Trust: More For the Eye to Catch

I find that the word trust has a lot of depth to it. The word not only has an extensive amount of meanings and definitions, but it has the capability to transform individuals, dig into their minds and pull out their real inner personality/traits. It helps people to focus and develop a secure mindset. Now, I didn't just sit down one day and decide this random philosophy of trust meaning much more then its actual definition (firm belief in the truth).

As an actor, I've grasped the fact that in order to improve, I must first surround myself with the essence of this philosophy. Whether it'd be onstage or in my normal lifestyle, I was taught by STAC workshops and other experienced actors or directors that the key to true acting is the ability to feed off another characters emotions or words. To trust that character and really listen to every word he/she says. As I train in my profession, there seems to always be a way to incorporate that idea into my acting. When I first was told of this technique, I found myself listening much more to what people said to me. I began to absorb information in ways I couldn't even imagine. I would sometimes watch a person as they speak and determine their state of mind. I would attempt to analyze a person and their background with just the way they would speak to me. Their subtle movements or change in tone. No matter what, I could not escape my fascination of people and relationships. This is why when Luke would have us do the repetition exercise, I would become so involved with my partners facial structures, the emotion conveyed through his or her words, etc.

So, how does this all tie into my trust philosophy? Well, I believe that in order to trust an individual enough to give you guidance, one must analyze that individual, stay around him/her and pay close attention to the emotions that are emitted off of that person. Once the individual trusts the other in this way, both of the individuals can be more aware of their surroundings. Be able to recognize when a person is wearing a mask and hiding his/her real personality, when a person is in another state of mind as he/she has a conversation with you, etc. When I was with Kalli in the blindfold exercise, it was hard to trust her without seeing her and meeting her (absorbing her mindset). I found myself very scared at some points because not only did I not know her, I was not in the right mindset without my eyes. The exercise was helpful because I am confronted with this obstacle in acting. The blindfold is a metaphor for the fact that I block out opposing characters on stage and subtract the trust, just say the lines. I've been working on growing out of this fake way of acting and my philosophy of trust has certainly boosted my growth as both an individual and an actor.