The Words Are Rubbish by Johnathan

The Words Are Rubbish by Johnathan - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

The most important lesson I’ve learned from a teacher was that “the words are rubbish”. My first acting teacher always used to tell the class that, stating that what is really important is what the actor is doing with those words. For example, one of the first exercises we did as a class was that we would all take the line “I’m gonna buy a piano” and each of us would say it in a different way. He would say things like. “Intimidate me with this line.” “Seduce me with this line”. “Annoy me with this line” and we all did what he said. He was trying to show us that by playing the “action” (what you want the person you’re talking to, to do or feel) you can make the lines mean whatever you want them to mean and they’ll have as much power as you give them. There’s a lot of truth in that. Sometimes when you get a compliment you’ll respond with “shut up” even though you’re not mad; you’re just being humble. Sometimes people will say “Having fun?” just to acknowledge the fact that someone is miserable.

Further more, my teacher made a point to mention that not all actors get the luxury of being able to adlib or change their lines. This is true. Some directors will not allow you to do that and even if they do allow you to change your lines, it may be doing yourself a disservice. Granted, there are instances where certain words or lines just won’t make sense, like a character referring to another character as short when the actor playing the character is actually taller, or saying that someone is holding a gun when the actor is actually holding a knife. Whatever the case may be my teacher stressed that we should only ask to change a line out of necessity not preference.

In Closing, almost everyone has heard at some point in their lives, someone who spoke words so simple, so asinine, or maybe even hateful but they said them with such an overwhelming charisma. As actors and as people we have the ability to give these inanimate words weight, depth, and power regardless of what they are. Thus, the words are rubbish.