"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters in the end." - Ursula le Guin
I feel like I have started a journey that I have wanted to take for so long. In part, I feel like the character, Samwise Gamgee, in The Lord of the Rings. There is a scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring where Samwise and Frodo are walking in a field. Sam pauses to Frodo's surprise. When Sam is asked why he has stopped walking, he states, "If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been." That's what I feel like right now as an actor. Every time I walk into the studio it's the farthest I've ever been as an actor. It's scary, and it's exhilarating, and it's exactly where I want to be.
I'm two classes into this journey, and I can honestly say that I am in great company. Everyone is so enthusiastic. My teacher is fantastic. The most refreshing thing about working and learning with these people is that I feel like I'm in an environment where it's alright to make mistakes. We need mistakes. To quote my teacher, Mary T., "Mistakes are beautiful."
The approach to acting that I am learning, the Meisner technique, focuses on being in the moment. As actors, as humans, we think that this is simple. It's not. If you pause to consider it, our minds dwell on the past and the future far more than the "now". That's the goal of the Meisner technique-- bringing a fresh, "now-ness" to memorized lines and rehearsed blocking. That's what I'm working towards.
So, welcome to the ride. I'll make every effort to blog and vlog every week to keep anyone who is interested updated. Have you ever thought about taking a risk and learning something new? Do it. I did, and I'll never regret it. You can view "Joseph Meets Meisner: Episode 1" below and on subscribe on Youtube.
