Many people will never understand the mentality of an actor as far as understanding why we do what we do, especially if we do it for free. In Episode 16, I tackle the question, “What makes an actor an ACTOR?” You can follow along below.

I WAS MADE FOR THE STAGE BY MY MOTHER AND GOD.
Very early in my childhood, like four or five years old, my mother heard me singing and decided to nurture a love for performing
I was made to stand by the piano and practice as she played
I was made to sing at church
I spent a little while in a youth troupe called “The Chickadees”
I was involved in multiple talent shows.
I began to audition for mainstage community theatre
My love for the theatre was rekindled during a trip to New York City. (Tell the story)

MY WIFE AND I HAD A POWERFUL THEATRE CONNECTION
We met through the radio
We both loved theatre and Disney. Aladdin, Phantom, Les Miserables
Shortly after we married, we auditioned for a community theatre’s musical revue
We began to immerse ourselves into everything we could in the theatre
We began to direct as well

I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE THEATRE
The first time I stepped into the stage light with the actual INTENT to create something memorable to both me and the audience, I was hooked. Here some of the things I love:

I love being told I did a good job
I love the hard work that goes into a show
I love the magic of not being ready the night of final dress and somehow pulling it off on Opening Night.

I love the characters. Not the ones written in the scripts. I mean the real ones
I love the thrill of waiting for the cast list to be posted
I love learning choreography
I love the smell of a theatre
As an actor, I love the rehearsals where someone starts laughing and it’s infectious to the point that you can’t continue for several minutes. As a Director, I hate it
I love the sadness at the last bow and the end of the cast party
I love the sense of “What do I do now” that hits in the days that follow.

SUMMING IT UP
It’s the experience and the people and the family and the effort. It’s busting your butt to build a fantastic set and nearly coming to tears when you’re the one who has to tear it apart at the strike. It’s finally getting Stage Right and Stage Left and knowing the difference between Upstage and DOWNstage.

And it’s an appreciation reserved for only a few of us. Get used to people not understanding why you do it – especially if you do it for free like I do.

What makes an Actor an Actor is not education, it is the experience. Some actors are better than others, but it’s what you feel in your heart when you step into the light that defines whether you are of those few.

I am an actor because God created me as one of the few.

"Pickin’ Up The pieces" - from Mr. Long Said Nothing, written and performed by Michael Blackston, copyright 2013.