Everything I Needed to Know I Learned In Drama Class
by AZYA MAXTON
Published this on my protagonist Facebook page 2 years ago, but lately have been inspired to share again more publicly, soooo…here ya go:)
The summer before last I attended my friend’s wedding. He sat down next to me at the table we’d been assigned. I don’t remember his name now, but I know that he was a 27 year old doctoral student. I would later describe to a friend that “he came for me.” He immediately began an easy-flowing conversation because they had plied us with pomegranate martinis at the reception and he was young, gifted, and black. We didn’t make much small talk, so he quickly learned that I was an actress turned drama teacher turned elementary school teacher.
His response to my career changes was “You know you sold out, right?” I laughed at the fact that he had known me for only 10 minutes and had called me on my shit. “That’s okay, though,” he said, “because we are going to get you back to doing what you love.” I love when I meet a man, who immediately starts talking in “We” because it indicates to me that he is pro-partnership, as am I. I told him I’d been wanting to write a blog about how “Everything I need to know I learned in drama class.” He asked, “Then, why haven’t you written it?”
He asked me to dance, but left me on the dance floor. I think my dance floor theatrics were a bit much for him:) Later, he struck up a conversation with the girl on his other side. It didn’t bother me because I was in a very new “relationship.” Before I left, some other girls at the table asked me to join them for tequila shots. One girl pulled me to the side, and said “I saw you talking to that guy for most of the night. You guys had a really easy chemistry. The other girl he was talking to was talking about such shallow shit. If you want his number, you should ask for it.” I thanked her, and told her I wasn’t THAT interested. She said he wasn’t her type either. Before I left, he said “Write that blog.”
Nearly two years later, here it is:
EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN DRAMA CLASS:
1. Know your objective. Be clear. WHAT do you want?
2. What are your tactics? How are you going to get what you want? If they’re not working, CHANGE them.
3. What’s your motivation? WHY do you want what you want? If your motivation isn’t strong enough, you will not accomplish your objective because there will be OBSTACLES that stand in your way. When I shared this insight with my most current love interest, his very acute observation was “Motivation is moot without inspiration.” Find some.
4. There are NO flat characters. There is no such thing as a “good” witch or a “bad” wolf. Characters/People are shaped by their environment(setting) and experiences (action). Learn the back story. In the theater, we call this “character research.”
5. Be present. Listen to your fellow players. Do not try to anticipate what they have to say. For the story to be real, it has to be fresh, new, in the moment. Respond to what is being SAID, not what you knew/thought was going to be said. Get out of your head.
6. They call it a “play” for a reason. Have fun!
7. Prepare before you play. Practice, practice, practice. Then play with passion, power, purpose and projection!
8. The worst thing you can do to your audience is bore them. The top 2 ways to bore them are to not be seen, and not be heard. Show your face. Make sure your voice is heard.
9. Don’t read the reviews. Critics don’t count. DO, however, watch the tapes. You are, your own best and worst critic. If you must read them, learn to discern the difference between constructive and destructive criticism. Give credence only to the former.
10. Always, always, always throw a cast party…preferably, between shows. Chemistry is best when it’s not faked.
The summer before last I attended my friend’s wedding. He sat down next to me at the table we’d been assigned. I don’t remember his name now, but I know that he was a 27 year old doctoral student. I would later describe to a friend that “he came for me.” He immediately began an easy-flowing conversation because they had plied us with pomegranate martinis at the reception and he was young, gifted, and black. We didn’t make much small talk, so he quickly learned that I was an actress turned drama teacher turned elementary school teacher.
His response to my career changes was “You know you sold out, right?” I laughed at the fact that he had known me for only 10 minutes and had called me on my shit. “That’s okay, though,” he said, “because we are going to get you back to doing what you love.” I love when I meet a man, who immediately starts talking in “We” because it indicates to me that he is pro-partnership, as am I. I told him I’d been wanting to write a blog about how “Everything I need to know I learned in drama class.” He asked, “Then, why haven’t you written it?”
He asked me to dance, but left me on the dance floor. I think my dance floor theatrics were a bit much for him:) Later, he struck up a conversation with the girl on his other side. It didn’t bother me because I was in a very new “relationship.” Before I left, some other girls at the table asked me to join them for tequila shots. One girl pulled me to the side, and said “I saw you talking to that guy for most of the night. You guys had a really easy chemistry. The other girl he was talking to was talking about such shallow shit. If you want his number, you should ask for it.” I thanked her, and told her I wasn’t THAT interested. She said he wasn’t her type either. Before I left, he said “Write that blog.”
Nearly two years later, here it is:
EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN DRAMA CLASS:
1. Know your objective. Be clear. WHAT do you want?
2. What are your tactics? How are you going to get what you want? If they’re not working, CHANGE them.
3. What’s your motivation? WHY do you want what you want? If your motivation isn’t strong enough, you will not accomplish your objective because there will be OBSTACLES that stand in your way. When I shared this insight with my most current love interest, his very acute observation was “Motivation is moot without inspiration.” Find some.
4. There are NO flat characters. There is no such thing as a “good” witch or a “bad” wolf. Characters/People are shaped by their environment(setting) and experiences (action). Learn the back story. In the theater, we call this “character research.”
5. Be present. Listen to your fellow players. Do not try to anticipate what they have to say. For the story to be real, it has to be fresh, new, in the moment. Respond to what is being SAID, not what you knew/thought was going to be said. Get out of your head.
6. They call it a “play” for a reason. Have fun!
7. Prepare before you play. Practice, practice, practice. Then play with passion, power, purpose and projection!
8. The worst thing you can do to your audience is bore them. The top 2 ways to bore them are to not be seen, and not be heard. Show your face. Make sure your voice is heard.
9. Don’t read the reviews. Critics don’t count. DO, however, watch the tapes. You are, your own best and worst critic. If you must read them, learn to discern the difference between constructive and destructive criticism. Give credence only to the former.
10. Always, always, always throw a cast party…preferably, between shows. Chemistry is best when it’s not faked.
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