Luck

Category Archives

Skill vs Luck…What Kind Of Actor Do You Want To Be?…

Transcript Of This Recording:

“There’s a sophistication to the work that cannot be denied…

And there is a choice to make…

Do you want to be the type of actor…

That is always dependent on luck

In the hopes that your work goes well?…

Or do you want to be a skilled actor…

Where you have something that is sustaining you…

Your work…

And your career…

So you know when you are losing your way…

You have your process:

‘Oh, I can rely on this to take me to where I need to go’…

No matter what kind of work you are doing…

You still have to look at the same kind of life structure when approaching the work…

What is apparent in life…

Is going to be apparent in the work…

You have to know…

Who you are…

Where you are…

What you want…

What is getting in the way of what you want…

What you are doing to overcome what is getting in the way of what you want…

(Life, circumstances, relationships, needs within those circumstances and relationships, obstacles to overcome in order to improve circumstances and relationships, and doing all you can that is in line with the text to achieve those needs with the hope of living in one way or another some kind of  peaceful, happy, successful, loving life as indicated by the givens of the text.)
You have to know your ‘in’ into those circumstances…

You have to know what stimulates you to go after the needs of those circumstances…

And be clear…

And specific…

You know…

Obviously…

About the environment…

And the time period…

And all that…

But there has got to be something that gives you a starting point into the work…

Otherwise, it is always going to be (and feel) like a ‘cold read’…

And you are always going to get into the place of:

‘I don’t know what I am doing’…

Every time you work…

And then hope to dear God it goes well…

And…

Don’t you get tired of always feeling like the work is going to be based on luck if it goes well?…

This is where we get into trouble if we are just depending and learning to do it all by ‘cold reads’…

Or we are just picking up the material and ‘doing it’…

Right?…

Because then it becomes your own play…

It becomes your own world…

In which you make choices…

Whether they are instinctual, interesting, or not…

But…

In the end…

What do they really have to do with the actually full body of the text?

What do they have to do with the world of the play?…

What do they have to do with the world of your character?…

And then what are you going after?…

Where are the instincts coming from?…

The play or script?…

Or an idea of the play or script without really considering and respecting the play or script?…

What are you doing and relying on when you have to do eight shows a week?…

The perfect test of action is..

Can you…

The actor…

Do a play that is two and a half hours long…

Eight shows a week…

Or a film…

For weeks or months on end…

And most likely…

Completely out of sequence…

And still have a consistent..

Alive…

Uninhibited…

Organic…

And visceral performance…

As well as the vocal and physical stamina…

To do your job…

And tell the story truthfully…

Using the full spectrum your instrument?…

And do it all as if for the first time…

And still it all be about the story that the writerhas given to you…

And then still live in the moment based on that…

That is where your skill…

Your craft…

And your process comes into action…

And when it comes to your process…

The actor needs tools that will help him or her…

Physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually to do the work…

To have his or her back…

I mean…

Since when has it become shameful to have a process?!…

Why is there so much recent guilt…

And even belittlement…

About having a craft?!…

Just as the ballet dancer needs to know all the technicalities to do a thousand faute turns…

The actor also needs to have a set of tools supporting him or her to do the work…

But it needs to be used in a way that is tangible and can actually activate the actor to live and breath in the work…

If you want to live in the chaos of the unknown or moment, you have to be aware of what is known to do just that…

It may not always be the same toolbox…

But the structure will always be the same…

What you know in life…

The character is going to know…

There is no if’s, and’s or but’s about it.

Any actor that has the talent…

Sophistication…

Know-how…

And ability…

To be dependable…

And accountable…

Is an actor that has a long life in this business…

Whether it be stage or screen…

Plain and simple…

An actor that does the work

Is an actor that works…

And continues to work…

And more importantly…

Enjoys the work that he or she is blessed to do…

Because it is no longer about one’s luck when it comes to the quality of the work…

It is all about a life long and well respected skill…

Married with organic talent…

And that’s where the freedom and fun is!”~#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 (Click link in profile)