MC² Actors Studio

“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