Silence. Eyes straight ahead. One student looks down at the lifeless jumprope stretched out in front of them.
“I’m curious. What do you need to do to get the entire class to jump the rope at the same time?”
Silence.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Skin in the Game—Staying Curious
Silence. Eyes straight ahead. One student looks down at the lifeless jumprope stretched out in front of them.
“I’m curious. What do you need to do to get the entire class to jump the rope at the same time?”
Silence.
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2 comments:
"Curiosity is a part of the practice of sustainable artistry."
I have a distinct memory of one day in 10th grade acting class, when our teacher came in with a new manifesto about what we would be trying to accomplish. We had seemed a little burnt out lately because frankly, we were, and our teacher had decided it was time to remind us why were here. She handed us a printed list of our objectives.
Three bullet points down, she listed "a childlike curiosity" as something we must all have in order to be successful in acting class. As we read this, she asked us why we thought she had added it.
I swear I haven't stopped trying to answer that question since.
I think it is easy to forget in such a rigorous program as ours that we aren't just here for grades and connections and doing it "the right way." If that's all we're about, why do we have playground? All of us, teachers and students, must remember to ponder why we are here and where we hope it will take us. We must remember to support failure and lift ourselves up through our mistakes. Academic success is not all that matters - but it can show us what really does. Discovery, creativity, ingenuity, and resourcefulness are as much things to be learned by as they are things to be learned, and remembering this is key to our growth. I think it is essential that the school of drama take back some of its curiosity, if we are ever to make it out alive. Perhaps, in doing so, we will be able to thrive as well - even amidst the stress of this semester's end.
This article was surprisingly pertinent. I first started reading it just because it looked kind of interesting, but it hit a deep note inside of me. The paragraph after the second quote about curiosity, the one about how going with the sure thing and going for what you know really spoke to me. It made me think about the decisions we all have to make, especially as theatre artists. It made me think about the fact that all us freshman are declaring our concentration in just one semester. As many know, I am still undecided of what I will choose. I am worried that I will chose more of the “sure thing” and dampen my curiosity, but at the same time, I wonder if going a certain way would actually do that. I hope that over the course of the next few months, I will keep this article in mind, and to stay curious no matter what.
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