Artistic Philosophy

Art is essential to the human experience and is what makes us human. Every civilization that has ever existed had an expression of who they were, and what they believed in an artistic way. The purpose of art is to connect people. It accomplishes this by presenting new ways of viewing life and living it. This is why I am drawn to art. The connection between the artists, their collaborators, and the audience is a sacred one. I would argue that no art form trumps live theatre in this facet. The electricity that runs through a full house is unparalleled. Empathy is the fuel to the theatrical machine. This is one of the greatest characteristics humans possess. If we did not exercise our empathy as we do in the theatre it would cut each individual person off from the rest of the world. We are made relational beings for a reason - we need each other.

My goal as an actor is to help the audience explore someone else’s life, and by doing so, urge them to exercise their empathy and to figure out what it means to be human, one action at a time. Theatre cannot be done by one person, it is not meant to, so it doesn’t suffice if the aim is purely selfish, in acting and neglecting the other people around me. I want the emotions I feel as an actor to carry weight and have an effect on myself, my fellow actors, and the audience. It is paramount that these emotions be shared throughout the room because that’s what makes theatre so cathartic. It builds and strengthens our relationships as human beings who might not know each other, but have a lot more in common than we think.

This is why collaboration is key in the theatre. On the surface level, there are more possibilities for a piece of art when there is a diversity of people shaping it together. But on a more profound level, going through the process of creating something with people who have a multitude of similarities and differences to you is rewarding and it bonds all parties involved in a very special way. I always view working with others as a chance to learn, exercise empathy, and build meaningful relationships. The ability to see the faults in ourselves and learn from others is an important one that I try to exhibit every time I get a chance to.

When I am in rehearsals for a production, I tend to first start with the body of the character(s) I am portraying. First I pick out anything in the script I have to incorporate in my physicality, such as a sneeze, or limp. After that I examine how powerful or weak this character is. Then I investigate age. I like to figure out how they move in space and maybe what quirks they have or tells in their body. This helps to inform how they would relate to other people and when they are alone. I really enjoy following the bread crumbs left in a script to find fresh ideas about a characters’ back story and psyche, then trying to decide how that informs the action. I love telling the stories of other peoples lives because they can challenge our beliefs and question how and why we do things as a community and as an individual.