Even though my college is not exactly a liberal arts school, over the years the academic scope has expanded to include film classes and such. Ever since I knew about the acting class, I have been intriguedin exposing myself to the thespian arts.
As uninitiated as I am, I believe a large part of acting is believing and living your character. Like Sam Bicke’s manager in The Assassination of Richard Nixon said, I can believe in anything. It’s a gift. As a natural salesman and very convincing habitual liar, I find it easy to find a part and to play it. My imagination and Costanza-ish ability to maintain a thorough facade are skills that lend itself to acting. I think about the bad romance movies that I have seen and remember how often I noticed the lack of chemistry. I always thought to myself, how hard could it be? To be honest, I can make myself fall in love with just about anybody.
Of course, there is much more to acting than simply being able to convince yourself that you’re something you’re not. You have to sell it to your audience. While you can be whoever you want in the real world, the stage or silver screen is much less forgiving. Screen acting is more about playing to people’s dramatic expectations.Because of this difference between acting for people and acting for an audience, I’ve been hesitant about registering for the class. I’m not sure if I’d be ready to be so emotionally vulnerable in front of people. I don’t know if I could be comfortable displaying various emotions on demand. Although I’ve never acted before, I imagine that it’d be awkward to show others the way you are in various emotional states, all the while knowing that it’s fake.So am I an actor? I don’t know. I’m afraid to try the class. Perhaps it’s a reflection on my unwillingness to be so vulnerable and emotionally frank towards complete strangers. Hell, I don’t think I want to be emotionally honest with even myself. But perhaps acting would be a good experience. Perhaps I should push myself out of my comfort zone and learn a little more about myself.
