Artistic Statement

She blinks twice in a row; She plays with her ring; He scratches his neck; She picks her fingers. These are the subtle beauties I have observed of my friends, each subconsciously committing to a task that brings them comfort and solace. An acting professor once told me that the small intricacies of one's physical state reveal a myriad of their own inner conflicts— or perhaps consolations. The people I surround myself with are the library where each book tells an entirely unique story, sometimes too grand to foolishly plaster on one page. 

I often find myself analyzing these subtleties, understanding that each movement is an intentional display of their inner circumstances. I begin with the basics: what are they currently doing? Observation is simple, in this regard— all that is to be done is to pay close attention to the tangible details. I then move onto their physical circumstances, where are they; what’s the weather like; do they look comfortable? All this prior work is fine and well, until I arrive at the inevitable question of “What do they want?” Or in other terms, what are they trying to get? Through all of my studies I had always found that this single handedly took the cake for the hardest question. How am I to determine what any one person wanted, especially when all they were doing was being themselves? 

It is in this very moment of deep conflict in which I then realize that the question is essentially impossible for me to answer alone. I must absorb their being, channeling my similarities through their experience. It is not enough to distance myself from the realities of their world by simple observation if I truly mean to understand what it is to be them. I carry this philosophy with me to my acting and character work, along with what I’ve learned through the beautiful physicality of my friends and family.

To be a character is to understand not only what they are thinking, but how they think. The library of people in my life is vast, and it is my personal obligation to flourish their stories on stage through whatever character may present itself in my path. It is also my hope that the audience see themselves in each of these portrayals, picking away at the same physical beauties that I had before. I turn each page in the library one observation at a time.