Healthy Competition

Do you often see friends at auditions? Yesterday, I was auditioning for a hilarious spot that required a talented Shakespearean actress. Of course I'm going to see some friends there!!! After all, how many of us play Shakespeare in Los Angeles?

This started me thinking about healthy competition. I've never been one who feels that I need to knock off all of my competition to get ahead. That competition helps me refine my craft. These people are often my friends who I will work with again, enjoy, and admire.

So many artists are great. Each artist embodies special talents or traits (ideally enhanced by training). Each gig is going to require something special; the casting director is hired to match actors' unique gifts to the roles. Since I can't begin to guess what they think they're looking for, I simply do my best.

After the audition, I give myself the walk from the casting director's office to my car to beat myself up about what I might have done differently - and then I let it go. If I just can't seem to let it go for whatever reason, I do some sort of ritual to let it go like have a fire in my fire pit and write the word "anxiety" on a paper and burn it. Or take a shower and imagine the water is washing away the event. Okay, I like dramatic gestures.

Auditioning is part of the business. If I mulled over every audition for days, I'd soon loose my mind. If you find yourself doing that, try to audition more so you don't attach so much weight to each audition. Let the inevitable competition inspire you to rise to the occasion.

Copyright 2010 Heather Corwin

I CAN'T CONCENTRATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In this modern age of television, computers, cell phones, gadgets galore - it's challenging to do one thing at a time. Do you recall the last time you just focused on one thing for more than 10 minutes?

A challenge developed by Corsini and Wedding is to allow yourself for one day to simply do one thing at a time.

If you think you have one of the myriad of attention disorders out there, test the theory. Can you focus? If you find this difficult, as most people will, be gentle with yourself. Zen masters dedicate their lives to this practice.

Not only can this approach allow more satisfaction in your daily life, it can enliven your acting to the point of riveting. Give it a go!

Copyright 2010 Heather Corwin

Are You Living Wisely?

How do you know if you're living the way you'd like to live? According to Kornfield and Walsh, three major questions will help "motivate us to reorder our priorities, to live more fully and authentically, and to heal our relationships. Careful reflection on our life and inevitable death is a powerful means for developing wisdom.

• Given that we will all die, what is truly important in life?
• If you were to die tomorrow, what would you regret not having done?
• What relationships remain unhealed in your life, and how could you begin healing them?"

Find a quiet place and reflect on these questions. Allow thoughts to roll around in you and let the answers be grand. You can always pare down what you determine and create forms of your grand thoughts IF THAT'S NECESSARY.

We live but a moment. How will you spend yours?

Copyright 2010 Heather Corwin

Acting Viscerally

Jim Wise, my seminal acting teacher, spoke to me of acting: "You should feel it in your blood." He also pounded into me that all acting should be "the day something special happens." Why else would anyone bother to act?

To successfully attempt both of these necessities, an actor has to know her buttons. The buttons to which I refer are the touchy places in yourself that are highly reactive to other people - primarily instilled by family. For example, don't make fun of my family. Can you imagine how this button might inform me playing the role of Antigone? Add the sprinkle of grief from loosing my mom -- and playing Greek tragedy is second nature.

When you sit with a script and keenly identify with the character, your process when approaching the role may be quick and easy - because you KNOW it. However, not all roles sing so clearly to the heart of an actor.

When you identify the character's need/essential action/overall objective (and for the love of GOD - please go beyond what the script is saying literally unless it's Shakespeare), compare that need to your buttons. Which need can you easily access to accomplish that goal? Who can that other person be to you to make your behavior specific?

Life or death behavior is more exhilarating than anything else on earth! If you think playing in your button zone is scary, keep in mind all actors are control freaks. Why? Actors know the end of the story and every bump on the road. An actor's job is to make that road cost her something and for it to be more exciting to her than any other doing. Make it so!

Copyright 2010 Heather Corwin