Vous êtes sur la page 1sur 3

Acting for Life

By Deslie McClellan
The purpose of theater is to lift the gaze heavenward, that we might glimpse the eternal . .
. .1
Our children are bombarded 24/7 with seductive stimuli and a plethora of voices
indoctrinating them with deceptive premises and deceptive philosophies. In the schools and
universities, they are no longer given the vocabulary of right and wrong or good and evil
because moral absolutes are considered too judgmental. Those who presently control our
countrys political, cultural, and academic institutions do not honor Americas Christian roots
and the sacred truths they embody. Indeed, they are working feverishly to tear out those
roots and destroy the very faith of our fathers.
Homeschoolers care deeply about education because they see it as the primary means, after
family and church, to guide and build Godly character. They want their children to live
beautiful lives that reflect noble impulses and the love of Christ. Teaching them to discern
and withstand the onslaught of liberal ideas is fundamental.
So where does drama fit in to all of this?
We all know the benefits of theater. Drama improves oral language and reading skills,
teaches a child to express himself confidently and joyfully before audiences, and helps to
develop social skills that enable him to work creatively and professionally with people of all
ages. For when children, parents, and grandparents (as well as local community thespians)
all work together to play parts, make costumes, or build sets, it is a vibrant experience for
everyone. There is something uniquely delightful about putting on a show, and all who are
involved in the production experience a little bit of that delight. Indeed, there is no other
activity that so effectively promotes personal creativity, intuition, initiative, and inspiration.
And . . . everyone has a lot of fun!
Acting out a character from historical biography or classical literature allows the child to
personally experience the virtue and/or evil of that character and his history. By his roleplaying the young actor learns the consequences of free will choices in lifethat which is the
reward of virtue and that which is the harvest (or wages) of sin. Thus, acting teaches a child
how to act in real life.
It also helps him see beyond the mere pageant of life. As Jaques tells us in Act 2, Scene 7
of Shakespeares As You Like It: All the worlds a stage, / And all the men and women
merely players: / They have their exits and their entrances. Life is a play, and we are all
players. What matter the part one is assigned? What matter the hardship or the suffering?
To play the part well, with joy and courage, humility and faiththat is the essential thing,
whether the player wear a crown or motley. This is Shakespeares message to us. We play
our role upon the stage of life to learn the lessons of right action, purifying our heart in the
process so it can love, serve, and glorify God. In other words, the art of acting provides the
liveliest and most compelling instruction for playing (and playing well) the game of life.
However, there is an even more wonderful benefit, if less tangible. Theaters real impact
derives from the fact that the art of acting is transformative. An actor has the ability to

suffuse his art with a spiritual light that can profoundly influence the hearts of his listeners.
There are countless stories testifying to this. I personally know of one professional British
actor whose performance of Hamlet so dramatically affected a political figure in his audience
that the course of international politics was changed that night and thousands of lives saved
as a direct consequence. On a humbler scale, the first time our theater staged The Secret
Garden, I received letters from several audience members who witnessed how their hearts
had been healed of old hatreds and resentments. One woman said she felt that her heart
had undergone major surgery during the performance.
Most of our modern playwrights and actors delight in the exploration of mans worst
passions at the expense of cultivating what is pure in heart and morally uplifting. Few actors
today provide a lucid and exalting theater experience either in stage performance or on the
screen. Once upon a time, however, actors did comprehend their noble purpose. Artists of
the distinguished repertory tradition such as Laurence Olivier, Ronald Colman, Greer
Garson, Leslie Howard, Dame May Whitty, Robert Donat, Dame Gladys Cooper, Irene
Dunne, and C. Aubrey Smith, as well as child stars like little Freddie Bartholomew, brought
to their work the command and integrity of their own hearts and the belief that when art
appeals to the highest and best in men, it is an irresistible appeal.
In his book A Rose for Mrs. Miniver, author Michael Troyan quotes 1942 Academy Award
winner Greer Garson, when she addressed young actors: Have faith in your star and follow
your dream, not for any thought of fame or fortune, but simply because, as an actor, you
can be a great and powerful influence for good. So much of what we see on the stage today
is hopeless and despairing. Producers should have more courage. People will respond to
stories with beauty, romance and idealism and happy endings. Films should speak to the
best in usof hope, courage, persistence in adversity, and generosity in triumph. . . . I
think the mirror should be tilted slightly upward when its reflecting lifetoward the
cheerful, the tender, the compassionate, the brave, the funny, the encouragingand not
tilted down to the troubled vistas of conflict.
Art should lend beauty and nobility to life. By bringing us in touch with the highest and best
in ourselves, true art brings us in touch with the beauty of the divine. In a 1983 BBC
television interview, actress Bette Davis said: The terrible thing about acting today is that
its all so real. You can sit on a street corner and see real people . . . . Acting is larger than
life. Theatrical life must be larger than lifebrighter and more glorious. We go to the
theater not to experience actuality but to transcend it. The mystery of the theater is the
God-given beauty that He places in our hearts and minds. The goal of the artist is to find
that beauty within and share it with his audience through his artistry, touching the beauty in
their hearts and leaving his indelible forget-me-not in their lives.
I tell all my students that when, as an artist, you become a transparency for the noblest,
purest, and most beautiful thoughts that uplift the heart, you are truly a star!

Deslie McClellan completed a teaching degree in speech and drama from the Trinity College
of Music, London. With the dream of all young artists, she moved to Las Vegas in the mid1970s, where she started the entertainment capitals first repertory acting school. Later, she
left the school in the hands of the repertory ensemble and moved to California, where she
taught high school drama and English while furthering her studies in Montessori education.
Her first book, ACTING MAGIC, is a 540-page comprehensive guide for directors and actor.
Deslie lives in Pennsylvania with her husband; they have two adult children. You may
contact Deslie at familyplayhouse@rcn.com

Endnotes:
1. I inscribe every copy of my book, ACTING MAGIC, with these words. They are meant to
remind teachers and directors of the potency of the dramatic arts for influencing good.
Copyright 2013, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in
the January 2013 issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, the family education magazine.
Read the magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the
free apps at www.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi