Shakespearean stars: they’re just like us!
“…acting…allows you to live other people’s lives without having to pay the price.”-Robert De Niro
Yesterday, I went with friend/former client, Amanda (www.amandathickpenny.com), to see Sir Kenneth Branagh and Alex Kingston in Macbeth at the Park Ave Armory (armoryonpark.org). It’s sold out, obviously–as soon as Sir Kenneth started thinking about doing the production, it was sold out–so I got up at 5:45 on a Sunday, to be in line by 7:45 to wait for three hours to get rush tickets for $19! It was the kind of line, where the girl behind me showed up with a mason jar full of coffee.
Those of you not familiar with NYC, think that I am certifiable. Whereas other New Yorkers are thinking, “Oh my no: that’s normal NYC insanity.” The truly insane people was the couple who showed up AT TEN PM ON SATURDAY NIGHT, to wait in line. They were first in line but that still makes me itch. (Not to mention that the gentleman who shared that information with us, well he got in line at 5:30 in the morning. He also thought the first two people in line were insane. In NYC, everything’s relative.)
Here’s myself and Amanda celebrating with our tickets:
Anyhoo, three hours in line goes surprisingly fast when the weather’s beautiful and the company’s great. The production was very intense, and high impact and I definitely recommend it. The Armory’s space was fantastically used to create a sensory experience of Macbeth. Here’s a link to the NY Times’ review: Fast and Furious Macbeth
Afterwards, since Amanda had her Sharpie, we waited, hoping to get Sir Ken’s autograph. Oh, don’t even give me that look: you know you would have done the same. People who are too cool for school can go be boring elsewhere. We wanted the chance to meet that gorgeous man a very talented actor. Speaking of a sausage festival: even if you’re not interested whatsoever in Shakespeare’s stunning language, my god, that entire cast was one smoking hawt, bearded man after another. It was essentially a travel advertisement for Scotland: go to Scotland and have fun getting knocked up!
But to me personally, as a coach, I thought the performances outside the theater almost as instructive as those on the stage. It was truly fascinating to watch the actors come out, in their regular clothing, and see how shy and demure many of them were. Many of them were dressed to go on the subway and go home, another week of Shakespearean mayhem over. These men and women had just spent the past 2 hours committing acts of murder, lust and madness; we had seen them reciting, in full throat, some of the glories of the English language…and then they’d come out the stage door, eyes downcast, sweaty, and if people spoke to them, they were so grateful! They were grateful to be recognized, grateful to be praised. I mentioned this to Amanda, and she said, smiling, “Carlota, most actors are very shy.”
Really, most actors are just like most of us: all too human. Some are shy, some are outgoing, some have anxiety issues, some are boring, some are lonely; they have good days and bad. You get the picture. Successful actors, however, to paraphrase Shakespeare, screw their courage to the sticking point, and get on with the (endless) job of achieving their goals. ( I also found myself thinking how strange and lonely an actor’s life must be, in some ways. Very surreal and isolating.)
I’m just saying: life ain’t easy for anyone. Everyone has their own issues. So before you decide that your goals are impossible to achieve, before you believe the poison you were programmed to believe, step back and take a breath. Stop comparing your life-in-progress to other people’s finished perfection, since invariably that’ll only lead to heartbreak and disappointment. Next time you think about the people you admire, realize that they probably have the same hang ups as you: they may just be better at managing them. For the actors in Macbeth, I suspect that the stage is their outlet. The stage is where they come alive, and then afterwards, they get groceries and ride the subway, like the rest of us. When you stop putting other people on pedestals, you might be better able to stop focusing on your own foibles. Stars: they really are just like us!