What The Last 5 Years Teaches Us About Negative Self-Talk
I first discovered the tremendous The Last 5 Years, the Jason Robert Brown musical when I was Head of Acting at the Glasgow Academy of Musical Theatre Arts. I’ve loved it ever since. When I found out that Anna Kendrick would be starring in the upcoming movie version, I got exceptionally excited.
Click here to watch the trailer.
Recently, working with a private client called Chloe from the North of England, I wanted to give her an example of negative self talk and I remembered that the song Climbing Uphill is a great example.
Our internal dialogue, the narrative in our heads is known as self talk. We spend much of our time engaged in negative self talk. It is one of the biggest obstacles to your success.
Here are JRB’s lyrics for the song. The red text is negative self talk. The blue is positive self talk. The black is neither. Read it through, actors, do you recognise this critical inner narrative of negative self talk? I sure do!
CATHERINE (sings an audition song)
When you come home to me
I’ll wear a sweeter smile
And hope that, for a while, you’ll…
Okay, thank you
Thank you so much
I’m climbing uphill, Daddy
Climbing uphill
I’m up every morning at six
And standing in line
With two hundred girls
Who are younger and thinner than me
Who have already been to the gym
I’m waiting five hours in line
And watching the girls
Just coming and going
In dresses that look just like this
Till my number is finally called
When I walk in the room
There’s a table of men
Always men – usually gay
Who’ve been sitting like I have
And listening all day
To two hundred girls
Belting as high as they can!
I am a good person
I’m an attractive person
I am a talented person
Grant me Grace!
When you come home…
I should have told them I was sick last week
They’re gonna think this is the way I sing
Why is the pianist playing so loud?
Should I sing louder?
I’ll sing louder
Maybe I should stop and start over
I’m gonna stop and start over
Why is the director staring at his crotch?
Why is that man staring at my resume?
Don’t stare at my resume
I made up half of my resume
Look at me
Stop looking at that, look at me
No, not at my shoes
Don’t look at my shoes
I hate these f**king shoes
Why did I pick these shoes?
Why did I pick this song?
Why did I pick this career?
Why does this pianist hate me?
If I don’t get a callback
I can go to Crate and Barrel with mom and buy a couch
Not that I want to spend a day with mom
But Jamie needs space to write
Since I’m obviously such a horrible, annoying distraction to him
What’s he gonna be like when we have kids?
And once again…
Why am I working so hard?
These are the people who cast Linda Blair in a musical
Jesus Christ, I suck, I suck, I suck, I suck
When fin’lly you come home to…
Okay, thank you
Thank you so much
If you want to hear it yourself, you can listen to it here.