“Why in the world would you ever aim for ‘normal’ when you’re already extraordinary? Why in the world would you ever aim to ‘fit in’ when you’re magnificence already makes you stand out? Why in the world would you ever aim to ‘dim your light’ when it’s already lighting up all of your surroundings? Why in the world would you ever settle for ‘ok’ when excellence already lives within your nature? You have to have the courage to go on the journey of greatness. And you have to not be afraid of the path that takes you there. Because sometimes that path is scary. And sometimes it’s scary because it takes a hell of a lot of hard work. And sometimes all of that hard work takes sacrifice. And sometimes that sacrifice is lonely. And sometimes that loneliness is exhausting. And sometimes that exhaustion is discouraging. But if you truly believe within your heart of hearts that the intent in which you’re walking that path is attainable, all of that sweat-equity will pay it forward by bearing the fruits of your labor at the precise moment it is meant to happen. So I ask you again: Why in the world would you ever aim for ‘normal’ when you’re already extraordinary? The last time I checked, the entire world is constantly looking up in the sky for extraterrestrials. So why the heck wouldn’t you want to be a little different and shine like the stars you are?! Never ever dim your light just because it may be too bright for other people’s eyes. Simply tell them to wear a pair of sunglasses and keep on walking the path toward your individual artistic and creative magnificence.” ~Mario A. Campanaro Master Teacher MC² Actors Studio Los Angeles | New York City | London
“Children always get so excited about that special gift they’re given during holidays or birthdays. It’s that special gift that they ask for over and over to anyone who would listen. And usually they see that special gift on TV which makes it even more exciting. Or they see that others have that gift, and so they want it too! They see how special it is! It looks exhilarating, easy and fun to play with. And they think if only they could get that special gift, it would make all the difference in the world for their life and they would never ever stop playing with it. Then one day, someone actually makes their dream come true and they finally get it! They get that special gift that they’ve always wanted! And it comes all wrapped up in a nice box with perfect wrapping paper and a big ole bow. And they tear open that special gift! And they are mind-blown! Someone actually listened and they got it! And they love it love it love it! But then they realize they don’t know how to use that special gift. So with some help, through some trial and error, some struggles, some mistakes, a lot of creativity, and of course, the instructions, they finally figure out how to use that special gift. And now they can play with it. And they enjoy playing with it! It’s the most awesome thing ever! They love it! It’s everything they said they always wanted! And they tell everyone “Look at what I just got!” And then others say, “Ah cool! Me too! Look what I just got!“. And so they all get together and their imaginations go wild with the endless possibility of circumstances that manifest from all those special gifts. It brings a tribe together and many worlds are created! However, as is so often the case, once that gift no longer becomes so special to them and they stop using it or playing with it, it ends up just sitting home on a shelf somewhere taking up space. And then all of the sudden, that special gift disappears because it is put in a box and donated or handed down to someone else who will use it, enjoy it and appreciate it for how special it is. And some time goes by but they don’t even realize it’s gone. And then one day, they see it somewhere and then they remember it and they ask, “Wait, what ever happened to that gift?! I loved that gift! That gift was mine! Where did it go?! I want it back!”. But it’s no longer home. It’s no longer there. It’s no longer accessible. Now that special gift is going to take a lot of pursuing and work to get back. The same goes for your gifts as actors. They need to be loved, appreciated, enjoyed, learned about, cultivated and used. Your gifts are not meant to just sit at home doing nothing. If they are, they mysteriously just slip away and you start asking “Wait, what ever happened to that gift?! I loved that gift! That gift was mine! Where did it go?! I want it back!”. Stay focused! Be proactive! Appreciate the gifts you have and work hard toward doing something remarkable with them. No one is going to come knocking on your door to remind you to stay on track. And if you need a little reminder or a little push, let this be it! You have to be the CEO of your dreams or they slowly disappear. You have something so inexplicably special in you! Do not take that for granted! Dream big! But get the dream out of the dream state and go for making it a reality!” ~Mario A. Campanaro Master Teacher MC² Actors Studio Los Angeles | New York City | London
When times are tough and obstacles seems insurmountable… Do you exclaim: “OK, I”m done!“ Or do you simply state: “OK, I am just beginning.” How far are you willing to go? What standard do you hold yourself to? What feeds your inspiration? What gives birth to your creative genius? Are you driven by the passion of your creative fire? Or the hot steam of what you want to hear yourself say about it? Why are actors such a powerful and essential force for humanity? Do you even know how powerful you truly are? Why is it such an honor to be able work in this profession? If these questions vibrate within you, then you will not want to miss this powerful MC² Actors Studio Masterclass Interview.
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In this virtual masterclass lecture we discuss the fact that we are all making necessary adjustments to persevere and overcome despite the heaviness of what is going on in our world. And part of being an actor/artist is being on the constant journey of learning essentially who we are under the myriad of circumstances that life presents us. And with what is going on in the world today…right now…we are being given this opportunity now more than ever to go on that very journey. We can use this time to learn who we are. Who are we withoutwhat we do? Who are wewithout income, friends, family, things, games etc.? Who are we without?Internally. Who? Without labels of profession, activity, relationships.What’s left? What is the beautiful complexity and substance that lives within all of us without all of the other ‘stuff’. We need to lean into that profound discovery and those possible transmutations and transformations. This ‘social-physical-isolation’ is and yet is not a choice. We have to take this time…instead of falling into a pit of worry, despair and fear that takes us farther away from who we are…what if we walk toward who we are? To understand that we are more than what we do…more than who we hang with…more than our salaries…more than where we live…What if wetake this opportunity to help us grow within even more? The planet is asking us to do this as She heals. And so we are making these adjustments and persevering as best we can during this time so wecan also heal. Let’s do it together. And yet as artists, as we go on this journey of learning who we are without, it may be easy or tempting to give up and forget our purpose as artists during these times of great strife. We may forget the power that lives within all of us…and what we are capable of doing with that creative power. It is so important for artists to continue to show up right now (even though we must do so virtually) because there is so much healing that art is capable of achieving. Our ability to share gives connection to others who may feel lost, disconnected and isolated. Our work can help others learn who they are through its powerful mirror. Our work can help others connect to themselves. We all need authentic connection within to help others experience authentic connections within. This is our responsibility as artists – to GIVE. If we think about it, many spend more time with actors in their living rooms more often than family or friends or colleagues. And even as we ask who we are without…and even through all of what is going on in our world…we must understand that our work still matters. We…who we are…at our very core…are the instrument of our work. And knowing this, it is so important to remember that our work has meaning!Especially in time such as these!There is purpose to it. It has function. It is a form of medicine if you think about it. Never take what we do for granted. Use what is going on in the world and find a way to bring more importance, depth and meaning to your work…your gifts…who you are…your purpose. That is your creative power. That lives within. Use this time to continue to learn, explore, and discover who you are at the very core so as you continue to fulfill your purpose here on this planet, you are doing so with that much more authentic-connected-beautiful-powerful-sense of Self.
Stay safe and stay healthy! I hope you enjoy this virtual masterclass lecture! Much Love, Mario
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⚪️For more information on MC² Actors Studio, MC²=Mario Campanaro’s Masterclass & Mario Campanaro For The Actor, please contact our administrative department at assistant.MC2@gmail.com or visit us at www.mariocampanaro.com
“You know, it’s tough to be human… It’s not an easy job to be a human being… And what I think the actor has the opportunity to do is examine that… To examine… ‘What is this being human?’… And… ‘Why do we do what we do?… ‘Why do we feel the way we feel?… I don’t really think many people realize how difficult it is to be an actor… I don’t think many people really understand how complex it is… One of the most paradoxical things about being an actor… Or any artist for that matter… Is to be able to reveal the work in a way that seems like there is no effort whatsoever… So you’re just living… But the truth of the matter is… There’s a lot of work that goes behind that level of ease… And that level of excellence in the work… Many people have an ‘idea’ of what they think acting is… They don’t realize what all it entails… But as actors… We need to be aware of what it takes… If we go through our lives sleepwalking… We don’t have anything to really connect to… We don’t have anything to really pull from for our work… We need that full awareness of humanity… To be able to invest what life has to fully offer… And then to be able to contribute all that to and for our work as artists… I think the more we expand our consciousness… And the more we expand our awareness… In our own life… And in the hopeful contribution to the lives of others…. And of the circumstances that our world faces… Presently… And even going back far into the past… The more we get to draw from it in a way that allows for an audience who is witnessing whatever circumstances we are revealing… To have some level of connection to it… Because at the end of the day… Isn’t that what the job of the actor really is?… To be able to reveal something that the masses can connect to… So that the masses can feel some sort of belonging… So that the masses can have some kind of healing ‘because of’… I think it all asks the actor to uphold the responsibility of understanding… And being willing to reveal the the human condition… In a way that’s not always so comfortable… In a way that’s not always painless… In a way that asks of us to look at suffering… And try understand why human suffering is the way it is… And then to really look within ourselves… To see where that lives within ‘me’… So that ‘I’ can connect with and to that… And then be able to bravely… Courageously… Honestly… And authentically… Allow ‘myself’ to really bring ‘my being’ to the most extraordinary circumstances… We are not just ‘story-tellers’… We are truly ‘story-livers’…” Click Here To Watch The Full Interview!
I hope you enjoy this masterclass interview!
Much Love,
Mario
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⚪️For more information on MC² Actors Studio, MC²=Mario Campanaro’s Masterclass & Mario Campanaro For The Actor, please contact our administrative department at assistant.MC2@gmail.com or visit us at www.mariocampanaro.com
Let’s get personal… As actors…as artists…it is not uncommon to have an extremely sensitive and even empathic instrument. We willingly live our lives experiencing the deepest level of the human experience. We expose our deepest self…our soul…to the world through our work…not only because of choice…but also…deep down…there is an undeniable calling. We are messengers of what is hidden. We are speakers of what is said and unsaid. We are un-doers of what is doctrinated. And we are hopefully the shifters of the human consciousness towards that which is good and true. However, there are going to be moments in lives…and in our work…when this can feel like a lot. It can get heavy. It can get burdensome. It can even hurt. It can go as far as feeling as if we are going to suffocate…in some energetic way…from a never ending state despair. In this Masterclass lecture, we open class about all the trials and tribulations we are experiencing in this here and now moment. It would be impossible to not have our feelings surrounding all the circumstances happening throughout our planet socially…politically…environmentally…spiritually…artistically…and dare I say…universally. We are all connected as key players in this here and now story of life. As creative sensitive beings responsible for revealing all aspects of the human condition, it would be impossible to not feel deep down within the depths of our soul, such strife happening…and how that all inevitably affects…not only our personal lives…but also…how it greatly affects and influences our creative artistic lives. So as actors…as artists…as people who care and are invested in using our gifts…our talents…our work…to stimulate…to agitate…and to inspire change…and BE powerful instruments of healing for the collective…what do we do? How do we deal? How do we make it through? How do we continue to do our work honoring what the intention of our work is? How do we stand strong in order to continue to stay in our openness…in our vulnerability…in feelings…our truth…and in our willingness to use all that is happening to stimulate the purpose of art…for the purpose of being instruments of light, of love…of influence…of awareness…and of change. How does our craft support us…how does it have our back…especially in times such as these…so we can do the work for that purpose. If you are an actor…if you are an artist…anyone alive…committed…and invested it what it means to be a key player in this here and now story of life…you will not want to miss out on this masterclass lecture. Much Love, Mario
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In this masterclass interview, we discuss one of the most important aspects of the work that any seriously committed actor/artist must pursue. That is our ability, commitment, courage, and heart to intimately connect and communicate with another human being. Now I know this may sound like something that is common sense or even elementary…but truth be told…it is a real issue that we are facing…not only as artists…but as a collective. We are losing our ability to humanly share a piece of who we are…as we are…in any real given moment…infront of another…just as we are losing our ability to hold space and witness another having a genuinely authentic experience in front of us. This day and age does not require us to connect on a real personal level. We don’t hold ourselves or others accountable to communicate. Everything, for the most part, is now existing behind a little blue screen. It does not call for an immediate exchange of personal human interaction and connection. We text…we email…we Instagram…we Facebook…we Tweet…we Snapchat…we barely pick up the phone to call anyone anymore. And worst of all…we ghost each other when things require us to get real and honest. If this triggers you, you know it’s an issue. We are more intimately connected to our cameras in our phones than we are to using our phones for their original purpose…which was/is supposed to be to communicate and connect. Rarely are we choosing to sit down in person and connect…communicate…speak…talk…discuss…share…listen…and commune about our lives and our experience and our story. We have gotten addicted to the ‘one-way‘ way of communicating. Why? Because it is convenient, safe and does not allow for any discomfort. We don’t remember…or maybe even know…what it is like to just BE without having to watch and edit ourselves. We pick and choose what we want to share by what fits into a square box that is socially brainwashing us to believe that we are only supposed to be this idea of perfect…or having it all together. All the rest, we hide. And so we Face-tune our lives to morph into a dangerously inaccessible and unrealistic dynamic. We don’t talk about our difficulties. We don’t share our struggles. We don’t open up about those things that are complicated and weighing heavy in our hearts. We have allowed ourselves tonot allow ourselves to sit in the discomfort of what it means to be who we are in front of another and be open to another being who they are in front of us. You know, being a human. So we choose the easy-safe-adopted-present day way. And that’s what is dangerous for the artist…because we don’t have to really reveal ourselves…we don’t have to really show up…and therefore we don’t really have to hold space or expect others to do the same. We just accept trivial inauthentic impersonal connection. But it is crucial to remember that all those things that we have difficulty executing in our every day lives, are going to inevitably show up in our work. If we play an idea of ourselves in our everyday lives, we are going to play ideas of the human condition in the work. If we cannot just sit with another as we are and allow them be as they are, we are not going to be able to do that kind of required “intimacy” in our our work. We are limiting ourselves and we are quickly weakening that invaluable human muscle of what it is to be ourselves, to be imperfectly perfect human and to allow others to be imperfectly perfect as they are…and then allow that and all of us become worthy of being witnessed and shared without apologizing for it. The more we fall into the quicksand of not connecting and not communicating, the more we lose that muscle as artistic instruments responsible for sharing the complexities of the human experience…to live our most private essence of who we are in relation to the safety of given circumstances in a public way. We just become robots trying to fill moments with inauthentic ideas and/or actions of what we think a moment being human in relation to given circumstances and another human is supposed to be. Plain and simple, we have to continue to exercise our ability to intimately connect and communicate with others and take the risk to experience the discomfort within that authentic interaction. And we have to fight for a tribe willing to do the same. We have to start and keep sharing our stories. I hope you enjoy this interview. Much Love,
Mario
#MarioCampanaro
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In this Masterclass discussion, we open up about how very often there are going to be times during the journey that we are going to confront many bumps in the road. These peaks and valleys will very often challenge our relationship to acting. Why wouldn’t they? Our work uses the Self as the instrument to create the music of life for our artistry while also serving to live story in the safety of givens…for the purpose of community and the awareness of all the trials and tribulations of the human condition. And that Self is the very beautiful, very complex, very layered, very sensitive and very vulnerable human instrument. The work in and of itself will inevitably bring up a myriad of complex obstacles and therefore a self-exploration that asks us to question why we have taken on this journey of being an actor/artist. The industry and business side of being an actor/artist is a whole other mountain that can really trigger a myriad of circumstances causing a lot of dissonance within the relationship to our work. These difficult times can manifest complicated thoughts and feelings such as frustration, depression, competition, anger, resentment, self-esteem issues and more often than not, a love/hate relationship to the work. It can also trigger very complex issues within the Self creating a very interesting labyrinth of self-exploration that necessitates the need for observing, understanding and even possibly healing those triggers that threaten our relationship to our work/art and go so far as stimulate unproductive self-deprecating and self-destructive thoughts/feelings/emotions/behavior. Whether it is stemming from the work itself, the industry /business side of things, our own personal history or any other known or hidden factors, they all ask us to question what we are doing and why? I encourage you that when times get rough, always try to go back to that first time you chose to follow the path of your artistry. Remind yourself why you made the choice to do it and connect to that within your mind, body and spirit. Connect to that reason that first inspired you, excited you, motivated you, stimulated you, and called you to the craft. And then hold that dear in your heart.
I hope you enjoy this very open discussion.
With love, Mario
#MarioCampanaro
TAG ▫️SHARE ▫️COMMENT ⚪️For more information on Mario Campanaro For The Actor & MC²=Mario Campanaro’s Masterclass, please contact our administrative department at assistant.MC2@gmail.com or visit us at www.mariocampanaro.com
In this Masterclass interview, we discuss how very often our resistance to our own growth is one of the biggest things standing in the way of our own forward momentum. We discuss what our training as artists is all about. Very often we can easily get caught up in the idea of having to “perform“, having to “be perfect or right“, having to be “on“, or even having to prove “something” to our fellow ensemble members and/or the teacher. That is the exact oppositeof what should be happening. The participation in any acting studio or ensemble should really focus on committed like-minded professionally-oriented actors coming together and wholeheartedly holding space to explore, discover, learn, grow, expand, share, support and cultivate the craft of acting. There should be the focus of committed like-minded professionally-oriented actors coming to work, to really do the work knowing each and everyone is there respectfully for the work. And more often than not, it is therewhere committed like-minded professionally-oriented actors come to find their tribe, their artistic home, their creative family, their ensemble. But that environment should not be used to contemplate our worth. We have to know we are worthy. That environment should notbe used to ruminate about the respect we deserve. We have to know we are deserving of respect. That environment should not be used to ponder if we should be seen and heard. We have to know we have the right to be seen and heard.Part of being an artist in any learning environment is in the knowledge of what we are there to do and why. That does not mean we will not be challenged. Because we will. We will all the time. In fact, that is why we there. Challenges allow for growth as long as our resistance does not hold us back from our very own growth. But we cannot get that famously sought out “breakthrough” until there is an honest awarenessand a profound understanding of what it is we are actually trying to overcome and learn. We have to be honest with ourselves and remain open to learning and growing. Otherwise, we just remain on a merry-go-round of unuseful resistance and continue to have an un-evolved cyclical stagnant experience. Not ideal for an artist. We have to dive deep within ourselves and the work to discover all the treasures. And sometimes the true learning may have to come from the unlearning of what was once learned. One of the biggest obstacles we may have to face as actors is developing a tough enough skin to remain open and available to the work as the work challenges us in a myriad of ways. Very often the work is going to hold a mirror up to us and sometimes it is not going to be pleasant to face things that are stifling us or holding us back. But as actors, we have to be willing to stand up and face the music. There is no room for escapism in our kind of work. As actors, as artists, we have to be OK with allowing our instrument to experience discomfort as we grow. We cannot resist or shy away from it for it is thatverydiscomfort that is the exact ingredient to our growth and to fulfilling the most complex realities of the most complicated circumstances. Our discomfort is pregnant with the substance needed to be utilized in our work. We have to be courageous enough to actually step out of the “safety blanket” of the ego, and into the reality of all that delicious discomfort as the artistic warriors that we are. It is through our instrument that we become the vessel to living the most complex, complicated and even inexplicable essence of the human condition in a very public way. But that kind of necessary bravery has to be consistently and safely worked on without consciously trying to run away from it.We have to confront it in the moment and work through it in the moment. It does not just magically happen when we step onto the stage. Working through it, void of resistance is how real learning begins. We have to stay the course. We cannot let what we were not able to overcome or achieve yesterday hold us back from what we may be able to overcome and achieve today. The fact that we continue to stretch our limits and openly reveal ourselves is a true testament to our inner strength, creativity, and light as artists. Do not take for granted the fearlessness that this art-form demands. As I always say in all of my classes, it is not for the faint of heart. The artist’s way is to persevere.
I hope you enjoy this interview.
With love, Mario
#MarioCampanaro
TAG ▫️SHARE ▫️COMMENT ⚪️For more information on Mario Campanaro For The Actor & MC²=Mario Campanaro’s Masterclass, please contact our administrative department at assistant.MC2@gmail.com or visit us at www.mariocampanaro.com
In this Masterclass interview, we discuss the importance of self-observation and how it pertains to the work of the actor. By allowing ourself to be the subject of study and examination, we get the incredible first-hand opportunity to see that everything we do physically, psychologically, and emotionally has something behind it. We always have a destination. There is always a motivation. There is always an intention. There is always something wanting to be achieved. There is always a why. There is always how. There is always something to overcome. And there is always a response to something as it pertains to wants or needs and relationship to people/places/things. As I always say in all my classes, whatever you know in life based on where you are and the circumstances you find yourself in, the character will also know based on where he or she is and the circumstances he or she finds him or herself in. So what a great opportunity to be able to break down that aspect of the craft and explore it moment to moment in your own personal life so it becomes second nature in the break-down of the work itself. You will always know: Where you are coming from, how you got there, and why you were there. You will always know where you are right now, what you want now that you are there, and what you are going to do in an attempt to get what you want. And you will always know where you are going (even if you are lost, you still have the knowledge of where you want to end up), why you are going there, and what you want once you get there. And last but not least, it goes without saying that this exploration really tunes us into our own Self. It brings to light all those aspects of life that we struggle. Triggers will show up. Responses to relationships and situations will begin to have “reason” (whatever they may be has a cause) for what they are and why. And you will also begin to see that many of the obstacles you face in your work actually mirror the same obstacles you discover and face in your everyday life. Why wouldn’t they? We are revealing life and who we are is the very instrument to do just that. The more we practice self-observation, the more we allow ourself to face aspects of who we are and what may be stifling us, blocking us and even closing us off and why. Where there is awareness, there is a limitless opportunity for growth and expansion. It brings us into a more intimate relationship with who we are and therefore allows us to be more intimately connected and present in our work.
I hope you enjoy this lecture.
With love, Mario
#MarioCampanaro
TAG ▫️SHARE ▫️COMMENT ⚪️For more information on Mario Campanaro For The Actor & MC²=Mario Campanaro’s Masterclass, please contact our administrative department at assistant.MC2@gmail.com or visit us at www.mariocampanaro.com
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