Bravery
I just got back from one of the greatest auditions of my life! I had a freaking blast!
It was for the Black Theater Festival at ASU which I was really psyched for. It feels good to go into an audition that you're really excited about... good and extremely nerve wrecking! Syd always told me if you're not nervous then to get out of the game! You use your nervous energy to inspire your character and your objective.
But, on to my point! The lesson that I learned from these callbacks was: Bravery.
On a Christian journey, bravery is almost the most important thing we must focus on. The life of a devout Christian is a very difficult one and every day we are faced with challenges and hard decisions. Sometimes bravery is the only option.
At this audition I experienced two types of bravery: 1. Ambitious and 2. Righteous.
I believe both each have their times and places!
Ambitious bravery is the tool used to get the things that you want. If you want to be someone's girlfriend/boyfriend you need ambitious bravery to take that step in asking them out. If you want to start a company, you need ambitious bravery to make that first investment... It's when you look at the consequences and decided that you are willing to risk them to get what you want.
In my audition for For Colored girls, the director asked us to do some strange things. Things that I haven't done at an audition before and required me to make myself look silly. She had us stand in a line and screamed out things to us and had us react. Things like "slap" "punched in the stomach" and so on. I know you guys might think me an extrovert but these sort of things are really difficult for me! I get really embarrassed and nervous. I needed lots a bravery. She also had us walk towards her and told us to do it with a lot of attitude. Attitude is the last thing I have so this was also hard!
The last thing she had us do is where my Righteous Bravery kicked in. Righteous bravery is making a decision to stand up for your faith and what you believe in.
he asked us to stand in a line again told us that she wanted us to get really angry and cuss her out...
This may not sound like much of an issue to some, but to me I was stunned. I didn't know what to say. I really wanted to be in the play and I didn't want to let this one exercise keep me from it. She continued to speak and my mind started to drift off. I wanted to slip out of the room and pray about just so I could have a clear answer. The director said "I know some of you may not cuss, but it's just for a few minutes and then it'll all be erased." For a few moments I had actually decided that it was okay and that I was sure that God would think it was fine... but I realize now that it was a test. God presented me with a situation and wanted me to make a decision without time to think about it, and many situations in life occur.
So just before she told us to start, I slipped up my hand. The second I did it I felt ridiculous but I did it. I told them I wasn't comfortable with the exercise. She asked "You're not comfortable with cussing?" I said, "There are a few words that I'm fine with saying depending on the context, but I'm just not comfortable with this exercise." She told me it was fine and that she didn't want to make me uncomfortable, and to still do the exercise without saying swear words. I felt relieved but still silly that I had to do that in front of everyone.
As I was leaving the class, the assistant director stopped me and thanked me for standing up for my morals and told me it was brave. I felt so good! I was very thankful that I did it and I almost feel like it was God who was thanking me for standing up to him.
In other situations things might not work out as well but in this one it certainly did. It's important to stand your grounds. Remember God said, "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." Luke 9:26 (NIV)
It was for the Black Theater Festival at ASU which I was really psyched for. It feels good to go into an audition that you're really excited about... good and extremely nerve wrecking! Syd always told me if you're not nervous then to get out of the game! You use your nervous energy to inspire your character and your objective.
But, on to my point! The lesson that I learned from these callbacks was: Bravery.
On a Christian journey, bravery is almost the most important thing we must focus on. The life of a devout Christian is a very difficult one and every day we are faced with challenges and hard decisions. Sometimes bravery is the only option.
At this audition I experienced two types of bravery: 1. Ambitious and 2. Righteous.
I believe both each have their times and places!
Ambitious bravery is the tool used to get the things that you want. If you want to be someone's girlfriend/boyfriend you need ambitious bravery to take that step in asking them out. If you want to start a company, you need ambitious bravery to make that first investment... It's when you look at the consequences and decided that you are willing to risk them to get what you want.
In my audition for For Colored girls, the director asked us to do some strange things. Things that I haven't done at an audition before and required me to make myself look silly. She had us stand in a line and screamed out things to us and had us react. Things like "slap" "punched in the stomach" and so on. I know you guys might think me an extrovert but these sort of things are really difficult for me! I get really embarrassed and nervous. I needed lots a bravery. She also had us walk towards her and told us to do it with a lot of attitude. Attitude is the last thing I have so this was also hard!
The last thing she had us do is where my Righteous Bravery kicked in. Righteous bravery is making a decision to stand up for your faith and what you believe in.
he asked us to stand in a line again told us that she wanted us to get really angry and cuss her out...
This may not sound like much of an issue to some, but to me I was stunned. I didn't know what to say. I really wanted to be in the play and I didn't want to let this one exercise keep me from it. She continued to speak and my mind started to drift off. I wanted to slip out of the room and pray about just so I could have a clear answer. The director said "I know some of you may not cuss, but it's just for a few minutes and then it'll all be erased." For a few moments I had actually decided that it was okay and that I was sure that God would think it was fine... but I realize now that it was a test. God presented me with a situation and wanted me to make a decision without time to think about it, and many situations in life occur.
So just before she told us to start, I slipped up my hand. The second I did it I felt ridiculous but I did it. I told them I wasn't comfortable with the exercise. She asked "You're not comfortable with cussing?" I said, "There are a few words that I'm fine with saying depending on the context, but I'm just not comfortable with this exercise." She told me it was fine and that she didn't want to make me uncomfortable, and to still do the exercise without saying swear words. I felt relieved but still silly that I had to do that in front of everyone.
As I was leaving the class, the assistant director stopped me and thanked me for standing up for my morals and told me it was brave. I felt so good! I was very thankful that I did it and I almost feel like it was God who was thanking me for standing up to him.
In other situations things might not work out as well but in this one it certainly did. It's important to stand your grounds. Remember God said, "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." Luke 9:26 (NIV)
In your acting career it's very important to know your standards and morals. Today was one of the first times that I've ever had to face my own. I can only hope that I can overcome these obstacles when I face them again down the line.
<3
