My acting Ph is now an even 7

Yesterday in acting class I had a bit of a breakthrough. My teacher, Steve, has been trying to make me realize that acting doesn't necessarily equate to a change in my being. For those of you who have never taken an acting class it basically translates into: "Just be yourself....and don't get caught 'acting'". Now, I LOVE to chew scenery, I LOVE to ham it up, I LOVE to "give" a performance and I LOVE to show of my largess up there.

But sometimes that is just not needed, and some other times, its just plain detrimental to the performance. I overcame my affectations by speaking to my wife in that manner. In a high falutin' way I would talk to hear about my day and ask her about hers, prancing around like a Shakespearean clown. (Totally true). And you know what? It was really really really weird. No one talks like that. I used that disconnect from reality as a baseline to know what I DON'T want to achieve.

If I can have that energy, that veracity simmering just below the surface but be loosey goosey (for lack of a more descriptive term) I can find some serious success. Nothing would make me feel better than if I found success as an actor.

Seriously.

So anyway, Steve told me that I have now "found my neutral". I can get to that place rather quickly and, if nothing else, people will never "catch me acting." Which is half of the struggle. He told me, and I have to agree (no, really, resistance is futile with this guy) that my natural self is expressive enough....it's engaging enough and I don't have to ham it up, I don't have to "comment on my lines" after I say them.

I feel really great about last night.