Wednesday, May 14, 2008

A Life Lesson from the Theater

You’ll find that many actors, whether drawn to the stage or film, will most likely say that they were shy and insecure as children.

For me, it was very much the same.

I believe the soul of an artist always senses that they are different than most people. They know that how they feel inside is not the norm, so it’s challenging for them to feel as though they fit in.

I always knew that I had something inside of me that needed to be expressed, however, the venue of that expression remained elusive.

It felt as if a big ball of energy was forming, just waiting for the right opportunity to burst forth.

When I was in junior high school, I found out that the drama department was holding auditions for the play “The Night of January 16th” by Ann Ryan. I had no idea what the play was about, but for some reason, felt the need to march my ass into the audition that afternoon.

I remember standing in a horizontal line across the edge of the stage with about ten other students. I was holding a copy of the script and shaking like a leaf. The director was seated in the audience as he called out our names individually, and then had us read a scene from the play.

When he called my name, I will remember that moment for as long as I live…

It was as if a power that came from deep inside me, suddenly burst forth…and literally took over my entire body. I mean, I could hear myself speaking the dialogue, but it felt as though some other force was actually making it happen.

It shocked the hell out of me.

And I thought to myself, “Oh my god…where the did that come from?”

After I finished the scene, there was a pause.

Then I looked at the director…and he looked at me, and I think he said something like, “Very good, Ron”

And in a split second, I felt this deep “knowing“…that I had been given a venue for my expression.

After one of the evening performances, I remember my history teacher coming backstage. He walked up to me and shook my hand and kindly said, “Ron…your going to have a professional acting career one of these days.”

At the time, it was the most validating thing that anyone could have ever said to me.

And he was correct…because after I completed high school, I moved to New York City and got my training to become a professional actor.

And like most actors, I had tremendous highs and lows during my career.

I learned something very valuable from my 25 years in the theater.

It really wasn’t the "professional career" that ever validated my expression on this planet.

It will always be the expression of the creative energy itself….