Trusting the uncertainty principle…

David & I exploring father-son
relationships with Arthur Miller's
All My Sons yet again.

It's amazing how much courage it takes to be truly present while acting with words that are not my own. It means to actively listen to what my scene partner is saying and trusting in a response that may not be what's in the words the writer gave me.

This can be even more difficult once lines are more settled in my brain.  I know what my partner's response is going to be but I'm not supposed to. I should be wondering what will be thrown back at me, whether he'll give me the response I want or not. In other words, how do I maintain an uncertainty principle when things start to get familiar so that we can maintain a sense of spontaneity?

I found myself really testing my faith in my craft this past Wednesday. I'd catch myself every once in a while doubting whether I could trust myself to be able to cope with uncertainty, finding myself wanting to cling to old bad habits, wondering how memorized I am and becoming uncomfortable in my body. Man, it was a struggle at times to take my time and explore the relationship I was having with my partner.

I've been blessed to play with David because he keeps me on my toes. I have to listen because I have no idea when he is going to respond sometimes, which gives me time to wonder what's going to happen next. We're not worried about timing or a plan and as a result, a sense of anticipation has developed between us, where we have no idea what the next response is going to be like. I believe it's been throwing us off guard a few times, adding some extra tension that seems to have put our "audience" on the edge of their seats (so they've told us).

This is why we keep our scripts in our hands. It's not the memorization we're practicing here but rather our listening skills and our spontaneous responses. When we look down at the page, it's like we're searching our heart and brain for what it is we want to say in response…

To learn more about AP, please go to actorsplayground.ca. To see more photos (with descriptions) of what's been happening, click the Photos tab/link near the top of the same web-page.

Play hard and be happy!