“We have the power to hold no opinion about a thing, and to not let it upset our state of mind—for things have no natural power to shape our judgments.” -Marcus Aurelius
“The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.” -Paulo Coehlo
“I criticize by creation, not by finding fault.” -Cicero
Be so busy trying to be and make the change you want to see in the world that you don’t have time to express your opinion about it.
“Will is our internal power, which can never be affected by the outside world. It is our final trump card. If action is what we do when we still have some agency over our situation, the will is what we depend on when agency has all but disappeared. Placed in some situation that seems unchangeable and undeniably negative, we can turn it into a learning experience, a humbling experience, a chance to provide comfort to others. That’s will power. But that needs to be cultivated. We must prepare for adversity and turmoil, we must learn the art of acquiescence and practice cheerfulness even in dark times. Too often people think that will is how bad we want something. In actuality, the will has a lot more to do with surrender than with strength. Try “God willing” over “the will to win” or “willing it into existence,” for even those attributes can be broken. True will is quiet humility, resilience, and flexibility; the other kind of will is weakness disguised by bluster and ambition. See which lasts longer under the hardest of obstacles.” -Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle Is The Way
In deciding whether or not to take the plunge and do something…
The question to ask yourself isn’t whether or not you have the talent or capacity. You do.
The question to ask yourself is whether or not you have the will to see the project all the way through to completion. No matter what.
“I’m going to count to ten. I’m here. You’re there. You know what to do.” -John Kolvenbach, from his play Stand Up If You’re Here Tonight
I was driving back today from a family beach trip and my friend Jason called. I said I needed to get home so I could write today’s blog post. (I had a late night opening our new Vs. production and then an early trip out today. I haven’t missed a weekday post since January 1, 2020, and I can’t miss now!) He said, Okay I got a good post for you…
Ask your audience what movie the following quote is from (we often challenge each other on 80’s movies quotes; the more obscure the better)…
“No matter where you go, there you are.”
I thanked him and then hung up.
And then it hit me. Yes! What a perfect quote! What a perfect thing to blog about given the show we just opened. STAND UP IF YOU’RE HERE TONIGHT is all about this very thing. About just being here. Together. In a communal setting. Sharing sacred space. Being present. Being here. Now.
Last night was incredible. The energy from the opening moment was so strong and palpable. It felt so damn good to be together. Hearing stories. Sharing space. I pray that we can all continue to do so.
So, just remember “no matter where you go, there you are.” (Thank you brother Jason for the quote).
P.S. – First one who can guess the movie gets a free ticket to the show. Post your answer here. No internet look up. From memory please. Go…
Almost exactly three months ago, I wrote this post about a reading of a new play I attended. It was the first time I’d been in a live theatre in over a year and the experience was nothing short of magical.
Well, fast forward three months…I’m thrilled to announce that our our theatre company, Vs. Theatre Company, is now producing the play and we open tonight!!!
For tickets and more info, click Here. Enter code “vsally” and your tickets are 50% off.
On this blog, I often talk about connecting with your “why” for any passion project. Asking yourself the question repeatedly until you arrive at the answer, and then communicating that why to everyone and anyone. Here’s mine…
John Kolvenbach is one of my all-time favorite playwrights. Our production of “On An Average Day” in 2008 remains one of the high points for me as an actor and a seminal production for Vs. I urge you to seek out all his plays and read them.
In “Stand Up If You’re Here Tonight” John manages to capture the feelings we’ve all had in isolation during this horrible pandemic. And what it might be like to gather together again. But like all great playwrights, John does so without being heavy handed. He relishes in the beauty of the quotidian. In all the special, tiny daily events that make us human. And grateful to be alive.
When I attended the May reading, it marked my first time seeing live theatre in sixteen months. I was very emotional as I was instantly reminded of what I missed and love about this art form. And why I’ve devoted my life to it. Yes, the absolute power of incredible words in the hands of a master actor like Jim Ortlieb. Who can say everything with just a look. With just his presence. But also in the small, miraculous surprises that happen when you venture out to see a play. Creaking seats, whirring fans, wailing sirens, ambient street noise, silence, breathing, laughter, muffled sobs, collective applause, and of course, “the murmuring, the goddamn pre-show murmuring.”
This is the play we all need right now. When it’s still murky. When we’re still a little unsure and apprehensive. To remind us of what we missed and why it’s so important to be together and tell stories.
And that as long as we have each other, things are gonna be okay.
Come on out. We’d really love to see you at the theatre tonight (or any night during the run).
“Connectors have an uplifting effect when they come into contact with people who are living in lower energy levels. Their peacefulness causes others to feel calm and assured, and they radiate an energy of serenity and peace.” -Wayne Dyer
Today and every day going forward (especially when you’re producing something)…
Can you strive in every human encounter you have to leave that person feeling just a little bit better, a little more energized, a little more hopeful about themselves, their passion project and their overall worldview?
Be a connector.
“Whatever you decide is your motivation in the scene, the opposite of that is also true and should be in it…Consistency is the heart of dull acting.” -Michael Shurtleff, Audition
The great stage and screen actor, Hume Cronyn, said he followed one rule as an actor: “If you’re doing the devil, look for the angel in him. If you’re doing the angel, look for the devil in him.” Such fantastic advice!
Rewatch The Silence Of The Lambs. One of the reasons Anthony Hopkins is so freakin’ good and scary is that for the most part, he plays Hannibal Lecter as a charming cat. He talks and behaves in the exact opposite manner that you’d think a serial killer would. As a result, he constantly catches Clarice and us, the audience, off guard. We don’t know what to think. He’s unpredictable. He defies all our expectations. We can’t take our eyes off him. And when he does strike, it’s more terrifying than we could’ve ever imagined.
In your acting, in your art, hunt for opposites. They’re gifts. And trust that by doing so, you’re just behaving truthfully. Michael Shurtleff advises in his fantastic book, Audition, (a must read) to just observe yourself and others in everyday life. He writes…
“Think about a human being: in all of us there exists love and there exists hate, there exist creativity and an equal tendency toward self-destructiveness, there exist sleeping and waking, there exists night and there exists day, sunny moods and foul moods, a desire to love and a desire to kill. Since these extremities do exist in all of us, then they must also exist in each character in each scene.”
“Just know your lines and don’t bump into the furniture.” -Spencer Tracy
“Act without doing. Work without effort.” –Tao Te Ching
The easier something looks to do is inversely proportional to the amount of mastery that’s behind it.
The Pareto principle: for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes (the “vital few”).
Named after the Italian economist, Vilfredo Pareto, who observed in 1896 that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population, this principle evidences itself throughout nature and across a wide variety of industry including but not limited to sales, engineering, medical, computing and sports. It’s actually pretty remarkable just how many things follow this distribution pattern once observed. I encourage you to read and learn more about it. Pretty fascinating stuff.
We can apply the Pareto principle to our own lives. Specifically with any goal or objective we’re trying to accomplish. Here’s how…
For anything you’re trying to do, first write down all the things or action steps you think you need to take.
Look at your list and similar to the magic focusing question, ask yourself what 20% will get you 80% of what you want.
Do those and only those tasks first.
Then, should you have any time left over, do the other tasks to get the remaining 20%.
But no matter what, you’re 80% there. You got a B. B’s not bad.
It’s heckuva a lot better than zero, right? Which is where you were before you started. And where you’ll stay if you do nothing.
Escape Velocity: “the minimum velocity that a moving body (such as a rocket) must have to escape from the gravitational field of a celestial body (such as the earth) and move outward into space.”
Holy Metaphor Alert! Here we go…
You are the rocket.
You desire to do something great, make art, make a change, start a business, break a habit, etc…That desire to do something different is like trying to lift off the earth. It will require enormous energy and focus to do so. Especially at the beginning. Possibly more energy than you think you’re capable of.
That required, beginning energy is like your escape velocity. Don’t run from the effort. Lean into it. Because someday it will all be worth it.
Someday you’ll get to this…
“The single best thing an actor can do, both professionally and personally, is to create their own work.” -Jenna Fischer, from her book The Actor’s Life
“Hard work doesn’t guarantee you success. But without it, you don’t stand a chance.” -Pat Riley
Jenna Fischer recently wrote a phenomenal book about the actor’s life. I highly recommend it. Besides being a compelling read, it’s a no nonsense, super granular, insider’s view of the business and the craft. Of what it takes. It’s one thing to want to be a “working actor.” It’s another thing entirely when you get a first hand, up close version of the lifestyle. Almost like an apprenticeship. Once you fully know and understand the career, then you can make an informed decision if the path is right for you.
Here are three reasons to read the book:
(1) PROCESS. Jenna didn’t have any industry connections. She was not annointed. She was just a girl from the Midwest who deeply loved performing and had a burning desire to do it for a career. She did the work. Day in, day out. Headshots, resumes, reels, industry events, rigorous training, cycling through survival jobs, improv, plays, meeting and signing with tons of agents and managers until she found the right team, auditioning, getting coaching, making her own art, etc…It was an exhaustive amount of work that she did for years. Often without any remuneration. Without any tangible progress or feedback to let her know she was on the right path. She just kept doing the work. One part that especially resonated…her sitting at her dining table every week, combing through Backstage, mailing out headshots and cover letters to all the various jobs she circled. Again, she did this consistently for years.
Yet even with all the hard work, she acknowledges that luck played a huge role in her success. This is not a “how to” book. Rather, it’s a generous sharing of “here’s what I did” information to guide and help you on your way.
(2) SPECIFICITY. She constantly asked herself the question “what exactly do you want?” and eventually, she figured out it…to be in an ensemble television comedy. When the opportunity to audition for “The Office” came, she was more than ready. Everything led her to this point. Her training, her experience and her specificity. (Ironically, she relied on her survival job as an administrative assistant to inform the character of “Pam.”)
(3) ACKNOWLEDGING HER WEAKNESSES AND TURNING THEM INTO STRENGTHS. She was honest with herself about not being a great auditioner. But rather than capitulate and accept it, she worked at it. Eventually finding a teacher to help her, to push her, to get her over the hump…Robert D’Avanzo, who she credits for much of her success. (NOTE: I study with Robert for on-camera auditions and couldn’t agree more. He’s tremendous. Seek him out.)
Whether new or old to the business, there is something for you in this book. If nothing else it’s an inspiring story of someone who dared to dream, who did the work, who persisted through long odds, and eventually found success.
Tip of the cap to you Jenna. Thanks for writing and sharing your journey.
The Vs. Studio Blog