The other day, a friend posted a link to a very simplified version of the Myers-Briggs personality assessment that I suppose I've taken about half a dozen times in my life, but about which I care almost not at all. Last year, when James and I started dating, he encouraged me to take one just, I'm sure, so he'd have some idea with what he was dealing, precisely.
I don't remember what I scored on most of the test and, honestly, I'd be willing to be that the answers, and therefore my personality, change over time. But what I do remember is that I was one point away from being in introvert. The test I took the other day came up with: "You have marginal or no preference of Extraversion over Introversion (1%)." (And, yeah, I tend to spell extroversion with an "o" but they're both correct, and the "a" might actually be more precise.)
Introversion/extroversion is interesting to me. James is a classic introvert. I am a barely-across-the-border extrovert. James is a lot less shy than I am in terms of talking to strangers, drawing attention to himself by being rambunctious. It has taken me several years to realize that "shy" and "introvert" aren't the same thing. I know some shy introverts. I know some shy extroverts. I would consider myself shy, mostly, in certain situations... Wait. Maybe that's "awkward." I'm definitely that.
I don't particularly like crowds. In fact, large impersonal crowds like at the mall or in amusement parks absolutely send me rushing to the nearest exit. I don't mind staying home for days in a row, either. I don't "need" to be around people to recharge, although I like being around *my* people. Conveniently, they live with me. I don't need to be out and about, and if I'm away from home too long, I'm super ready to get back here and be quiet. But I can also spend all weekend hanging out with friends and family, or spend all day hanging out with friends and that's fine. I guess it's running around that I don't love.
Yes, I majored in theater. And there's almost nothing I love better than acting, unless it's writing. However, I typically won't choose to be the center of attention in a group if it just happens organically. I don't mind people staring at me in the context of being on stage, acting or speaking to a crowd. But I don't "show off." I don't burst into song. I don't quote movies in character or do accents... except for myself or my family.
Hopefully, this would never be needed by anyone associated to me:
(I don't think I ever practice lines out loud when anyone else is around.)
So... since I straddle the line between introvert and extrovert, what does that make me? Average? Normal??
Showing posts with label acting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label acting. Show all posts
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
An Open Letter to Ms. Amy Herzberg
Dear Amy:
It was either 1992 or 1993... either way, it was at least 20 years ago. I can barely believe it. Can you? I took your Musical Theater class every single semester that I was at the University of Arkansas. It was my favorite, and certainly most humbling, class. I love musical theater. I love acting through song more than anything else in the world, even though I'm not naturally a gifted singer.
You helped me learn things about the way music is written for performance, and how to enrich every word, even the repeated ones, with meaning. I remember very little about college. But I remember you. And I remember that theater. And I remember our class. Thank you.
I just thought of you because I heard a song that I tried to perform when I was newly-20. It's a song from the Broadway musical "City of Angels," (no, not the movie, which I've never seen) one of my favorite musicals ever. The lyrics are hugely clever, the subject is one that is close to my heart, and the 40s "feel" is so much fun. Actually, I performed another of the songs from the show, "You Can Always Count on Me" for one of our fund-raiser reviews, and everyone was a little surprised that I could "belt" like that.
This song, however, was different.
This song is ironically named "Funny."
When I was finished with my performance, you and everyone else critiqued it, we talked about it, but in the end you said that no matter how much I polished the delivery, you would never buy it. You told me that I had not experienced enough life to pull off this song. I wasn't mad, but I didn't really understand.
I understand now.
And you were right.
Hearing the song now, I start to shake a little with rage, thinking through it as an actor. I get where the character is. Much of it is his own fault. He's made stupid decisions. And he wants to do the right thing, but he just can't catch a break... So he's ready to give up.
There is never a situation in which I would need to perform this song... unless someone decided to do a cross-dressing performance of "City of Angels" somewhere other than Austin (because I'd never be cast in a part versus all of the talented actual musicians around here), but if the opportunity arose, I could do it this time. It stinks, but I could. And I thank God every day that I don't relate to it in the present tense.
Just wanted you to know that you hit the nail on the head. That wasn't the only time, but it is one that stands out in my memory. Thanks for being good at what you do. And thanks for helping me realize that life experience makes for better performing all the way around. I find that to be true in my writing, and that's something at which I happen to be a bit more gifted than the whole singing thing, anyway.
Fondly,
Laura
It was either 1992 or 1993... either way, it was at least 20 years ago. I can barely believe it. Can you? I took your Musical Theater class every single semester that I was at the University of Arkansas. It was my favorite, and certainly most humbling, class. I love musical theater. I love acting through song more than anything else in the world, even though I'm not naturally a gifted singer.
You helped me learn things about the way music is written for performance, and how to enrich every word, even the repeated ones, with meaning. I remember very little about college. But I remember you. And I remember that theater. And I remember our class. Thank you.
I just thought of you because I heard a song that I tried to perform when I was newly-20. It's a song from the Broadway musical "City of Angels," (no, not the movie, which I've never seen) one of my favorite musicals ever. The lyrics are hugely clever, the subject is one that is close to my heart, and the 40s "feel" is so much fun. Actually, I performed another of the songs from the show, "You Can Always Count on Me" for one of our fund-raiser reviews, and everyone was a little surprised that I could "belt" like that.
This song, however, was different.
This song is ironically named "Funny."
Funny,
How'd I fail to see this little bed time tale was funny?
I could cry to think of all the irony I've missed!
What an unusual twist
Right at the end of it.
Funny,
Who could see that this pathetic scene would be
So funny?
Once you strain to find the grain of humor
Underneath
Life double crosses with style
Forcing you into a smile
So it can kick you in the teeth.
Just desserts
We can all laugh till it hurts
At my expense.
I'm accustomed to working on "spec."
I always pick up the check.
I think it's funny.
Who could top or make this comic op'ra more
Compelling?
You could weave in some deceit to even up the
Score.
You'd have us all on the floor.
That would be roaringly
Funny
Sad enough my life's a joke that suffers in the telling.
Just another hoary chestnut from the bottom drawer
I've heard so often before
That I can't laugh anymore.
When I was finished with my performance, you and everyone else critiqued it, we talked about it, but in the end you said that no matter how much I polished the delivery, you would never buy it. You told me that I had not experienced enough life to pull off this song. I wasn't mad, but I didn't really understand.
I understand now.
And you were right.
Hearing the song now, I start to shake a little with rage, thinking through it as an actor. I get where the character is. Much of it is his own fault. He's made stupid decisions. And he wants to do the right thing, but he just can't catch a break... So he's ready to give up.
There is never a situation in which I would need to perform this song... unless someone decided to do a cross-dressing performance of "City of Angels" somewhere other than Austin (because I'd never be cast in a part versus all of the talented actual musicians around here), but if the opportunity arose, I could do it this time. It stinks, but I could. And I thank God every day that I don't relate to it in the present tense.
Just wanted you to know that you hit the nail on the head. That wasn't the only time, but it is one that stands out in my memory. Thanks for being good at what you do. And thanks for helping me realize that life experience makes for better performing all the way around. I find that to be true in my writing, and that's something at which I happen to be a bit more gifted than the whole singing thing, anyway.
Fondly,
Laura
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