Heretic

Heretic is what I am. I do not believe in the established dogma of the acting profession, my views are contrary to tradition and popular opinion.

And like other heretics, I am regularly attacked, abused, insulted and derided. I don’t tell you that to elicit sympathy, but to illustrate the path of the heretic. It is usually through pain, my personal mantra has always been ‘the truth will set you free, but first, it will make you miserable’, so I have come to expect a little misery on my mission.

It is natural to attack the member of your tribe that refuses to go along with the rules established to maintain order. Tribe members will attempt to educate the Heretic, correcting his misunderstanding. When that doesn’t work, it tends to turn nasty.

But I feel that I am in possession of new knowledge, something special that cannot be repressed, a way of working that throws aside decades of decadent waste, and provides for the actor a real craft.

Not only that but week in and week out the proof of the pudding is eaten in my classes.

Now like other heretics before me, I am not making waves purely for controversy, but to help those who want to act. As my little studio sits on a volcanic change of direction in the way that acting is taught, we are continually joined by more and more students that no longer want to put up with bullshit games and exercises but want to learn to act truthfully and grow excited by each new discovery.

This revolution cannot be put down, try as they might.

“I feel very sorry for your students, you clearly know nothing about acting” said one critic.

“You are damaging your students, with your limited thinking” said another, but still they come.

Is it something I’m doing? No, I don’t think so, I think people know the real truth when they see and hear it.

“I kept expecting you to bullshit me, I was waiting and waiting and it never came.”

What greater compliment could a heretic like me hear?