It's Time To Commit

Making the Scene

Thursday, August 26, 2010.

Solid work all round today. There's nothing like watching actors commit to their choices, commit to the circumstances they face and commit to the moment to moment exchange that brings a scene to life. Whether it's a comedy, a love story or a dramatic piece where someone's life hangs in the balance we must commit ourselves fully in order to open ourselves up to the scene. It is the difference between night and day. It is the difference between a job well done and a brilliant performance. Let's face it most of us are very capable of delivering a competent performance. Few of us consistently take that leap to risk everything and fully committed to world we inhabit. Sometimes it takes time to progress to such a point, to grow towards coming to a place where we can allow ourselves that trust. There are things we must overcome to get there. There is work to be done. Sometimes it feels like you have to take two steps back before you can take one forward. This is our process. This is our craft. It's not always a simple path toward our goals. But I guarantee you if you stay committed to the work it will be a rewarding journey.

Anthony, trust that you can live any moment even if requires you to go to places that are outside your comfort zone. There is magic waiting to happen.

David, make strong choices, this will help ground you in your work and give you a personal stake in the outcome of a scene.

Deb, you hit it out of the ball park! You were open, vulnerable, scared, sexy! This was you at your most intimate. Every moment was popping with nuances that brought us closer and closer to you. Just keep trusting. It's a beautiful thing to watch.

Laurent, you had a huge day today. You took a major leap forward in your work. For the first time you let go of all the inhibitions that you carry with you as the actor into your work. For the first time you were fully invested in every moment from beginning to end. It has taken us some time to get here but we couldn't have gotten here without the painstaking work that we have done in previous classes. You have had moments of brilliance in every class but today it all came together throughout! I applaud you.

Alex, you have such a beautiful instrument. When we begin to break down the scenes and uncover what lies behind our motives and intentions, our emotions, your instrument kicks into gear. Sometimes I make a simple suggestion and in an instant you're off and flying. It's just beautiful to watch.

Pamela, it was a pleasure having you in class today. You bring so much to the table. You have a strong and focused presence that serves you. You were open to direction and the process of digging deeper into the emotional life of this character and it brought out some beautiful colors that did wonders for the scene and your partner. I would love to have you bring back this scene and see how much further we can go.

Commit, commit, commit!

Paolo.