Diánna Martin Acting Studios

"My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent." Ruth Bader Ginsburg RIP You amazing and inspiring woman.... Women directors, acting teachers, playwrights, screenwriters... any woman who tries to be a voice equal to those in any industry including the arts can tip their hat to you. Thank you. #RIP #RBG Art by Rebecca Williams https://www.facebook.com/rebeccawilliamsart/

Preparation, preparation, preparation. That five minutes before the character walked into a scene, on stage, into frame. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination - which is limitless when you pull down the boundaries. The process that the actor goes through for preparation is as unique as the individual - and the character that has been created by the actor. There is not "right" way to do it. ... Of course there are guidelines to help, as I or any other actor and acting coach would recommend, but ultimately no matter what name you call it, what school of thought, what you use, it really just boils down to one thing - whatever gets you there (as long as it doesn't put your fellow actors/crew/yourself in danger - and trust, I've seen some people really walk that line/cross that boundary). I love seeing "behind the scenes" on movies, and this little clip of Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" is no exception. Jack Nicholson is brilliant, and my mind is blown just watching him prepare. It's exciting to watch regardless if you're a fan of the film or not, because it's a reminder that the imagination is the actor's greatest gift. And preparation and objective is key.

As we breathe in and feel Fall begin to cool off the heat of summer, it's good to take inventory of the things for which we are thankful. Sometimes, and lately it seems like it's more often than not, we need to remind ourselves of these things so we can just push forward. As creative people, oftentimes we feel so much as it is. Most of us try, in one way or another, to put those feelings into our work. What makes you feel alive?

Said so well. And not surprising! Her talent is immense and speaks for itself. I was reading through 27 Wagons Full of Cotton by Tennessee Williams a couple of nights ago for something I'm working on, and I remembered that it was performed by Meryl Streep at one point. I started looking online and read John Lithgow's description of the audition from his autobiography (who was in the room at the time):... "For her audition she wore a nondescript skirt, blouse, and slip-on shoes. She carried a second pair of shoes and a box of Kleenex. As she made small talk with Arvin about the play and the character, she unpinned her hair, she changed her shoes, she pulled out the shirttails of her blouse, and she began casually stuffing Kleenex into her brassiere, doubling the size of her bust. Reading with an assistant stage manager, she began a scene from 27 Wagons Full of Cotton. You could barely detect the moment when she slipped out of her own character and into the character of Baby Doll, but the transformation was complete and breathtaking." (taken from www.simplystreep.com ) Really, it's not about pretending to be someone different from yourself; you're using yourself, always, as a character in a set of given circumstances. Find the uniqueness within you, and you will find the uniqueness of the character. And therein the "differences" may not be so much after all. Thanks to @nomambre on IG for making this for me.

I was private coaching a student this evening on Zoom (that's a whole other post about moving into this medium for teaching - and it's great!), and we were talking about making full choices in her work. Last night I was acting in a reading, and later I was talking about making full choices with my fellow actor and friend. It comes up a lot in performing arts. My opinion is that you should ALWAYS make a full choice - because what's the point if you don't? If you find it was a... bit overboard, okay - you can always reign it in. But at least you're exploring the character, the scene, the moment as best you can and allowing yourself the freedom to try. And you never know what you'll find. Full choices are interesting - as long as they are authentic and not forced. So it's your choice. The choice to make a choice. Ha! How many levels do we go here? But seriously tho - it's the same in life. And it's the same in your life as an artist. Your ability to choose is one of your greatest super powers as a human being. BUT that doesn’t mean you get to control anything, by the way, it means you get to *choose* how you respond which an important distinction. Imagine how different your day would look if you chose to live and work from trust, faith, and confidence instead of worry, fear, and self doubt? Easier said than done, I know. Are you thinking, yeah, but Diánna, * I'm stressed out - have you read the news? * It’s harder for me because I'm used to being on stage or being on a set - I didn't bust my ass in this business to do Zoom readings! (lovingly and loosely quoted from the play Climbing the Good Walls by Robin Rice) * I can’t choose to trust it will happen because look at all this evidence otherwise... Oof. I *know* those feelings intimately. But things always seem to turn around for me when I can both surrender to what I can’t control and feel confident in my power to choose. Every single moment is another opportunity to make a different choice and learn. Doesn’t mean you can’t have bad days, and you may not make the right choice all the time, but at least it will be your own. What becomes possible for you when you choose: to feel good? to love yourself? to give yourself and others grace? to go after your goals in a way that feels good? I hope as you head into Labor Day Weekend this year that you choose to be patient with yourself as you move forward in your life, your art and creativity, or your business. Whether it's a straight line or a proverbial Cha-Cha, you're going to get there. What are your thoughts on this?

Found out a fellow actor and former acting student of both my Dad and myself has passed away. RIP Stewart Steinberg. He was a fantastic character actor who could make incredibly full choices in his work and who had an incredible sense of comedic timing that was uncanny and hilarious. He had intense depth of emotion that when tapped, was magical and as engaging as those moments of self depreciating humor. ... You used to crack me up, and I cannot tell you how much I appreciated you and your kindness. You knew that I was nervous about following in the old man's footsteps, scared about being good enough to coach a professional actor and you reminded me that I knew what I was doing and that you appreciated it.. You were so lovely. Thank you for being a straight shooter, not putting up with bullshit, and your advice to me to not do the same. Much love, Stewart. See you on the other side. Xoxo