a future in theatre...

Talked with the sis tonight which was really nice cause we hadn't done that in a while. Something she said got me thinking. She asked about any school plays that the college puts on and stuff like that to which I replied, "Well if I do end up becoming an actor, I don't really see myself becoming a theater actor" and she said "Well that's where they all start."

Then this really got me thinking. Is this true? Does everyone start in theater first before they get to film or television? I don't believe EVERYONE does theater first, well maybe the school plays when they are growing up but after that it changes I believe. It's not that I look down on theater actors, not at all, what they do is a far different (and I would say more difficult) type of acting than film. They go on stage every night (sometimes for months on end) and play the same character (in the same situations) in front of a live audience. Some people may argue that's what film actors do also, playing the same character for three months or so on a movie set. But there is one, strike that, two major differences. In theater it is the SAME performance and in front of a LIVE audience. I feel this is extremely difficult to do. I mean you have to be at the top of your game EVERY NIGHT you go out there under the lights, and you HAVE to get it right on the FIRST take. You don't have 2, 10, 20, 100 takes to get it right, you have only ONE to convince the audience you are who you say you are.

At least for me there seems to be two kinds of actors: the one's who start in theater and the ones who start in film. The list can go on and on for the actors that fill each of those categories, and it is far too long for me to transcribe here. I'm not saying there are only theater actors or film actors either. An actor can be both, but I'm strictly talking about their background here, where they get started. Especially nowadays in a world where you can be a no name one day and famous the next, at least I feel a theater background is not required. It should be required to know the history of theater and its famous plays but at least for me it is a different kind of acting. Maybe I'm just a stupid, naïve, nineteen year old kid who doesn't know shit about the business, but I don't think so.

This is turning into a much longer post than I anticipated when I first started writing it, thinking I could get a short one in before I turn in for the night and get up for class in the morning.

HOWEVER...

At least for me I would see myself as a film/in front of the camera type actor as of RIGHT NOW. Theatre (notice the spelling) to me is the PRESTIGIOUS/NOBEL/HIGHEST STANDARD OF ACTING there is and I don't feel like I deserve (I don't know if that is the right word) to be in its presence. I feel like I would need WAY MORE experience before I tackle a theater role. Maybe I just don't give myself enough credit. For me I don't get nervous in front of the camera because I know the camera can't judge and nobody is perfect, but for theater I feel as if being a perfect actor is a requirement.

This went on way longer than needed and it could continue much further but I am going to stop it here.

The bottom line is...

I really don't know what the bottom line is.

I don't see myself starting in theater, but once again, we never know what the future holds...

(Every time I end a post like that I feel like I just finished a Rod Serling episode of The Twilight Zone. But maybe that's just me?)


UPDATE:  6/13/12 Three years and two months to the day since I wrote this post I realize just how little I thought I even knew about what theatre, film, acting, and who I was. This writer seems like an entirely different person than who I am today. Think of everything you have learned and where you have been these last three years. And also where you can go in the next three.