I've been thinking a lot about acting lately, especially since I have the acting bug in my blood. I've always been a performer of some kind, but I never really got fully immersed in it until I ended in three plays consecutively while in community college, gosh! back around '92. I was in Alice In Wonderland (I played the King of Hearts), The Wind In the Willows (Mr. Toad), and Me and My Girl (Frederick). I took a long hiatus of 14 years between those and my next plays, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 (Eddie McCuen), The King & I (Lun Tha) and several childrens theater plays in 2006. Then came another 4 year wait until last year, when I did Father of the Bride (George Banks) and Jerome Bixby's The Man From Earth (Dan). I am again on a self-imposed sabbatical while am currently in college to get a degree in Sound Technology. But with several of my theater colleagues currently doing plays (see links below) I have again begun to get itchy feet. I miss the theater.
But it got me to thinking, I mentioned that I have been performing all of my life, wherever there was a living room, I'd put on a show. I think, however, it goes deeper than that.
All of us in this life are actors of some kind. During the day, I play the role of "Vacation Planner" for a major theme park. I play The Goofy Guy at work who can make people smile for a minute or two. I also play The Guy Who Listens To You Vent About That Last Phone Call on occasion. To many people, I play The Quiet Guy Who Sits In the Corner of the Cafeteria by Himself. Then I go to school, in my current role of The Older Guy Who Came Back To College With Life Experience.
Some of us, however, think our "roles" in this life are set in stone. The Person Whom Bad Things Happen To. The Girl Who Ends Up With A Loser Boyfriend. The Man Who Has Fear of Commitment, etc etc.
The point is, we are not the characters we play. They are just characters, facets of who we really are. This life that we're all a part of is a big play, and you get to help write it. What lines will you contribute? And always remember, you can always change your role if you want, whenever you want.
Love,
JC
P.S. - If you're in the Orlando area and would like to see some amazing shows, go see the following:
"You're A Good Man Charlie Brown" - final weekend! http://www.baggypantstheater.com/tickets
"Arsenic and Old Lace" Opening Weekend! http://www.orlandojcc.org/calendar/cultural-events/arsenic_old_lace
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24 Hours of Inspirational Tweets! http://tiny.cc/ead58
It's so true that the roles we play are just that - roles. And roles can be changed. The great part is that we get to choose them. :) Great post!
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