You can't learn how to be a good actor.

You are born an actor and die an actor. You can't be taught to become a good actor. I think everyone is born being able to act. However in the mysterious alchemy of becoming a social being we lose that memory of being natural-born actors and develop inhibitions, bad habits, and are not ourselves. We lose ourselves.

Our work then is to rediscover our natural inner actors. We start with a very simple exercise called The Chair. A chair is set up across from the audience, facing the audience. A book is placed about ten paces on each side of the chair marking 'the stage.' A performer starts at one end of the stage, standing by one of the books on the floor, gathers herself, then simply walks across 'the stage' and sits down. She faces the audience. Looks at them naturally, then gets up, stands behind the chair, looks once again at the audience, then walks away aware of being on stage until the second book on the floor is passed. I encourage the class to clap when the student leaves the stage.

A very simple exercise but not easy. You are to be your self. Not the you that you project in your daily life but just you with no frills added. If you must laugh while doing it well let it come out, laugh. Don't hold back, don't edit. Just focus on walking across, sitting, looking at the audience, standing, looking at the audience again, leaving.

You can't learn how to be a good actor. But you can unlearn what stops you from being a great one.

May the pulse be with you!

Abhay

Image: Jennilee Marigomen is a photographer living in Vancouver, Canada.