MUSINGS

Throughout human history, the stories we tell ourselves reflect and define not only who we are and what we wish for; they also influence what we become. In theatre our highest aspirations and deepest dreads are put before us, binding us in mutual recognitions that, if we are lucky, result in awakenings,

I love this quote from Lillian Gish in a speech she made to a group of producers:
“You have to remember that a movie is not an innocent thing at all. And that when you go into a film and you sit there and you watch, somehow all the little molecules in your existence are rearranged by what you see and understand.  So when people come out of that theatre, they’re slightly different. And you’ve either taught them something that they shouldn’t have learned or you’ve taught them something really quite great. So watch yourselves.”

In her indispensable book, Acting is Everything  Judy Kerr states her belief that “We must accept responsibility for our actions and choices” and that “Without a developed spiritual life and fundamental values/beliefs, we will not experience real joy.”

From Ralph Waldo Emerson: "What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within."

Bart Sher, Tony-nominated artistic director of Intiman Theatre in Seattle: “Good theatre can mean different things. Sometimes it’s asking hard questions about our lives. Sometimes it’s just about beauty. It should be deeply entertaining but not an opiate. It should be a way of engaging with the culture, not disengaging or escaping it.”

From author/poet, Diane Ackerman: “I swear I will not dishonor my soul with hatred, but offer myself humbly as a guardian of nature, as a healer of misery, as a messenger of wonder, as an architect of peace.”

Declan Donnellan on training from The Actor and the Target: "Someone asked Picasso how long it took him to produce those 'few lines'. Picasso answered: 'Oh, about 40 years.' Those 40 years are like the actor's invisible work. They are not explicit in a drawing that took 40 seconds to complete, but those 40 years breathe invisibly."

Suggestions for 2008: original source unknown:
1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
3. Follow the 3 R's: Respect for self, Respect for others, and Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.