What is essence and why does it matter for actors? Part I is a little of my journey in how I discovered essence and how to start figuring out your own essenc...

What is essence and why does it matter?

Essence is the actor’s best tool for clarifying your approach to craft and channeling your creative direction.

In the video, I discuss my personal revelation about essence and how it changed my casting/job opportunities from feeling like lucky shots to something I had more choice and control over.

Erica Arnold, a wonderful casting director I met in graduate school, said this was one thing that casting directors and creative teams rely on more than talent. She says essence is, “Just who someone is. It’s who they are.”

In the article, “Casting Directors Say Acting Talent Doesn’t Really Matter,” one casting director states that “Acting talent...may only account for 7% of the reason a particular actor would be cast in a role.” So, as talented and as versatile as you might be, underestimating and downplaying your intrinsically unique qualities might cost you more time and energy than necessary.

So, is essence only important in the context of the acting business? No. Knowing yourself and who you are is important no matter what you do. But is it part of the acting business? Absolutely.

Essentially, essence is the actor’s authentic self represented within the acting business context.

Essence is not something you can craft in and of itself. Yet, you can begin to understand who you are and how to leverage your distinctive qualities to deepen your acting work and expand your work opportunities.

Sources

1. Project Casting. “Casting Director Say Acting Talent Doesn’t Really Matter”.

   www.projectcasting.com/news/casting-director-acting-tip/. March 16, 2015.

Welcome to The Simple Actor!

What is The Simple Actor? Who is it for? And why did I create the space?

The Simple Actor is an online community for serious actors at all levels as well as educators to bridge decolonized pedagogy and creative practice. As a young actor starting out in the business, I was confused on how to use the knowledge I had in the classroom and use it in the professional world. As a professor, I repeatedly heard many young and transitioning actors speak of the same questions and concerns I had when I started. That is when I knew that I had to create a place where we as artists and people could ask the questions that not only affect out craft in the classroom as well as our creative journey.

So, The Simple Actor is hopefully, a soft place for many actors to land - a forum to share experiences, find support, and define and gain success in their acting journeys - on and off the stage and screen.

Stay tuned for more videos and and feel free to leave comments and questions below!