Poetry Can Inspire Simplicity

SIMPLICITY IN ACTNIG

April is National Poetry month, and when I consider the impact of the art form on my own creative life, it brings me right to the importance of simplicity, not just for the actor, but for any artist. I love poetry because the best get right to the essence of an idea, of a moment. What a poet can say in a few words can unlock a universe. George Bernard Shaw had a great quote, “Poets speak to themselves and the world listens.” The opposite of simple is complicated. Many actors tend to complicate things. Ultimately, the actor’s goal is to take complicated material and break it down and craft in a way that is simple, easily stated, and provides a clear roadmap of what to actually do.

What is simplicity in acting? It is the absence of pedestrian clutter; it’s the ability to do only what you need to do, and no more. Simplicity also means that the behavior you create is a choice. Most young actors (and by young, I don’t mean necessarily age, but new to the art form) do more than they need to. This translates into pushing, straining, over-acting, or working for results. It means that a limited actor’s physical and vocal life is no more than the collection of unconscious habits they carry throughout life. Their work lacks ease, grace, and clarity. Good screenwriters, good playwrights, have envisioned the behavior of their characters as they put dialogue to paper. It’s playing out in their imagination. They write inevitable cause and effect. Really good, well trained actors are like great detectives. They can deduce the behavior that’s necessary for the character. Good actors then call upon their own imagination, life experience, and insight into the human condition to be breathe life into the part. The best actors have mastered simplicity while also possessing the ability to create vivid behavior. These artists are at the top of their craft. 

Don’t however be fooled into thinking that simplicity means not doing anything! That’s one reason why we have quite a few bad actors. They never really train themselves seriously, and directors, casting directors, or bad teachers continue to give misunderstood notes. How many of you have ever heard notes like, “Do less. You’re doing too much. Just say the line. Just throw the line away”? This can cause actors who lack craft and process to start misunderstanding simplicity. It can lead an actor to believe that all that acting requires is just to say the lines. Just turn on the Hallmark channel to see what I mean. 

I tell my students all the time that acting has an effortless to it. If it feels like you are working too hard, you most likely are.  Bottom line, become aware of your unconscious physical clutter. Don’t point, don’t shuffle back and forth, don’t rock, don’t pound the table like a bongo drum, and don’t wave your arms like you are bringing in a jumbo jet into an airport terminal. 

What you aspire to, every time you approach a role, is to bring originality and authenticity to the character. If you can’t strip away the clutter, then every role you take on will behave the same way. The best solution is to get yourself well trained. Master the fundamentals: get the placement of concentration off of yourself, really listen and take in, don’t ouch louder than you are pinched, make the other person more important than you, don’t anticipate, AND BREATHE.

Some of my favorite poets!

Mary Oliver

Adrienne Stern

Amiri Baraka

Kimiko Hahn

Amanda Gorman

Donte Collins

Craig muMs Grant

Don Mee Choi

Billy Collins

Philip Larkin

Rupi Kaur