Acting in Pursuit of Truth

In January, I'll be starting a new acting class with Richard Seyd. It's an expensive class and the focus is on acting. It doesn't tie in to my other interests around social interaction and performance. So I asked myself, why do I want to keep developing my acting skills? Why do I want to be a good actor? As I sat with this question, I found some very clear answers.

At the most basic level, I'd liked to be known as a good actor. It appeals to my ego and narcissism. But beyond that, I have to say that I deeply admire and respect the skill of exceptional actors. The skill of the best actors is transparant. To acheive that level of acting skill would be among my prodest accomplishment.

At a deeper level, the study of acting is the study of being human. It's a physical, emotional and spiritual research into the human experience. Acting is away to revela truth to myself and others about what it means to be a human being. That is something I want to understand more deeply and share with others. Acting is a very useful way to do that.

This study, and the skill that I seek to develop, is limited by the barriers within myself. To pursue acting as a path of inquiry into truth reveals the many layers and masks of my identity. I don't want to mistake the mask, the role, the character, etc. as myself. Transparency is achieved by understanding how those masks are tools to reveal what lies beneath. Uncovering the truth beyond the mask reveals another barrier to revealing the Self.

By connecting with my Self, I can connect intimately with others. That is another reason I wish to act. The experience one has on stage, with other actors and with the audience, is very intimate. It is a safe container for exploring dangerous territories of the human experience. And I love that exploration and the intimate connections that it fosters. At times, the intimacy of the stage has been a falst substitute for intimacy in life. That does not interest me anymore. The intimacy on the stage should be an extension of life that also expands one's capabilities in personal life. In the end, I am acting in order to discover how not to act.

My pursuit of acting for discovering truth is related to my interests in psychology, philosophy and spirituality. None of these paths are better than another. They are multiple modalties, each with strengths and limitations for revealing truth.