convey Your Enthusiasm”

“Then God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good!” -Genesis 1:31 “Art must be an expression of love or it is nothing.” -Marc Chagall “That’s what I consider true generosity: You give your all and yet you always feel as if it costs you nothing.” -Simone de BeauvoirContinue reading “Create Because You Love”

“Even if you’re not a teacher, be a teacher. Share your ideas. Don’t take for granted your education. Rejoice in what you learn and spray it.” -Tim Minchin If you really want to test how well you know something, then go try and teach it to a child.  If they don’t understand it (no matterContinue reading “To Understand Is To Teach”

“People pay to see others believe in themselves.” -Kim Gordon Maybe the only difference between where you are now and where you want to be is the power of your belief. Do you really believe in yourself and what you want to do? If yes, keep going. If not, get off the stage and makeContinue reading “The Power Of Your Belief”