I love those moments when I'm randomly watching or doing something and am suddenly hit with an idea that then fits into my current situation. The random thing I was just doing? Watching Wishbone on YouTube (they have the complete series here!). I was watching the episode called "Bark That Bark," where David's uncle comes to town to perform some of his stories for a benefit fundraiser, and he and Wishbone take us through some traditional African Anansi stories. It's near the end of the episode that some of what David's uncle says during his performance really struck a chord with me. He says, "All stories start from inside you and move out to the world. If you want to tell a story, you don't need anything more than you already have. You imagine your body speaking and what happens is you imagine the truth."
This is why I love theatre. Theatre is all about telling stories with what you've already got. It's about sharing experiences the characters on stage have with an audience who, when you think about it, are really just a bunch of other characters with their own stories. The actor's job within a play is to become a vessel for that particular story to live through, to foster connection between the characters on stage and the characters in the audience.
Throughout the preparation for my Citadel audition this week, I have really struggled with inner gremlins and finding the voice and character that I sense from the monologue I have chosen to perform. What I completely forgot until I watched the Wishbone episode is exactly what I've written above. I don't need to worry about being good enough or convincing enough or "in it" enough. All I need to do is allow myself to be the vessel for that character's experience to live through. I just have to tell her story with what I already possess, no gimmicks, nothing fancy, just me. And that's the truth.
Joyanne :D