“For there is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so. To me it is a prison”

Are you doing a good, or bad, job of sitting down? Did you do a good, or bad, job of waking up this morning? How about Algebra? Are you good, or bad, at that?

Most likely you had a hard time answering the first two questions, and an easier time with the last one. After all, if you failed Algebra then you’ll most likely say you’re “bad” at it- whereas, if you got an “A” then you would say you’re good at it.

There’s no grade in waking up, or sitting down- no teacher guide has these right answers. As the Nike commercial says, we “just do it”.

But what is acting? Is it like sitting down, waking up? Or is it like Algebra with right and wrong, good and bad students?

In our acting classes we believe it’s like waking up, sitting down, the problem is that we often approach it like Algebra. We forget how natural it comes to us, and become stuck in our head that there is a “right” and “wrong” answer found in some guide held by: acting teacher, agent, manager, critic, director, etc.

The problem is that audiences are looking for reality- and reality is very rarely “right”, or “wrong”, or “good”, or “bad”. It’s kinda all of them, and none of the above at the same time. It’s complicated, and the intrigue lies in the lack of an answer.

When we strive for right answers in our acting we strip away the natural, complicated, mysterious elements that make it all so rewarding. When we’re in the moment, trying to accomplish what needs to be done, listening to others, then we’re being real and things like “good” or “bad” don’t exist. It’s a pretty great feeling, and it’s why so many of our kids and teens in the acting classes are inspired to create.