As an actor I wear many masks.
Literally, sometimes a role requires me to wear an actual and physical mask
And
Proverbially, I create a mask with a character.
In addition to that, there is the public persona versus the private persona.
Masks are a part of my business.
Masks I believe are a part of life.
The way a person behaves in school versus who they are at home
With family versus friends
In public versus the bedroom
With a lover versus an acquaintance
These are all different masks. They are worn to suit different needs
I feel a great contrast between actors and others is the knowledge of when the mask is worn, and which mask is worn.
I know, I know, big sweeping statement
But think about it.
Do you consciously say it's time for my teacher mask I'm a student now?
Or do you just fall into the role.
As an actor I am conscious of mask and its value and I choose to use it when it fits
With that said I am human and before I was an actor I had no idea about mask
In self reflection I found some masks which I did not know existed and I've seen how the unconscious mask effects my life.
I wonder, what if we all became conscious and took off our masks? What then?
Would you have the strength to show what lies beneath?
I've been wearing different masks for so long, I'm not sure who I really am anymore. Not sure if anyone will like that person. It's a scary thought - throwing those masks away.
ReplyDeleteIt is a scary thought because we become comfortable with complacency. Living the way we live is easy and in my own opinion life-less. When the mask comes off and look at the ugly underneath then you have the opportunity to accept what is beautiful to you and reshape what you no longer desire.
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