Now more than ever, we’re living in such a high anxiety time and we don’t always have access to our feelings. The beautiful thing about being a storyteller is that we get to put ourselves squarely in the story and use our feelings to tell those stories. I have always been a big proponent of what you are feeling is what the scene is about. So we can’t ever separate what’s going on in our personal lives from what’s going on with a character in a scene because they meet in the middle.
As scary and weird as this time is, it’s also a beautiful time. There’s this unknown factor of what the future will look like. I think it’s ok because it’s just where we are. So instead of hiding from it or trying to run away from it or denying it, I want us to breathe and allow ourselves to have the experience. It doesn’t mean that it’s always going to be sadness or anger, but I always try to remind myself and the people around me that there is also joy. Instead of using our energy towards wanting it to be like it used to be or wanting it to get back to normal. This is exactly where we need to be and I think we can find joy in being alive during this time. The human spirit can adapt and come together, all while doing it safely.
We should use the acting space to work through our stuff but also adhere to story. We should be prepared for what the work is going to ask us to do – to show up with our feelings, tell story, hit our marks, tell the truth, be brave. Those qualities aren’t going to change.
