Can you call yourself an actor if you are not a 'working actor'?
Definitely been in my thoughts this past month. Thank you to a very timely post by my good friend, Erin O'Connor. Please read cause she brings up some great points.
http://erinannoconnor.wordpress.com/2013/09/04/can-you-call-yourself-an-actor-if-you-are-not-a-working-actor/
A few short musings of my own (this part is a little bit 'dear diary' so skip it if you're not in the mood for directionless banter):
We define who we are. We supply the definition that people will translate to create an image/description to understand our character. Telling others, "I am an actor" opens up a realm of assumptions, hypotheses, judgments, connections etc. So when we are describing to others who we are I think their is some inevitable: if you loathe your job, love your spouse, or think your children smell bad. Our desire for connection with people will require us to tell who we are through a mirror.
Or will it?
I am an actor. I currently have no gigs, I have no 'name' in Chicago, I have no real prospects for future employment with a theater, heck I am a nobody here! But I am still an actor. I am enabled by the passion I have for storytelling through a different person.
So I haven't gotten anywhere close to a 'catharsis' with this post, but I'm realizing this is going to be an ongoing topic for me in the next years. I'd love to hear any advice/stories/wisdom from anyone on this. Erin's got a great blog here, but I think there is a little more to it. I just don't know what it is yet.
Thank you Erin for letting me steal this. Even though you didn't know I stole it.
