The Salt Lakes

The amazing lakes of salt in Utah!

Traveling by Auto: What Was I Thinking?

A nine hour drive from Waco, Texas to Stratford, Texas was completed on May 27. On May
29 we drove 14 hours, spending the night in Rock Springs, Wyoming. On May 30, we drove another 14 hours stopping in Sacramento, California for the night. We arrived in San Francisco in time for lunch with my brother and sister-in-law on May 31.

What was I thinking? Am I crazy? I'm no 21 year old hippie who can sleep in the car and drive all night anymore?

And then, we come upon such beauty as the Utah Rockies shown above. WOW!!

Snow Kissed Mountain Ranges in Late May

Snow still exists in Colorado, you hot sweating Texans! This one is for you Eddie.

The Significance of a Texas Rabbit (Is it a Cottontail or a Jack?)

How might I better learn from the seeming insignificant and ordinary Texas rabbit (shown to the right)? Or how might I become a better man of God or a more dynamic teacher by appreciating the "ordinary" in our lives?

My male psyche has wanted to subtly "brag" about my summer sabbatical activities, but after I let others know what I am privileged to be doing, I find myself anticipating what is ahead, instead of relishing the present.

How do these two elements of finding significance in the ordinary and enjoying what is in the present, have to do with personal growth? How do these elements relate to my spiritual journey? How do these elements color the manner in which I work with theatre students? How do these relate to desiring inspiration without discipline in my life?

As we began our summer activities by driving through West Texas on Wednesday, May 27, my initial thoughts projected to future visits to San Francisco and Los Angeles, instead of absorbing what was to be experienced from the more bland and flat Texas panhandle. On Thursday, May 28, I saw the above rabbit in Stratford, Texas and as I enjoyed watching him watch me, I found contentment from this more ordinary and common wildlife. I didn't need to see the more exotic seals in San Francisco Bay or the dolphins at Venice Beach. I could enjoy God's smile through a small rabbit in the panhandle of Texas.

Lord, help me to thrive in the present. Help me to glean what is presented to me in the now.

Approach to Working Alongside the Actor as Artist, Part 4

The third aspect of actor training is one rarely viewed as an area of training, but one which is intrinsic to an actor's success. Even before I studied at the University of Connecticut under three teachers from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, I could see the true power of one's love and devotion to dramatic literature. In my professional past, I experienced directors who could beautifully landscape a play onstage conceptually, but had no theatre training except that they loved the literature and were devoted to the playwright's vision. British actors and directors also have a rich heritage with the spoken word; something American actors have not fully developed. I see the advantage of students learning to love dramatic literature. The enthusiasm and vitality of devotion to text can bring a true depth to the actor's professional life, from my perspective.

Because each actor comes into their training with certain areas of strength and certain areas of deficiencies, a holistic method of training should include a physical method of training the body and voice, an affirming emotional environment where risks in their work can be taken and a rich and vibrant interior life can be built plus a constant challenging system to spark an actor's desire to dig deeply into all genres of dramatic literature. The training process should have all instructors encouraging the other areas of enrichment.

Although I have taught on the undergraduate college level for 33 years, I remain enthused with how to make the process exciting for the actor but at the same time exciting for me as a late career acting instructor. The three approaches encompass a fundamental foundation to actor training.

Approach to Working Alongside the Actor as Artist, Part 3

The second approach to actor training is the "outie" approach. Our Department of Theatre at McLennan Community College requires a student to enroll and complete three courses in acting, four courses in ballet, four courses in theatre dance, one course in stage movement and one course in voice for the actor. Theatre majors are also expected to audition for up to five productions per year plus work on a technical crew for those productions. Theatre majors should also enroll and complete two courses in stagecraft, one course in principles of theatrical make-up and one course in costuming. These courses are a portion of the externalization aspect of actor training.

The externalization technique also includes centeredness, techniques of ballet, jazz, tap, modern and historical styles. Stage combat, dance choreogorahy and differing dialects in production are other aspects of the externalization or "outie" method. There is a strong belief in the dual training of emotional aliveness festooned in an exhaustive physical regiment for the voice and body which should sharpen an actor's discipline and determination. Vocal training is required of our students as well, urging all students to train with a private voice instructor and to become proficient in the Lessac method. These aspects include the fundamental approach to the externalization technique which might be explained as "doing not thinking".

End of Part 3

Approach to Working Alongside the Actor as Artist, Part 2

The first aspect of actor training includes internalization, but from the perspective of Eric Morris' "no acting please." Many vulnerable actors come into their professional training with ineffectual self images and are merely in theatre because they need companionship and/or affirmation. Thus, the "innie" method is to train the actor in relaxation and readiness of action, learning to trust the instincts which lead to action, discovering the difference between I (what I believe others expect of myself) and the Me (how I view myself through my dreams, goals and inner instincts) and learning how to "stand on one's own resources" professionally without someone else either affirming or criticizing them. I believe it is important for a young actor to know that his charisma or stage presence is both a gift and a positive approach to living inside the body they have. I also believe it is important for a student to also learn how to choose dramatic literature which best fits his/her emotional and physical palette. These are a portion of internalization training.

End of Part 2

Approach to Working Alongside the Actor as Artist, Part 1

As a freshman undergraduate student in 1967, a true tree hugger, I began my training as an actor with how I felt, what inner motivations I experienced and what psychological perspectives I could garner from studying the character I was attempting to portray. Although I enrolled and completed one course in ballet, one course in fencing and one course in voice and articulation, these courses did not appear to be a unified training approach. It was not until 1981 while studying at the University of Illinois and the Directing Colloquium for the Theatre Today, that I began to observe some of the disadvantages and abuses of only teaching the internationalization technique to American actors. After that profound experience of studying under Vinette Carroll, Ed Sherin, Clifford Williams and Gerald Freeman, I began to experience multiple changes in my methods of mentoring young actors with internalization approaches mixed with a consistently physical approach to the voice and the body. In 1985 I studied at the University of Connecticut under three instructors from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and in this summer training I experienced a re-awakening of the love of dramatic literture and the legitimacy of its importance to an actor.

A lifelong journey of working alongside young actors has led me to believe a unified training should include internal awareness, physical technique in body and voice and a rich devotion to dramatic literature. From my perspective, 18 to 21 year old actors tend to come into their professional training similar to belly buttons: either they are an "innie", one who first ponders how a character feels or an "outie", one who gets the walk and gestures first. The third observation young actors tend to bring into their initial years of training is one who is either deeply devoted to reading dramatic literature and possesses a rich and vivid intrinsic imagination or one who avoids reading. What appears to be evolving is an attempt to integrate these three important and vital aspects of an actor's training while at the same time realizing young actors come into training with unique learning challenges each year.

End of Part 1

Summer Sabbatical

McLennan Community College has awarded me a professional development leave grant, which I've chosen to accept for the summer months. Teresa and I leave for California on May 27 and will return June 8. We will be in San Francisco and Los Angeles. I will then leave for New York June 10-16. The third leg of our summer sabbatical will be July 9-31, first flying to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and then to London. We will catch the train and the ferry and end up in Dublin, Ireland, where we will meet our friends from Antioch Community Church. We will serve with our friends in Galway and in County Mayo until July 27. From July 27 to July 31 we will be in London, England, flying back to the states through Amsterdam on our return trip. The goal of the summer sabbatical is to examine the theatre industry through stage performances, observing rehearsals and interviewing colleagues and former students who are working professionally. I plan to communicate my findings in my acting classes throughout 2009-2010. I will also continue to write concrete poems which I began in 2003 concerning various facets of actor training. I will also "blog" some personal discoveries through the summer. I welcome your comments as I post throughout the summer. Blessings to you!