“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.

Here at The Young Actor’s Studio we want to get into the Halloween season by discussing one of the most frightening things of all. It’s not zombies, or goblins, but… stage fright! Do a Google search for Stage fright and you’ll get 14.6 million results (thus beating goblins by over 3 million).

Why is Stage Fright so common? Do you wish to combat it? Get rid of it? Okay, but you’re you’re going to lose your fight with Stage Fright- we advise to surrender! Why? Let’s start with the experiment of polar bears…

Don’t think of polar bears! Close your eyes and for the next 10 seconds do NOT think of polar bears!

Were you successful? Numerous studies have shown that the vast majority of people will succumb to the thought of polar bears. And this makes sense, right? Simply commanding ourselves to NOT do something isn’t a particularly successful technique.

While we can go through the day without feeling the urge to think of polar bears, it’s a lot harder to avoid the feeling of being nervous/shy/not good enough/scared out of our mind- especially when it involves performing in front of a bunch of people! And yet many of us try to combat these feelings- we hopelessly command ourselves “DON’T be shy! DON’T be nervous!”. How is that working out for you? Probably as successful as the Polar Bear experiment.

So let’s try something different. EMBRACE the nervous, freaked out, alone feeling! Why? Because there’s a very good chance that the character feels the exact same thing! As audience members we don’t go to the theater to see happy, content, comfortable people who are having a relaxing two hours. No! We have fun watching people freak out as they struggle mightily over scary, nerve-wrecking, suspenseful challenges.

As kids and teens (particularly in some acting classes!) we’re told not to be scared, shy, and nervous. But oftentimes we only get half-way there by covering it up- putting on a brave mask to the world. It takes guts to take off the mask and reveal the true self that is oftentimes scared, nervous, and unsure. The actor who has the guts to stop fighting the fright, but reveal it for the audience to see is actually the courageous one. And they will be rewarded with an audience who loves their performance because we all feel those same things, but are too afraid to stop fighting it.

Why do people lump so many of the things kids love into “extracurriculars”? This would be fine, except “extracurricular” too quickly turns into “extraneous” at the first sign of adversity. Sports, drama, music, dance, acting classes etc. is always seen as “something extra” to the SERIOUS study of math, history, science, and English.

Why is this? Unfortunately, the answer too often given is that the SERIOUS things lead to the THINGS THAT MATTER: college, profession, a bumper sticker with an Ivy League logo. The thinking goes “If my child’s grades suffer, then what about their future?” But let’s think of this in a different way “If my CHILD suffers, then what about their future?”

Some will think we’re being melo-dramatic- but sadly, that’s not the case. In our acting classes, teens constantly express to us the tremendous pressure they feel about THEIR FUTURE. This fixation on THE FUTURE leads to anxious, stressed out, overwhelmed kids. In short, unhappy ones.

So why possibly would we take away that which gives them joy? Which makes them passionate? Excited? We take this away under the hope it will lead to “HAPPY FUTURE”? Says who? A survey of Harvard students found that nearly half experienced depression at some point during college. Clearly, getting into the right school is not the miracle elixir to a young person’s sense of well-being.

We’re not saying that kids should forego school work. Not at all! But unfortunately, the scales have been tipped way too far on the side of THE FUTURE. A future that holds no guarantees, or promises. So let’s not forget the other side- which is real, that brings Joy. Passion. Comraderie. Compassion. Surely, that side is worth as much time as all that SAT studying. Right?