Sometimes you just never know the outcome when you're into it. Fran said to me one time that your greatest performance often feels like you haven't done anything in particular at all, that there's always going to be a simplicity to it. Not to say that my work on Monday is particularly impressive, but I think it worked - especially the second try when I went with it without questioning - because I'd found the truth and kept the simplicity.
I've been regurgitating on this thing about simplicity when I'm teaching my acting class. I always ask them to stop working so hard to show that "I'm acting", but to start looking at the monologues in the simplest, most direct way: what am I saying? Once an actor accepts his lines as "truth", then whatever comes out will be truthful. It might not be what the director wants specifically, but without the truth we can't go anywhere. Always starts with the truth, and don't worry about what's the "right" thing to do. It takes me a long time to realize that as well.
Nonetheless, Mondays script was still very odd to me. Thankfully it worked because I tried to find the truth in it and not to question it too much, but it did reminded me that that's what I have to do every single time. No matter how ridiculous or illogical or whatever about the script, the actor's Jon is to find his own version of truth and embrace it. After all, I have to believe in what I say, don't I?
Looking forward to Wednesday. Hopefully something fun.
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