The creative dynamic

This past weekend, from Friday night through all day Saturday and all day Sunday, I participated in a workshop called "The Creative Dynamic." The workshop was given at the TAI Group (formerly The Actors' Institute) and has been around in different forms for approximately twenty years.

It began as a workshop for actors, teaching them how to connect more effectively with audiences and it became extremely popular as actors told friends who had all different kinds of jobs. I think I talked about this before - anyway, there were ten participants and a number of TAI trainers also in the room. There were a few actors and musicians, a business affairs person, a Yoga teacher, a corporate trainer who does similar trainings herself but came to TAI to experience their techniques. She was blown away. She was also seven months pregnant and I think she was happy to be there and not at home with her two year-old. There was also a college president. So, it was a mixed group with varied experience performing in front of audiences.

We all brought in something to "perform" - a song, a poem (the college president spoke in both Aztec and English), several speeches (FDR, Harvey Milk and a Tony Kushner speech), a monologue by Neil LaBute from "Fat Pig." I brought in the first five minutes of my monologue. Each person performed and then the leader, Gifford Booth, came up with some way to change the dynamic of the performance and to have the performer connect more intimately with the audience. I can't really explain it - I can just tell you that it worked every time. And then everyone in the audience wrote down thoughts about the performances (most of them extremely positive) which we all took home. I'm going to have my comments laminated and wear them around my neck every day of my life, since I don't seem to have much self-confidence of my own.

During the weekend, we also did acting exercises and danced. We danced in a group and one of the leaders would call out our name to lead. When it was my turn to lead, I did something so energetic that I hurt my back. Serves me right.

Anyway - the inner child in me had a joyous, fantastic and challenging time this weekend and I have to say that I pretty much loved every minute of it.

So, there will be no complaining out of me tonight. (Except it's still cold out. I couldn't resist. Sorry!)

No whining today

Since I frequently use these posts as a way of releasing some of my anxiety, I want to share that I had a really great day yesterday. I've been going to a training workshop at The Actors' Insitute every Tuesday afternoon from 3-6 pm. They have a program for people who are becoming trainers in public speaking, group dynamics, etc. It started as a workshop for actors and then expanded into all kinds of professions. Many of the trainers are actors and directors, but not all of them. Some have no performance experience, but so far most of the ones I've met have worked in theater.

Anyway, yesterday I suspected that I would have to be a guinea pig for one of the coaches in training and I was nervous. I wanted to bring in something written by someone else (like Chris Durang) but the friend who brought me into TAI suggested I use my own writing. I brought in the first five minutes of my monologue and I was praying I wouldn't be called on...and of course, I was.

I love that some of the things we are nervous about are often the things we get the most pleasure out of accomplishing. It was exciting and fun and scary -- and I learned about communicating with the audience in a way I had never experienced before. And I've got a lot more to learn.