For the Rest of Us…

Only one person gets to originate a role.

For the rest of us, it will always be of more value to seek out and experience another’s take on a shared role than to avoid it.

There’s intrinsic value in watching someone else do what you do—in seeing what other options and intents are available—in keeping a running list of ideas you’d like to use and make your own, as well as bits you want to make sure never to do.

To dig in one’s feet and to bury one’s head and say: “I don’t want to be influenced by anyone else’s performance. My show is my show and my show alone.” Well, to me, this way of thinking is not actually artistic. It’s misguided and unwise.

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To Improve Or To Maintain?

Were you hired to improve or maintain the situation?

Likewise,

Are you hiring to improve or maintain the situation?

Clarifying the answers to these questions will forego a great deal of confusion and frustration.

The Second Punchline

When you’re just hanging out with your friends, by all means, go with your first joke—your first quip—your first thought of a punchline.

But when you’re onstage, the audience has already thought of that first joke. You, as the professional in the room, need to come up and go with the second joke.

Having the second or third option of a punchline is often what separates the pros from everyone else.

Comedy and Tragedy and Hurt

A Theatrical Truth:

Tragedy gets hurt all the time. Physically and emotionally.

Meanwhile…

Comedy never actually gets hurt. Physically or emotionally.

One Of The Greatest Abilities

One of the greatest abilities is likability.

“I’m sorry, but I just have to say…”

“No offense, but…”

“I’m a straight shooter.”

“I’m always honest. I always tell the truth.”

All of that is fine, some of it noble in fact. But you’ll have a lot more wiggle room to say the things you need to say if you’re first likable.

No Substitute For Experience

It is only in real-world boots-on-the-ground experience that we learn what works and what doesn’t. Education and preparation is great, and actually vital. It’s where we learn how it worked for everyone else. But real-world experience—not theory, not someone else’s experience—but real-world experience, this is where the truth, our truth, lives.

Preparation and education is no substitute for experience.

Callbacks Don’t Count

I once knew a guy who had what he thought were his most notable call-backs listed on his resume.

Friends, we don’t get credit for things we almost did.

(On our resume or in life.)