Comments on: All the World’s a Stage: Introverts & Acting http://spectatrix.com/2007/03/21/all-the-worlds-a-stage-introverts-acting/ the passionate introvert Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:00:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Attention vs. Interaction | Spectatrix http://spectatrix.com/2007/03/21/all-the-worlds-a-stage-introverts-acting/comment-page-1/#comment-4237 Attention vs. Interaction | Spectatrix Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:20:40 +0000 http://spectatrix.com/2007/03/21/all-the-worlds-a-stage-introverts-acting/#comment-4237 <p>[...] outside of their work. This certainly sheds new light on previous posts about introverted actors and [...]</p> [...] outside of their work. This certainly sheds new light on previous posts about introverted actors and [...]

]]> By: spectatrix http://spectatrix.com/2007/03/21/all-the-worlds-a-stage-introverts-acting/comment-page-1/#comment-249 spectatrix Wed, 25 Jul 2007 15:26:09 +0000 http://spectatrix.com/2007/03/21/all-the-worlds-a-stage-introverts-acting/#comment-249 <p>Patricia:</p> <p>I'm so glad you're enjoying the site. Wow. Those are two professions where you have to be "on" all the time; I'd probably find it exhausting, but if it works for you, that's great :)</p> Patricia:

I’m so glad you’re enjoying the site. Wow. Those are two professions where you have to be “on” all the time; I’d probably find it exhausting, but if it works for you, that’s great :)

]]> By: Patricia http://spectatrix.com/2007/03/21/all-the-worlds-a-stage-introverts-acting/comment-page-1/#comment-208 Patricia Sun, 15 Jul 2007 23:47:53 +0000 http://spectatrix.com/2007/03/21/all-the-worlds-a-stage-introverts-acting/#comment-208 <p>Thank you for this website. I'm an introverted waitress!!! Aspiring to be an actress. I feel working in such a extraverted job, I practice my acting!</p> Thank you for this website. I’m an introverted waitress!!! Aspiring to be an actress. I feel working in such a extraverted job, I practice my acting!

]]> By: I Am Joe’s Blog » Blog Archive » Blogging for Introverts http://spectatrix.com/2007/03/21/all-the-worlds-a-stage-introverts-acting/comment-page-1/#comment-34 I Am Joe’s Blog » Blog Archive » Blogging for Introverts Sun, 08 Apr 2007 02:24:46 +0000 http://spectatrix.com/2007/03/21/all-the-worlds-a-stage-introverts-acting/#comment-34 <p>[...] Again, that may not be true of all introverts, but I think many people would be surprised how many actors, singers, politicians, and even high-profile bloggers would identify themselves as [...]</p> [...] Again, that may not be true of all introverts, but I think many people would be surprised how many actors, singers, politicians, and even high-profile bloggers would identify themselves as [...]

]]> By: spectatrix http://spectatrix.com/2007/03/21/all-the-worlds-a-stage-introverts-acting/comment-page-1/#comment-26 spectatrix Fri, 06 Apr 2007 20:26:26 +0000 http://spectatrix.com/2007/03/21/all-the-worlds-a-stage-introverts-acting/#comment-26 <p>Laurie:</p> <p>Thanks so much for sharing your experiences. It's fascinating to hear how you reconcile your introvert nature with your passion for performing, how you feel you are playing a role as you do it. And thanks for your encouragement about the site; it's been wonderful to have such thoughtful comments come in from readers.</p> <p>I didn't mention this in the post, but I once aspired to be a professional singer, even studying voice at college, which might seem an ill fit for someone so averse to performing. In my case, what I loved was making music itself, but my dread of performing came from my feeling that I was going to be judged by others and found lacking. As you mentioned, the fear of looking foolish was very powerful. I didn't have enough confidence in my abilities to get past that fear; perhaps if I thought I was truly talented, or if I thought I couldn't live without it, I would have perservered.</p> <p>I think I would have been happy to stay holed up in a small room, singing for no other audience but myself, simply enjoying the beauty of the music. In many ways, that describes the writing life, and I think that's why I much prefer it to live performance. There's no other audience, no one to distract from the making of beautiful sounds, nothing to come between me and the words on the page.</p> Laurie:

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences. It’s fascinating to hear how you reconcile your introvert nature with your passion for performing, how you feel you are playing a role as you do it. And thanks for your encouragement about the site; it’s been wonderful to have such thoughtful comments come in from readers.

I didn’t mention this in the post, but I once aspired to be a professional singer, even studying voice at college, which might seem an ill fit for someone so averse to performing. In my case, what I loved was making music itself, but my dread of performing came from my feeling that I was going to be judged by others and found lacking. As you mentioned, the fear of looking foolish was very powerful. I didn’t have enough confidence in my abilities to get past that fear; perhaps if I thought I was truly talented, or if I thought I couldn’t live without it, I would have perservered.

I think I would have been happy to stay holed up in a small room, singing for no other audience but myself, simply enjoying the beauty of the music. In many ways, that describes the writing life, and I think that’s why I much prefer it to live performance. There’s no other audience, no one to distract from the making of beautiful sounds, nothing to come between me and the words on the page.

]]> By: Laurie http://spectatrix.com/2007/03/21/all-the-worlds-a-stage-introverts-acting/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Laurie Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:29:48 +0000 http://spectatrix.com/2007/03/21/all-the-worlds-a-stage-introverts-acting/#comment-20 <p>I find that, as an introvert and a dancer, that performing is an outlet for my extroverted impulses that I don't feel comfortable with expressing in daily life. Like yourself, I find things like birthday celebrations and having pictures (especially "candid" pictures) snapped to be a stressor I'd rather avoid. (In my case, the birthday thing is very closely related to having too good of a sense of pitch -- listening to people butcher music is like nails on a chalkboard -- quite literally painful to listen to.) Other people have a hard time reconciling this shyness/social reluctance with my general eagerness and enjoyment regarding performance. Apparently, I seem very calm in the dressing room (other than the occasional outburst when things get to be TOO too much) and project a great deal of confidence on stage. I've been able to explain the apparent contradiction in this way: when I'm on stage, I'm not ME. I'm playing a role, being someone else, especially if I'm performing someone else's choreography. (Performing my own was a totally different thing for a very long time.) And the more you <em>fake</em> confidence, the more confident you become, really, and you can put that cloak on quickly when you need to, to protect your real self from the audience. I do find that I have only a certain number of performances that I can do in a given time before I am truly exhausted, and that's mostly mental exhaustion. It's good to know your limitations!</p> <p>My general reluctance to make a fool of myself killed any hope I ever had for an acting career, however. I'm not sure how professional actors do it - probably related to really immersing themselves in a character -- but I can understand how dancers and even singers can be truly introverted and still give a great performance. They just need extra time to recharge afterwards.</p> <p>Great site/blog!! I'll have to make this one of my frequent stops. It's nice to see another resource on the web for introverts written BY an introvert, and not by some psychologist who isn't one but thinks they understand it. :) I always enjoy your articles on ITOD; I'm looking forward to reading more here.</p> I find that, as an introvert and a dancer, that performing is an outlet for my extroverted impulses that I don’t feel comfortable with expressing in daily life. Like yourself, I find things like birthday celebrations and having pictures (especially “candid” pictures) snapped to be a stressor I’d rather avoid. (In my case, the birthday thing is very closely related to having too good of a sense of pitch — listening to people butcher music is like nails on a chalkboard — quite literally painful to listen to.) Other people have a hard time reconciling this shyness/social reluctance with my general eagerness and enjoyment regarding performance. Apparently, I seem very calm in the dressing room (other than the occasional outburst when things get to be TOO too much) and project a great deal of confidence on stage. I’ve been able to explain the apparent contradiction in this way: when I’m on stage, I’m not ME. I’m playing a role, being someone else, especially if I’m performing someone else’s choreography. (Performing my own was a totally different thing for a very long time.) And the more you fake confidence, the more confident you become, really, and you can put that cloak on quickly when you need to, to protect your real self from the audience. I do find that I have only a certain number of performances that I can do in a given time before I am truly exhausted, and that’s mostly mental exhaustion. It’s good to know your limitations!

My general reluctance to make a fool of myself killed any hope I ever had for an acting career, however. I’m not sure how professional actors do it – probably related to really immersing themselves in a character — but I can understand how dancers and even singers can be truly introverted and still give a great performance. They just need extra time to recharge afterwards.

Great site/blog!! I’ll have to make this one of my frequent stops. It’s nice to see another resource on the web for introverts written BY an introvert, and not by some psychologist who isn’t one but thinks they understand it. :) I always enjoy your articles on ITOD; I’m looking forward to reading more here.

]]> By: 18 Famous Actors and Actresses Who Are Introverts | SenseList http://spectatrix.com/2007/03/21/all-the-worlds-a-stage-introverts-acting/comment-page-1/#comment-18 18 Famous Actors and Actresses Who Are Introverts | SenseList Wed, 04 Apr 2007 08:33:11 +0000 http://spectatrix.com/2007/03/21/all-the-worlds-a-stage-introverts-acting/#comment-18 <p>[...] sharing my own experience, I write about various topics pertaining to introverts in general. In a recent post, I brought up the fact that there are many famous actors and actresses who are introverts, a [...]</p> [...] sharing my own experience, I write about various topics pertaining to introverts in general. In a recent post, I brought up the fact that there are many famous actors and actresses who are introverts, a [...]

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