the value of 'not knowing' as an actor
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 9:00AM I realize, as i am having this out of the box year of new experiences, why it is so important to 'get lost' in things. This is a good thing as an older performer/teacher! As of course I am always encouraging my students to 'get lost', when they say 'I don't know', I often reply GOOD! (how irritating! I am surprised more of them don't OVERTLY rage at me- I know they do secretly- or they think I don't know!)
You can't know what you are learning exactly when it is something new. So an experience of not knowing exactly what is going on or even why you are learning it, CAN be a good sign that you are learning something new. Of course sometimes we KNOW what we need to work on and learn, and this might be a different experience and also necessary... But in the last several years of training, be it in Fides Krucker classes or the work I have been doing in general for the past odd year, I am letting go of knowing and the results have been very good indeed... but retrospectively. So as i am performing in Tblisi to a massive audience, in a HUGE space with terrible acoustics, there I realize how extremely valuable and TECHNICALLY strong the work with Fides has been. This applies not just to the emotional work, but to the transformative technical work... the work that is deep in the body that links the ANS to the central nervous system- ie: YOU CANNOT CONTROL certain aspects of your body, so how would you UNDERSTAND that work? this pertains to certain vocal work, certain deep muscular release and activation work, certain multitasking exercises (which is so much of acting!), authentic emotional recreation and extending your range into what is NOT you as well as being able to identify your habits.
So get lost! Get lost in something art related or body related- and if this is hard for you, try doing it in an arena that you are not trying to do professionally... ie: if you are not a singer- take singing lessons and let yourself not know... or a dance you are never likely to perform or an improvisation class in a style that as an actor, is not a form you will use or a drawing class or drumming...
warning, most people who do this MAY end up incorporating what they learn in their professional work eventually- as they will be able to have more FUN in this context ie: less pressure and that often results in a desire to keep having that fun! Once it becomes something the industry requires you to be good at, you may need to shift again
BUT ideally what you can shift is the burdensome attitude that creates the pressure... I'll get to that in another blog!
acting, actor training, classes, creation in Acting, How to Practice, Judgment, Range