Call Me a Flake

I like the idea of being a professional. I like it more than being a flake, which according to my way of thinking was participation in fields that involved anything smacking of right brain use—artist, actor, writer, dancer, painter, illustrator, etc. Well, call me a flake now because in February I took acting classes. I had a blast.

A lot of movies are filmed in Utah, from westerns to contemporary films. Some of the more famous ones are Footloose, Thelma and Louise, High School Musical, The Lone Ranger, and the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. Television shows are also filmed in the state, such as Touched by an Angel, Everwood, and Promise Land.

I took the acting classes at The Actors Workshop. Classes are taught by a veteran of film and stage, Michael Flynn, who lives here in Utah. Michael has been numerous films, television shows and stage productions, working in both Utah and Los Angeles.

The classes were held in studio type of setting, an all-black square room. Lighting hung from racks in the ceiling. One wall had movie posters on it from movies filmed in Utah. The opposite wall was full of headshots from actors who had taken the class. In the middle of the room sits a camera, usually focused on a single chair. This is where the work takes place.

I thought acting would be easy. It turns out I was wrong—so very wrong. Yes, there are those people—just like with anything else—that have a natural talent and ability—and I hate them. Okay, not really. Then there are the rest of us who find out that what looked so easy actually involved a lot of skill, skill that had to be developed. What looks easy in acting is the result of a ton of practice and work. Go figure.

I met some very fun and interesting people who were very serious about their craft. They weren’t into being “all dramatic” as I had mistakenly perceived actors to be. Among my fellow students were some real actors, people who have been working in the industry and have had significant roles in movies. One of my fellow students had been a major character in the Disney High School Musical movies—she had been living and working in L.A. I was so in over my head. This was a real acting class with real actors—who were really good.

I won’t claim to have gotten good at acting. I got better though. Not hard when you start out with little to no talent. I learned a lot about real life from pretending, or rather acting. This is because to be a good actor, you must be a good observer of people and the world around you. You can’t convincingly portray what you haven’t observed and somehow internalized.

Even if I never end up on a stage or standing in front of a camera, taking this acting class was one of the best gifts I gave myself. I learned a lot of things about communication that I will use no matter what I do.

Maybe acting isn’t one of those things you have wanted to do. But what have you wanted to do but figured it was just too flaky? Maybe it isn’t as flaky as you think it is. Who knows what you will gain by trying? You might end up very surprised at what you learn and how much fun you have.

Now if you will excuse me, I have a monologue I need to work on.