Hello Beautiful People,
Lets start with a disclaimer, I feel as though this should be public knowledge by now, but, I adore James P. Morrison.
He is a brilliant actor. He is a brilliant musician. He is an amazing father. Husband. Mentor. Friend.
When I started exploring the Q&A component of The Write Teacher(s), James is one of the first people who I had the privilege of interviewing. And he taught me so much – and yet, he was the one being interviewed. He is wise. He has unending patience. He is gracious. And he is the epitome of what it means to be an artist. So, when he invited me to a screening of his documentary, Showing Up, at the New York Film Academy, there was no doubt in my mind that I had to attend.
No. Doubt.
Here’s what the website will tell you about Showing Up –
In this unprecedented look at the audition, some of our most accomplished working actors reflect on the process and how it affects them.
On the surface, SHOWING UP explores the actor’s audition. Looking deeper, it transcends the profession and examines what it takes for all of us to pursue what we most want to achieve in life.
SHOWING UP offers a thoughtful and revealing narrative compiled from more than 50 interviews with notable artists including: Kristin Chenoweth, Richard Griffiths, Zoe Kazan, Nathan Lane, Chris Messina, Sam Rockwell, Bill Irwin and Eli Wallach.
Here’s what I will say about Showing Up –
Does it help the actors of today? Sure. Is it a source of strength, inspiration, and courage for all artists encountering the auditioning process? Absolutely.
But here’s the thing that you might not realize – it’s a movie that will reach professionals…everywhere. I’m talking about the doctors, the teachers, the lawyers, the businessfolk…the list goes on. BEcause the bottom line, ie that job interviews are never fun. (At least, from my own experience.) You sweat it out. You freak out. You can’t sleep the night before – and you’ve had one too many cups of coffee the day of.
Job interviews are a thread that unites us all. Kristin Chenoweth calls it an audition. You’ll call it an interview. Either way – it’s PAINSTAKING. It’s nerve-wracking. It causes grey hair.
As far as acting goes, Maragaret Colin delivers a monolgoue, a speech, an answer about why she continues to participate in this crazy profession that will bring tears to your eyes and make the fine hairs on your arm stand straight. Artisits, they have to create, no matter what the cost. It is a bruning, beautiful, inherent need that makes the world…sharper. Brighter. More beautiful. More aware. An artist cannot functino properly should he or she not be able to create – and Margaret expresses that so much more eloquently than I am doing at this moment…so I urge you, watch this film.
Showing Up humanizes the agonizing process for us all. It dispels myths. It highlights horror stories. And, most importantly, it reminds us that we are not alone. It is a film that threads the fabric of humanity that unites us all. And that, dear friends, is beautiful.
Live, Love, Learn,