Some Closing Thoughts
Joe Gay:
"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible." -T. E. Lawrence
As we wrap up rehearsals and I look forward to opening night, I continue to contemplate what value our show has to an audience. An actor’s work is never done, right?
Last night Kari reminded me of this quote that I came across in my ethics class a few weeks ago. She talked about how in our ending moment, as the lights go down, we see a group of actors that claim, “My dreams are still alive.” And in the blackout we wonder if these actors will actually pursue their dreams or will they still be caught in this never ending world of auditioning? Themes from No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre resound.
I want to reinforce the idea that, as actors, we have the power and capability to hone and pursue our craft through fearless creation. So many times talented actors get caught up in auditioning and it becomes an endless cycle of being pushed from place to place. I believe that the power needs to be given back to the performer. We have the ability and the resources to create and continue to work even when we are “between jobs.” All we have to do if take the opportunity and tell a story to an audience. This is the kind of fearless work that I see from the Kari Margolis method. I don’t mean to shamelessly plug the work that we are doing this weekend, but I believe that the Margolis method is the necessary innovation that the US theatrical environment needs, and I hope more artists follow in her steps. Take back the power, get out of the audition room, and follow your dream to share stories with an audience. There is nothing wrong with auditioning for a show, just don’t let somebody else’s expectation of what you should be get in the way of pursuing your dream. Don’t waste your talent and dreams sitting around waiting for someone to hire you.
This has been an excellent learning process for me, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with this intelligent, motivated, and collaborative group of people.