Before I tell you about the things I've learned after taking an acting class this semester, I should probably tell a bit about myself first. I'm not a Theatre major. It's not my minor either. My major is English, and I'm not even going to be a teacher. I'm a shy introvert with a huge fear of speaking in front of people. So why would I willingly choose to take this class? Because I knew it would be challenging.
But I also thought it would be fun. Acting has always seemed fun to me, as I'm sure it has to most people at one point. Technically I've done some acting before (a small play for my church when I was 13 and a short scene in front of a few judges for a competition in fourth grade) so nothing that big. Plus my shyness and fear of public speaking increased as I got older. But the desire to attempt to act was still there, so when I realized I could take an entry level class and have it count towards my electives, I went for it.
And immediately regretted it. After the first day of class, I was already freaking out and looking into how to drop it. I honestly couldn't imagine why I thought it was a good idea to take it in the first place and hated that I chose to. Even then though, there was a part of me that didn't want to drop the class. A part of me was still interested and excited to try something I've wanted to do, and might never otherwise.
Obviously, I stuck with it, but it was a slow realization that I had made the right decision. And by slow I mean I just now fully realized it. There were many times throughout the semester I once again questioned what I was doing there, but there was always something that made it okay.
Besides for the sake of a fun experience, I also wanted to get myself out of my comfort zone. I wanted to make myself more comfortable with speaking in front of people. But I also learned some things, some of which relate to life.
1. Acting is probably harder than you realize
Don't get me wrong, I never thought it was easy, but nothing makes you realize how difficult something is until you try it yourself. I imagine for some people it comes naturally, but seriously, I feel like I've never truly appreciated or respected people who act enough until now. Now I can't help but take notice of acting when watching a show or movie, and even when it's one I don't like, all I can think is, "HOW?"
2. People are complex
A part of acting obviously includes understanding your character; are they outgoing or shy? Happy or sad? Etc., but it's not that simple. There are so many small things that can and should affect the way your character acts, and it's so much more complex than I expected. The thing is, it's necessary because that's how people really are. Every day the way we act is affected by such tiny details and things going on in our lives that even we don't notice. Which made me think, if we don't even recognize what effects the way we act, how much more is that true for others? It can be so easy to judge others for being or acting a certain way, but we can only do so from the surface, which tends to be inaccurate.
3. Everyone gets nervous
I was nervous every day we had to do something in front of class but seeing that others were too made me feel a bit better. My most recent project, a part of my final actually, we had a scene with at least one other person. I had practiced and memorized my lines, but I was a wreck. I honestly had never felt so nervous in my entire life. But then as I looked around and saw other people who seemed just as nervous, it made me think about how we overestimate the confidence of other people. Just because someone seems to have it all together doesn't mean they do.
4. Making mistakes isn't the end of the world
The saying, "nobody is perfect" is said a lot, but it's because it's true. Despite knowing this, I wanted to do everything perfectly. The thing is, it's not possible. Mistakes happen, no matter how small, and it's how you deal with them that matters. Part of the reason making mistakes feels like such a big deal is because we don't like being judged, but the truth is, the people who matter will understand and feel for you because we've all been there.
5. You are capable of more than you think
By the time I did my scene, I was actually less nervous than I expected to be, but the time leading up to that was a different story. I honestly didn't know if I could do it. I was forgetting the easiest lines, I felt sick, and I just wanted to give up. But somehow (after a lot of praying) I managed to calm down enough to remember why I was in this class in the first place: to have fun. So I did. I'm not saying it's always easy, because that definitely wasn't, but you'd be surprised at what all you can do.
6. It's always better to have some help
Yes, you are capable of doing great things all on your own, but it's pretty great when you have some help and support too. Acting requires working with and depending on other people, which can be kind of scary. But just like with anything else in life, with the right person/people, going through something challenging can not only be less so, but even fun.
