Life is full of them: Choices. Choices are perhaps the one thing we truly have any say in or control over. I believe your choices are a major part of who you are. Taking ownership of your choices is incredibly empowering, and liberating.
Not all of them are easy.
In fact, most will be challenging, confronting and often emotional. Well, they wouldn't be character defining if they weren't, which is an interesting link to an actor's life. The choices we make do impact on the characters we play, and there are no more important choices than what you will audition for; what you are prepared to accept.
I made a poor choice some years back when I auditioned for Much Ado About Nothing, insisting that I was only going to accept the lead role. It is a choice I now regret. By being so incredibly narrow minded, I missed on being a part of a great show. Lesson learnt, I now allow myself the freedom to accept a wider range of roles. That said, I do have certain standards that I would not compromise. Things like needless nudity, excessive violence, and so forth.
Not all of them are easy.
In fact, most will be challenging, confronting and often emotional. Well, they wouldn't be character defining if they weren't, which is an interesting link to an actor's life. The choices we make do impact on the characters we play, and there are no more important choices than what you will audition for; what you are prepared to accept.
I made a poor choice some years back when I auditioned for Much Ado About Nothing, insisting that I was only going to accept the lead role. It is a choice I now regret. By being so incredibly narrow minded, I missed on being a part of a great show. Lesson learnt, I now allow myself the freedom to accept a wider range of roles. That said, I do have certain standards that I would not compromise. Things like needless nudity, excessive violence, and so forth.
I once agreed to play a number of roles which really were just a collection of micro appearances. Now I have done several shows where I have doubled up characters and usually there has been one or two characters that were fun and/or challenging. In this instance, they were all just cameo or supernumerary characters. The play itself was a dreadful experience for that and a number of other reasons, and I promised myself never to let myself fall to that level again.
Then there comes those times where you have conflicting choices to make. Maybe you have auditioned for several things, and you are getting offers from two or more of them, or you have the opportunity for some paid short-term work or work on a play that you simply love. Everyone is different and will have their own standards. The main thing is that the choice you make is your choice and the consequences of that choice are also yours. If you can live with the choice, however hard it was to make, then it was a good one.
So I was faced with such a choice: play a number of minor roles or take on some short term paid work. The choice was hard in that it involved a range of emotions that I went through. I find it intriguing how our emotional states can cloud our vision, muddle our thoughts and how much effort it takes to return to normal programming.
In this case I went with the money, but not for the money. I know that if I did the play, I would probably be watching other cast members with envy, perhaps a little jealousy, which would distract from my performance. If I can't be focused and at my best, then I doubt I would enjoy the experience, and that may affect other members of the cast which is something I would not be comfortable with. That sounds a little too magnanimous, and maybe it is. I don't do this to be better than others. I do it because I love it and to be my own personal best.
So I am a little sad about not being a part of a great show, it was a hard choice. More importantly, it was my choice and I can live with that.
Then there comes those times where you have conflicting choices to make. Maybe you have auditioned for several things, and you are getting offers from two or more of them, or you have the opportunity for some paid short-term work or work on a play that you simply love. Everyone is different and will have their own standards. The main thing is that the choice you make is your choice and the consequences of that choice are also yours. If you can live with the choice, however hard it was to make, then it was a good one.
So I was faced with such a choice: play a number of minor roles or take on some short term paid work. The choice was hard in that it involved a range of emotions that I went through. I find it intriguing how our emotional states can cloud our vision, muddle our thoughts and how much effort it takes to return to normal programming.
In this case I went with the money, but not for the money. I know that if I did the play, I would probably be watching other cast members with envy, perhaps a little jealousy, which would distract from my performance. If I can't be focused and at my best, then I doubt I would enjoy the experience, and that may affect other members of the cast which is something I would not be comfortable with. That sounds a little too magnanimous, and maybe it is. I don't do this to be better than others. I do it because I love it and to be my own personal best.
So I am a little sad about not being a part of a great show, it was a hard choice. More importantly, it was my choice and I can live with that.
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