Presented by Michael Segers, Brought to you by Peanut.org
Copyright © 2000 by Doug Sparks, All rights reserved
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Our resident online auctioneer, Doug Sparks, who has shared with us how he came to sell things at eBay, now steps onto the stage to share another of his loves, acting. While we certainly wish him well, we do hope that he not only keeps his feet dry and his heart full of noble thoughts but also that he keeps his day job at the post office until he signs his first six-figure contract. The theatre, they say, has been known to be a fickle mistress. - Mike
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Call me an actor. No, don’t look for me in the movie credits, or expect to see my name on the theater marquee, but I’m a genuine thespian. I first got involved a few years ago, kind of a fluke. My family had started to attend some local community theater productions, and thoroughly enjoyed them. I mentioned that I might like to try that sometime, and when an audition opportunity came up the family encouraged me. "Go ahead, Dad, you could do that." So, I did, and discovered to my amazement that (a) I was very good at it (b) I loved it! |
Astounding that it took me 43 years to try something that worked out great! I was hooked. I’ve been an English aristocrat, an inventor from the 1920’s, a Russian constable. Each one was an exciting escape from my own mundane world, without any of the danger or outrageous expense that some people resort to for pleasure (skydiving, climbing Mt. Everest, big game hunting, etc.). My kids have even been in plays with me, and we have made some very treasured memories together.
I used to think that actors were rather stupid people who couldn’t hold down real jobs, so they turned to acting. I quickly discovered that there is a reason why good actors get paid lots of money: it’s hard! It takes skill, practice, time, and experience to do well. You’ve got to be innovative and think very quickly.
But, there is no adrenaline rush quite like walking onto a stage holding every eye in the audience. It is tremendously satisfying to entertain people, and to bring them laughter, or compassion, or appreciation, or a deeper understanding than they had when they came. Drama is a magnificent communication tool; a very effective way to transmit ideas. There is an electric excitement hovering on any empty stage; anything is possible. It’s like a blank canvas to a painter, or a soundproof booth for a musician: the only limit is your own creativity.
I should mention that this type of activity is definitely not a part of my upbringing. I grew up in a stable, basic, meat-and-potatoes environment. Our family outlook was Standard, with a capital S. Nothing wrong with that, we certainly weren’t deprived or neglected. But art and culture were simply not a part of our lifestyle. Musical preferences or artistic interests just never came up in conversation. I only recently learned from my mom that my late father liked jazz. I never even knew that.
I wanted my own children to be exposed to all kinds of cultural experiences. Whether they like the philharmonic or the ballet is not the point; I want them to have a well-rounded perspective. I remember one Saturday taking my daughter to a recital in the morning, one son to our local Symphony in the afternoon, and my other son to a Monster Truck Shootout at night. Talk about diversity!
Some creative expressions, like anchovies, take some getting used to. We went to an operetta once. It was anchovy. But we saw the effort that was involved in making it work, and recognized the skill that it took to do it well.
Getting into a role is great. It’s fun to be somebody else for a while! I’ve even gotten to be the villain, the heavy, the antagonist, the bad guy. The worse you are, the more the audience loves it. There is such a freedom in speaking and behaving in ways you would never consider in real life. Anytime you get a roomful of actors, boredom takes a vacation. When people asked me why I like acting, I have three big reasons: (1) you always know what to say (as opposed to real life where I often get tongue-tied) (2) you always know what’s coming next (provided the actors follow the script) (3) no matter how badly you screw up, when you walk off the stage it’s over! It’s exciting to work with all kinds of people in a cast to produce something valuable and worthwhile. Lessons are learned when we realize that everyone is important; it just can’t work unless all do their part.
It is also Art. No two performances are exactly the same, because we are interpreting it fresh each time. The interaction and corroboration between the participants becomes a wonderful creative expression. Painting, writing poetry and other singular arts miss that extra dynamic that comes from humans reacting together. God as our Creator put little sparks of creativity inside us, and art/music/dance are ways to express that vitality.
It’s joyful. You don’t even have to be good to get pleasure and satisfaction from your expression. When you get to be middle-aged, duty and responsibility can crowd fun right out of your life. Theater punched a hole in my bland routine and put some life in my life.
Each of my kids can play an instrument: trumpet, violin, and tuba, respectively. This amazes me because I have no such capacity; I might be able to produce the right tones, but it just ain’t music. My oldest son is very talented at drawing. Surprising, because my wife and I are not creative at all. My point is that there are abilities implanted inside each of us that allow us to open a ventilation duct to our souls. Have you found your "opening"?
I even got to be a movie extra once. Warner Brothers was filming "My Fellow Americans" nearby, and an announcement invited locals to be involved. Definitely an interesting and worthwhile experience, but I’m not sure I’d do it again. Putting dramatic art onto film intensifies many of its characteristics. One characteristic is long periods of waiting, punctuated by interludes of frenzied intense activity. My "extra" day stretched into 12 hours, with only a few brief minutes of cameras actually rolling. This requires great concentration on the part of the actors; long dull waiting-then suddenly you must be "on" and ready to do your best.
In theater, there is an invisible barrier just beyond the outer edge of the stage. On one side you are a normal person; pass through the barrier and you magically transform yourself into another character, part of different co-world. This effect is greatly magnified in movie production, where a technical, mechanical network poises just one inch outside the camera frame.
It takes tremendous ability for those actors to pretend they are alone or deeply entranced in an emotional scene, when in reality there are poles, wires, lights and equipment hovering right above their heads. I bumped into actor John Heard in the hallway, and I couldn’t place him, even though I knew he was in the movie. You see, he wasn’t "on", he was just an ordinary human off camera. Everything in the movie production biz is first rate: the police officer costumes are genuine police officer quality, the secret service "agents" wear very authentic gadgets.
The directors didn’t like my necktie, so they sent me to the wardrobe trailer to get a different one. My "loaner" tie (I had to sign out for it) still had the price tag on it: $50! The wardrobe trailer had every size of every article of clothing they might need; row after row waiting for their summons to stardom. No expense is spared for the cast either. The free catered lunch was probably the best lunch of my life; I estimate it would have cost me $30 in the real world. They wanted me to come back the next day as a "body double," but my normal job wouldn’t let me. Such injustice.
I’ve learned that good acting talent is in demand on a local level. Consequently, I can be selective about how I use mine. I ran into a former co-worker not long ago, and he asked me "When you going to do another play?" I thought for a moment, then told him it would have to be a good role in the right kind of production. "What kind of role would it have to be?" I thought a little more before answering: "Something positive, wholesome and uplifting. Definitely uplifting".
Every writer, painter, musician, director or other producer of art has a personal basis for his/her art, and is consciously or unconsciously sending a message. I do not argue with their right to depict crudeness, oppression, violence or degradation; that is their privilege. (Although I do oppose government deciding which art is "worthy" and using my involuntary public funds to "buy" culture.) Creative talent is one of those limited resources (such as time, energy, money) that we all have been entrusted with. Our current culture is saturated with negative and depressing images.
I choose very carefully to use my limited acting skills in ways that will encourage, elevate, and challenge people to ascend. I challenge you. Get off that couch (or computer console) and stretch your comfort zone. Try something completely different with your family, whether it’s opera or bluegrass. Even if you don’t like it, you’ll still gain an appreciation for something that others do enjoy, and you just might find your own heart’s-song. Don’t wait 43 years to discover something you love!
A couple of links for you. First, find out about Community Theater and learn how to be a movie extra.