On this day in class, Mr. Carnegie was teaching our class of about 15 and talking to us about performing on stage. He made it very clear how the STAGE is where all things are possible and that REAL LIFE is mundane and limited in scope and possibility. I sat listening to his words and was intrigued by what he had to say. The stage is where you can really be free and express yourself completely, without the same recourse that the real world would bring upon you.
I believed what he said to a degree but drew the line with his comment about life being drab and mundane in comparison to the stage. For me, LIFE is the stage and each day consists of many "scenes" in an ongoing "play" where we have a chance to "act" in the best possible ways to get the best possible results. In many ways, WE are in control of our "play" and the course it takes through our "act"-ions. To me, that's incredibly exhilarating, not knowing what each day will bring but doing my best to live my best in each of my "scenes", laying the groundwork and taking each step along the way to a most brilliant future. Enjoying and savoring the journey in order to experience the future of my dreams.
It goes without saying (but I will anyway) that I didn't stay with Playhouse West very long (4 months). I loved Jeff Goldblum as he was passionate both as a teacher and a human being and was the definite light in that school. At the same time, I wasn't too keen on the prim, proper, strict and staunch founder Robert Carnegie. He brought a tense energy to the room when he taught and it felt like you were being watched, advised and lectured to by a hard to please father figure. Jeff, on the other hand was fun, happy, positive, easy going, direct, yet humble and accepting in all ways. The MAIN problem with the school was the technique. For me, I felt the Meisner Technique was too specific and limiting in how you could be FREE on stage. A contrived (but necessary for many limited individuals) way to pull someone out of oneself and into the character and scene and play.
Side story...Tell me LIFE isn't the stage...I was working for The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences simultaneously, parking cars at the AMPAS building, part time. As an employee, I got two free tickets to the 68th Annual Academy Awards. That same year, Jeff Goldblum was nominated for best short film. I invited my sister, Kathy to attend the event where we saw many celebrities and stars (Quentin Tarantino, Tim Roth, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Mira Sorvino, Christine Lahti, Griffin Dunne (friendly, charming and smart), Sandra Bullock (wonderful to talk to) and many more. For my sister (and me), it was a life changing event. Sis Kathy had always told me Jeff Goldblum reminded her of me. Such a small world and beautiful experience to run into Jeff at the Oscars with my sister by my side. You should have seen the look on his face when he saw me. Such surprise, like "What are you doing here?" I think he thought it was cool that I had the opportunity to actually be at the Oscars wearing a tuxedo and being amongst the Hollywood elite. It was.
The fact that my sister got a chance to meet Jeff, who was incredibly gracious to her, and that he was my teacher at the time meant I was on the right path. Within a month though, I no longer worked at AMPAS or had Jeff as a teacher. It still amazes me what opportunities I had right out of the gate in Hollywood and how those opportunities were gone just as fast. The moral for me is that when an opportunity arises, take hold of it with all your passion, strength and energy and savor each and every second of it, because in the blink of an eye, life can change and the opportunity will evaporate.
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