Once, while doing summer stock in a Vermont barn, a lovely but inexperienced actor said she simply couldn’t play the scene.  The gun she needed to wield was hidden in a purse on the opposite side of the stage.  How was she ever going to get it?  It just couldn’t be done.  End of play. 

All the other actors were thrilled:  A challenge! A creative pursuit!  An obstacle! 

“How about if you creep through the audience and back up on stage in the previous scene?” 

“How about if I, in character, get a coughing attack, take the purse and start digging …Read on.

Today I got the link to a TEDx Talk by the incomparable, C. Mitzi Sinnott: Trust Your Truth and Serve the World. The first time I watched it I was swept up in the stories, the beauty, the open-hearted generosity. I watched it again minutes later, noticing the skills and techniques she brings to her performance. And then again, just because…because I wanted to make sure I soaked in her deep, heartfelt message. I wanted to make sure I let myself be moved to action. Minutes later, I asked Mitzi if I could write this post and refer to her her talk to illustrate the techniques I have outlined in this blog. Below are a few of the skills and techniques…Read on.

Some times I love to hear just the voice, the simplest voice, tell a story. No embellishment so that my mind can create castles out of words. Sometimes I love a voice to play characters. Lynn Redgrave reading Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart is extraordinary. And on stage, when I can see the whole person, I love to see the story—not acted out, exactly, but “shown.” Miranda Hope told her story at our Charlottesville TEDx Open Mic and we asked her. ..Read on