“No matter what he does, each person on earth plays a central role in the history of the earth. And normally he doesn’t know it.” – The Alchemist

I’m reading this quote and I am deeply struck by it, in my heart.  “Normally he doesn’t know it”. What does this mean “normally”? Is it that most people do not listen to that deep instinctual voice that some call heart and others call soul? If so, why don’t they listen?  Why don’t the “normal” people and how do these “normal” people influence our lives? After all, society tends to revile those known as “crazy”.  Perhaps it is genetic, for how many of us witnessed our parents sitting around talking about how grateful they are because they understand that they are playing a “central role in the history of the earth”.  How many could honor the reality of their own importance?

What happens when person does not realize that they have an important role? I know that as an actor and as someone who counsels actors, there is a feeling sometimes that we do not have an important role, literally when there is a lack of auditions, jobs, agents, etc.  It seems obvious that these are the things that provide the actor with a sense of purpose as well as the experience that they have some importance in this world. But it does not always work out that way, as we look back on the history of successful actors who still felt a sense of deep emptiness inside and therefore were not able to grasp their importance to the “history of the earth”.  Just walk down Hollywood Blvd, look at the stars and remember those who died without a sense of purpose or gratitude.  They had success, money, auditions, jobs, agents, etc. But because they did not feel on a deep internal level important in the large scheme of things, they craved it. They believed that pursuing this mirage would provide it for them, it does not. It must come from within, from inside the heart of the individual.  When they needed to look inside at their truth, they instead looked outside to the trappings of success and the false sense of what purpose means. Some say “who cares about the history of the earth, I have to work this shitty job at this restaurant and cant’ get an audition!” That is a way of looking at life, a perspective for certain, but only one. And sometimes for some people they cannot escape that perspective and it becomes a steel cage in which they become encased.

Today is July 4, Independence Day and I wonder about that steel cage, the one a person can create for themselves. For the actor, I find it most interesting and perhaps a little bit ironic that it is the actors who have the most powerful gifts of expression, nuance, charm, humor and sexuality, can be the ones who feel most restricted, trapped, limited and hopeless.  I think it is the external validation, the desire to be seen, understood, financially remunerated and honored by society that can be the trap of the actor.  When one can truly believe in the words of Coelho and embrace their role, no matter what it turns out to look like, they will possess the true riches, the treasure, the true feeling of purpose.     

“The psyche strives toward wholeness. But on the path we stumble upon we have come to believe what society expects of us, and these beliefs have a strong effect on the way we behave as men and as women” June Singer, Boundaries of the Soul p.182

Socrates:
O beloved Pan and all ye gods and goddesses
of this place, grant to me that I be made
beautiful in my soul within, and that all
external possessions be in harmony with my
inner man.  May I consider the wise man rich,
and may I have such wealth as only the
self-restrained man can bear or endure.

Do we need anything more Phaedrus?
For me that prayer is enough.

Phaedrus:  Let me also share in this prayer;
for friends have all things in common

Socrates:  Let us go.

From Dialogues With Plato

This was on the wall of the National Museum in Athens Greece, translated from the original.

In short: What is outside needs to coincide with what is inside. And I like that it is written as a prayer. Today I would say it is a goal that a person can set in motion and take actions to live their life toward that goal. There is an inner intelligence worth as much as outer possessions and we can do well to respect this inner world and soul, as we move forward in an attempt to achieve our desires.

I see many people who come in and are in distress, feel as though they are not living up to their potential, that time is wasting and there is a fear that they will never succeed.

I often ask “What is the meaning of success for you?” I believe this is a question every artist needs to ask themselves. It is vital that one looks within their own soul, for meaning, not merely to their bank account, or i phone.

If one is in tune with their own inner world and connects to the power of their own source or soul or god, they can be spurred on by this power. This is the source of creative inspiration that calls one to the duty they have on this planet. Anton Troy, a beautiful talented young man said that he “wants to be of service” and I believe this is a noble pursuit. It is a gift the he has, that we all have but it is not ours to selfishly hoard or to run away from, it is ours to share.

If we are living in the spirit of service to our fellow man, then perhaps we can learn as Socrates did to be “made beautiful in my soul within” and that beauty will be reflected in the gifts that come our way.

Acting is a road to empowerment. When we express ourselves creatively, we make a connection. It is through this connection that we feel most alive. When we feel alive, we feel like we can achieve and create anything we want.

As an Actor, Teacher, Director, Writer and Motivational Coach for twenty years, Scott has learned that we are all connected by stories. Art is in the sharing and connecting experienced through our stories. Watching a movie, a play or reading a book we become involved in the lives of others where we learn something new about ourselves and the human condition.

The actor has a very special opportunity and unique place in our society. They have the opportunity to capture the truth of what people really think and feel and then share that truth in front of an audience or a camera. The actor can elicit deep emotion in the viewer; Emotions such as sadness, rage, laughter, or fear. It is Scott’s mission is to help clients expor their unique form of personal expression, in order that they may expand their sense of confidence, passion and freedom.

At the core of each of us is the creative, expressive, blossoming, abundant person we were born to be. The discover of it is exciting, thought-provoking, stimulating sometimes scary but always expanding and progressive.

People are sometimes taught that who they are isn’t enough. They need to be thinner, taller, stronger, funnier, tougher or softer. In trying to fit into these roles they lose sense of who they are.

This work is for those pursuing acting as a profession as well at those using it as a path toward personal growth and empowerment. For those who want to experience more of life and live “in the moment” When we creatively express ourselves, we release and heal those things that hold us back so we can then experience a fuller, deeper, more impassioned life.

Richard Boleslavsky said: “Acting is the life of the human soul receiving its birth through art.” True. Beautiful. Possible.”

Relaxation:Relaxation is perhaps the most ignored and yet the most important aspect of acting. Lee Strasberg says that relaxation is the Occupational disease of the actor. It needs to be addressed and worked on each and everyday. Relaxation should be approached systematically, with focused work being done on both the muscles and the mind. The actor should spend time each day doing a relaxation exercise that includes isolating specific muscles in the body and then releasing their tension through vocal releases sounds. This is a process of mentally going through each part of the body tensing and relaxing each muscle systematically.

Mental relaxation is just as important as physical relaxation for it is here that tension blocks the story of the script from entering in to our understanding as well as impeding it from being transmitted to the audience.

Tension also loves to sabotage the audition process. Tension can make our dialogue sound wooden and our character seem flat.
The relaxed actor is the flexible actor who is able to handle a variety of material and who can present more fully complete characters.

Yoga, meditation, exercise and deep breathing are all useful exercises for the actor. Here are three steps to becoming a more relaxed actor.

1. Spend 20-30 minutes 3 times per week doing the Strasberg relaxation exercise.
2. Spend 10 minutes per day in meditation.
3. Spend 10 minutes per day doing deep breathing.

Developing ways to relax need to be a daily habit of the actor. One needs to in fact be hyper-vigilant about this because tension is all around us and it creeps into our mind and our muscles often without our awareness.

For more on relaxation go to http://www.theatrgroup.com/Method/relaxation.html Without relaxation a lot of things an actor may rightly want to do will be deformed as they enter his instrument, because the instrument itself sets up resistance through tension.

- From: Strasberg: At the Actors Studio, p. 89

Tell the Story

The story is more important than the words. You have to know what story you are telling. Whether it’s a story about love, about power about heartbreak, about desire, the story must be told. When you know the story you want to tell, then you are free and you don’t’ have to try to be a good actor or to make it happen. These are two acting concepts that lead to indicating and mucho snoring!

No, the beauty of acting is telling a story, your story as told through the character. Yes, it comes down to you, your life, your imagination, your talent and nobody else’s! Don’t wait for somebody to tell you what’s right or wrong, if you wait, it’s too late. You make the choice, you express the truth, and you create beauty.

• Art is the search for beauty, as religion is the search for truth” – Peter Ouspensky

• Don’t worry about keeping up with the Jones’ the only Jones you need to worry about is you – Tiler

If you haven’t had a chance read what an Oscar winning actress says about self-discovery: Ellen Burstyn’s autobiography Lessons in becoming myself www.ellenburstyn.net

Special thank you to our amazing “Dis-Order!” crew:

Adam Philipson-videography:
http://www.canyonspac.com/index.html

Gabor Szitanyi – Editing
http://tenstrongmenstudios.com/

Julianne Figueroa – Stage Manager

If you like the show “In Treatment”, check out the students at Scott Tiler’s acting class.

While working on a scene actors will often say “I can’t relate to this”.

That’s when I start asking them questions. The first question I ask them/character is “What’s going on with you?” Right away they start talking to me about what they’re feeling, what’s happening in their life, what their frustrations are, what their desires are. Before you know it they transform into the character right before my eyes. They forget what it was they couldn’t't relate to. The acting becomes emotional, vivid and powerful. AMAZING! It blows my mind how much the human spirit can overcome. We just need as actors to really understand the depths of who we are and what we have to offer. Our doubts are not our truth, doubts are merely a step on the pathway to greater understanding, not a ditch to “camp out” in.

For us to grow, it often helps if we start from the premise that we don’t know. For example, “I don’t know if i can relate to this” is a perfect place to start. From their you can start asking questions, and expressing the answers in an out loud, in the moment, visceral fashion.

Vegetarian Lasagna: I want to make it but I’m not sure if I can, so I start asking questions like, what ingredients do I need to buy? What do I have to do? How long will it take? And through this process, I will soon be cooking up a scrumptious culinary feast for my wife and myself (I’m hungry now).

It comes down to this: Always be a beginner, always ask question. In this way acting and life become an adventure, a rite of passage.

Cultivate what is known as “Beginners Mind”. “In the beginners mind their are many possibilities; in the experts mind their are few” -Shunryu Suzuki, “Zen Mind, Beginners Mind”

Sense-Memory or Sense-Fantasy are equally powerful tools. They are the key that opens the door to an Imaginal Subspace in the mind. This subspace can also be described as an Altered Reality, Creative Reality or Artistic Reality. Whatever name you give it, it has the power to CHANGE your performance. It also has the power to make you believe you are somewhere else or someone else.

It is in this Subspace that the actor has a fuller, richer experience of the character and a truly visceral understanding of their true capabilities.