I've been rehearsing a show now for a number of weeks. It's called Seven Days. Told from the present and the past, it is the story of a family coming together, of reconciling their differences and finding compassion for one another after their domineering matriarch passes away. The show is produced by Teatron Theatre, directed by Ari Weisberg and running from January 8-19 2014 at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. I'm excited to be playing with a group of talented actors; in addition to this, as the character who goads and challenges the family at every turn, I'm looking forward to causing some havoc on stage.
So it's Christmas Day and I'm sitting comfortably in a chair running lines over and over again. Breaking the scenes into smaller pieces and through repetition gaining deeper understanding of the text and the relationships. I'm doing what I do, I'm working, striving to create the best character performance I possibly can.
I was reading a short monologue and I caught myself "just" reading without thought. I was throwing it away. What?! A solo moment where I could shine tossed out the window?! Can't have that! (Sarcasm/truth). So I dug in began to consciously say the words and of course found so much more. The proverbial light bulb went on above my head when I said "there is never a moment on stage to throw away. Each line, each word has a purpose". Simple and true. I had forgotten that for a moment. Forgotten how important it is to do the homework. When I do, I find the character's depth and humanity - I find the powerful performance.
As an exercise, next time you pick up your pen, paintbrush, instrument or tool for creativity, approach it with absolute awareness. See what happens when you remember that "Nothing you do as an artist is a throw away."
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