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The Meaning Behind “There Are No Small Acting Parts Only Small Actors”

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The Meaning Behind “There Are No Small Acting Parts Only Small Actors”

The Hidden Meaning Behind "There Are No Small Acting Parts Only Small Actors"

Let’s consider the meaning of  “There are no small acting parts, only small actors.” Constantin Stanislavski, considered the father of acting,  is credited with saying this quote. Here is a my director’s advice to actors seeking acting parts. Having taught/directed productions for over 38 years, I’ve experienced every kind of actor’s personality that’s possible.

However, first I want to consider my directing philosophy.  Although I am certainly not the father of modern acting, I do have an extensive teaching and directing career from which I can draw my opinions of the quote’s meaning.  Here’s my take on it. 

(Did you know I have the secret to boosting student engagement?  My new book, “We’re Live! Radio Theater #101” explains my journey to implementing this unique tool in the classroom. Check it out here)

The Meaning Behind "There Are No Small Acting Parts Only Small Actors"

There Are No Small Acting Parts Only Small Actors

The Tony Awards are the Oscar Awards for Broadway–except they are more genuine in my humble opinion. Theatre is different.

One reason–it is special because it is live.

The Hidden Meaning Behind "There Are No Small Acting Parts Only Small Actors"

I was thinking about the performers who portray smaller roles in the nominated productions.  If you ever see them on television in a short quip on syndicated news or talk show, you’ll observe those supporting characters and chorus members are just as invested in the production as the leading actors.

That’s impressive.  Generally, the nominated actors and actresses began as chorus members and understudies many years ago.  They put in their time portraying small acting parts and earned their stripes to finally receive the spotlight. However, this is not always the case.  If you’d like to learn about Broadway actors and actresses, check out: Bright Lights: Broadway’s Rising Stars

There Are No Small Acting Parts Only Small Actors

The Hidden Meaning Behind "There Are No Small Parts Only Small Actors"

Just because you are cast in a small acting role does not mean you are not important to the show. If you think so, you have missed the point entirely.

You are still important to the show.  Believe me. 

If you find yourself unable to move beyond the belief that you should have been cast in a particular role, perhaps it’s time to redirect your focus elsewhere in your life. Coping with disappointment is an inevitable aspect of life, whether positive or negative. While nobody relishes the feeling of letdown, it’s essential to acknowledge its presence and explore alternative avenues for personal fulfillment.

 Get over yourself, you know? Do you agree with me?

The Hidden Meaning Behind "There Are No Small Acting Parts Only Small Actors"

I was Blanche in “Brighton Beach Memoirs” 1989

Some advice from me–if you aren’t cast in the acting part you wanted, it is not an important enough reason to drop out of the show.  Maybe you are to learn something or gain knowledge from the experience? Life is a journey, you know.

Director’s Procedure for Casting 

For several days after I cast a production, I deal with hurt egos of cast members or those who audition for me and didn’t receive the role they desired.

I’ve previously mentioned this–casting a production has a lot to do with who a director envisions in a role. Sometimes I have no idea who I want to play an acting part.  Other times, the right person walks in and is perfect. They are the essence of the character already. If you’d like more information about my experiences and advice, check out Eighteen Ways To Make Your Directing Experience Less Stressful, Part One Eighteen Ways to Make Your Directing Experience Less Stressful, Part Two

 Some people can mold themselves into what I am looking for in a character.  Those people are special because they are versatile.

Casting Questions I Consider

There are other factors in the decision to cast someone, however. For instance, do I know their work?  Are they responsible?  Also, have I known them to be difficult to direct and/or not a team member?

The Hidden Meaning Behind "There Are No Small Parts Only Small Actors"

I was Dot in “Cricket on the Hearth” 2000

Let’s discuss acting parts.  First, there are people who only portray straight roles.  Straight roles are those parts most closely related to your personality.  

Have you ever seen someone in a movie who plays the same sort of roles in each movie?  The role the actor portrays is much like his/her personality off-screen. Aha. Personally, I think Meg Ryan is a good example of someone who can only portray a straight role.

Additionally, there are character roles.  Character roles are those parts that are unlike you–because of your age, stature or personality. Paul Giamatti portrayed character roles with such genius. He’s up for an Oscar award for his work in The Holdovers. Also, Tracey Ullman is a super example. You may remember her from the voice of the mother on The Simpsons.  Another phenomenal actor is  Jared Leto. You won’t even recognize him in House of Gucci. 

Versatile Performer: Embracing Both Character and Straight Roles

Character roles:

  • Ugly Step Sister
  • Wicked Witch
  • Cowardly Lion
  • Shrek

Straight roles:

  • Cinderella
  • Rapunzel
  • Dorothy
  • Fiona

Luckily, I can play both straight and character roles. That makes me more valuable to a director.   To be honest, I enjoy performing character roles the most, because usually they are interesting and unique.

This is my opinion (but I bet a lot of directors would agreed with me)–It isn’t about playing the lead.  It is about who you are best suited to portray. 

This is such a great discussion question.  If you want additional class conversation questions, check out: Conversation Starters

The Meaning Behind "There Are No Small Acting Parts Only Small Actors"

About Me

Guess what?  I have not been cast in a production before.  No joke!  So, chin up! If you don’t receive the role you craved for, your time will come in the future.

If you are interested in my acting  journey, check this out: https://wordpress.com/post/dramamommaspeaks.com/389 

The next time the Tony Awards are televised, look for the chorus members or those supporting characters, folks portraying small acting parts.  See if you notice them.  You’ll only observe them filling out the stage–sort of like shadows in a painting.

There will be several actors who perform that evening that I know personally.  As always, I am very excited for them. Shout a “Bravo!” to your television. I will, too.

Perhaps they will magically hear us…

The Hidden Meaning Behind "There Are No Small Parts Only Small Actors"

I was Miss Prism in “The Importance of Being Earnest” 1976

From My Classroom to Yours: Drama Made Easy

Now, I’m a retired drama teacher who created drama education resources for teachers all over the world.  If you are looking for cohesive, engaging, fun drama lessons and units, check out my store at: Dramamommaspeaks Store

Teaching High School Set Design? 

Or are you looking for a bunch of FREE resources? Check out this category. Maybe you’d like to teach your students about a famous actor’s life?  Check out:  James Earl Jones or Julie Andrews

Have you ever not being cast in a production?  I’d love to hear about your experience.  Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com. 

 

The Hidden Meaning Behind "There Are No Small Parts Only Small Actors"

Beginning Acting–My Acting Debut in Third Grade

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Let’s talk about beginning acting.

(That’s me, with all the hair, holding on to the young Oliver Twist, circa 1986 I think. Yikes!)

To this day, I have no idea how I got cast as Queen Isabella in third grade. I was a good reader and very expressive. I know we didn’t have auditions or at least I don’t think so. I mean, that was a long time ago.  I sort of remember my costume.  My mother made a crown out of cardboard, blue pop beads from a necklace of hers and aluminum foil.  I wore Mom’s clear-plastic-but-looked-glass wedding shoes (from the 1930’s, this was the l960’s) that cramped my feet something awful but I would never have complained.  Maybe I wore a white bathrobe as my gown.  Heck, I don’t know.

But I do know one thing:  I had wanted to be an actress since I was teeny.  We lived in a huge old brick house in a small town in Kansas.  It had three floors, four fireplaces, a front and back staircase (one for the servants to use, I guess but we had no servants) and two porches.  One porch was on the second floor and enclosed and another porch was connected to the living room.  On the upstairs porch, I spent many late afternoons and Saturdays playing dress up, making blanket forts under the ping pong table and dramatizing any and all books I had read or movies I had seen. There was no heat on the porch and I remember just about freezing off my toes in the dead of winter, and forget playing out there during those hot, hot Kansas summers! I’d go across the street to Lori’s house and have Orange Crush pop and soda crackers and bask in the breeze of her window air conditioner.

Mostly, I just pretended and pretended.

I kept real quiet about my pretending, because I was afraid people would think I was crazy and maybe I’d get in trouble with my parents.  That seemed to be a great fear I had.  I didn’t like to mess up and get those looks from them.  The ones that said, “Oh my. We are ashamed of you.” I still can’t handle those looks from people.

Sorry, I digress…

Acting was a fabulous outlet for me!  It was effortless and such fun!  I still enjoy it.  It is never stressful like directing can be for me. Don’t get me wrong, though.  I enjoy directing even with all of its stresses.  It is just very different from acting.

Deborah Conard Baldwin

I remember ordering a kneeling boy (ironically named Christopher–maybe that’s why he got the part), “Rise, Christopher Columbus!”  I gestured upward with my arm copying the high school girl portraying the Angel Gabriel I had seen in the annual community Christmas pageant.  I guess I thought all important people gestured like that–queens, angels, presidents and the like.  Even today when I direct a young child to gesture in the same way, I am reminded of my performance as Queen Isabella. Hopefully, they look better than I did.

It took me years to become proficient (I think it’s the best word to describe my acting) as an actress.  I think I stunk at it pretty badly until I was way up in my twenties.  When I look at myself in photos from a show I always remember what I felt like at the time the photo was taken and for me at least, it doesn’t feel at all the same on the inside as what I am projecting on the outside.

Some readers who have performed will understand me when I say that acting is a gift you give yourself. When an actor “finds the character”, it’s a huge surprise–like receiving a present one didn’t expect. There is something very mystical about acting and lifting my chubby arm to Christopher Columbus that first time in my life as an actress confirmed it. I was totally intrigued and excited. To this day, I still feel the same way. How many times can a person say that about life?

That’s my  beginning acting story.  What is your story?

Top Seven Reasons Drama Education is Important to Your Child’s Life

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Top Seven Reasons Drama Education is Important to Your Child’s Life

This is a re-publish of an article I wrote for Litpick.com.  I hope it’s useful to you.

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Willy Wonka, Jr.  Fine Arts Guild of the Rockies August 2012

When the Litpick staff and I discussed writing several articles concerning drama education, I was stymied.  I have been a drama teacher and director since 1979. We decided upon the top seven reasons drama education is important to your child’s life.  

Personally, theater and the creativity that stems from it is very second nature to me. I forget that other people may not be aware of its strengths in the same manner.

Today’s the day for bolstering creativity in your child!

In a typical school day I taught theater classes to approximately 100 students, ages eight to eighteen.  Whew!  This included classes in creative dramatics, introduction to musical theater, film making, technical theater and a production based musical theater class. Most of what I taught, I created myself for the students.

Since I worked for an enrichment program for home school students, I taught a different group of students each day.  Double whew! In another words, creating curriculum plus teaching plus directing productions for nearly forty years equals expert first-hand knowledge.  Oh, I forgot that!

 Your Creative Child

Top Seven Reasons Drama Education is Important to Your Child's Life

At the beginning of the school year, it was not uncommon for parents to stop me in the hallway and express delight that their child will be taking a drama class with me.

Many parents say, “My daughter is very imaginative and expressive.  She plays dress up all day if I let her, but other than dress up, I don’t know what to do with her imagination next.”

I think I know what the parent is trying to express to me.

They need some assurance that A. this is a normal part of the child’s development; B. it should not be squelched but promoted and C. there are many strengths to being a creative human being.  I smile and encourage the parent to allow the child to continue imagining. I take it from there and the magic begins.

I will admit I am very partial to theater arts.  Honestly, theatre saved my life when I was about ten years old, but that’s another story for some other time.  All arts classes will nurture your child’s creativity and every art form brings different gifts to the table.  Here are my top seven reasons for drama classes in your child’s life.

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Stage Make up Assignment in Technical Theater Class  May 2016

Drama Classes:

Strengthen literacy—We know that through reading, our reading becomes more fluid and comprehensive. Not everyone recognizes that in a drama class we READ a lot–plays, scenes, poems and stories to dramatize.  Of course, when we rehearse a piece we read the words over and over again—aha! Then we MEMORIZE them.

We practice a character’s lines using vocal inflection and variety.  Suddenly, the words come to life for the reader. Voila! We sneak in reading skills without any of us being aware of it.  It is that easy, but reading must be continued in order to have consistent success.

Build self-esteem and self-confidence—If a child has an opportunity to share his ideas through drama, he is immediately accepted. We applaud for the student and his attempt.  We encourage positive comments towards the student’s effort.  Over time, the child begins to see his worth within the classroom, within the school and consequently in the world as well. Self-actualization is realized. It is a known fact that many at-risk students attend school only because they can take an arts class.  That’s pretty powerful.

Build a team spirit—I compare a cast in a play to a football team. The only difference is that no one sits on the bench—everyone plays.  Everyone’s actions count to make the goal, the performance.  If a student knows that he is expected to help other members of the cast and crew, he takes on the responsibility.

This level of responsibility carries over into social situations, because by becoming a part of a team, a student can see himself as part of the whole instead of merely one piece. A P.E. teacher once remarked to me that she could tell which of my drama students took her classes.  When playing games, they were the ones who quickly pulled a group together, used their individual strengths and left out no one. How nice!

Aristocrats kids

Encourage tolerance—Through a scene or play, when one experiences first-hand what is like to be the down trodden character, the misunderstood, the shunned, the innocent accused, one’s framework of understanding broadens.

For example, when we dramatize the story of Anne Frank or Helen Keller, we begin to see life differently and the value of everyone.  Life’s issues become greyer in color to us and thereby we appreciate the many perspectives in a particular situation.

This is a remarkable attribute.

Provide a safe place to express one’s emotions—Society’s pressures have encouraged us to keep our emotions to ourselves, especially negative ones. I was one of those people.  In turn, some people are the opposite and show only negative emotions because they feel less vulnerable in so doing.

By creating a character and expressing the character’s emotions—happiness, sadness, fear, pride, curiosity, anger, joy, jealousy, etc. these feelings become an accepted part of one’s psyche. One’s acceptance of all one’s emotions, strengths and weaknesses is vital to our growth, no matter the age.

Lastly, there will come a day when your child will thank you for introducing theatre arts to them.  I have never known a student who didn’t flourish from a bit of drama education whether it was from taking a drama class or participating in a production.  There is something very special about the stage and I hope you’ll give it an opportunity to show you.

Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or check out my website at DeborahBaldwin.net

I’d love to hear from you!

If you are interested in a semester-long drama curriculum, check out: Bundle Drama Class and Units 

Here is an example of one of my popular lessons:  Costume Design with Fairy Tale Characters

Costume Design with Fairy Tales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If You Teach Shakespeare You will Want to Check out this Book

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midsummer1

Today I’m blogging about someone else’s book!  Surprised, huh? Lately, I’ve been considering creating another blog specifically about books focused on theatre and writing reviews about them.  Should I do so?  Would that help anyone?  We’ll start with this one.

A Pinterest Friend

This review began because of a pin on Pinterest. Wouldn’t you know it?    I saw this fellow’s pin and thought it would be helpful to me and my writing.  Brendan, the author, and I emailed each other several times since that pinning. I was not asked to write a review.  I offered it to Brendan. Although I don’t walk around calling myself an expert on youth theatre (because that sounds so pretentious to me–I’m just a hard working, really old teacher-haha), I can confidently say that I am well versed in drama education and youth theatre in general.  And besides…more press for someone’s book can’t hurt, right?

Playing with Plays

Playing with Plays is the publisher of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Kids. This great little book is packed with three versions of Shakespeare’s beloved play. Each version of the play is around ten minutes in length.  More importantly for a teacher, it has three different cast sizes!  Oh my, that is very useful!

As a drama teacher of over thirty-eight years, I continuously sought quality resources for my students. Each year, I perused publishers’ books for new approaches to classic plays.  Playing with Plays has figured out what is needed for teachers like me– fresh approaches to teaching drama, etc.  Several times I have taught with the book, Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare which is a bit misleading.  The stories are those of Shakespeare’s plays not some other stories that Shakespeare authored.  I think Playing with Plays is a better introduction to the plots for students and young readers.

Brendan calls his versions “Melodramatic Modifications to Shakespeare’s Plays”.  I appreciate that description and think that’s a fair depiction of these playlets.  Brendan isn’t trying to be Shakespeare, but has created clever versions of the Bard’s play that is palatable to all students of various ages and abilities. Oh, I like that too!

I appreciate that  Brendan  has high-lighted the particular lines from the actual play.  For a child or beginning drama student or Language Arts student, this is tremendously helpful– a reader can clearly discern which lines Shakespeare wrote and which Brendan penned. Yeay! Also, a teacher could lift those lines very easily and use them in a class discussion. Anything to help our teachers; that’s what I say.

shakespeare

Integrity of the Story

I have read A LOT of plays, produced, directed and acted in many plays and musicals.  I’m a purist.  I don’t appreciate classic literature to be bastardized.  I dislike parodies or “skits” of fairy tales, beloved plays or musicals.  As an artist, I know it is difficult enough to get butts in seats and to encourage audiences to appreciate the work, as is.  Sometimes all people know is “that really funny middle school play version of Red Riding Hood.” Can you imagine? Ugh. I appreciate that Brendan hasn’t done that with Midsummer Night’s Dream, but he has plucked the most important pieces of the plot.

Playing with Plays created other Shakespeare plays:  Rome and Juliet, Macbeth (my person favorite0, Hamlet, Julius Caesar and Much Ado About Nothing and several more.  You can purchase Playing with Plays scripts in bookstore and on line at PlayingwithPlays.com.

If you have a chance, check out his website, too.  There is a lot of helpful information for anyone teaching Shakespeare.  I bet you find something there you can use in your next lesson. That can’t be said of every educational website.

So, check out Playing with Plays.  I think you’ll be glad you did.

 

 

 

Notable quote from Bumbling Bea

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bb-chapter-7

 

Ms. Phillips sighed loudly and said, “Since this rehearsal is a bust, I think it would be best if we just played some drama games for the rest of the time.  Michiko and Beatrice, I want you to go out in the hallway and practice Michiko’s part together.”

Bumbling Bea appeared out of nowhere.  I hadn’t figured on my alter ego showing up right at that moment but as I have mentioned before, I can’t control her. “I can’t, Ms. Phillips,” I stammered. “I have to go home early today.  My dad is coming over today.”

There was no way I would help Michiko with her part!  Well, Bumbling Bea wasn’t going to help Michiko.  We were in to the lie too far to back out now.  Michiko drove me crazy!  I was sick of her attitude and bizarre costuming idea.  I couldn’t take another minute of it!  I guess Michiko knew this about me, because before I could say anything else she had grabbed up her violin and backpack and sprinted for the door.

Except she dropped something.

A note.

 

 

Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or Bumblingbea.com

I’d love to hear from you!

 

Notable quote from Bumbling Bea

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bb-chapter-0

As I took Peter’s place on stage, there was another rustling and gasp from the cast and Ms. Phillips.  Michiko had whisked off the scarf on her head and stood smiling happily.  There on top of her usually pretty blue black hair was a thin plastic cap.  I think it’s used by hairstylists to hi-light hair.  My mom’s had her hair done that way before.  The cap thing was jammed all the way down on to her forehead.  A few wisps of her hair had slipped out and around the cap.  She looked like a sear urchin, an anemone to be exact.

“You know, Pocahontas was bald when she met John Smith.  The children’s heads were shaved because of lice! Well, what do you think?” Michiko asked proudly.

“Bald and naked! How absolutely embarrassing.” I said.

To purchase my award winning book, Bumbling Bea go to https://www.amazon.com/Bumbling-Bea-Deborah-Baldwin/dp/1500390356