I rolled my equipment into the Frankfort Park District for my first acting program of the year.
Even the best performers in the world get stage fright. The complex relationship between knowing you can do something, and the anxiety you get from hoping it goes well, is something that exists for artists and performers of all skill levels. At least that’s what I tell myself as I run through the names of the participants in my head. You tell yourself that the butterflies in your stomach are excitement rather than fear, and that helps.
I set up the space. By and large the setup is similar to a comic book workshop, except for some hats and props I put behind the banner–”backstage” as it were.
But this wasn’t just an acting workshop. It’s an acting AND improv program! Different kids will embrace improvisation over a pre-planned “script,” but the more I perform the more I see them less as a binary–scriptwriting or improvisation–and more as reinforcing skills.
The workshop got under way. I had the kids write the funniest thing they could think of and put their ideas in a hat. We’d warm up our acting skills by saying them out loud. The kids struggled with this initially, asking if it had to be a joke in the usual style. I told them no, and encouraged them to just try something out.
People of all ages and skill-levels struggle with writing. Beyond the current literacy crisis, it can be hard to stare at a screen or a piece of paper, knowing you want to create something but unsure just what specific words or ideas will evoke the thoughts or emotions you want to inspire. But the opposite–improvisation–can also be intimidating. You walk up to the stage, feel the eyes peering back and you, you open your mouth and…words are just supposed to come out.
One thing that sticks out to me from a workshop last year was a boy encouraging a girl in an acting class. “Don’t worry if you mess up, it’s all part of the comedy.” As much as mistakes are something we try to avoid, something we fear to make before we even make them, they’re part of the acting process!
The first time you try anything is difficult and scary. Simply to go up on onstage, speak, take a bow, and go back to your chair is a victory! You’ll have things to do better next time, and ideas for how to improve. But usually, the beauty of “beginner’s luck” is that we are so afraid before we start creating that once we overcome resistance and get involved in doing art, we often surprise ourselves with how good we are.
The class ended, and I packed up to leave for the day. Next week we’ll do more improvisation, and expand our skills by putting emotion into the way we walk and speak! We’ll also practice our writing skills as we brainstorm ideas for…BAD COMMERCIALS. This is one of my favorite exercises. The results are invariably hilarious, and it’s amazing how much creativity the idea of “bad” art can inspire. I used to tell people that there’s no such thing as “bad” art. Broadly, I still think that’s true. But there’s something freeing about letting go of expectations so far that you go to the other end. Stutter on purpose. Fall over yourself. Pick something that nobody would ever want to purchase and go wild! You’re able to laugh at yourself along with others, getting closer to people in the audience because you’re sharing an experience of art and laughter together.
How do you overcome expectations and embrace your creative superpowers? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to KEEP CREATING!