First act: the cast
Am I one of these actors that just go from one audition to another to get a role? A whatever role. Not a dream role, not the one that I really want to play…but just seeking to have one. Be someone. Explain why I’m onstage- that seems to be very important at the beginning. Than the other very important thing seems to be to prove that I’m needed for the successful outcome of the play. My role is important- that’s what other people need to think. I am afraid that if others onstage find out that the play can go on without me they may not accept me, respect me and see my significance.
Second act: the script
They take me to play a role. Not the one I want, not the one I’ve dreamed of…but a role, and everyone say it’s a good role. They give me a script. There is an exact list of things I should perform- only what’s described and nothing more. If I improvise- I’m out of the play. The words are written, the acceptable words that are suitable for my role. Everything else is forbidden. I need to learn the script, and rehearse, rehearse, until I convince myself, just as all actors, that these are my words, like it’s not a script that’s coming out of my mouth.
Rehearsal: make belief
I go onstage to play my role and it’s the only one that I can act out. Otherwise the other actors will be highly confused. I get bored at some point. Saying the same words, doing the same over and over. I say to myself “it’s only a rehearsal, let’s try to improvise”. This was a unsuccessful trial to test the humor of the other actors. They were way too serious and too involved in their roles to tolerate unexpected words and acts. They all stopped acting for a moment and gave me a judgmental look, because I’ve changed the scenario. I know that if I want to keep my role on the play I should follow the scenario. I rehearse all the time this role. Probably at the beginning I was getting tired easily, because I don’t even like the role that much. But then I got used to it. I mastered it. I feel convenient with it. Now I feel the character.
Grand premiere: when I missed ‘me’
Today was the grand premiere of the play. I played my role. I was excellent. I felt that this is me. In fact I’ve rehearsed this role so many times; that it’s even difficult for me to sense what is that I call “me” now. All people were applauding; the show was a great success. Here was my moment of glamour. Everyone was praising, saying bravo, smiling and seemed content. After a few moments the lights were off the curtains went down. The show was over. I now went to wash away the makeup. But I’m confused. Why is that I feel empty? Why I’m not satisfied? The other actors told me I was great. The public applauded me, I received a bunch of flowers. What is that went wrong? I was asking myself all these things, while I was removing the makeup. I looked myself in the mirror and I saw my pure face. I smiled. That’s how my face looked like. I had forgotten, because I was so into my role. No one was there to see me, to say bravo, to applaud, or to give me flowers, but this was the moment I felt complete. Maybe that’s what was missing this whole time in this play…I missed me. At the beginning I was so determined to find a role, just as all other actors, that I forgot that I already had one- the most important one, which
Isn’t actually a role…
Awakening: morning light
I woke up early this morning. I just saw a dream that brought me anxiety. I saw in my dream that I was an actor with no role, trying to fit myself into someone’s play- what a frustrating dream! In that dream I had no thoughts- all was a script. In that dream there was no improvisation or role switching, or flow. Everything was set. And the worst…in that dream there was no “I” or “me”…”I” was a role; it was part of someone’s play. Thank God I’m awake now, and I can see…















