in defense of the actor
while i am neither an actor nor ignorant of the pitfalls that often befall them, which they are particularly susceptible to
[arrogance and egotism in particular],
i write on their behalf for i feel it is particularly relevant in the here and now.
firstly, i must make it quite clear that i do not stand in the defense of what peter brook terms hack actors - ones that simply use bags of tricks and passively carry on the tradition of acting simply for its own sake and for their own gain and not for the art itself.
but for those who do not fit this bill,
for those who strive to utilize their innate talents to promote the political, the controversial, the artful, the beautiful, the ugly, and the questions that stem from all these and more,
these are the ones i stand for.
this is because acting, it has occurred to me, might possibly the most difficult of all the arts when exceeded to its maximum.
[and i use such a phrase not accidentally, for when theatre is assembled like a puzzle with all its elemental pieces in the right places at the right time, its whole is greater than the sum of its parts.]
this is not meant to be demeaning to any other artist of any other medium.
the arts are great and should never cease to exist.
but in most other art forms, the art is separate from the artist.
a painter is the artist. the painter has their canvas, which is the art.
for an actor must always be simultaneously art and an artist.
an actor must mold his or herself to the construction and confines of a theatrical piece, leave the ego at the door, becoming one of the essential pieces of one grand work of art. this is how he or she is art.
but an actor must also be constantly aware of his or her personal traits, always be in control, never as a puppet but aware of the effect he or she is having on all that surround, constantly perfecting the art he or she is helping to create. thus the actor is also an artist.
of course not all actors bring these expectations to light.
this is why acting as an art is not always respected, but should be.